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12 June 1941 [Father]

My Dears,

Your kind letter of May 8th was in our hands two weeks ago. We once again were glad to hear from you, that you are still doing well which thank God I can today report of ourselves also. Karl, you also write that Hedwig is better, this we find cheering. The doctor determined that the sickness came from the teeth. Hopefully all is okay again, so that the Bill family feels well. Your mailing was announced to us two weeks ago (from Bremen). The following day we received a package. Contents 2 pounds of butter. But the actual package has not arrived [this is mysterious]. The delay is probably caused by the fact that there isn’t any [butter]. As you write in your letter, for the moment only coffee, tea, cocoa and olive oil are available. When it arrives I will let you know via the return receipt, which you will then get. The March mailing of four pounds of butter we received a week ago, for all these good things our heartfelt thanks. We hope that someday we will be able to express personally how much joy and gratitude they made us feel each time. Coffee is very nice, but one can get along without it much easier than doing without fats. Olive oil is also good, it can be used for all food preparation. When I got our ration this week, the owner said that for a change there was artificial honey [Kunsthonig] and that it was not necessary to have butter at every meal. Even in these times humor flourishes. Spring cleaning is finished here, we had very good weather for it. It took a long time until it turned warm. This year everything is three weeks later. The strawberries blossomed beautifully at Pentecost so that they will be ripe by July 1st. During the last two weeks it was quite warm and we had a good rain several times. The fields look very good, the wintercrop has survived the winter well and looks like it might bring a good harvest. At 12 o’clock the mail brought us the package from April, so that now everything you announced in your letter has arrived. It weighed 4 ½ kilos, you know the contents, exactly as before and what we wanted. We congratulate dear Joan on her birthday and wish her all that is good and beautiful. We also send our best greetings and wishes to our dear Margie, may she continue to enjoy Gods blessing and benevolence. Our relatives are still doing well. The young ones are in the military, are still all healthy. Otto from Schadeck wrote and said he was in the East and feeling very well. The same is true of Paul Prätorius and his brothers.

As of July my age groups will also be mostly soldiers, although some of them who work in certain jobs have been excused. Among our acquaintances there is many a man who is at home because he is needed [meaning his employer asked that he be allowed to continue working in a job of importance to the country]. Rudolf from Aumenau is still at home, he does work for the military. Our Johanna is still fine, she is still at Finks and works completely independently in their household. As of the middle of February Minchen Fink is gone, she lives with her brother in the Waldstrasse, he is still at home and works for the municipal motor pool at the Mainzerstrasse.

Things are still going well in Nordenstadt, we go there more often now. Wilhelm has a lot to do, he has a French prisoner of war to help him. His wife is very hardworking and is a great help.

So I want to say goodbye for today and send the best greetings to you and all your acquaintances, your grateful Pa, Wilhelm Emmel.

[Mother]

I also congratulate Joän and Margie most cordially on their birthdays. May the dear Lord give both of you health and all that is good. We will think of them when they celebrate their birthdays, we would like to be there, that would be nice. Many heartfelt greetings from your Mother.