LETTERS
Special thanks to Ulla Przevolka who translated these
German letters for us.
Letter from Sebastian Weber to his sister Marie Catherine Weber Klein Reynolds -- December 28, 1873 (English Translation)
Letter from Marie Catherine Weber Klein Reynolds to her sister Mary Magdelena Kunz -- May 16, 1879 (English Translation)
Letter from Marie Catherine Weber Klein Reynolds to her brother Sebastian Weber - May 16, 1879 (English Translation)
Lyons 28th December 1873
Dear sister and all,
I pick up the pen still in the old year to write to you a few lines. It makes me wonder how you are doing, whether all of you are well or not. We are, thanks to God, in good health.
For the longest time I have been waiting for a letter from you but I waited in vain. I would have written much sooner but there was nothing good to write to you about. I was not in my heart, not because of me but about the parents. They grow older and frailer every day and we have to wait and see what will happen next. My wife has done so much for them and I can understand when she loses her patience now and then, with all that lies on her shoulder when there are so many more who should do their obligations and duties.
Marianne lives near by, only three miles from us. She has not come once to visit her parents and she shows no concern. Sure, Marianne is poor, but there [are] other poor people who care about their parents and do their duty and obligation. I believe I wrote too much already but I have to add that, if you have the chance, to let Mary [?] Kuntz know that her parents are still alive and that I have already supported the parents with my income for 15 years. Of course they have bread to eat but man does not live by bread alone. The parents need many things they have to do without. Father is almost totally blind, he does not recognize anything anymore and he can hardly walk anymore. Mother still sees and walks well, but she is very unclean and has a lot in her from the deceased Grandfather. Now you can imagine what’s going on here. But please don’t look at this letter as a begging letter that I want your help to support them, but there are some things they badly need and have to do without. If you know anything about the Kuntzes, let me know how they are. Should you write to them, please send my greetings.
With my family it does not go as I wish. My oldest son is gone; he is in St. Michigan. Already one year, I am sending you a photograph of my oldest son, it has been photographed last year.
I send all of your children and _?_ [Note: possibly Timothy Reynolds, Marie’s husband?] many greetings.
Your brother,
Sebastian Weber
When you have received this letter I wish you a Happy New Year.
When you write send the letter to the address of Josef Klein [son of Marie Reynolds].
[Translator’s note: It looks like the last four lines on the bottom of the letter are written in a different handwriting, perhaps by Marie Reynold, who would have likely sent this on to Mary Magdelena Kunz.]
* * *
Dear sister and all,
I will let you know that I received a letter from Sebastian. He wrote that the father passed away [on] the 13th of May at 11 o’clock in the morning. He was buried on the 14th of May next to his mother and daughter [note: Sebastian’s mother and daughter]. He has his own place in the cemetery. May God give him eternal peace and let the eternal light shine over him. Amen.
I am so very sorry and sad that I can not help him. [Translator’s note: I think by "him" she means "Sebastian".] I have so much to do with us; my husband he died already in 1876 August 5. I have so many illnesses [to deal with], if not one is sick it’s another. I didn’t want to write to you about misery and distress otherwise I would have written to you long before [of] how we are doing. But right now we are all well, but there are no jobs. John is already for one month without work. Julie sews in the houses, Paulina [Translator’s note: Could this be "Liena" mentioned in another letter?] is learning sewing. She has to learn for 6 months. House rent is ten dollars for one month and all to buy for living.
You wrote that the Kuntz [Joseph Kunz, Mary Magdalena's husband] is sick. I feel sorry for him, it is hard when one is sick. Be so good and write to me how things are with you and where your children are and what they do. Where is Julie and Josefine, John, Emil, Mary and Joh [possibly Joseph?] and all the others whose names I forgot? Excuse my poor writing. Write soon and don’t forget it. I greet all of you.
Marie Reynolds
I found out when I wrote my last letter to you that I didn’t write about Sebastian and I started another letter and mixed up that letter with this one. Some people came and that made me forget. Forgive me and write soon.
* * *
By content, this letter appears to be from Marie Reynolds, Rock Island, Iowa to Sebastian Weber, though some confusion exists because the translator state this is written by Sebastian Weber to Joseph Klein. Joseph Klein is the son of Marie Reynolds by a first marriage.
Rock Island, May 16th 1879
Dear brother,
I received your letter on the 15th and received the sad news that the father passed away. I can not thank you and your wife enough what you and your wife did for the parents. I gave me so much grief that I live so far away from you and that I can not even visit you and can not even get some money from the pawnshop. If I can do something later I will not forget it.
Here it goes still slowly. Oldest son Jo [?] had no work for almost one month. The Julie goes sewing in the houses. Liena she learns sewing. She has to learn for six months before she can earn one cent.
The [name?] is on a farm and has three dollars a week. John [or Jahn] goes to school. The businesses are not [doing] good. There are many men without work. Let me know how it is going with you, you didn’t write one word about Marianne. I wonder how it goes with her. Tell her to write to me.
[Translator's note: I wonder if there is another page to this letter, a page I had not copied. There seems to be "no closing" of this letter.]
Address: Mrs. Mary Reynolds
In care (of) Julia Klein
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