Letters From Germany
Köhler cousins (page 6)
1952 - 1954
Letters sent by Minna Köhler to August Maas in Walnut Grove, MN. Minna was the daughter-in-law of Carl Friedrich August Köhler, a brother of Emilie ( Köhler) Maas. Her deceased husband, Karl, was a first cousin to August Maas.
See page one for additional information about these letters. [The accession numbers (A/N) are for reference and cataloging purposes.]
A/N - KOH008 [Translation by Siegfried Krause]
Wilhelmshaven
13 January 1952
Dear cousins!
Firstly, my most cordial thanks for your dear package, which arrived here on Dec. 31, well and so unexpectedly. You cannot conceive my joy. Since January 1949, we have received some packages from Aunt Block and Martha Buss and we could help ourselves very much with the clothes and my son-in-law with the 2 suits, since we had absolutely nothing. My son-in-law has had work since autumn 1951; admittedly not yet in his occupation, but he decorates display windows, paints posters and price-signs. Now, the children have bought themselves first a bedroom, they must pay 100 Marks every month until the 1st of July, then they are finished. Then, we can buy beds for ourselves, if everything remains healthy, also pays off, otherwise it doesn't work. Then we can only think of linens. Yes, we have had a hard, hard time. If we wouldn’t have had the clothing from America from aunt and Martha Buss! My son-in-law had 23 Marks of support per week to pay for living, rent, light and heating. It was definitely difficult, but when the need is the biggest, God is there.
We have little Gisela, she is 4 years old and healthy. The children also are healthy, I have sciatica already since Easter, some days quite bad. You, dear cousin, you write that you still remember Berta and Franz. Yes, my husband Karl was born in 1889, now he has been dead 14 years already, a daughter died in 1918, and a daughter with 3 children is living in the Russian zone. I have not been there yet because the trip costs too much money; later, if we have the most necessary things and once they are paid.
Also Anna wrote that I should visit her once, like gladly. I think that it should become better also once, if my son-in-law keeps working and remains healthy and we don’t have a war anymore, may God prevent that. Yes, you dear ones, it is not so easy to change at our age, but I am with the children, I give away my pension completely, with it, however, I can help. I sleep in the kitchen, have a day bed, and during the day, it is our sofa. Now, I am so glad and happy, that I am provided so well with coffee, that I drink so gladly. So often I think of you dear ones; if I could only press your hand for all the goods. One pound of coffee costs 14-16 Marks here, tea also. Little Gisela also has it well.
Aunt, Martha Buss and you dear ones, through your love, already completely a part of us, and so we come always further. My daughter Frieda can wear the clothes without altering, I wear the black blouse, and for Gisela I can alter it.
Now you dear ones, I want to finish my letter, I wish you all the best and thank you both dear ones again heartily for all the goods, with such a joy what you did for my children and me .
The children also heartily thank and greet you.
Your cousin Minna greets you heartily
A/N - KOH010 [Translation by Siegfried Krause]
Wilhelmshaven
30 November 1952
Dear cousins!
Soon again it will be Christmas, the celebration of love, so I would like to write to you beloved ones also before the holiday. It was a great joy for us the previous year, when your dear unexpected package arrived here. Yes, you dear ones, we have made it through difficult years since 1945 with nothing, nothing at all, moreover, our son-in-law was unemployed until 1951; but thank God, it is better now since my son-in-law works.
We must forego much, since we must get everything for us by installment. The bedroom is paid off, then, we have paid 120 DM for heating in 3 monthly installments. Now, we have 2 feather-quilts with ever one bedcover for 340 DM and I have a sleep-couch for 45 DM monthly, but it had to be. If we remain healthy, with God's help; then, probably in April, we also can think of linens and household objects.
We probably will not get to go home anymore. My dear husband now rests already for 14 years. I can not even stand at his grave anymore. Did you, dear Cousin, get to know Karl? Karl was born 1889, now he would be 63 years old. I am fairly well, only I have rheumatism in the legs and in my right hand and arm, with the ink-pen, I always blot the ink. As well, I can only knit a little.
How are you dear ones? I am hoping that you are well. From Franz Köhler and Anna Brietzke I haven’t got any message for a long time, hopefully, however, for the celebration.
Yes, you dear ones, we haven’t visited everyone yet because of the trip fare. We have only 2 small attics. I sleep in the kitchen. First we must purchase the most necessary things for us, then a bigger apartment. The apartments still are very scarce because the village is not built yet. Hopefully, we won’t experience the 3rd war, which would probably become even worse, but God might protect us. Now winter is here already. We have had a strong frost here already yesterday. This summer has brought us few rain-free days; does it always rain there also?
