De Haan Family Letter

In 1918 my grandparents Ulpen (dutch link) and Afina de Haan had moved from Groningen to Limburg, a very long distance in those days. I’m sure they missed their family, but Ulpen’s job required it. Two letters from Afina’s parents to the young couple have survived. Here is the first one.

This was towards the end of WWI, and the Spanish Flu was ravaging the country. My grandfather worked as a border official, and later in the tax department. They moved a number of times, I’m sure it was not easy on my grandmother.

Nieuwe Pekela, 20 Oct 1918

     Dear son and daughter,

Today we thought it was time to write you a few words, we will be pleased if you receive them in good health, Tuesday you will be celebrating your birthday, we hope that it will be as you may wish. It would be nice for us to be able to congratulate you both with a hand shake, but that is impossible this time, but if everything goes a bit according to our wishes, than it will happen later sometime. Now Ulpen, congratulations, and also for you Afina. I hope you give each other a good shake, than everything will be OK. I am at the moment as busy as can be, I was busy the last two Sundays, I couldn’t let it wait, I sold eight bails of clover seed in a week, and you know Afina, that all has to be weighed in small parcels. I also sold street garbage for cash. This week I had three, so that is very busy, and every other day at the plant, and then the sheep have to be taken for straw, I received a whole [unreadble], I now have to go to Hoogezandsloot, Sappemeer and those parts, so the earning is OK, we are quite content. I hope you are also content. Further news I will leave to Mother and Grietje. Best wishes from your father U. de Haan. We are expecting you next month again!

Now children, I will also write a few words. Ulpen, congratulations on your birthday, and you too, Afina, Hopefully you will celebrate the day in good health. Around here it is no pleasure, many people are sick, they suffer from the Spanish flu, and then a lot develop pneumonia, many are dying of it. Kee Pot was buried this week, and Joo will possibly not return either, she still is somewhere near Utrecht, and now everyone in Zwaantje’s house is very ill, and so there are many. We are still OK, do you know that Adam’s Hendrik is very ill, he is in Groningen, they fear the worst, the doctor has no hope, very sad, isn’t it. Our Hendrik was here last week, he is now finished, and there is no other news.

What will happen, what do you think, will we have peace soon, the people are all excited and speak about almost nothing else than that it should come soon. Receive many greetings from me, your loving mother, G. de Haan-Starke

Dear brother and sister,

Congratulations on Ulpen’s birthday, and I hope you two will have a good day. We will have a drink in your honor. I thought I would be able to congratulate you personally, but that can’t be done. The month of October is almost flying by, and then November, and I hope that you will be here then. I don’t have any news as father and mother have written it all, and the pen is also finished. Again I wish you a good day, your loving sister Grietje