September 8, 1937 - Aba

In which Ralph writes with proud, fond words about his two daughters, home for vacation from Rethy.

Aba
September 8, 1937

Left to right: Unknown, Edith, Miriam Hodgkinson?, Esther, Mary Grimshaw.
Taken about 1936-1937, at Rethy.  Mom remembers that they were allowed
to take their dolls to Sunday School (or sometimes their teddy bears)
and afterwards the girls taught the lesson to the dolls.  From the
collection of Mary Grimshaw Janish. 

Dear family,

Coralee reminds me that it is a long time since I wrote to you. We trust though that you have not been without news all that time.

We are glad to be able to report reasonably good health this time. And we are now enjoying having the girls home with us for vacation. Near the end of last month Coralee and I went for a medical trip to Aru where there were some surgical cases to be done and other patients to be seen.

While there we had a chance to run over to Arua where Miss Souther(1) is temporarily stationed. [Personal portion redacted.] She has just recently returned to the field after a long time at home. Then we went to Rethi in time to attending the closing exercises of the school for white children (“Rethi Academy”).

This was the first time we had been to such an event since E & E had been going to school. They had a very interesting program in which nearly all the children took part. A new feature was the Honor Roll and Edith came off with the highest grade of the whole school. Esther was fourth with two points less than Edith.

The next day we had a real load in the car for we took Mr. Pontier with us and his two boys(2), Ruth Stam(3) and Miriam Hodgkinson(4) – the adults and six kids and all their baggage. However all went well and we reached Aba the same day. Since then we have been having a great time with the girls at home. All during last vacation we had visitors with us which meant a lot less time to spend with E & E, but this time we have been alone so far and have been making the most of it. Not quite alone however, for Mr. and Dr. Maynard(5) of the A.I.M. in Tanganyika(6) were here for a visit and stayed at the hospital having some meals with us.

The children have been keeping quite well and seem to thoroughly enjoy school life. They seem to be developing a bit too fast to suit us though for they are rapidly getting out of the little tot stage. At Rethi they are having piano and organ lessons and it has been fun to hear them practice on the little organ here at home. Their birthdays always come along when they are in school and so we are arranging to have a second birthday for both of them together while they are at home. They have chosen tomorrow as the day. 

Fortunately there are some visiting children on the station and so they should have a good party. They had accumulated a little spending money and we had the fun of taking them to the poste to spend it. I guess all the above sounds as if they were brand new babies and the first one at that. But you know how it is.

There have been unusually many white patients in the hospital lately but today the last one was discharged and so now the place is empty. These have all been non-mission people and that means a certain amount of financial help for the hospital, but just the same we are glad to be alone for a while. The dispensary attendance has been higher than usual this year. August is always a slack month in the native hospital but now it is filling up again. Today we had a very unusual operation for Congo – a cancer of the breast in a native(7).

The next day:

The children party has come and gone, and they had a great time. There were eleven present, a large number for Aba these days. And now we are all tired and it is bed time, and so good-night!

With love,

Ralph and Coralee

Footnotes

1. Miss Ann Souther (pronounced sow-ther), a close friend of Coralee.  An American AIM missionary.
2. Mr. Bill (and Marty) Pontier, their sons were Paul and Raymond “Ray”.  Mom remembers them as being full of pranks.  Both eventually became missionaries.  The Pontiers were based at Aru.    
3. Ruth Stam lived at Aba. 
4. Miriam Hodgkinson was a child of British missionaries.  Mom doesn't think she became a missionary herself, but was involved in support.  She was about the same age as Edith and Esther.  The Hodgkinsons may have lived at Dungu. 
5. Ruby Arnold Maynard, 1912-1998, AIM missionary at Kola Ndoto, Tanzania.  According to the Billy Graham Archives, her work was largely medical, managing a hospital and later running a leprosarium. There are 3 reels of audio tape in the archives.  William J.  “Nangi” Maynard was her husband. The trip from Kola Ndoto to Aba is a long one, estimated on Google Maps at 1,326 kilometers.    
6. Tanganyika became Tanzania (A short history of the country can be reviewed here).
7. This cancer was also rare in the Kimpese area, where the Meyers’ were missionaries for several years.  

