From: Krasna, Bessarabia
25 November 1929
Dear Editor Brendel:
The address of Mr. Riehl is missing, so please forward it. In the meantime, dear readers, please tell him.
Alfons and Mrs. Johanna Rückert nee Steiert send greetings to Alexander Steiert and family in Prelate, Sask. and ask to please subscribe to the Dakota Rundschau for them. They send their thanks for it.
Timotheus and Mrs. Johanna Winter send greetings to Philipp Nagel and family in Haynes, North Dakota. A letter was also dispatched at this time. They also ask him to send them a year’s subscription to the Rundschau since it is the most consistent paper to arrive in Bessarabia.
I am asking all Americans and Canadians stemming from Krasna, who are not yet readers of the Rundschau, to order a subscription as I am reporting all the news right here.
Greetings and best wishes for the New Year to all here and there.
Joseph Braun
The alley on the other side:
This is the end for now – to be continued.
From: Krasna, Bessarabia
30 November 1929
Dear Editor:
November 30, confirmation was celebrated here. Thirty-three new members were brought into the church family renewing their baptismal vows. On the same day, fifteen couples were married. The pastor from Kassel officiated for all of that, which was a difficult task, because of the language difficulties. Mr. Mose assisted him.
It rained almost the entire month, but it was not so cold, thank God, that winter did not come as a harsh conqueror. But let us not praise the morning before the evening. Health wise, all is fine and there are not many newsy items to report. Everyone has bread to eat. If one has God and the daily bread, his needs are met!
As I rarely receive mail from my friends in America, I just want to let them know that I am still around. I send greetings to my dear friend Christian Ehr in Elk Grove, California who has done so much for my children and me. Also, to friend Andreas Ottenbacher and family please let me hear from you! Our old neighbor lady, Margaretha Hoffmann, who has gotten frail, sends greetings to Mr. Ricker in Walla Walla, Washington. She is always happy to hear from her friends in America.
I am also sending greetings to all the children of my uncles, Johann and Jacob Schmitt. I often write, but rarely get answers. Special greetings to my sister Frederika Voegele in Long Lake, North Dakota.
W. R. Hettich
Source: Dakota Rundschau, 19 January 1930
A reader of the Dakota Rundschau wrote and asked not to mention him by name. Today (December 31, 1929), I received a letter from a friend in South Russia, who informs me that in German villages searches are being conducted to find out who has correspondence contact with Americans. Quite a few people were even arrested.
According to him, it has something to do with German people wanting to immigrate to America or Canada. It’s a scare tactic and that is why I am not mentioning names or the villages in question. It would be positive to bring this up in newsprint and advise the people to exercise utmost caution when corresponding so as not to bring harm to relatives. What seems to be taken as a joke or plain fun can be called criminal mischief in Russia.
I looked at the letter and envelope closely. I found it to be uncensored. It is possible that only certain villages or rayons are targeted at the moment. It was only written to admonish folks to be careful.
REMARKS: If you have followed our newspaper articles closely, you may have noticed that we predicted a sort of ‘red terror’ for the German villages, once it became known that certain people wanted to leave for America and Canada….
Source: Dakota Rundschau, 19 January 1930
INTERESTING REPORTS FROM THE OLD HOMELAND IN RUSSIA
NEWS FROM BESSARABIA
KISCHINEV: H. Hirsch, the German Consul has given permission to a family of eleven to immigrate to Germany which brings the total of families returned to Germany to seven. Each immigrating family has to have 600,000 Lei in currency. This sum fixed by the German Government in order to obtain the immigration papers.
SARATA: On November 28, a mishap occurred at a stone quarry there. Three workers trying to excavate rocks and gravel caused the slide of a side of the quarry. One of the workers was buried totally, another to his neck, whereas the third one got away relatively unscathed. As there was help available almost instantly, the injured workers were dug free and arrived at the hospital in bad shape.
Nightly thefts increased again during the past weeks, especially hand-fed geese are targeted. A cellar was also burglarized and food items were taken. Several children came down with scarlet fever. The damp and wet weather serves as an excellent incubator for the disease.
On November 17, we observed an interesting ring around the moon. A large translucent cloud covered the full moon and caused two large, gorgeous rings in all colors of the rainbow around the moon. Even the oldest persons cannot remember ever having seen anything like it. The phenomenon lasted until the cloud passed.
NOVA-NIKOLAJEVKA: On Sunday, November 10, the people of Nova Nikolajevka (Neu-Aneni) were privileged to dedicate their new church. The community set out to build the church back in 1914. They bought a lot, carted 30 Faden of stone to the site and purchased 60,000 bricks. As soon as the community was ready to begin construction, the horrible war broke out and the hopes of ever having a church dwindled. People were upset about the failed plans. They thought and thought of ways and means to get to their goal.
The community is very small, 88 families, who suffered a series of failed harvests as well. So all hopes of even obtaining a simple prayer house failed.
But where there is unity and able men who believe in the old order, customs and traditions, dreams can come true. (D.Z.B.)
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