Source: Dakota Rundschau, 24 May 1929 · 📰

From: Krasna, Bessarabia
8 April 1929

Dear Editor Brendel:

Thank you so very much for the precious songbook and nice letter. My wife especially enjoys the songbook. Her most grateful thank you as well. What a wonderful surprise and what great favorite songs. Yesterday was Sunday and we had company. We all sang my favorite song, “O Strassburg”.

Snowmelt started March 14. We had much water everywhere. The bridge was not passable for a week. We had feared spring thaw all at once, a sure recipe for flooding, but the nights were cold enough to freeze the excess water again. Wonderful weather followed and the farmers were busy planting on April 2. On April 4, we had snow again until the following morning. We had 2 inches of snow on the ground, but as the sun is getting stronger day by day, it will not last.

The barley we had been promised for seed has arrived, but is still held up at the train depot in Beresina. It cannot be picked up right away due to the poor road conditions. The small farms will get 5 Pud; the medium farms will get 8 Pud and the large farms nothing, as it is the opinion that they do not need any. The market price is 100-110 Lei/Pud. Barley and corn are 115-125 Lei/Pud. Our winter crop froze in the great cold. We pray that the rest of the harvest will be good.

Death List:
March 6, 1929- Katharina Fenrich nee Gedak, age 79, widow of the late Simon.
March 13, 1929- Gregor Mass, who left behind his widow and one son.
March 15, 1929- Zelestine Dirk nee Leinz, age 29, wife of Maximillian Dirk with two children.
April 1, 1929- Marianna Mueller [Müller] nee Folk, widow of Martin, who left behind children and grandchildren.
April 3, 1929- Natalie Ruscheinsky, age 24, unmarried daughter of Georg Ruscheinsky.

May they rest in peace.

A general meeting for members of the bank and cooperative was held March 12 to elect new officers. The store will be leased to Nikolaus Kelsch of Banat for 3% of the gross sales, which leaves your writer here unemployed.

Administration: Johannes Herschaft, president, salary 125 Lei/month. Maximillian Arnold, cashier, same salary. Alexius Riehl, bookkeeper, salary 3,000 Lei/month. He will have to keep the books for both the store and the bank.

Board members: Michael Koch, Alexander Ternes, Maximillian Haag, Dionisius Dressler, Johannes Bachmeier and Rochus Fenrich with a salary of 100 Lei/Day. (*Editor’s note: Are the salaries mentioned for the president and the cashier correct at 125 Lei? That is the value of 1 Pud of corn.)

The immigration movement is closely watched here. The Dakota Rundschau mentioned there is a newly founded organization in Canada for Catholic immigrants, which was advertised through notices in Canada. From the many that had been examined by the doctor, only 17 are left who did not have the means to leave. Rumor mentioned the trip on credit. They have already received their papers from the chancellery and other offices, except for the passports, which should be processed posthaste. They hope to leave in May. May the Lord be with them so they can cross the great water safely. The mass migration from here is easily explained by the lack of land, bad harvests, expensive clothing, excessive taxes and other family concerns. Families who have their passports travel on their own money, but if help could be given, many more could try their luck in the land of the dollar.

The following families are ready to leave:

Basilius Friederich Harsche, Alexander Peter Kuss, Peter Kuss, Peter Michael Hintz, Peter Ludwig Krenzel, Ignatz Jakob Ihli, Alexander Sebastian Becker, Peter August Soehn [Söhn], Simon Anton Soehn [Söhn], Markus Karl Soehn [Söhn], Ignatz Wuitschik and Michael Peter Menges. All of the above with their wives and children.

Unmarried immigrants are:
Nikolaus and Valeria Speicher, children of Nikolaus Speicher; Kasper Wagner, son of Gabriel; son of Joseph and Adam Kuss, son of the late Peter Kuss. I am naming the fathers’ names here since there are so many similar sounding first and last names. The above-mentioned families are planning to go to Saskatchewan under the auspices of the Catholic Association there.

There are Lutheran immigrants as well who will be under the protection of their church organizations. As soon as they leave, I will tell you all about it as it is an item of interest to Dakota Rundschau readers. Many new subscribers.

I have read the report of Magnus Steike [Steinke] from Krupp, Sask. of March 8 in this paper and found it of great interest. I let his brother-in-law Raimund Ihli read it too. Mr. Ihli sends his regards and asks for a letter. If Magnus would be so kind as to send him a subscription to this publication, he would be overjoyed. He has children old enough to read the paper as well.

Regards to Mr. Steinke, and an explanation: I am from Strassburg in South Russia, son of Michael Augustin Braun and stepson of Adam Erker in Krasna. I love sending reports, but sometimes I am short on postage money. The good Lord has provided so far. I would love to report on a weekly basis. Mr. Steinke, if you have Krasna people near you, do suggest that they order a Rundschau subscription and have them write as well. All people should be interested in the old and new homelands.

Greetings to the editor and staff as well as the readers here and there.

Joseph M. Braun