Little Gisela is in her 5th year, she makes much joy for us and is beautifully healthy, is very happy on Christmas and has also many wishes, which can not all be met. If I look at shop windows with her, then she wishes for everything. Now I have written probably everything to you dear ones. Hopefully, this letter will find you with best of health. My children offer heartfelt greetings and wish you a Merry Christmas celebration and a healthy new year.
I also wish you dear ones a Merry Christmas and a healthy new year and the best of everything. God be with you.
Quite best regards you dear ones from your cousin,
Minna
A/N - KOH015. [translation by Ursula Peterson of the MN Pommern Research Group]
Wilhelmshaven
26 November 1953
Dear Cousins,
Since we are close to Christmas, the festival of love, I would like to send to you dear loved ones a sign of life. I hope that you are all well. We're doing moderately well. My daughter had a gallbladder operation in June. She is doing fairly well but she can't eat everything. She had this gallbladder problem for two years and got quite a few injections, which involved her heart, but she is so young and with God's help, everything will turn out all right. My son-in-law has a car since the1st of June and travels around a lot, almost every day. He has 51 branch places to decorate with one helper. In August, Friedchen, my daughter, and Herbert, my son-in-law, visited Berta in Mohnheim.
After nine years, they got around to visit Anna in Heeslingen on a vacation trip in July, that was a joy. I was not present when they visited Berta. I was with little Gisela (she is 5 years old). She is at my sister's in the Lüneburger Heide (a heath area between Bremen, Hamburg and Hannover), also a refugee. Her husband is 80 years old. He works every day on a farm and my sister has been completely paralyzed on her left side for two and a half years from a stroke. I am fairly well. My rheumatism has gotten better. Well one gets old(er) and one misses the dear homeland and when one gets older one feels so abandoned when one has lost one's husband. Karl was such a nice good human being. He has been dead now for 15 years. All Souls Day was such a sad day when people with flowers and wreaths go to the cemetery and I cannot decorate his grave, and probably, will never see it again. We have to endure without despair. God has helped and he will continue to help.
Now I wish you dear ones all the best and my children also greet you.
Heartily regards from your Cousin Minna
Kind regards,
A/N - KOH016. [translation by Siegfried Krause]
Wilhelmshaven
4 December 1954
Dear cousin and family!
Since Christmas comes now again, the celebration of love and memories, so I also want to write to you dear ones, to wish you all a quite joyful, healthy holiday, and also a healthy new year. How are you, all you beloved? One always hopes for the best. It was not good with us until now. My daughter, who had a serious gall operation a year and a half ago, is quite healthy, has no trouble and can eat everything again. Little Gisela, who was 6 years old on August the 1st., was very sick in August. We already had reckoned with the worst, her tonsils and adenoids had to be removed. In October, we brought her to the hospital and she recovered well after that, she is a powerful child, Easter (?), otherwise she comes to the school. Now, my son-of-law has been lying critically in the hospital since 30th of Nov., since today, the doctors hope that they have the fever down, it always was over 39 degrees at home. He is so sick with the heart, he has gotten this in the war, he gets no pension for it. Now for 1 year he is the chief-decorator in a soap-business. He was almost every day on the way by car and, at home, nevertheless working in the workshop, particularly at Christmas if much was to be done, because most branches are located in Westphalia. Consequently, now we have no joyful Christmas, but believe that with God's help it will become better again. Gisela prays every evening, that the dear God shall make her dad healthy again, and we hope for this. I am better with my sciatica, I am contented. I become 68 years old, what there is, taking account of one's age.
The sister of a girl friend of Martha Buss was here in Wilhelmshaven to visit and she has also visited me and she can tell Martha Buss, how we are and how we are living. We don't have much yet, but some things we purchased already. God gives us hope that my son-in-law becomes healthy again, he is 35 years old, a young person survives it better and the doctors are hoping. It also is very favorable that he doesn't smoke and drink. We have here so much rain and storm, today even still thunderstorms. We don't have snow here yet, 2 weeks ago it was very cold. Only so much rain, many had to bring the hay to the manure pile. The harvest is very sad. Bread has become more expensive, a 3 pound loaf of bread, now costs 1 mark and 5 Pfg.
So, I now want to come to the end, wishing you all a joyful holiday again, the best health and all the best. Now you all are quite sincerely greeted by your cousin,
Minna
also my daughter and Gisela extend sincere greetings
