SECOND GENERATION

2. Benedict SCHETTLER was born on 11 Nov 1845 in Lengerich, Hanover Germany. Dear Brother and sister-in-law!

We have been longing for a letter from America, when finally your letter dated January 26th arrived her on February 20th. Your letter from last summer has arrived, too and we learned from it that you got married to Anna Maria Lonneman on June 22nd. I send my heartfelt greetings to our new relative. I also like to greet all our other friends and relatives who attended you wedding. On October 1st I mailed two letters in one envelope. One letter to Anton Schettler in Galena and the other one for Heinrich Kulin. I addressed it to him, Galena, State of Illinois, Northamerika. You have not received this letter and I am truly sorry about this. In this letter I told you the illness and the death of our Father. God Almighty has called him to heaven in his 63rd year. We ask you to pray for his soul; we all have to go this way in order to reunited in heaven. I also told you in this letter that I feel like coming to America since I am quite healthy and can perform my work very well. If I could crawl into this letter, I would love to pay you a quick visit and talk to you and try out your kind of work. We could also live here very well, we own 9 acres of farm land on which we plant rye. There are also 7 acres of pasture and also more than 5 acres of pasture which was farmland before. It is close and we do not need the long wagon to reach it. We still live in the same house, however, since this year we do have to pay 135 Gulden for rent. This last fall we sold an old pig for 83 Taler and also one piglet. The old one weighed 370 pounds.

Last May goslings one month old cost 1 Taler for two. We sold 34 of them. We also sold 6 piglets in May of last year. Here in this country one can really make money from the sale of cattle, which does not seem to be the case in America. But I am sure there are better times ahead for you. You said you had such severe frost, I am not surprised about this. Our winter was very mild, it hardly froze at all. Last fall, at the end of November it was cold for a week, otherwise the temperatures were more like in spring. But the winter before that was so severe, people cannot even remember it ever being that could. Our sovereign, the King of Prussia has also received the title Emperor of Northern Germany. God thanks there is peace again. Many were tired of the war, especially our fellow-combatants, however, few of them have been killed in action. Most of the wounded are able to work again and now receive a pension of 8 to Taler every two months. Now do write back soon, your letters arrive here and do not cost us anything and when we send a letter to America it only costs 3 stamps. Please tell us how to compare 1-bushel, 1 acre, 1 dollar and 1 cent with out weights and measurements. And you my friend Anna Maria please write us, too. I do not know you personally, but I do know your father. I have just talked to him recently. He told me his son, your brother, wanted to go to America because of military duty. We will ask the teacher to write the address on this letter, he said in order to make sure you receive the mail, we do have to have the house number and your street name. Our mother is still healthy. She wishes you house number and your street name. Our mother is still healthy. She wishes you lots of luck with your marriage, she only regrets that you live so far from here. She asks you to include her in your prayers and she will pray for you, too. Finally greetings to all of you, also to Anton Schettler in Galena, in cluing his family, if you are able to convey these greetings I would appreciate it. Please do us a favor and write back to us as soon as possible.

Bernard Schettler
1872
He died on 13 Jul 1878 in Mt. Carmel, Iowa. Benedict Schettler was born in Handrup Hanover, Germany, on November 11, 1845 and Anna Lonneman was born in Lingerick, German in 1846. Both emigrated to the United States of America in 1866 and were married at MT. Carmel, Iowa, in 1871. They settled on a farm one-fourth miles east of Breda which Benedict purchased from the railroad in 1870. They were the parents of four sons. Henry in 1872, Frank in 1876 and John in 1878 . Benedict died of sunstroke on July 13, 1878. Can you imagine the hardship Anna had with three sons and pregnant!


By Josephine (Schettler) Winter
July 1983

And this also.


GERMAN LETTER TRANSLATION


INTRODUCTION

Benedict Schettler, one of the early pioneer settlers in the Breda area, had corresponded with his brother, Anton and family, who had remained in the native homeland of Germany. A number of these letters have "discovered in the attic" by members of the present-day Schettler family.
Ironically, one of the letters found was dated July 7, 1877, any written by Anton Schettler of Hanover, Germany to his brother, Benedict. These letters were all written in German, their native language.
A copy of the original letter has been made and also an English translation for all of us to share - "One Hundred Years" - later. Note the beautiful hand written which was characteristic of many of the early pioneer people.

