Page 5, "A Letter from Beideck, Russia"
Beideck, 26 November 1920
To: L. Dreith, Lincoln, Nebraska
May the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, be with you all. Amen.
Much beloved children so far away:
If this letter should reach you then all of you be heartily greeted and kissed in spirit by us, your parents, from your brother and from your sister-in-law and sister and brother-in-law and by our son Alexander. For the time being we are wonderfully healthy and wish that these few lines find you the same.
I could write you much but because postal service is so uncertain one never knows if one should write a lot or not. I will keep this short and only write about our situation which, in any case, you would be interested in the most. Thank God, that for the present we have no emergency. However, what the future will bring is dark to us.
On Pentecost our Katharina married Balthasar Miller, son of Peter Miller on the main road. The wedding was held in total secrecy in the church. Concerning our handicraft, nearly every day is a holiday. There would be plenty of work but there is a shortage of wood and other material.
Now you will probably want to hear something about the condition of your house. It was legally taken over some two years ago by the Soviet and presently the Village Secretary, who is a Russian, lives there. When the changes started happening here in the country I wanted to sell it but a couple of your close relatives banded together and stopped the sale. They now both belong to the Soviet and are to blame that things have come to this.
Sadly, of the last harvest, I can write nothing good. It was very poor. As far as how things now stand with the populace, there are already many people without bread and there is little hope of help. Here I will break off and close.
All of you are heartily greeted, write us again soon,
Balthasar Spomer
This translation provided courtesy of Hugh Lichtenwald.