Letter from Germany 1897

AUKES, HAYENGA, LUDEMAN, KLAASEN, BROWER, SMIDT, TELLINGHUISEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 3/3/2011 at 20:27:01

Five Grundyites Visit the Fatherland where Their Old Friends Give them a Royal Welcome
Canum, Germany, Dec. 2, 1897

My Dear, Beloved Children:

I arrived here yesterday evening at five o'clock in good health. The pleasure was great, as you may think, and the half of Canum, my birthplace, was in triumph. My niece, Wilhelmine, and my old friend, S. Aukes, were the first ones that I met. Yes, it was a hearty welcoming. The old grandmother could not speak for pleasure.

I was not sea sick in the least while on board the ship. We left New York Nov. 23, at 3 p.m. and we arrived in Harbor Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. It was pretty stormy in the English Channel and on the North Sea, but the large, magnificent ship "Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse" stood it all right. The landing, unloading and identifying goods took until 11:30 p.m. Then we rode with an extra train to Bremen, where we arrived at 1:30 a.m. We dined at a fine hotel and slept good till 8 o'clock a.m. and at 10:10 a.m. we left Bremen and arrived at Emden at 1:45 p.m. ate dinner at hotel Weinberg and at 3 o'clock we left with a 'bus for Canum. We were, altogether, a little over 900 passengers and 463 ship servants who were all kind and friendly and let us have much freedom. The only trouble was the Polands with their spicy smell. I got by the tariff inspector all right with my goods.

Hayenga and Ludeman are well, also Klaasen and daughter.

I hardly have time to write. As soon as one visitor is gone another one is here. It is as if I was a wonderful person. I will write you more news in the near future.

The weather is foggy and cold, but just as we are used to it there.

How goes it with you, my dear Diedrick and sweet Gine? Keep yourself well and brave, and don't worry about me. I suppose Weird and Bina have been visiting you. Keep yourselves friendly together. Give my regards to my friends and neighbors, especially Browers, Aukes and Smidts. Write soon.

With hearty regards, I remain
Your loving father,
W. S. Tellinghuisen

--The Grundy County Republican (Grundy Center, Iowa), 3 February 1898