Dear Brother and Sister-in-law,
Your letter from February 11 we received at the end of March. In your letter we could read that all of you are in good health and doing fine, which made us very happy. All of us are also in good health and doing fine. I want to let you know that the dear God Blessed us this winter on January 21st with a little daughter who received in Baptism the name Mary Teresa. Her God-parents were Bernard Essmann and Teresa Voskors. My wife and little Mary are both doing fine.
We had this summer until now, a dry and cold summer, rain most of the days, but the crops look petty good; the rye looks ever better than last year. It was this winter and in April especially good, but lot of it froze in May. Everything that just come out of the ground froze. Rye and barley look pretty good, also oats and buckwheat. If it brings in a lot in harvest time I don't know yet, I will let you know later.
Now we begin to cut grass which is also good. Potatoes are not so good than last year, because it was cold and dry but they are still growing. Rye does not cost now 1thl (dollar) a scheffel, potatoes 20 cent a sheffel.
We have now 3 cows and one Calf. Cows cost good money now. A good milk cow does cost 60-70 dollars. We have now one old hog and 5 little pigs, 3 little ones we sold. Last spring we fattened one hog and sold it for 38 dollars. The hogs cost here 13 dollars living weight. 100 grams of butter cost 70 cents and eggs 3 for 10 cents. We have now 20 chickens, one sheep and 7 little lambs. These we will butcher in fall because because the Handruper field is divided and will be divided everywhere, so no one another and therefore can't keep any sheep and geese any more. The small farmers lost and got hurt the most by the common dividing.
Our Franz is now 6 years old and goes to school every day. This is about all I can tell you from here except we and our children and all healthy. Mother is still doing fine, but is getting old and "gebrechlich". Brother Bernard you wrote how you in America do everything with machines and horses. We have to do everything with the sickle. Write us again about every-thing. Can't write anymore. All of us are fine, the Lonnemans, Bernard and Klemmens Essmann, Wilmerings, Shomarkers all are in good health. Please let us know how our Uncle Anton and his family are doing. We never hear from them anymore. Write soon again. I close with cordial greetings.

Handrup 7 July 1877
Anton Schettler

A BIT OF INCONSISTENCY

We saw a young woman the other day going full speed ahead in a sixty horse power auto. It was one of those eight cylinder fellows and she was driving it with a vengeance. This girl’s would make a serious objection if this same young lady asked the privilege of driving a frisky team of horses through the streets, but he permits her to go thundering over the pavements with the speed of a lightning express train.

Not many blocks behind this pulsating, throbbing automobile rushed another, driven by a boy of eighteen. He was running around a number of autos that were being driven by careful mature men. The number of deaths from the accidents because of careless driving is appalling and while these mishaps do not always come to these reckless youths, yet the mere fact that fathers will trust their children with these powerful machines when they would not think of placing them in charge of a high spirited team of horses furnisher food for meditative contemplation.



Dear Brother

I want to let you know that we are all well and healthy, which I do hope of all of you. We have received you letter, which you wrote on December 6th on December 28th and report that it was a great joy to hear that you are healthy, since we had not received a letter from you in 14 months. We have written two letters, however, had no answer from you to this date. You asked us to come to visit you. I will write about this later. My father and mother want to write to you, too. The entire "Nagel's" inheritance is supposed to be sold. Whether we will be able to remain in this house or not, is not yet known. I will write more about this later on. We have four cows, 2 calves, 8 sheep, and 5 geese. We had 30 goslings and got 24.........(Currency) for each. Pigs cost here 28 Gulden, lately even 30 Gulden. We sold two for 146 (?) Gulden, two we kept for ourselves. We still have the "Linge-meadow" after the fields were divided, however, if we can still use the meadow for a pasture, is not known yet. The construction of the church is going slowly. You wrote to me, whether I am going to get married in the future: I will write about this another time. You also wanted to know what news there were, so I will tell you a little about it. The families "Welep" and "Dachner" are still here. Heinrich "Stagge' and his mother have traveled to America. Klemens and Christine are married. Joseph "Hogmann" is married to Karolina "Hartobben" and Klemens with the "old Bruggenmansche".

