On family search I discovered a letter from Amelia Kohlhepp Piguet/Piquet to Fred. The transcriber (Nola P. Bryan) claims Fred was living in Thomas, Idaho (although I have yet to see evidence of that; perhaps it was taking from the address for the letter, but the transcriber provided no image). This will be something for me to hunt down. This letter is noted as a copy of a copy; I'll have to see if I can find at least an image of the original. Contents of the letter are as follows:
Some interesting things to glean from this letter:October 10th 1911
Jamaica Plain, Mass.
My Dear Brother Fred,
Anna [Kramer?] was here last week & she showed us a letter that she received from you & I don’t wonder you say that I ---much at a ---- for I am --- But I do feel sorry that Ella has such poor health. I thought that she was all over that this time. Of course I remember she use to complain of that when I saw her. It is too bad that you both must have such poor health. But I never felt well while I was out there. I could hardly breath the air oppress me so. I feel much better since I came back hear. But I do think that Idaho is a good place for young folks who have there lives to make in this world as they have more chances there then thay would have hear. I hope that you will both get better in health in Arizona. I do not know anything about that country. I have been interested in Florida lately as Epple and his Daughter Eda have gone there to live for there health. Eda writes that she feels fine there & Epple has lost all his rheumatism and feels well there & thay are writing me lovely things about Florida. I intend to go there on a visit when I can leave father. But I think that time is a long ways off yet.
Father is about the same as usual but I have a woman with me now. We had her last summer. She is a grate help and it gives me some time for myself. I have not heard from Augustus but once since I left Idaho as he did not answer my letters. I gave up writing to him he has no affection for his mother I am afraid it is the same with Fred as the last letter I received from him was from Tulsa Oklahoma last April and it was a very independent letter. I have written twice to him since but have received no answer he wrote as if he ment to stay there and he liked the place. I have done all I could for them boys but they have no love for me or at least thay don’t show it. I guess I shall have to look for my reward in the next world & even then I sometimes have doubts & think I may be cast out there. But whatever the Lord wills I suppose I shall have to take. But Dear Fred how meny of your family are you going to take with you & if not all of them what are the rest of them going to do. I hope you will write me all about your self & Ella & how you get along in Arizona. Wishing you good health & good luck I will close with love to you all.
Amelia
P.S. Father sends his love to you.
(a) Notes Ella Kohlhepp was in poor help at the time. The reference to "all over that this time," and her complaining of it in the past, suggests it was a recurring health issue.
(b) Interesting to hear the different opinions of the air and the effects on the health. Fred reportedly went out west looking for better air, and yet his sister Amelia claims it was oppressive. Different experiences of the western climate. We see the reference to Florida for health as well.
(c) Amelia notes Boston had fewer opportunities for the coming generation than in Boston. Does she mean employment opportunities, home and land ownership? She's rather vague about it.
(d) We see a note of their plans to move out to Arizona. If Fred was in Thomas, Idaho, then he has yet to make the migration. There is an open question of how much of his family Fred was planning on taking with him, and what the others would do with themselves. They did have a lot of young kids still -- Eda (18), Sara (14), Analee (12), Survivor (8), and Constance (3). Amelia's question is a good one.
(e) The Epple referenced must have been their deceased sister husband Henry Epple and their daughter, Eda Louise Epple.
(f) Amelia appears to have returned to boston to take care of their father, Johann Friedrich. We know that Johann dies the following year, so his health was poor. Amelia refers to having "a woman," no doubt some assisted living attendant to help maintain the ailing father.
(g) Augustus is Amelia's first born son, and appears to not have been particularly responsive in communicating with his mother.
(f) Fred is also unresponsive to Amelia -- this is in reference to her other son, William Frederick.
(g) Sad to hear Amelia's misgivings as a mother, and concern for her moral status, expressed to Fred.
(h) You can tell Amelia desperately wishes to stay in touch with someone, feeling isolated from the world, taking care of her ailing father.
(i) Interesting to see that sign of reconciliation with Johann Friedrich sending his love to his son.
No comments:
Post a Comment