1935 German Letter

This is a letter of three pages all in German.  It is from some Hospital in Hillsboro, Kansas, where the family was from.  Handwritten on one page it says "paid."  I have to assume it was a bill or something.  It is postmarked 1935.  I'm guessing this was soon after they arrived in California during the dustbowl.  It is addressed to Grandpa on "N" Ave.  This is an address I have never seen before.
But, the interesting thing is that Grandpa (John B. Dick) signed the letter and it is addressed to Grandpa.  (John B. Dick)  What the heck!

From Grandpa to Grandpa

This is a letter that I don't understand at all.  I almost hate to touch it I think it is so wonderful, but I don't understand it.  It is dated December 6, 1935.  It is in German.  It is addressed to John B. Dick, but it is signed by John B. Dick as well.  The postmark is Hillsboro, Kansas.  What the heck.  Grandpa is writing to himself in Reedley from Hillsboro?  I don't get it.  Anyway the envelope says Salem Deaconess Hospital in Hillsboro.  Was Grandpa in the hospital?  Who knows.  Also, and this is only a guess, this would have been about the time they moved to California from Kansas.  (Dustbowl time.)  I just don't know, but what a beautiful letter to have.

Mennonite Aid

I find these two items very interesting.  I have several receipts like the one above and several letters like this one.  As far as I can tell, this was almost like a health insurance plan.  At this point in time the cost for a family was $24.00 per quarter.  I hage no idea what that covered.  One interesting point in one of the letters was that they asked, "In order to complete our records and give further consideration to the problem of retarded children in the home, we would like those of you who have retarded children in your homes to write us . . . " They ask for information about that.  One other interesting item in these documents was that they were addressed to Reverend John B. Dick.  Yes, grandpa was a reverend.  As I understand it was was quite an orator and spoke a great deal about fire and brimstone.  The only problem was that his orating was all in German.  When he got to California and there was no further use for German Speaking Ministers, Grandpa was out of a job.  Because of this and other factors, Grandpa spent most of his adult life as a farm laborer.  You would not call him migrant because he figured out a way to become skilled enough to find work most of the year so he did not have to move.  But, man did he work hard.

A Flaming Letter

This is a note from somebody named Flaming.  It is written to my Grandmother who she calls Aunt Helen.  Pretty newsy and not very interesting.  I assume Grandpa had died by now because she mentions that Grandma must miss Uncle John.  I can't read the signature which is the person's first name.  One other interesting thing is the mention of Corn, Oklahoma.  This is the name of a town than I heard once in a while and I think it is where Olga's husband Bud was from.  (Olga is my Dad's sister.)  One other thing.  Flaming is a very common name in the Mennonite community and among our relatives.  However, I always thought it was spelled Fleming.  Would have lost a lot of money on that one.

Grandpa's Water Assessment Bill

This is pretty self-explanatory.  It is an assessment for the water district.  What I find interesting about it is that there are two bills and each one is an assessment for two lots.  Aha, I think I got it.  Grandpa and Grandma owned two pieces of property in Reedley.  I assume each lot was actually two lots.  Oh, never mind.  What you might like to know is that they lived on Kleinsasser Avenue.  Kleinsasser is a find Mennonite name.  However, I guess they got tired of the hassle of the long name and the street is now called Klein Avenue.  I've always sort of resented that they did that, but then I don't know anything about why they did it.  By the way, I have the envelope this came in.  The stamp was four cents.

Dad's Application

This is a letter of application that my Dad wrote to the Madison Elementary School District for District Superintendent.  I copied all three pages because I find it so fascination.  (By the way, Dad got the job.)  First, are the typos.  There are several.  Second, he states that he thinks it's a waste of time to send a set of professional papers.  He thinks it is much more useful to talk directly to the people.  Third, he says, if you would like to talk to any of my references, I'm sure you can find their numbers in the phone directory.  Oh, the arrogance of the man.

Schurz, Nevada

During the school year 1968-1969 I was the principal and 7th and 8th grade teacher in Schurz Nevada.  This was the Walker River Piaute Indian Reservation, but the school was not operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but was under the auspices of the Mineral County Public Schools.  I also on occassion was the bus driver.  Oh, the stories I could tell about that year.  I was drinking pretty heavily during that year which made for some interesting happenings.  I was with my second wife, Linda, during this year.  When we first came there, we arrived with a bassett hound which was very pregnant.  On the very night that we arrived at our new home which was a teacherage on the school grounds, that hound decided to deliver.  Now, I had prepared for this eventuality by reading all I could get my hands on about what to do do help in the delivery of a littler of dogs.  I can't remember the hound's name, but she delivered 10 puppies, all still-born.  Well, my reading told me exactly what to do.  I'm not kidding.  I was up all night and with a great deal of work and sweat morning came with 10 healthy bassett puppies.  I had literally brought all ten of them back from the dead.  Of course, we had promised 3-4 of them to friends, but the remainder when to Indian families.  Now, when you are in abject poverty, the last thing you can take care of is a dog.  To this day, I am sure if you went to Schurz you would see the influence of my puppies which became strays and went about seeing to it that all future generation of dogs in Schurz would be influenced by that mamma bassett hound.  There's lots more about Schurz, but that will have to wait for another day or I will nevery finish this project.