Frederick Kohlhepp - Mission Journal Entries - March 1906 (2 of 3)

11 March 1906 - Sunday

Sunday 11 Went to Wimmis after Sunday School and held meeting Bro. Lugenbühl[,] Seever + Sister Seever went with me. We had a fine meeting

[p. 36]

in Wimmis. In evening returned to Dürrenast. Kaufmans came with us. We baptized them after evening meeting. Bro. John M. Kunz baptized them and Bro. Conrad Weber and I Confirmed them on the waters edge.[N3]

12 March 1906 - Monday

Mon. 12th 1906 Went to Wattenwill on buisness; Held Bible Class in evening at Sister Ba[“]ller’s 

13 March 1906 - Tuesday

Returned to Dürrenast Tues. morning. Visited Frau Wolfi on way home. Bro. J. M. Kunz left in afternoon for Solotheren [Solothurn], to preside over that Branch. In the evening Bro. Würsti arrived from Solothurn to take Bro. Kunz’s place in Dürrenast.

14 March 1906 - Wednesday

Wed. 14th Went Trackting in a Village called Hilterfingen.

15 March 1906 - Thursday

Thur. 15th Mar. Bro. Conrad Weber + Wursten and I went to Faulensee

[p. 37]

and visited friend Emil Bishoph rained and was cold + Monday Went to Wimmis

[p. 38]

same day + held Bible Class.

16 March 1906 - Friday

Sat. [Friday] 16 Visited Lügenbuhls in evening.

17 March 1906 - Saturday

Sat. 17th I went to Wattenwill on buisness, about Sister Nussbaums emigration, It was a warm sunshiny day.

18 March 1906 - Sunday

Sun Mar. 18 Held Sunday School & Meetings in Dürrenast.

19 March 1906 - Monday

19th Mar. Stormy stayed at home and wrote letters.[N4]

20 March 1906 - Tuesday

20th Mar. 1906 Tracting in Snow Storm. Received letter from Pres. Mauss to turn the Thun Branch over to Bro. Conrad Weber, and for me to go to Freiberg, Germany.[N5]

21 March 1906 - Wednesday

21st Mar. Went trackting in a little village east of Thun called Schwendi [Heiligenschwendi].

22 March 1906 - Thursday

22nd Mar. Went to Wimmis and held Bible Class.

23 March 1906 - Friday

Returned back to Dürrenast next day. Has been cold and showing all day, I am sick have a very bad cold in my head and on my lungs.

24 March 1906 - Saturday

Saturday 23rd [24th] Sick in bed all day.

25 March 1906 - Sunday

Sunday 25th Mar. Went to Wattenwill and Held meeting Bro. Wursten went with me, bid farewell to the Saints and friends there. Returned home same day and held meeting in the evening Bro. Wursten and I being the speakers. I gave them my fare well address.

NOTES:

[N3] The Church's records for the Thun Branch corroborate this. The baptisms were for Rudolf and Rosa Kaufman. Fred confirmed Rudolf, while Conrad Weber confirmed Rosa.

[N4] None of these letters have been located.

[N5] This letter has not been located.

Frederick Kohlhepp - Missionary Journals Entries - October 1905 (1 of 3)

1 October 1905 - Sunday

Arived in Paris [at] 8 A.M. Left Paris for Zürich [at] 8-45 a.m. We were delighted [p. 9] with the trip through France the scenery was grand, The scenery of both England + France is more charming then anything I ever expected to see on this earth.[N1]  In our Journey through France, we saw only about twelve children. It seemed good to me when we reached Switzerland to see children playing about.

2 October 1905 - Monday

We are staying at the Weisse Kruetz [White Cross] Hotel in Zürich.  I am writing this by candle light. Zürich is a beautiful city with many modern improvements. It is a very clean city. It still has a quite appearance. On ariveing we took trolley car to the Conference house on Hoeshgasse No 68.[N2] The brethren received me kindly. Slept that night in a German bed, between feathersticks

[p. 10]
Bro. Richard Bridge My Traveling companion can speak but a very few words in german, but he is a young man and will soon learn,  Bro. Flamm + [his] wife were also of our company, They have come to visit their son, who is hear on a mission, and they are also to seek up genealogies.  I have just been called by Bro. [Serge F.] Ballif to go at once to Thun to take up a labor there. Left Zürich [at] 2-55 P.M. Oct. 2nd [and] arrived in Thun [at] 8-15 P.M. Took cab for Dürrenast bei Thun[N3] Thalacker St. [Talackerstrasse] Met Bro. [John] Springer there.[N4] Bro. Hirshi had gone to another place I will meet him to day.

3 October 1905 - Tuesday

Walked 2 ½ hours to a village called Foulenssee [Faulensee; N5] where I met Bro. Hirshi, he was visiting with a friend named Herrn Emile Bishof.  Bro. Hirshi is making [p. 11] a farewell tour through the Thun branch, + Meiringen branch. I am to take charge of the Branch in place of Bro. Hirshi.  I will make the tour with him to become a[c]quainted with the people. I can not understand the dialect yet.[N6]

4 October 1905 - Wednesday

It is still cloudy, it has been raining and storming ever since I arrived in Europe. Left Foulensse [Faulensee at] 11 A.M. [and] Arived at Interlacken [Interlaken] at 1:30 P.M.[N7] [In] Untersee [Unterseen] Visited friend Von Bergen, Visited Matten [Matten bei Interlaken] same day[.] Visited with Sister Faber. Bro Faber was away to work in the cabinet factory.  We went to Steighwiller [Gsteigwiler] same day. Visted with a friend widow Hoesler.  Also visited friend Fraulein Durtche in same place. I Got a view of the Yung-Frau [Jungfrau] from Interlacken [Interlaken].

NOTES:

[N1] Curious as to why this was so charming for Frederick. He'd grown up in the Eden of America, Jamaica Plains. What is the natural beauty that was so astounding to him, or was it rather the towns, the layout, the architecture, etc.? Scenery can be more than just nature.

[N2] Location of this in 1896 Zurich:

1911 Zurich:

[N3]: Durrenast was a town just south of Thun. 1890 map:

[N4] John Springer (1879 - 1973) was born in Switzerland and set part only a month before Frederick. John's family had moved to Utah; he received the call in SLC. They worked together quite frequently while Fred served in Durrenast/Thun.

[N5]: Although October, I bet it was still a brisk 2.5 hour walk from Durrenast down to Faulensee. On the south side of the Thuner See, a little further east. 1891 map:

[N6]: This must have humbled Fred some, to see that his advantage in better understanding of German did not mean that he'd be able to understand people immediately.

[N7]: Interlaken is a city, as the name suggests, that is "between the lakes" of the Thuner See and the Brienzer See. It's a nice town, at least in 2008 when my wife and I visited.

You can see Matten just south of Interlaken, which Fred also visited. A postcard of Fred's that he sent his family also gives a somewhat easier map of the region in less granular detail: