Letter # 40 - This letter from Jan’s mother is full of news, but it is in terrible condition. Its yellow leaves are falling apart. Since Jan’s daughter Betje was born on Oct. 19, 1979, he wrote his mother the very next day. Jan’s sister Griet is also pregnant. That child was born in Jan., 1880, and was named Guechien (after his grandfather, and my great-grandfather). I met that Geuchien in Rotterdam in 1955! He gave me Jan’s farewell address to the Wildervank Young Men’s Society, which Jan must have given to his sister Griet.
Wildervank, November 8, 1879
Dearly Loved Son and Daughter,
Through the undeserved goodness of the Lord we have received your letter of October 20 in reasonably good health, and from it we perceived with great joy the blessing of the Lord to you. When we received your previous letter, dear ones, it brought great concern because, dear son, you had not recovered from the fever, and you, dear daughter, your condition (of pregnancy) after so many years rightly caused concern, and then to move and not even have a house, though that’s not quite so because you told us that you had a dwelling there in the house of the people from whom you bought the land. But now it’s nearly winter! Did you sell your land satisfactorily, or did you keep the other land?
If you sometimes are not strong it’s hard work from early to late to keep it all clean, and soon you won’t have any more ready-to-wear clothes either. But, dear ones, don’t take it ill of me that I’m just sitting here writing (like this). You can surely realize that my thoughts are often with you and then often come the thought of how much I would like to be with you once as well. But, dear ones, through all these considerations and …..today we should…..the great benefits which…..enjoy our wages and also see that the Lord may give us all together really thankful hearts that you have recovered from your fever, dear son, and you, dear daughter, had a successful birth. May the Lord speedily restore your lost strength, and my heartfelt wish is that your little children may grow up in the fear of the Lord.
We haven’t heard any news from our Hendrik and Griet in fourteen days. At that time they were in Holland. Our Griet’s time is coming in December, and then she’ll be on board (the barge) and that causes worry, too. Dear ones, Detmer has left Koningsberg for England.
Through God’s goodness we are in possession (!) of our own minister, Dominee van Hogen from the Hoogeveen. He appears just fine to us. Last Sunday he had his inauguration and was installed by Dominee opte Holt.
Here there is generally great amazement, as you also wrote in your letter, that Dominee Kuiper married so quickly, but everything has its time.
Dominees are in general somewhat luxurious. Nowadays they get big salaries and even presents from some. Some have enough to do, but don’t always do it, and that’s not for the best….. I want to honor for her work, therefore. I always had great respect for Dominee Kuiper, so if you meet her, greet her and her children from our Jaantje Dik. That is Detmer’s sister; she was not yet married but was home with her mother. You know, she lived next to Stoffer. She’s going to marry the Dominee from Urk. She is 55; he is 63 years old. He is a widower, but I can’t give you any more details right now.
Is there a school near you? Is your family all well? Can your Mother come to visit you now and then? Dear ones, I just can’t put away from me the hope to see each other’s faces on this side of the grave…..but sometimes I get…..the Lord…..if it is not possible according to his counsel down here, that it may then be afterward in the eternal glory.
Now, dear ones, may the Lord be our mutual Advisor and Leader in all our ways. Having wished for you the indispensable blessing for soul and body, I am your loving, Mother, M. J. Boer
…..If you can possibly manage…..write us quickly back how it is with you. Kiss your dear children from us all. If there is anything in this letter that doesn’t strike you just right, please overlook it. Once again, dear ones, hearty greetings, M J Boer