The translation of a letter to Franz Egon Böhmer* 23.8.1846 in Eslohe, Sauerland, Westphalia, Prussia, Germany from his sister Theresia, widow of Wilhelm Josef Molitor, later widow of Eduard Lingohr. The letter was found in the loft of the hotel in Eslohe in the early 1930s by my grandma, who is a grandniece of Theresia, and it was given to me in Febuary 1998. In some spots the writing is unreadable because of yellowing. Added remarks are in [...].


                                                                                                              Detroit, 13. May 1882
Dear brother and sister in law,

I have received your nice letter and I hurry to answer it to you. I certainly would have complied with your wish concerning the desired papers, but I don´t really know what it is you desire. You want me to send you a lease, whereas I think it has to be a contract of purchase. Besides, neither do I know the lot, nor the number, nor the size of the piece of land, so it wouldn´t be the right paper you need anyway, if I sent it to you. So, have a contract of purchase made and send it overhere by mail, where I and my three oldest brothers [ 2 words missing] certify judically [ 2-3 words missing] send back. You ask how I´m doing with my kids and how´s Heinrich doing [a brother *8.1.1852 in Eslohe, who emigrated to the U.S. before 1880, but reimmigrated probably in 1885 and died unmarried in Eslohe in 1887]. With this one you have put a big burden upon me; all winter he was lying at home again and had to be fed by me, while I have to buy everything at high cost. But he´s got a job again for two weeks by now, so he gives me a board allowance, the rest he spends on drink. He wouldn´t buy proper clothes, so if I don´t want to be ashamed of him, I have to give him clothes from my boys to make him presentable. If he couldn´t count on me at all, it would be best, but this way he relies on me.
As far as I am concerned, I´ve got nothing but grief and worry since Eduard died. Because I just learned how much bragging Jos. Müer told you, I want to explain the situation truly. Carl is married for more than a year since November. He got married right after Jos. Müer came back from his journey to Germany. He´s got a little girl, which is eight months old. I´ve got Jos. and Egon. They earn quite a bit of money. But you mustn´t think that I get it; they pay, as it is generally the fashion here in America, a good board allowance and the rest they keep for themselves. From this they dress fashionable and join all activities there are. I can consider myself glad they stay well groomed and don´t spend their money on drink, like many do here, who don´t even give a board allowance to their parents. Here, in the free country of America, duties of the kids to their parents are not common at all. Certainly, if Lingohr had stayed alive, then everything would have gone totally different, then we would have had our own cigar-shop and the boys would have worked at home, then there would have been a regent in between. Ferdinand is serving his apprenticeship, he´s in the barber business, which is a good business here. But he still earns very little money. I always got another boarder in order to make a better living, but now there´s not much money to earn with this; everything has been very expensive all this winter [2 words missing] still now. I´ve had Benjamin Schreiber for 2 1/2 years, also Meier Funke was a boarder for a longer period; but right now I´ve got Albert Fredebeiel [*13.10.1854 in Reiste], all of them old acquaintance. So, I´ve always got 12 people at table, you can easily imagine that this means a lot of work, which I handle all by myself. Of course, I could employ one of the girls at home to give me a hand, but I have to send both of them to work for surviving. Cooking is not the big deal, but cleaning; the hot water heater has to be polished white all the time, and the baking one has to do in this country, plus all the laundry and ironing, because here everybody wears pleated shirts and all the bright clothes for the kids. Though, since this winter, when I became ill after too much of working, I don´t do the laundry by myself anymore and there is a washwoman once a week, but I still have to do the ironing. Now, still the knitting and sewing for such a big [2 words missing]. Here, you sew everything yourself, and all the clothes my kids wear I sewed myself. I am able to make pants and jackets for the boys just like the best tailor. Of course, I´ve got a sewing machine. So now you´ve got in short truthfully the enviable fate of your only sister, which you certainly did not imagine this way. Of course, if I had kept my Eduard, then everything would have been different, then we would certainly have a house of our own, whereas now I have to pay 11 Thaler [= Dollar] rent each month, here you pay [2 words missing]. This way I have to manage to survive and despite of all the pains I cannot save a Thaler for the case of illness or death. I don´t get what made Jos. Müer to make such a fuss, by the way, we all fancied, because here we are not being accustomed to anything better. All in all he is a good fellow, but he cannot help lying and talking big, this is in Müers blood anyway. On Low Sunday Ludolph went also to First Holy Communion, so now he´s out of school [Sic!! He was born about 1870, thus he started to work being 12 years old], and yesterday our youngest went to school for the first time. By now I´ve got only three little kids and I often think, if I was overthere again with you guys, it would be better for me, as well as for the kids. There they could be trained for a better job than here, for here is nothing but ordinary jobs. When I let them being trained for just a job, later they will have to work in a factory or in big workshops; here it is different than outside. Also, I wouldn´t need to worry so much about wether they become good [boys], and wether they will not bring disgrace on me later on, which is even worse, because they don´t have a father to fear anymore. How big the corruption is among the adolescent youth you cannot imagine. Here, there are orderly parents, whose kids are totally rotten and who are brought to house of correction, drawing down disgrace upon them. If you came on the street here and heard how kids, three to four years of age, curse and swear, you would be struck with amazement. They dont´t know respect for the elders here. The smallest booby dares to throw dirt and stones at the oldest people. In general, there is no education here; it´s a rough country. Boys, 12 to 13 of age, already wear revolvers and knives in the pocket, which are drawn because of trifles; that´s why there are so many accidents. In a word, I could write a whole book on this. It is true, thank god, I don´t have such specimens, this would be my day, when I knew disgrace on my kids in addition to everything I´ve been going through. But who can guarantee that one or the other will not become like those. Be asured, this is my biggest worry!

I think, and you will acknowledge my views, if I was in Germany now, e. g. in Bochum, where brother Peter is, and if I had some boarders, Peter of course, and perhaps some of his friends, or if this didn´t work, I´d run a small store, then it would be easy to keep the pot boiling with the few kids. For I have merely three left. Then I wouldn´t sit here all by myself in this strange world, for I am a stranger even if I stayed here, the intense longing for the Heimat has never dropped away from me and will never drop away from me. Ferdinand is a handsome and adroit boy, if the barber business is not that good there, I could place him in any other business. Ludolph also is a healthy boy and he could sure serve his apprenticeship. Both of the girls are capable to earn their bread and butter. Maria is stronger and taller than me. So, there are only three small ones left, who still have to go to school. Talking of my oldest kids, they are supposed to stay here. Carl is married and Jos. also already dates a girl. Egon on the other hand would come with; there he would really be better off than here. He is an able cigarmaker and quite a good boy. I´m convinced, if he was seperated from his colleagues, he would be of great help. The other day I was thinking of sending him first to you this summer. Now I have described all my circumstances to you, according to the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and now, dear brother and sister in law, just give me good advice. Also send this letter to Peter, who can let me know his opinion as well.

        [On the paper there was no space left for the complimentary close]