Old Family Letters     

From Herman Franz Nieland to Franz Josef Nieland, January 31, 1952
Von Hermann Franz Nieland an Franz Josef Nieland, 31. Januar 1952

This letter is from the collection of Mathilda “Tilla” (nee Nieland) Hölter. Herman Franz Nieland (1885-1957) of Breda, Iowa wrote the letter to his brother Franz Josef Nieland (1882-1972) in Osterfeld, Germany. Herman emigrated from Germany in 1910. He owned a farm near Breda, Iowa. In the letter he writes about his other two brothers in America — Bernhard Christopher Nieland (1888-1957) and Heinrich Joseph (Henry J.) Nieland, who also lived in Breda, Iowa.


Transcribed by Tilla (Nieland) Hölter and translated by Verena Nieland


Breda, January 31, 1952

Dear Brother!

I’ll try to write a few lines now to you, dear brother. My sincere thanks for the invitation to the engagement party. Did you have a good time? As regards to my health, I feel very well. As far as I know it’s the same for brother Bernhard [Nieland] and his wife Katharina. Heinrich [H.J. Nieland] was in St. Anthony Hospital in Carroll over the holidays. (Kidney and bladder trouble) He was a very sick man. After the operation he recovered fairly quickly. In 3 ½ weeks he could leave the hospital and is back home again with his wife and child Mary [Nieland].

His children usually visited him twice a day. Visiting hours were from 2-4 and 7- 8:30 p.m.

His children took turns, one stayed with the arthritic mother. My neighbor and nephew Lawrence [Nieland] usually drove up 3-4 times a week and took me with him to visit his dad.

The weather in '51 was cool and especially wet. With some exceptions the hay harvest was only modest. The corn that froze in the field wasn’t as nutritious as usual. I’ve sold all the pigs except one. That one will be slaughtered later. I have 38 head of cattle at the moment. In 2 or 3 weeks I'll send the bigger ones to the [cattle] market.

Today we have spring weather. Your lazy writer brother closes with best wishes to you and your dear children.

H.F.

 

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