December 20, 1929 - Aba

In which Coralee raves about the new baby, and describes how she and Ralph acquired Patches the dog. 

December 20, 1929

Dear Family,

[Personal portion redacted.]

Five years have passed since we sailed from New York. It hardly seems possible; it has gone very quickly for us.

These are very hot days here now. We are in the midst of our dry season. Which means little or no rain, high winds all day that dry everything so ugly and brown. The sun gives us extra heat and just about wilts us. Ralph and I notice the sun so here, for it is hotter here at Aba than at Aru or Rethi (1), where we were before. I’ll be so glad when the rains come again and it is cooler.

During the dry season the natives burn the grass on every side. These fires have started and there is fine flakes of burnt grass flying in the air.  One can almost imagine we are in a dirty city by looking at the clothes on the line. These fires make the air very smoky and there isn't any view these days, only a misty smoky haze on the horizon. This burning time is also a hunting time for the blacks. They start the fire over a certain area and the men stand just back of the fire with spears or bows and arrows to shoot any animal that may appear – i.e. rats or anything bigger.

You should see our dog. We've always said we’d never have a dog but here we find ourselves with one and we both confess we like it.  Last month Ralph had to go to Aru to see the medical work there and so I went along. It is 200 miles one way so we stayed over the weekend. On the way back we stopped at the govt. official’s home so I could nurse the baby and found one of his little daughters a bit sick. Ralph gave them some advice and just as we were near to leaving the mother said to the child, “wouldn't you like to give the doctor one of your little dogs”. And she said very promptly – yes Mother and brought her favorite pup. There wasn't anything to do but take it. It is a short-haired dog, black and white, so we have called him Patches. 

It is some dog alright, so cute but so mean. Chews everything. I found him just in time the other day to rescue Edith’s carriage cover. I wouldn't be surprised if he’d chew the baby (2) if he got a chance. Our house boys are crazy about him. All the natives love a dog. They are wealth in their eyes. You have no trouble in exchanging a female dog i.e. pup for a female goat. And goats, especially females, are real wealth for here they buy their wives with goats. So much for the dog, now about the baby.

Allow me to rave a bit. She does seem the sweetest and dearest in all the world to me. She weighs 11lb 14 oz. now and seems so well. So far I have been able to feed her altogether and it surely is a real blessing and so much better for her and less expensive for us. She sleeps thru the night now from 6 to 6. Ralph of course thinks this is quite a worthy accomplishment.

She is outgrowing her basket so I must get busy and fix her a bed. There seems to be such a little bit of time I can hardly get anything done. Seriously I think maybe the day ought to be longer. Maybe I might get thru then.

I know you all are awful busy too and I hate to bother you but I have been wondering if you would do a little shopping for me? [Personal portion redacted.] It’s for the baby. I am enclosing $5.00 that came as a gift and if the things cost more than this with the mailing charges and I’m pretty sure they will, please send it to the Brooklyn office and they will take it from our allowance, which is quite O.K. 

I would like two pair of shoes. Little first step ones. Different or rather progressive sizes and some socks. Several pieces of colored material suitable for little everyday dresses. Also several dress patterns and some transfer patterns so I can touch them up a little, also a good variety of embroidery threads. [Personal portion redacted.] I don’t crave anything elaborate for my girlie but I would love to have her neat and pretty.

Shoes are a real necessity for a child out here for they are apt to contract various diseases going barefooted. So I must plan for her little feet.

It is late so I must go. Thank you so much in advance.  Good night and best wishes for the coming year.

Ah yes – a nice fat parcel is stored away out of sight awaiting the 25^th. It left your place some time ago. We will try hard to keep up our resistance until the 25^th. It is a real temptation to look alright.

