March 3, 1906
My Dear Ella,
Your letter of the 15th was received with much joy. I was pleased to hear that you got a renter for the ranch.[N1] I hope he will take good care of things. If St. Clair takes the reservoir field this summer, perhaps your renter can get the irrigation to tend to like I have when doing for watter.[N2] I was surprised to hear from you that Marie [Elizabeth Nash] did not get my letter with the thanks for that dollar. I answered right away. Perhaps I have made a mistake in the address I have forgotten wheather it is 955 or 595 W. Center I wish you would write and let me know which is right.[N3] I have just written to her again, thanking her again for the dollar. If she does not get the letter, you will have to thank her for me. When I wrote the first letter I sent two pretty cards with it. I am sorry that she did not get it. If she does not get the last letter you must congratulate her for me and kiss it for me, and I hope and pray that it will be blessed with long life and happiness, and that it will grow up to become a loving dutiful daughter.
Dear Ella, we are having interesting times here in the Oberlands. Three of my friends here in this Branch have ap[p]lied for baptisms lately, and there [will] be some more ready soon. I am waiting to baptize them all at the same time.[N4] They are shifting the missionaries around from one place to another a great deal since I have been here, I dont know what their object is. I would not be much surprised to find myself in Germany or some other part of the Schweiz some of these day’s.[N5] I was in hopes I m[ight] stay a year or so in this place, it is the cheapest place in the mission. I may stay, off course I can’t tell. The first thing an Elder knows he gets a letter from Zürich to go at once to such and such a place and labor. You know we are supposed to be minute men, ready to go when called.[N6]
But we must not worry about it. Missionaries have come here who have had to sell even their wagons horses farming machinery and every thing they had to keep them on their missions, and they have returned home, and are well off again now. The Lord has blessed them, and he will bless me if I do my duty. I realize the great importance of this great Gospel work, more since I have been out here than ever before. Give my love to Frederick, I hope he did well in school this winter. Give my love to all the rest of the children, and kiss Viva for Papa. hoping to hear from you soon. I remain Your loveing husband and father,
Fred. J. Kohlhepp.
Regards from Bro. Kunz.
He says the young Swise is a swell young man.
NOTES:
[N1] Presumably, the ranch they had on Warm Creek.
[N2] They also owned property in American Falls.
[N3] According to his daughter, this was actually 955 W. Center, based on another letter from Marie.
[N4] The three he mentions who have applied for baptism must be the Kaufmans, who did so in his 2 March 1906 journal entry. As for the others whom he believe will do so soon, that is unknown. However, since he wished to baptize them together, he may be referring to other members of the Kaufman family. If so, they were all baptized on 11 March 1906.
[N5] And such it was, when Fred received news to go to Freiburg, Germany, on March 20, two and a half week after writing this letter.
[N6] Frederick’s use of the term “minute men” reflects his Massachusetts upbringing. The term was used by his home state to refer to their militia who claimed to be ready for battle in a minute’s notice.
Dear Ella, we are having interesting times here in the Oberlands. Three of my friends here in this Branch have ap[p]lied for baptisms lately, and there [will] be some more ready soon. I am waiting to baptize them all at the same time.[N4] They are shifting the missionaries around from one place to another a great deal since I have been here, I dont know what their object is. I would not be much surprised to find myself in Germany or some other part of the Schweiz some of these day’s.[N5] I was in hopes I m[ight] stay a year or so in this place, it is the cheapest place in the mission. I may stay, off course I can’t tell. The first thing an Elder knows he gets a letter from Zürich to go at once to such and such a place and labor. You know we are supposed to be minute men, ready to go when called.[N6]
But we must not worry about it. Missionaries have come here who have had to sell even their wagons horses farming machinery and every thing they had to keep them on their missions, and they have returned home, and are well off again now. The Lord has blessed them, and he will bless me if I do my duty. I realize the great importance of this great Gospel work, more since I have been out here than ever before. Give my love to Frederick, I hope he did well in school this winter. Give my love to all the rest of the children, and kiss Viva for Papa. hoping to hear from you soon. I remain Your loveing husband and father,
Fred. J. Kohlhepp.
Regards from Bro. Kunz.
He says the young Swise is a swell young man.
NOTES:
[N1] Presumably, the ranch they had on Warm Creek.
[N2] They also owned property in American Falls.
[N3] According to his daughter, this was actually 955 W. Center, based on another letter from Marie.
[N4] The three he mentions who have applied for baptism must be the Kaufmans, who did so in his 2 March 1906 journal entry. As for the others whom he believe will do so soon, that is unknown. However, since he wished to baptize them together, he may be referring to other members of the Kaufman family. If so, they were all baptized on 11 March 1906.
[N5] And such it was, when Fred received news to go to Freiburg, Germany, on March 20, two and a half week after writing this letter.
[N6] Frederick’s use of the term “minute men” reflects his Massachusetts upbringing. The term was used by his home state to refer to their militia who claimed to be ready for battle in a minute’s notice.
