30 - Letter From Grandma to Home - 12 June 1936

Click here to read story from beginning

Story so far: Grandma Cecile was on her way to visit her relatives back in her home village of Nieder-Mohrau, Czechoslavkia. She had crossed the country by train, from Oregon on the Pacific coast to New York on the Atlantic coast. The Europa, a ship with the North German Lloyd ship line, was carrying her across the Atlantic. 

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The Europa had almost reached its destination, but fog had slowed it down. Grandma Cecile had time to write a letter home on "Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen" stationery. The envelope is addressed to Grandpa:

The envelope - to Grandpa

Mr. Alois Beitel

Stayton

U.S.A. Oregon

Here's the letter:

D. "Europa" June 12, '36

My Dear All at home:

By rights we should land this morning in Bremen, but we are late on account of fog we creap[creep] along only, we landed in Clerbourg[Cherbourg] France yesterday forenoon and in Southhampton England in the evening. They tell me we are not to get to Bremen till 10 o clock tonight

I am not sick, but somebody took my glasses, they didn't bring them to the office so far I am afraid they are gone for good, that's the reason I have to write with such big letters. They advertice [advertise] the lost & found articles, but it seems there are more things lost then [than] found

One lady left her fancy silk coat here in the writing room and its gone too. We've got long fingers on the boat. We have a dayly [daily] newspaper. I am longing for home, not for my sisters & I believe I'll not stand it very long. Hope everybody is well. Everything is nice, but it is not home

Ma

Page 1  the letter

page 2 & 3 of the letter

 

Last page of the letter

 

 

This is one of my favorite letters. Her handwriting is so huge compared to the way she usually writes. Apparently, Grandma Cecile was far-sighted and used reading glasses, at least until they disappeared! Her comment - "We've got long fingers on the boat" is such an imaginative phrase.

Her spelling was not the best. I printed the words the way she spelled them, but put the correct spelling in parens - [ ] - after the word.

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Story to be continued......

To read Post "31 - S.S. Europa Passenger List - 6 June 1936", Click Here