Page 7, Die Welt-Post,
Information from
Letter from
Huck, 4 Sept, 1921.-- Dear brother-in-law and sister and children: (Pastor Maul).
With great joy I greeted the receipt of your
letter of 17 June, which reached us on 31 August. I sent you a second letter on
the 14th of June without waiting for a reply As for
everyone, we're, thank God, all healthy. The aged Evlis.
was taken from us shortly after her 86th birthday.
About Philipp Ivanov, we drove to the Line (the Line is from “der Linie”, a reference to a group (or line) of
villages in the
In your letter you spoke of your dissatisfaction with how things remain, and that I didn't mention your in-laws or others. Brother Georg intends to write a letter simultaneous to this one therefore I will leave the in-laws to him, likewise the others you had spoken about. When I don't write about them it is a sign, to my way of thinking, that there is nothing to know, and that none of them are listed as having died.
I know, brother Georg wrote to you, but I will also relate a little. Of those in Huck we see daily; with the Norkans weekly and the Kukusers somewhat lesser. By the way, I drive so that I can put together more information but it quickly becomes difficult when one has to first have a horse, then oats and bran every 5 to 10 Wersts, and secondly, it is hard to impose oneself as a visitor when there is no bread. It would laughable around here if there were nothing to cry about.
Brother Georg didn't get anything extra from his farm and watermelon patch. His son, Jacob, is serving on active duty in Balzer in the Commissariat as clerk. Brother-in-law Philipp as well as sister Amalie with children manage a farm.
Lastly something more difficult; Sister Evkath. is still with her parents. Brother-in-law Schlidt lives in Norka with his entire family including his daughter's husband Frick. In total there are 23 souls there. Their specialty is farming. Jegor serves the government in forest management. Andruscha (Heinrich) is a Notary in Balzer. His elder brother Peter worked with the children of the dead in the winter and went with his family in the early part of the year to the Line. His wife and 3 children died there. Presently he is here and is spending his remaining money extravagantly. He thinks that he will remain living there as things are better for him there. Young Jacob Bohl went with him (his brother-in-law) but he also soon died there. He will return to the Line in the summer. His eldest son Georg died there. The largest of his children drives for the farm at Ivan Ivanovich’s place.
In General things are the same with all of us with little difference. Still, a little more:
The supposed equality is wholly upon us, we are all destitute!
From what we know it is worse for the Kukusers. All their goods and belongings were taken away with the exception of their clothes and wash. Brother-in-law Peter was here not long ago and complained bitterly.
I thank you for the greetings from Mr. Reichert; hearty greetings as well to his family.
I should make a list of all the youngsters who have died; it brings too much pain to have to repeat them again and again. Astonishingly many have recently died, 5--6 from one family. Of brother Wilhelm Schaefer, the former assistant school master, five of his children died. That's enough said here about our friends---
You write further; to a certain extent your desire is satisfied, yes my dear friend, I would gladly write more but I don't know what my limits are, although you mean "write as much as you are allowed." The earlier written reports should give you a clear picture of the battle here; then there are the attached phrases that you plainly laid out: (Pastor Maul repeated the phrases: 3. Moses 26, 16, 17, 26, 31, 34; 5 Moses 28, 20, 26, 27 (Mange, scabies), 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 41, 43, 44, 48, 50, 51, 52, 67; Jeremiah15, 2; Lamentations 5, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 18; Micha 2, 1/2, and so forth and so on.
Letters come here from North and
Here in the summer in many villages 30 - 40 and more souls (for example: Moor, Grimm, Messer) are dying daily. (Even on the roads and fields the dead are found) and diverse sicknesses and epidemics, quite naturally, flourish. --- The abominable hunger is causing people to eat cats, dogs, frogs, hedgehogs, mice, carrion and so forth and so on. In Huck the count does not exceed 10. The local census is not much higher than 5000 (from 9600). Last time there was something left over with all the deaths; then there were potatoes, millet, some fruit to be had; but, but the long winter! Dear God only knows how it can turn out. Everyone is convinced and they say up front that should no help arrive, that those who are still living will be dead by the early part of the year.
On this account, my dear American Wolga-Germans (I address myself to all) if you still have it in your heart for us deep in need, you can change the course of things.-- I repeat again until the end, that we are in extreme need; If help does not come to us quickly then it is only by the wonderful Grace of God that we will be allowed to get through "the Way has he always...."
Heartfelt greetings from me and mine to you and all of yours, my dear brother-in-law.
Philipp Kindsvater