Last Letters continued...

 

2nd Letter, written January 12, 1933, just a week after they sent the first letter. This time the letter is written both by our great-grandmother, and the brother of my grandmother, Peter & Anna (Benz) Dieser. To write so quickly again shows the absolute desperation the family had. Peter & Anna Dieser will survive the famine, but be deported to Siberia and the GULAG in 1941. Peter will die of complications relating to his imprisonment in 1948.

 

They write: “God be with you. Hearty greetings from me your mother and mother-in-law Dizer to our dear children Paul and Elisabeth with your two children. We have the dear Lord to thank that we are still healthy and wish you the same health as ourselves, Amen. Further dear children I want to inform you how things are here. I am very poor because there is nothing more to eat here, dear children. If one does nothing, then there is nothing to eat. (No work, no food) Dear children, if you wish then you could come to my aid. Perhaps you want to know how. I can tell you with money (Taler) People have sent money to others and for the Taler one can buy flour in Kamyshin. Dear children, be so good and help me with money, so that I don't starve to death and if it is only 5 Taler then dear children I beg you again to be so good and come to my aid as soon as possible for there is nothing to eat here, except what I beg for here and there. Some days I get something to eat and some days I get nothing. So you can imagine how poor I am, dear children. If you can help me so that I don't starve to death. I want to tell you where the father is with the two children, they are in the Kavkas (Caucasus) and they can't help me because they get as much as they can get on by themselves.”

"So it is. We work for food but receive no pay, so again I must turn to you dear children. I ask you again, can you help me. Then I want to close my letter and greet you again and ask that you come to my greatest aid and write that God Bless you. A hearty greeting from me your brother-in-law Peter and sister Anna together with the children. We have the dear Lord to thank for our health and wish the same to you as myself. Amen. Further, dear brother-in-law Paul I beg you. Things are very poor here and if you could send me one Taler so that I can buy some flour in Kamyshin, because for a Taler one can get flour, I beg you to help us somewhat."

This last section of letter was written by Alois (Alvis) Heinrich, who was married to Elisabeth (Dieser) Gerk’s (Granny Gerk) oldest sister, Katharina.

Written January 12, 1933

“May God Bless you, a hearty greeting from your brother-in-law Alvis and sister-in-law Katharina together with our three children to our brother-in-law Paul and sister and your two children.  We thank the dear Lord that we are still healthy and wish you the same health as we, Amen.  You probably want to know how I'm getting along.  Conditions here are pretty bad and if you can, dear brother-in-law, be so kind and help us a little, because things here are very bad. Perhaps you can send me something that I can get a little flour in Kamyshin I can write you a little…” (letter  cuts off  here)