Lobethal, Jan 24.1909.

Dear Diary:- At last I have news from home – Mary is dead! She died Nov. 22 and I just found it out last night! Fred writes that Elmer was just as lazy and shiftless as ever and the children had no decent clothes to appear with at the funeral; that he had to pay all expenses for the funeral and every thing. It cost him $150 in all. That boy must be getting rich. He writes he has 4 large office rooms and more work than he can attend to. He is interested in 25 cases out of 54 on the calender. He must have an income of $7000 to $8000 per year, he and Mike. Isn’t it wonderful! To think those boys are getting rich! Now mother could have an easy life of it, now her boys could make her old age happy and she could have every thing her heart desired! But it was not to be. And she is happier by far in Heaven. We would not wish her back again. I wonder if Mary was a true believer? It seems so for Fred says she went to communion only three weeks before she died. She must still have kept to the church then. Rev. Selle buried her. Which of us will be the next to go?

Source: Emma Eberlein Kriewaldt’s diary, transcribed by Ernie and Brenz Kriewaldt