Bartsch, Johann Franz (1882-1882)

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1882 Dec 1 p. 6

Birth date: 7 Mar 1882

Text of obituary:

Kattakurgan, den 19. August 1882.

In dem Herrn geliebte Freunde!...

Wir in den Bergen richteten uns für den Sommer ein, so gut es ging, bauten an unsere Wagen Zelte von Schilfmatten hinau, um vor der bucharischen Sonne Schutz zu haben. Begrub ich auch hier ein Söhnchen, Johann, der mir am 7. März geboren war. Das dritte Kind….

Es wird uns bange — aber wir verzagen nicht….

[Franz Bartsch]

English translation:

Kattakurgan, August 19, 1882.

Beloved friends in the Lord…

We in the mountains prepared ourselves for the summer as best we could, built reed tents on our wagons to protect us from the Bucharian sun. I also buried a little son here, Johann, who was born to me on March 7. Our third child….

We are anxious, but we do not despair….

[Franz Bartsch]

Note: The author is identified by mention of his third son, his birth date and death in Bukhara, when writing about the experience of 10 families who returned from Serabulak to Bukhara from April 21 to August 10, 1882. He adds in his memoir, Our Trek to Central Asia, p 104, that the third child was born in Serabulak and died in Bukhara; an earlier son died in Kaplanbek, and a daughter died just before the trek to Asia.

This author’s letter was unfortunately published in the middle of a letter from the group in Serabulak. The boundaries of the other letter’s text were confirmed from its version in Mennonitische Rundschau 1 Dec 1882 p 2.

- Irene Plett