From: Plantersville, Texas
26 December 1919

Dear Staats-Anzeiger:

As an addition to my last letter in which I wrote of the death in the Franz Mattern family, I would like to report that the mother also succumbed to this horrible illness. The seven children also suffering from typhoid are gradually recovering.

The deceased Marianna Mattern nee Löwenstein, left behind 8 minor children, 2 grown children, and five siblings; Franz and Phillip Löwenstein in Kansas, Wendelin Löwenstein and Margaretha Merbian in Makowa, Texas, and Barbara Reichart in Spring, Texas. She was 46 years old. Father, mother, two grown sons and daughter-in-law were all laid to rest next to each other at the local cemetery.

Two of Jakob Wagner’s children are also sick with typhoid.

I hereby inform Joseph Bachmeier in Raleigh, North Dakota, that my father Valentin was born in Josephstal, South Russia. He grew up in Kosakowa (Alexanderfeld) in Tiraspol County. My mother’s maiden name is Mattern and my grandfather’s name is Anton.

I would like to write a little about this year’s harvest. Cotton was poor. Low-level land brought in nothing; higher ground, in comparison, produced a fifth of a bale per acre. Welsh corn was a little better. The price for medium grade cotton was 41½ cents per pound. It happens exactly as Mr. Johannes Wolf says, “When it rains porridge, then one does not have a spoon.”

The following couples entered the sweet yoke of matrimony: Mike Herzog, son of Franz Herzog and Eva Gottselig, daughter of Martin Gottselig; Franz Braunnagel, son of Joseph Braunnagel and Elisabetha Kowis, daughter of Franz Kowis.

With a greeting to all readers of the Staats-Anzeiger.

Jakob Bachmeier