Walter Hanni letters Part IV

8th Aug 1913

Dear Martha



We have been gone from Thistle for a while and work not about 28 Miles away from Thistle. 
Yesterday we returned to Thistle since there was a flood and it destroyed a bridge. We drove back straight to get there and worked until midnight. While in Thistle I go to Mrs. Blackitt's to eat, she prepared good food. I sleep in one of the railroad cars, one that we transfer goods in. It is not really comfortable when so many of us sleep so close together. Sometimes you feel more tired when you wake up then you did when you went to bed the evening before.

We always have to work on Sunday and it is not a good feeling if one can’t attend Sunday meetings. 
It is hard to be with inactive members who have fallen away, they become dangerous and can’t be trusted. If it was not for some others, I would have probably been beaten up. Living in these conditions, one learns the principle of humility. I have much time to think about things here. It surely is not a moral lifestyle here, Martha, it is more a life of a vagabond, I would not want to live my life like this. That is something for single people and I sure hope it will get better soon. 


I am learning English quite well. No one speaks German here. How are you doing with your English, are you learning more words? Just talk English to everyone; it will be of benefit to you. You are not learning the language for anyone else, but for yourself. You should try it very hard, I just mean well for you. And how are you? Are you healthy, “I am healthy”. 


I am wondering when I will see you again. It is hard to get away when one has to work every Sunday. I am not a specialist here, only a laborer/worker. So if I don’t appear for work, I can surely lose my job. Americans are just a little different, one day they say this and tomorrow they mean something else. Perhaps I can manage that we can see each other.

Martha you are my beloved, I love you very much. Even I can’t always show my love and you might not see it as such, but you will experience it once we are together. I will make sure that you will have a good life with me as my wife. I just wish that the time would be here already. I am sure many have to work hard like me, if they want to come to Zion.
 I hope to see you very soon. I have received the package and the letters. They were forwarded to Tucher (?) where I am working since August. Mister Blackitt works with us here. He brought the things to me when he arrived. Please write me your detailed address in Brigham City. 


Thistle, the 11 August.

I came back from Tucher to Thistle today. I have received all the letters and have read them and know now how everyone is doing. Two letters were from you and I was so happy to hear from you and from home. I did not have much time to write to everyone, and I apologize for it. I am happy that I am back in Thistle. I am sending you the letter I received from home. All is going will and I hope that is also the case for you, dear Martha.

I can’t tell you when I will be able to see you but I will try that it will be as soon as possible. Well, Martha, I always pray for you, for my parents and for everything, I feel the urge to pray much. Please keep on writing to me, dear Martha.

Dear Martha, you mean everything to me, I love you. Do you feel about things the way you write to me? Please do not leave me, dear Martha. Good bye my beloved. 


Greetings and kisses from your Walter.

Greetings also to the Woodruff family.

Please excuse my bad penmanship.

 Provo, the 2nd September 1913


Dear Martha

I was happy with anticipation, but it was not possible again for me to visit you. I was hoping that we could have spent some good time together. I was for a very short time in Riverton, only 18 miles from Salt Lake. We worked only two days there and then we had to leave again for Colton, which is situated high in the mountains. Dear Martha, we will work long hours until the 1st of October and if I would leave for Salt Lake and the others are being transferred to another place as expected, it would be very bad for me and I had to battle with this by myself.

I would be so happy if I could come and visit you; that would be so wonderful, my dearest Martha and I could embrace and kiss you. I am often thinking for many hours about you, you mean everything to me and I love you very much and you are all I have here. Let us be faithful and stalwart and not get discouraged. The first opportunity I have, I will come and visit you, and it might even be in the middle of the week and unexpected. I know we will see each other again; we just need to have patience.

Again, let me assure you that you are my love and my all. Do not get discouraged and start to doubt. I will never leave you. It is too bad that you can’t write to me. We are staying everywhere for a very short time and I can’t receive your letters. But I am always writing to you so you will know how I am doing.

I send the money to Adele, 24 Dollars. Please keep to yourself what I write to you. Give my greetings to the Woodruff family. How is Alferd doing? Tell him hello from me. Did you forget to send the comb? I have received all the things and I wrote you about three weeks ago.


Greetings and kisses,
Your loyal Walter.