Tuesday, December 28, 2010

New Year's Letter by Ida Buyer

 
The German greeting on the cover of the letter below, translated into English, reads “Cordial Congratulations to New Year.”


In January of 1892, a member of the Buyer family wrote a letter in the German language. It is difficult to decipher the writing of the first name of the author of this letter, but it was written by either Ida Buyer, born in 1854, or her daughter Ora Buyer, who was born in 1882. According to the 1880 U.S. Census for Erie County, Ohio, Ida Buyer’s parents were both born in Baden, and her husband Jerome’s parents were natives of Bayern. The letter could have been intended for relatives still residing in Germany, or it could have been an exercise is preserving the German heritage of the Buyer family.



To date the body of the 1892 letter has not been translated. If anyone reads German, perhaps you could leave us a comment and inform us of what sentiments were recorded in the New Year’s season by a Sandusky resident so long ago.

4 comments:

  1. To me it looks like it was written by someone older than Ora for her. It sure doesn't look like a 10 year old's handwriting. Also, that is an older style of script, so I vote that it was written by Ida for daughter Ora to send to a grandparent or older relative.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The letter is written in Sutterlin script. I transcribed it line by line, and then translated it to English (line by line).

    Transcribed text:

    Theuerste Eltern!
    Mit wahre Freude
    bringe ich Euch meine
    besten Wünsche das; denn
    dadurch kann ich Euch mei-
    ne kindlichste Dankbarkeit
    und Liebe ausdrücken, die
    ich täglich für Euch empfinde.
    Vor allem will ich zum lie-
    ben Gott flehen, daß er
    Euch hier auf Erden und
    -----------------------------------
    einstens im Himmel
    für alle Eure Mühen beloh-
    ne und Euch besonders noch
    eine lange Reise von ge-
    sunden und glücklichen
    Jahren schenken möge. Auch
    will ich mich bemühen Euch
    durch Fleiß und Gehorsam
    reiht zu erfreuen.
    Indem ich Euch noch ein-
    mal alles Gute wünsche bin
    ich in innigster Liebe
    Euer dankbares Kind
    Ora Buyer

    Translated text:

    Dearest parents!
    With true joy
    I bring my
    best wishes to you; since
    thereby I can send you
    the child's gratitude
    and love that
    I feel for you daily.
    Above all I pray the
    dear God, that He will
    reward you here on earth and
    ------------------------------
    once in Heaven
    for all of your effort
    and also grant you
    a long journey of
    healthy and happy
    years. And
    I will strive to
    please you by my
    diligence and obedience.
    Once again, I send you
    all of my best wishes
    with the most tender love.
    Your thankful child
    Ora Buyer

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lovely letter! Glad to see the translation.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dearest parents!

    With true joy I offer you my best wishes, because in that way I can express my most childlike gratitude and love which I feel for you daily. Especially I want to plead with God that he may reward you here on earth and once in heaven for all your efforts, and especially bless you with yet a long journey of healthy and happy years. Also, I want to strive to please you diligence and obedience.

    As I wish you all the best once again, with deepest love I am your grateful child Ora Buyer

    ReplyDelete