Help with translation?

[Sue Schafer]

David Robertson wrote:
"If it became a family name, I'm interested to know."

Heiseman is the name listed in the land records at the national archives,
and the name that appears in my letters indicating that he is Indian.
Hyasman is the name of the Indian who lived in that area and was close to my
family (info from local history book).   I asked someone who is a member of
the Twanah tribe and she said that Hyasman was a Quinalt name (she had
Quinalt friends with that name).   I called the Quinalt Community Center but
the resident expert was on vacation.   So I still have to doublecheck
that.....I guess it is still technically heresay to say that Hyasman was
Quinalt.   I don't know what his descendents call themselves...I'd like to
know myself!

"[When] she was just a girl [and] she always said I'd never get a man."

The girl who married....Margarethe...would have been 21 yrs old when she
first came to the Satsop.   She might very well have said this..... When she
got to the Satsop she found a job as a servant in Olympia and later ended up
working in the household of Bailey Gatzert in Seattle.   She married at age
26....not especially young for that era.

"It would really be something to see the document and get contextual info to
help decipher this passage"

I copied the English translation below.  I have the letters transcribed in
the German too if you ever want to see it.   The original letter itself is
with my translator.  She is in Bellevue and I'm in Seattle....so I can
always go and get it if you (or Jim or anyone else)  think it would be
helpful....and I can scan it in.  There are several hundred pages translated
so far, with more letters to come.   It seems that my great grandparents
wrote frequently!!  I don't think you will see much to help you in this
translation, but you might find the letter an interesting "slice of 19th
century pioneer life".   My great grandmother was very lonely down there
with no women folk to talk to....this was especially difficult when she was
pregnant and facing delivery without a close woman friend to help (she spoke
of her embarrassment).   My great grandmother was Margarethe's stepmother.
When this letter was written, JD Schafer (Father Schafer) was 55, his wife,
Anna, was 35 and Margarethe was 26.
Best,
Sue

      Satsop, June 6, 1876

      My dear Children!
I hope you happily arrived in your new home.  The first rush is soon
evaporated and stark reality  will be confronting you.  None of you is an
ideal --- a perfection.  Only flawed human beings.  If only you endeavor to
find your own faults and not those of the other to discard them, then you
are on the right path to become happy.  On the other hand, if you just look
on the other person, trying to correct and anger him --- then you will make
life miserable and the most beautiful home - which is heaven -  becomes
hell.  Man does not need much to be happy.  We find as many happy people in
huts as in palaces.  The main rule for happiness in matrimony is:
                          Carry life's burdens together and
                          Get along with each other.
O, I wish that you will be happy! --- Work on being happy.  If you want to,
you have the quality to do so.  You both are worthy of happiness.  However,
one must adapt to each other.  You must become one --- of one mind ---  be a
unit.  But each one of you has corners and hooks.  They should not chafe at
each other until they are worn away.  Each one alone must try to grind them
down and every new day must find that the two strange parts have become a
better fit.    You must discard  your old habits and, together,  accept each
other, etc.

Page 2
I wanted to close but now I just remembered that I would  like to say a word
about religion.  Treasure and care for it together. --- I don't mean
dogmatic religion, consisting of customs and ceremonies.  I mean a deeply
felt connection with God. --- A Prayer in spirit and in truth --- to always
be in God's presence.  If you go two to three times every week to a
reflection in Zkooke [ a book on meditations - the correct title is:
Zschokke, Heinrich: Stunden der Andacht zur Beförderung wahren Christenthums
und häuslicher Gottesverehrung . Aarau /Schweiz.  This book had many
editions - the 3rd
edition had been printed in 1818!]
 together --- that will be a good basis for you.
Dennis is planning to go to Olympia with butter on the 28th and to get hoes
and other things for the harvest.  You would do me a favor if you could let
me know right away what the price is in Seattle, so he knows what to do when
he is in Olympia.  If he can get the same here, he will sell it, but if the
market is saturated at this moment, then he will send it to you.  We do not
mean to create a disadvantage for you and that you should pay a price which
the butter does not have.  We only want to protect ourselves  from  the
daily fluctuations in Olympia and against the crooks,  the storekeepers who
like to exploit the farmer's vulnerability, knowing full well that the
butter can not be taken back 50 miles. --- Write soon and often.  We are so
far apart and this is the only way to talk to each other.
                           Greetings from your father
                                          D. Schäfer

