Duelm, Benton Co., MN, December 13, 1899
to Wilhelm Diekaemper, Merfeld near Duelmen.
In reply to yours of November 26th.
Just as I, in the morning of the 12th
(not 21st, as I had erroneously postmarked), sent you the letter, yours came with the
evening mail, to which I shall immediately respond.
Yes, building the new church was mostly the
reason, could have taken so much time to write, if it hadn't been always put on the back
burner. Hermann Est (not Aloys), I remember very well. I answered his letter rightaway.
I reported yesterday about the visit, I am only waiting for your answer and agreement. As I
see and hope, are you still getting a good meadow of those dry "bults" (barren land) as they
used to be. The harvest was good here, too, just not as rich as yours, just the price is
still too low. We have approximately 625 bushels wheat, 650 oats, 200 rye
and 700 bushels corn.
Potatoes we, too, have more than we can eat.
We now have 6 horses, 8 cows and 15 pigs. I leased out more than half of my
land this year. Also hay and straw we have more than we need.
The pictures from Overhage arrived with your
letter, as well. I saw them before I read your letter. I recognized the lady to be a
Marschall but thought it to be Mrs. Bontrup. The man, I didn't know. Can't recall ever
having seen either of them.
It is a real nice picture, the children all
look quite bright. I am enjoying it. Please, return the greetings at your next chance.
The picture cards of Duelmen are nice,
partially well known, but paritially also quite strange. The palace, the "Budden Towers"
and the old venerable steeple, of course, are unforgettable to me. The Luedinghausener
Street must have been taken from the church tower. Since when do you have that war memorial?
From Buldern, I almost recognized nothing anymore except the old church, especially the
beautiful steeple.
So, now I believe to have you caught up with
all I neglected to tell you sooner. I end this once again with best regards and a merry
Christmas and a happy new year to you and all who ask for me,
wishing,
C.A. Huenck
Translated by Lucia Nezelek
