Letter. Asbjørn to Anders ROE (30 May 1889). Image courtesy of Verla Williams.
Daily remembering son Anders and family. God's grace and peace be to you the wish of your old father.
It is long since we have heard from you and you from us. Often I have thought to write to you, but it remained merely the thought till now.
I still am in this life and _____ of this sinner's body so has God's grace been excessively great towards me in that he has allowed me to keep relatively good _____ health, as also my housefolk. The year's way is now so far advanced, so I hardly can remember to this time of the year. We have at the the first of this month had between 80 and 90 degrees heat, but now we have had a while chilly weather and often rain so the ground is absolutely soaked. The health's condition is good here with exception of a little spring fever both at our house and others, but not as to regard as anything. Jens Nelson has now sold his farm and is moving to Tremplau County to his daughter who is married there. Knudt is at Anders Raae in St. Laurens and will be there to work for the summer months, for the rest we have not heard anything for a long time. No deaths have happened here of your acquaintance except old Sønneve at the house. Henry Lysne died I believe it was last March, [he was] over 80 years old. We see by newspaper _____ that there has been a harmful storm here in Wisconsin, but the Lord has here so far spared us such storms.
The Lord be therefore eternally praised, He who carries all things by his powerful word that when he takes his sustaining grace from us then must all things perish in an instant. And that all flesh is as hay and its glory is as a flower in the field. The people are certainly _____ dear Anders, our life is as smoke, as a vapor, if life's and death's so is it out _____ with us. Let us _____ this that if we die without Jesus, without life in Him, so it is terrible endless hell our lot. I will say with the apostle Paul, I die daily, and if Jesus Christ were not my great trust I would a long time ago be lost in my wretchedness. The old Adam must die if Christ should live in us. O yes, the dear Lord Jesus stands sure at the heart's door and knocks, if we will listen to and hear his voice and open the door can we obtain supper with him and he with us.
There is talk and writings about a merger with 4 church groups, but Lord help us if there is a merger. Church and party struggle belongs to the day's word both in word and writings of pastors. The Missourians are shut out from everything so we have had to allow them to bury their dead at our cemetery. There are already _____, and there is talk about building a church in the vicinity. Enough about that.
From your sister Anna I have not heard from for a long time. You must be so good and write to me so I can hear how it goes with you. I think daily about you in my prayers to God that if we cannot see more here in this world, we could meet with joy before God's judgment seat and say, here am I and the children you have given me. Finally loving greeting to your family from me, and my housefolk.
Amherst 30 May 1889
Asbjørn H. Raae
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