Letters from Waldheim 3

Aerial view of Waldheim, modern Vladivka, Ukraine

A little less than a year after his May 1906 letter to the Rundschau (see here), Heinrich took pen to paper once again. This time he wrote more about life in Waldheim and less about family than we have previously seen. As usual, we start with the original letter, followed by an English translation and several comments.

Waldheim, den 25. Feb. 1907

Werter Editor und Freunde! Einen herzlichen Gruß zuvor! Will versuchen ein Lebenszeichen an Geschwister und Freunde durch die Vermittelung der “Rundschau” gehen zu lassen. Ich werde es auch nur kurz machen. Der Gesundheitszustand ist bei uns diesen Winter nicht der beste. Ich habe eine zeitlang wenig arbeiten können. Erst hatte ich an der linken Hand, jetzt wieder an der rechten Hand, ein Geschwür. Es ist jetzt wieder bald besser. Das Scharlachfieber hat in unserem Dorfe auch ziemlich geherrscht. Der Winter ist bis jetzt ziemlich stark gewesen. Haben auch ziemlich Schnee gehabt.

Wir werden mit unserem nach Sibirien Ziehen noch wohl ein Jahr warten, weil unser Sohn Johann auf den Herbst zur Lösung muß. Die Mutter ist diesen Winter schon oftmals kränklich, sie hat oft Kopfschmerzen.

Ich danke Dir, Peter Buller, Luschton, herzlich für die Bilder, die wir von Dir erhalten haben.

Grüßend,
Heinrich D. Buller

Although some of the German is difficult, the gist of the letter is as follows:

Waldheim, 25 February 1907

Dear Editor and friends! A cordial greeting!

I am hoping to convey a picture of life to siblings and friends through the medium of the Rundschau. I will do so only briefly.

Our state of health this winter is not the best. I am able to work only a little while. First I had a sore on my left hand, now on the right one. It should soon be better. Scarlet fever has been rampant in our village. Thus far the winter has been quite strong. We have also had considerable snow.

We will probably wait with our move to Siberia one more year because our son Johann in the autumn must find a solution. This winter mother is already often sickly; she frequently has headaches.

I thank you warmly, Peter Buller of Lushton, for the photographs that we received from you.

Greetings,
Heinrich D. Buller

Most of the news from Waldheim is fairly mundane: Heinrich has been unable to work as much as he would like due to a sore (possibly an ulcer or abcess) first on his left hand and then on his right. Much more threatening was the village-wide outbreak of scarlet fever, which in that day, before the advent of antiobiotics, was often fatal. Heinrich also mentions later in the letter that his (?) mother was often ill, with frequent headaches. It seems likely that she was by now elderly.

Given our usual impression of cold and snowy Siberia, it seems a little ironic to read in one sentence that the winter in Waldheim has been severe, with plenty of snow, then hear of an impending move to Siberia. Perhaps Heinrich and kin thought that a Siberian winter probably would not be much worse. The most unclear part of the letter is the reason for waiting a year before moving to Siberia. The word translated “solution” can also mean “cancellation” or “resolution.” What it means in this context is unclear.

What we should not miss in this confusion is that we now know that Heinrich had another son in addition to the one about whom we read earlier (here), this one named Johann. To recap all that we now know about Heinrich son of David Buller (thus brother of Peter D): he married a woman named Aganetha, and they had at least two sons: Heinrich 2, who married Elisabeth Unruh; and Johann.

Finally, Heinrich thanks his nephew Peter P (Grandpa Chris’s father) for sending photographs to Russia. One wonders if the 1906 photos sent were the only copies or if someone might have other copies hidden away in a photo album or box of photos. As always, Buller Time welcomes family-related photos from anyone!