Letters From Germany

Maass Relatives 1930, (page 5)

Letters sent by Wilhelmine Maass in Eichenwalde, Germany to her sister-in-law, Emilie Maas, in Walnut Grove, MN.

[The accession numbers (A/N) are for reference and cataloging purposes.]

A/N A/N - MAA001 [transcribed, translated and summarized by Monica Spiker, Spokane, WA]

Here is Monica's synopsis of the letter from Wilhelmine Maas dated 4/23/1930 in Eichenwalde. It is actually 3 letters.

Each starts with Dear Sister in Law. The first letter is an answer to a letter received from said sister-in-law Emilie. She describes having hard times (it is the depression and there is inflation) but that they are making ends meet. The second refers to a possible illness experienced by the sister-in-law and Wilhelmine is expressing her condolences and wishing her speedy recovery. The last letter wishes the recipient a happy birthday. No mention of relationships or dates appear in any of these.

In Wilhelmina's letter she states that she can no longer work since on July 29th she will become 76 years old and that she receives a widow's pension of 16 Marks and 90 Pfennig per month and another 33 Marks per month in parent's pension.

[Monica comments, "Whoever wrote the letters was not well educated or German wasn't a primary language - there are many grammar and spelling mistakes."]

A/N MAA02 - [translated by Siegfried Krause]

Eichenwalde
9 Dec 1930

Dear sister-in-law and children,

I always wanted to write, (to see) how you are; are you tolerating your misfortune, or do you also feel pain after your misfortune, or have you recovered well? With me nothing is the matter, I feel pain every day, I am unable to work any more.

Now I have Hedwig, who is the youngest, at home. Emilie is still in Berlin. She didn't report (keep in touch) for a long time, now she always writes that I should send her money. Then, she behaves as if something is wrong with her and she goes into the hotel and eats? in the hotel. So much (money) I don't have any remaining either, because I also have my own necessary expenditures. Whereupon I wrote her the truth and since then she did not report to us. It’s bad for Emilie; she is getting old already and she also doesn't have a job anymore. Then also if no one wants to marry her and what she does is also always extravagant. The incredible things she does also don't seem to disturb her.

She holds to her beliefs and she has since the America trip. She also imagined things would be different for herself. She didn't believe that her aunt would deceive her so, because Emilie thought, she should marry one of the youngest boys and this went wrong.

Because nothing became of that now, Emilie thought she wanted to take the one that she had met here. And that also didn't become of anything. [The next sentence is unintelligible] and d is and has genötet and k for itself over it moved. Nothing is going well with her, I don’t know what I should do. I can’t help her.

Now, dear sister-in-law, I would like to know how sister-in-law, Johanna, departed from the world. Did she lie sick in bed for a long time or did she go easily
into eternity? I have told Mrs. Struck that Mrs. Lüdke is dead. She didn’t believe me at all, that I am also a niece of Mrs. Lüdke. [see comment 1 below] Mrs. Struck said to me that she has written a letter and the letter was returned to her. [see comment 2 below]

She thought, however, that it would get to the children there and that she could get a message. Didn’t she sell her small property, or what has she done with it? I invite you, dear sister-in-law, if you are still able, to send me information about everything.

So, I wish you a happy Christmas celebration and the best health and also to you and your children a happy and healthy new year

Best greetings to you and also to all (your) children and relatives.

Widow Maass

Comments by Gene Maas:

This relationship is confusing. I presume widow Maass is the 2nd wife of Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Maass, who is Johanna (Maass) Lüdke's brother. Is it possible that she is also the daughter of one of Johanna's or Heinrich's siblings?
On Nov. 17, 1966, a Marie Struck wrote to Joseph Timm in New Ulm, Minnesota. The greeting was to Cosine, the term for female cousin. The return address was: A. Struck, Elmenhorst 24, Oldesloe, Krs. Stormarn Schleswig Holstein. I believe Marie Struck was a cousin of Mrs. Joseph (Anna) Timm, a daughter of Johanna Maass Luedtke. But Anna died in 1950.