From: Rio Grande, Brazil
15 January 1932

Dear Staats-Anzeiger!

First of all, I want to report that we are now living in the state Rio Grande since

17 October 1931. I bought a house here and everything is furnished. Now I am once again my own master and as the saying goes, there is no place like home.

One thing I really miss a lot here in my house is the Staats-Anzeiger. That is why I am asking my brother Rochus Ternes in Raleigh, North Dakota to have the Staats-Anzeiger sent to me if at all possible. I say thank you in advance.

We like it better here because we own property. The conditions among the people here are wretched. If you are at someone’s place as a guest or you meet someone on the road you can’t tell if he is rich or poor. He might have an old rag wrapped around one foot and have the other foot bare.

Concerning the land, there is enough here to obtain. Complete colonies with a house, cattle and woods are cheap to obtain. Also the life here is easier than over there.

As far as the weather is concerned we have sufficient rain. The days are so warm that you can go barefoot, but the nights are cool. It is a healthful climate. I would be very grateful to the editorship if you would send me the edition of the paper in which this report is published. (*Editor: It will be sent to you. We send you a greeting and wish you good luck in your new home.)

I would be grateful to the correspondents and the readers in Krasna, Bessarabia, the old home village, if they would ask my brother-in-law Simpferia Dirk to send me my money. I left it when we immigrated to Brazil. It has been 7 years and anyone can demand what belongs to him. Nowadays I could really use it.

No one is on the sick list here, and there are no deaths to report.

One of our neighbors by the name of Schmidtke took off. He pawned his shop. Everything is encumbered with debt.

I send my best greetings to everyone.

Heinrich Ternes

From: Fox Valley, Saskatchewan
17 March 1932

Dear Staats-Anzeiger!

On 8 March at 4 o’clock in the morning, a huge fire broke out in our small town of Fox Valley consuming 7 stores and causing damages worth more than $100,000. Yes, the amount of $100,000 was turned into a pile of ashes in a matter of 3 hours. It is said that the damages will be paid up to 80% by the insurance. The fire was supposed to have started by a heater, what once again tells you how careful you have to be with a heater.

Now we would like to urge our friend Severin Becker in Krasna, Bessarabia to write once again. (*Editor: Just recently he wrote a long report, which was published in the Staats-Anzeiger.)

Then there are also other friends like Philipp Becker and Kaspar Soehn who should write.

The weather right now is still cold. At night it is 5 degrees below zero and during the day 20 to 30 degrees above zero. Hopefully, it will get warmer soon.

It looks like our friends in Brazil are bankrupt and no longer have ink and paper to write.

The farmers here are getting ready for the fieldwork, like cleaning the seeds and repairing harnesses for when they can get started. I have been repairing halters at Johannes Gruenwald’s and have also made new ones. He now has 23 of them. Now I still have to repair the harnesses. How many of them I don’t know, but I can tell that it is a big pile. I’ll start tomorrow and will be busy for about one week. It is good to work there because you don’t get bored. He and his wife are good storytellers and time flies.

In closing, I greet all readers and also the editor Mr. Brandt and his assistant C. J. Haag, who is a personal friend of ours.

Anton A. Soehn

From: Fairmount, North Dakota
19 March 1932

Dear Staats-Anzeiger!

Today I want to do my duty and pay for my newspaper for another year. (*Editor: We received the money. The calendar will be sent to you. We thank you very much.)

This month we have very cold weather so that the potatoes froze in the cellar.

We send a greeting to all our friends, especially the ones in the old home village of Krasna, Bessarabia, namely Isidor Leinz and our sister Martha Wingenbach along with her children.

With a greeting,
Michael Wagner and Wife