               Best greetings from your brother
                                   D. Schäfer

Page 4
               Satsop, June 7
My dear Gretchen and Leonhard,
How did the trip go?  I hope you got home happily and are happy and content
with your new state of being,  of becoming  one.  O, marriage is beautiful
if one is happy, but it can be the most unhappy life in the world as well.
O, only love can uphold the happiness, because where there is no love there
is no affection.  What is this little bit of life on earth if one is bitter!
Then it would be better not to be on this earth.  O, I hope that you are
happy.
Now something else.  Well, Leonhard, what does it look like with the
pocketbook?  Which one of you has the first (chips?) in it?  I am afraid
that Gretchen's part will be (.?) now that the blues are over.  But, dear
Gretchen, how was the first of June?  I hope it was not all hat bad.  One
imagines the worst and then the best is yet to come.  Don't take it hard.
How did you like Portland?  Didn't  you meet any relatives?  We received a
letter from there, from a man named Anton Hilte.  He would like information
from here.  We don't know him.

Top of Page 4, upside down
Sorry about the bad writing, time was short.

Page 3
Dear Gretchen, I think I still hear your voice in the house or I hear you at
the machine.  But to no avail!  You are gone, gone!  O, if only it were not
so far from here and we could see each other at least once a month.  But it
shall not be.  O, dear Gretchen,  I can't tell you how I sometimes feel, so
alone.  I am already homesick for you!
Stienchen is sick as well, she has a sore throat and probably caught a cold.
We are now planting rutabaga and already planted 6 to 7000, and cabbage as
well.   I want to send a piece of cake to mother in Cross Plains.  We have
not heard from there until now.  Yesterday Moos and Jim Watson were here.
The two and father worked on the road on the other side.  They said that it
will be a good road and that it should be done by next fall.  And the mill
will be coming in Elma.  They already have 1100 (400?) signatures together.
Brady also signed fifty and Anderson 200 etc.  Now you could be at Heiesmän
Gärk's wedding next week. They sure were surprised to hear that you were
already married!  Klutsch said (Heiesmäns) kawaneike dum Dum, bos ammak kkuk
Shie kod neke wauman.Komber Deneds Klumschemän, be kanisem wouwaure heller
Iskum Män nike.  Are you coming to the committee as well?  Dionis, Stienchen
and Julchen will go too.  I probably cannot expect a letter from you this
week.  Well, I guess I will forgive you again!

Top of page 3, upside down
All the best greetings from your loving mother.  Greetings from Stienchen as
well and next time she can write herself.  Greetings from all the children.
                                                      Anna Schäfer

Left margin of page 3
Peter said that if  you  left again then he would not let you go!

[Here is the letter that mentions the wedding]

Satsop, June 22, 1876

         Dear Grethchen and Leonard!

I wrote you a letter on June 7  but have not received an answer yet.  Is it
your post master who is so lazy or -- -- -- you? -- --
Your letter, Grethchen, we received yesterday.  It was dated on the same day
we wrote and was therefore on the road for two weeks.  So it has to be the
mail.  From mother you have heard of Arnold's death.  On such occasions I am
always reminded of these words:  Man thinks and God is in charge.  Alive in
the morning, dead in the evening. --  No death has touched me so little as
this one. -- -- --
I am glad that you are happy.  May it last!! -  Strive to become more and
more worthy of each other - and you will have a solid foundation for future
happiness.  Never be idle!!  If you are without work - then find some.
Doing nothing makes you boring - disagreeable - surly - etc.  How are the
Ishers(?) in Portland?  How did you meet them?   Good bye!  Be happy!  I
hope we will hear other news from you  then just singing and dancing.-Do not
forget your loving father
                                      D. Schäfer


Page 2
          Dear Sister and Brother-in-law!
I am glad that you arrived happy and safely at home.  I wish I could be with
you.  Mother and I are making an over skirt from her green dress.  She wants
to wear it after ..
Best greetings now from your loving sister
                                 Christina Müller

            Dear Sister and Bother-in-law!
Heinsman's .. has married in Labush Satsop.  There were about 130 Indians
present.  We were there but we did not get any dinner.  I am glad you
happily arrived at home.  We picked up Tiewitt's (?) foal  last Sunday.  It
threw me off three times.  It is working fine now.  Widerkind (?) has cut
into his foot.  These are all the Satsop news.  But just one more.  Juwo got
young .  Four are still alive.  If you would like to have a lap.. then I
will bring one with me.  They already eat by themselves.
                                  Best regards from your brother
                                  and brother-in law    D. Schafer