Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Title
Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Creator
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958
Identifier
WWP23187
Date
1928 June 19
Description
Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.
Source
Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler
Subject
Germany--History--1918-1933
Correspondence
Berlin, Germany
Contributor
Rachel Dark
Denise Montgomery
Language
English
Provenance
Evelina Suhler is the granddaughter of Jon Anthony Bouman and inherited the family collection of his letters from the years of World War I. She and her husband gave the letters to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in 2013.
Text
June 19, 1928
Dearest;
Thanks for the congratulations. I shall have to “trakleeren” later. “Trakleeren” is the word Mary seems to remember best from the time we spent in Holland; we had a nice day on Sunday although the weather was very showery, so we didn’t go out of town but spent the forenoon at a National History Museum and went for a walk in Victoria Park in the afternoon. At the top of the waterfall is a monument to the Napoleonic Wars from which one has a fine view of the city. It is quite a charming little park, with rural bits, and being on a slope, is very remindful of Waterloo Park.
As you are sending bed linen, you had better send blankets too. Frau Schmölcke said of course we course we could use her bed linen free of charge until ours arrives. She is rather proud of her bed linen, hand-embroidered or something. You will of course send coverlets, or whatever you call ‘em, too. The address would be
J.A. B+c. bei Schmölcke
Lichtenberger Strasse 4 II
Berlin – Krenzberg
The II stands for second floor and helps to identify quickly. Her name had better be on it too, as indicated, because nominally she is still in the house. There is no need for you to bring your electric iron, as there is one in the house. Bless you, there won’t be any need for you to do any ironing. I tell you Martha will do everything and you are going to do nothing for ever and ever, as the harassed housekeeper’s epitaph says. You will be a gnädige Frau.
Mary will entertain you with many tales about her people and the Herr Professor next door, and how he trimmed Mrs. S’s hat according to a mathematical system. The S’s are having a dovecote erected in their garden, anent which great excitement, and they are reading books on how to do it. Mary has to listen to German reading from another book called “Parents and Children” on how to bring them up and teach them the right way. Mrs. S. thinks this is improving, but Mary thinks it's rather dull. Frau Schmölcke is quite of the Dora Janssen type outwardly, but not quite so hard, because she cried a little when she showed me her late husband’s photo, a very nice looking man who might be English, and he died suddenly from a cerebral stroke. I think she is between 45 and 50 and has not been a widow very long.
There is enough crockery, glass ware, and plate for 12 persons.
Great excitement at the Pension because I had been seen on the films in the “Weeks Events” and Frau Hauns said she would have a marble plate affixed on the wall outside. Whereupon I suggested better have one in my room which would make it worth a couple of marks more!
Aunt Lena wrote me of course on the 17th. She is keeping very well, and the two Oostkappelle girls are living together again, very happily, one having got a small pension. They keep a boarder and do some sewing, which keeps them in humble comfort, it seems.
Of course you will let me know in good time when you propose to travel. Mary and I are looking forward to it very much. The flat is ready on July 1, which is a Sunday.
Love, as ever, to all, from Dac.
Dearest;
Thanks for the congratulations. I shall have to “trakleeren” later. “Trakleeren” is the word Mary seems to remember best from the time we spent in Holland; we had a nice day on Sunday although the weather was very showery, so we didn’t go out of town but spent the forenoon at a National History Museum and went for a walk in Victoria Park in the afternoon. At the top of the waterfall is a monument to the Napoleonic Wars from which one has a fine view of the city. It is quite a charming little park, with rural bits, and being on a slope, is very remindful of Waterloo Park.
As you are sending bed linen, you had better send blankets too. Frau Schmölcke said of course we course we could use her bed linen free of charge until ours arrives. She is rather proud of her bed linen, hand-embroidered or something. You will of course send coverlets, or whatever you call ‘em, too. The address would be
J.A. B+c. bei Schmölcke
Lichtenberger Strasse 4 II
Berlin – Krenzberg
The II stands for second floor and helps to identify quickly. Her name had better be on it too, as indicated, because nominally she is still in the house. There is no need for you to bring your electric iron, as there is one in the house. Bless you, there won’t be any need for you to do any ironing. I tell you Martha will do everything and you are going to do nothing for ever and ever, as the harassed housekeeper’s epitaph says. You will be a gnädige Frau.
Mary will entertain you with many tales about her people and the Herr Professor next door, and how he trimmed Mrs. S’s hat according to a mathematical system. The S’s are having a dovecote erected in their garden, anent which great excitement, and they are reading books on how to do it. Mary has to listen to German reading from another book called “Parents and Children” on how to bring them up and teach them the right way. Mrs. S. thinks this is improving, but Mary thinks it's rather dull. Frau Schmölcke is quite of the Dora Janssen type outwardly, but not quite so hard, because she cried a little when she showed me her late husband’s photo, a very nice looking man who might be English, and he died suddenly from a cerebral stroke. I think she is between 45 and 50 and has not been a widow very long.
There is enough crockery, glass ware, and plate for 12 persons.
Great excitement at the Pension because I had been seen on the films in the “Weeks Events” and Frau Hauns said she would have a marble plate affixed on the wall outside. Whereupon I suggested better have one in my room which would make it worth a couple of marks more!
Aunt Lena wrote me of course on the 17th. She is keeping very well, and the two Oostkappelle girls are living together again, very happily, one having got a small pension. They keep a boarder and do some sewing, which keeps them in humble comfort, it seems.
Of course you will let me know in good time when you propose to travel. Mary and I are looking forward to it very much. The flat is ready on July 1, which is a Sunday.
Love, as ever, to all, from Dac.
Original Format
Letter
To
Bouman Family
Files
Collection
Citation
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958, “Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family,” 1928 June 19, WWP23187, Jon Anthony Bouman Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.