Klemens "Thetmann" with Theresa ..... Klemens "Schoo" with Maria "Burwichter". "Aleid Burke' and Teresia "Weldker" have passed away this fall. I am supposed to send many greetings from Bernard and Klemens "Essan" and "Wilmering" from Haselunne and that they are still healthy. The Hanover land is the same as before. It carries the title Prussia. Please report back how you all are doing and what kind of work you are doing and whether there are former friends and how my uncle and his, children are. Greetings to all friends, relatives and acquaintances.

A. Schettler



Dear Brother

I hope that you are doing well in America because when brother and ......(this name is abbreviated and starts with an F) come and the whole town of Handrup. However, it will be better if I stay here. We had quite some stormy weather a while ago, which resulted in damage to houses, churches and trees. Our house here on "Nagels Kamp" was not damaged too badly: Ficker has a new store now together with Uncles "Danberg". They are the tall people and we are the little people, because as giants they cannot use us. (???) I am back at home with my mother and do some spinning. The sun is shining. Toward the evening
Happiness and sorrow are in one bowl together. Its mixture is mankind's fate. We don't have much wealth, I would say more poverty but we don't have to be ashamed of it.
B. Schettler


On the border between Handrup and Lengerich



G. Schroder & Son
Lengerich
a. d. W.


Dear Son Benedikt

I have encouraged myself to write a few lines to you because I was so happy to receive your letter, since I had no choice but to think that you were sick or dead or on a trip. A month ago a letter arrived here from "Kohlhon Vas" from your sponsor Gerhard Schulte. From it we learned that you were alive, but did not know whether you were healthy and well. He sent greeting to us and a photo from him and his wife and it was a joy to hear from America and we sent our heartfelt thanks. He wrote about the health of his entire family, but did not mention about his wife's family, We do not know whether he is still with the uncle your father's brother or not.



Dear Son Benedikt, you write to come and visit you in America; as I would love to be with you, I have to tell you that I cannot come. The trip is troublesome; I have had a lot of sorrows and grief since your departure. First because of you and then because the sale of our home and the worst of it all the condition of your brother Bernard. It all started this summer, to be exact August 14th and 15th. In the beginning it was real bad, but not as bad as seven years ago to this date. First we thought it came from the severe heat, but then his condition gradually improved and despite his ailment, he was always healthy and was able to work some, however, he is still not quite well. He is inattentive and forgets a lot and when he is inattentive and forgets a lot and when he is working or spinning he smiles a lot and talks to himself. Many times though and often when other people come to the house, one can hardly tell that there is something wrong with him. We will hope and pray that he improve steadily. There were a lot of people here this summer with the same illness. The so-called Strieker's son was also sick and I have heard about a lot more people. In our own type of work he does quite well but for the other people he is not well enough. It is also impossible for him to travel to America and he knows this himself. He says once in a while I am so happy that our Benedikt is still alive and that he is doing well in America, which we all wish for your. You write that you plan to travel father west, but I have the impression that you are far enough from here. I say often that I wish you would not be so far from us. If the dear Lord will keep you healthy, it can well be that you can come back in a few years. I have heard a short while ago when you and others like you have been away for more than 5 years, they can boldly come back, but I don't know if this is really so. You must know for yourself, where you like it best and especially how we are all doing over here. The future will tell. We will all hope for the best and leave it all to the Good Lord. Last Christmas 1868 we mailed a letter to you. Please write, whether you received it. We have not yet heard anything from Determan's people. Please write if you got the things we mailed to you. Bernard has not read this letter, but he did insist that I write to you. He said often, Mother, don't you want to write? Well, my dear son, please write back and report of all of you. I sent you friendly greetings also to your uncle and his household members and to Gerhard Schulte and his wife.

Your Loving Mother

He was married to Anne Marie LONEMAN in 1871 in Mt Carmel Iowa. Anne Marie LONEMAN was born in 1846 in Lengerich, Hanover Germany. She died in 1915 in Breda, Iowa. In 1880 Anna Lonneman Schettler married Theodore Schulte. Theodore Schulte was born Feb. 17, 1844 in Hammbohjendorf, Deutschlan (I think Holland). Their children were Mary (Mrs. Tony Fehring), Anna (Mrs. Frank Thiele) and Theodore (Ted). Benedict SCHETTLER and Anne Marie LONEMAN had the following children:

+6 i. Henry B SCHETTLER.
+7 ii. Frank SCHETTLER.
+8 iii. Bernard Ben SCHETTLER.
+9 iv. John SCHETTLER.

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