Letter to Lisa Rasmus Bartell March 28 1902

Notes by Kristin Rhodes and Emigration Center in Vora, Vasa, Finland

The letter does not contain one single comma or period. I have added them to enhance the translation. Neither did the writer use capital letters, except a few. It is not a direct translation. The writer had not gone to school, so it is sometimes difficult to know what she means.

This letter was written in Finland by Lisa Rasmus and sent to Lisa Bartell, birth name Rasmus, in America.  In the first part, the writer, Lisa Rasmus in Finland is writing something dictated by Lisa Bartell’s parents, who were probably illiterate.  Then she goes on to write her own comments to Lisa Bartell.

It is our guess that Lisa Rasmus, the letter writer, was Lisa Mickelsdotter Rasmus, a daughter of another farmer on Rasmus farm.  Not related.  This Lisa later also went to America in 1907.

It is interesting that the family of Lisa Bartell’s sister, Beata, would have this letter written to Lisa, but that is what it is.

[Finland] March 28 1902

Our beloved daughter Lisa [Lisa Rasmus Bartell],

We may now answer your letter, which we received yesterday, and where we find you being alive, although it has seemed a long time for us, waiting for your letter. We may now say that we toil here as before. One day is better and the other worse. That is how every day of life is, but remember, when you get old like us, it gets worse every day. But what else can we expect.

I hear you are not sure about coming home.(1) You say that if Anna Lisa comes, she will come here, but you don´t need to think that. She has taken all of her belongings from here so she doesn’t need to be here any more. She [Anna Lisa Enges Rasmus] will go back home [to Enges]. They [Enges family] want her there, so we don´t have anyone else than you, Lisa [Rasmus Bartell] . Many greetings to [our grandson] Johan from your parents.

Then I want to tell you Lisa [Rasmus Bartell] , a couple of words, but don´t be offended. I feel pity for your father and mother. They are old now and would need help and now they have nobody here to help. We help them what we can, but that is only sometimes. They need help every day. You know inside yourself. You got help from them as long as you couldn’t take care of yourself, but now when they are in need, they don´t get any help. Signed Lisa [Mickelsdtr] Rasmus

Now I myself may greet you Lisa Bartel that I am alive and well and wish you and your fiancé the same, when you get these lines. I was so happy, when I heard that you are coming home with your fiancé and bringing a couple people with you. When I got your greetings in the evening, I could not sleep all night, when I heard what a friend [male] I may get. I am not without one, but there is no one I like. I can have the ones here once or twice, but then I´m glad to get rid of them. But I hope that you are bringing something better, when you bring them such a long way, so don´t you bring any water load men(2). You know I don´t like such ones. Be careful, not to bring any with crooked legs (3), because then you may keep them. Hurry as fast as possible because as you know the time is ripe.

So don’t dawdle when you get this letter. You know that we will be very grateful to you. Signed Lisa Rasmus.

This part is upside down:

Then aunt (mother´s sister) is sending greetings to her nephews and nieces. She thinks that poverty will get a kick in the nose(4) over there, now that there are so many of you. Don´t let the reply wait for three months on the road.

(1)From Kristin Rhodes: This is a confusing paragraph. We have made it make some sense. For Lisa’s parents what is important is that there will be no one to care for them whether it is Anna Lisa, Anders widow or another Anna Lisa. Our scribe, Lisa Mickelsdtr is probably wrong about Anna Lisa Rasmus returning. Within months of Anders’ death Anna Lisa and Jonas Hard were on the path to marriage and parenthood. She may have been reluctant to share this information.

(2) literal translation. Whether it is a term for alcoholics is not known In contrast earlier translators suggested “I hope that you will not bring an oaf (lout, idler, loafer, fool).”

(3) Lisa’s father, Matts Rasmus, “limps” according to a note in church records

(4) Literal translation; other translators: “teach poverty a lesson”

(5) This was written one year after Lisa Bartell's husband , Charles died, perhaps in a mining accident.