Figy letters from 1849 and 1853
to Jacob and Michael Figy from his family in Burgfelden
From Burgfelden to the Lauber Hill in Fulton County OH
Letter 1
Burgfelden the 9th of April in the Year 1849.
A heartfelt greeting to you, my most beloved son, Michael Figy, and to your wife. We must also insist that you bear in mind, in your prayers for us, to ask the dear Lord that we might also be of a mind to do as much as the dear Lord gives us the grace to do. We rightly received your writing on the 7th of April and we see in your letter that you didn't receive our last letter which we sent off on the 6th of August in the year 1848. This distresses us greatly. I will tell you the reason why we haven't written you any answer to the first letter. It is because your brother Johannis got sick on New Years day until the 15th of I went to sleep in the Lord. I have written you this with flowing eyes and tears in my face, and it aches my heart that I must write you this. He had the same sickness that your sister Magdalena had. He always wanted to come over to you right up until the last 8 weeks when he saw that nothing more was to be done for him, whereupon he went to sleep in the Lord. We saw in you letter that you got married and that fills us with joy and we wish from the bottom of our hearts that we could all be with you since your mother would rather come over to you now because you are married. You write us, indeed, that we can come over with a good friend, but if we must wait until we should meet up with such a good friend, then we could never come to America since such good friends are no longer here in the country.
I will also tell you what the crops sell for: A 4th of wheat goes for 16 to 20 Franks, the barley is 8 to 10 Franks, the rye 7 to 8 franks, a sack of oats goes for 12 Franks and a sack of Kromberries goes for 4 Franks. I will also tell you that a great unrest is in the country. Wages have never been worse and many people are out of work. How this is going to turn out we cannot say yet. We wish that we were all with you and we think often about you and your wife. That distresses your mother again greatly, that she hears in your letter that you do not know yet that your brother Johannis has fallen asleep in the Lord. She had just about forgotten about it, but now it distresses her again greatly and all the rest of us too since we had always consoled ourselves that we could one day come with him to America. Now we just trust in God, that he will lead and direct us. I also want to tell you that when you write us again, then write us the address in English for we don't know the correct address anymore, and now I don't know much more to write further. We greet you all many thousand times. Your sister Catharina wrote you the letter since your father has too heavy a hand. I have learned to write and you must learn to read and write us a response back soon about whether you have received the letter or not. Our greeting to Christian Lauber and his wife and children and to Johannis Zimmerman and all acquaintances and relatives and now I will end my writing and the dear Lord will turn everything to the best,- Elisabet Eyer. A heartfelt greeting to you, much beloved sister and brother and brother-in-law. I also want to tell you that if I can have the opportunity, then I will gladly come over to you, but you know full well that it is not good to travel in America when one does not have anybody dependable along. I also want to tell you that you can divide things up, and take care of my portion and write me how much it amounts to for me, since I cannot tell you when I can come. I also want to tell you the cousin Ben(edict) Koenig wrote late last year that my father had fallen asleep in the Lord but more of this he did not write. When I have the opportunity to come to America sometime, then I will write you a letter that my brother Jacob should pick me up in New York. Yet another heartfelt greeting to you, much beloved siblings and brother in law and to Michael Figy and to his wife,- Elizabet Eyer.
We all wish that this letter comes to you, Michael Figy, in good health just as it left us.
Letter 2
The scan of the original letter in German is followed by the transcribed translation to English
Note that the letter is stamped St Louis, Dec 19 1853.
The means they lived very near St Louis, France.Burgfelden the 18th of Christ's Month (December) 1853
In the name of Jesus Christ, our loyal Shepard and Blessed maker of all of us poor children of men. Furthermore, I wish for you all that God's grace, peace and mercy from God the heavenly Father and from the pure body of Jesus Christ and the richly consoling power of the Holy Spirit be and remain by us and you all, amen in God's most high name. [the standard religious come on] Furthermore, I would like to wish, if only wishes could help, that if it be God's most high will, that indeed this couple of lacking and weak lines [the words she is writing] should find you in good health just as they left us all, God be praised and thanked. I also have to report to you that we have rightly received your writing, and we have seen therein that you, thank God, are all still healthy, and we have also seen that you would like to send us the travel money. This really would make us joyful in our hearts if it would really be possible for we have been wishing for this for a long time already, that we indeed might be able to talk face to face with one another. I have to report further, that there is great poverty and inflation in France. one hears nothing but that here and there somebody is murdered and thievery is everywhere, and there is very little work around here for even we don't always have work to do. I will further relate to you what the harvest is valued at. Wheat goes for 36 to 37 Franks per quarter, the barley 20 to 21 Franks per quarter, the Kroumberries, 2 Franks per sester (some measure) A loaf of white bread of 5 pounds costs 25 Su (monetary unit in France at the time) and a loaf of black bread of 5 pounds costs 21 Su. A pound of flour is 7 Su.
Dear brother Jakob, we have received both your letters with the gold pieces which delights us very much, but I had already sent off my letter just as we had received the second one, so I was simply not able to write in there, because you wrote that I should write immediately and I did that just like this time as well. I also want to say to you that we would be delighted if we could come to you at New Years. Elisabeth Lauber wants to come with us too, and I think we would have even more comrades who would come with us if it is such that you send us the travel money. So write us what we should take along and what we need for the trip and write us also the travel route so that it doesn't happen to us like it happened to brother Jakob, who took the long way. Dear brothers, you never answer things in my letters. I don't know, can't you read my writing well? I believe indeed that I write such that anyone could read it, (yes, even me! -Chris) for last time I wrote brother Jakob something, but he did not respond to it. I will write it again. Be so good and write indeed a little to the wife of cousin Christian Lauber. Do it as a favor for me for it would give her great joy. We wish you all also a happy New Year and wish much luck and blessings for you and that indeed the dear God will keep up your health and will give you luck in business and trade. Now I don't know much more to write further. We greet you dear brothers and sisters yet again many thousands and thousands of times and write us as soon as possible.
Yet another hearty greeting from your cousin Christian Lauber and from his wife as also from Bes Lauber and from the whole family. We greet also all relatives and friends and everyone who asks about us. Dear brothers and sisters we greet you all once again heartfully. Now I will end my little, writing. Dear God will make everything turn out for the best. I commend you all to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen, and I await a quick response.
I am and remain Your most loyal sister Catherina Figy In Burgfelden
Figy letters from Burgfelden to the Lauber Hill in Fulton County OH
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