Thank you so much we surely do appreciate your loving thoughts of us.  

With much love,

Coralee and Ralph

Footnotes

1. Both Aru and Rethy are situated at a higher altitude than Aba. Aba is also located further north and closer to the desert.  
2. The "baby" is Esther Louise, born August 7th and referred to first here.  

June, 1929 - Aba, Congo Belge

In which Coralee tells the family at home about another new member of the Kleinschmidts!  

Aba, C.B. 

Ralph Kleinschmidt & Edith, about September 1928

June ?, 1929

Dear Family,

There isn't much time tonight for a letter but I did want to get a line off to you by this mail. Your good letter came a long time ago and I hope you’ll forgive us for not answering sooner. We surely do appreciate all the work of getting those things for Edith. It was so good of you all to send them. The parcel came last mail and everything was just lovely. Thanks so much. I do like the material and patterns so much. The little shoes were just fine. [Personal portion redacted.] The shoes are all too large for Edith now but that is far better as she will soon be able to use them. She has a little pair that she is wearing now that a govt. official’s wife gave me. So the shoe problem has worked out lovely.

Coralee Kleinschmidt & Edith, about September 1928

Edith is so well and sturdy but very small. She is nearly ten months old and barely weighs 16 lb.(1) She is very active, crawling everywhere and pulling herself up. Has three teeth with several others apparently near. We do enjoy her so much, she is so jolly and so typically a normal baby. The natives love her and she is so fond of them. She is good friends with any black that comes along.

You will be surprised to know that we are expecting Edith’s little brother to arrive in Sept.  About the 22^{nd (2)}. It seems so soon to expect another baby when Edith is so tiny. However we know that the “Lord doeth all things well” so we are glad and know that this is according to His plan. It will be lovely for Edith to have a playmate so near her own age. Especially away out here where there aren't any other white children near her age.

Edith on a leopard skin, about September 1928

When I look in the future I wonder how on earth I’ll ever be able to take care of two children, care for our home, and help in the medical. It surely looks difficult and hard. But my best assurance is to remember that this is the Lord’s work, and we are His servants, and that He will never expect more of us than we can do.

[Personal portion redacted.] I haven’t been a bit well since the little “brother” has been on the way. It is late and I am so tired so I will say goodnight. Again many, many thanks to you for all you have done for us. We surely do appreciate it all very much. [Personal portion redacted.]

Coralee

Footnotes

1. Edith grew up to be petite and very small-boned.  
2. In fact, the "brother" turned out to be a sister, my mother Esther. She was born August 7th, six weeks early.  

March 26, 1928 - Aru, Congo Belge

In which Coralee discusses the pending arrival of a new Kleinschmidt (1) and describes the packing process to move to Aba. 

Aru, C.B.

March 26, 1928

Dear Home Folks,

As before I've intended to write you for some time now and it just hasn't gotten done. It seems like lately most of our letters home have been because of business necessitating them but this one I wanted to write ages ago when I wrote for the things we need for the new member of the Kleinschmidt family that is expected to arrive in Congo. [Personal portion redacted.] We wanted you all to know and wanted to write you also but lately we have been so busy as I say, it seems only business letters have gone.

You will have heard that we are moving to Aba. Nobody will ever know how I hate to leave our lovely home here and start in all new again. Especially now when we are expecting.

Ralph is away now. He has taken our first load to Aba. Poor kid. It is a big day to drive a truck 200 miles. I am keen to know how he got along.

I am still packing the remainder of the boxes. For out here everything must be packed in boxes or bags when one moves. It is sure some job. I just pray that the Lord won’t ever have us move again (2). I hate it so.

Ralph has been very busy working on the truck and motorcycle so he hasn't been able to help me much. Poor kid he has worked so hard. He is looking tired and thinner now. I hope when we go to Aba he will be able to have some of these machine jobs done in the Poste there as there is a big machine shop there in connection with a big commercial company. We will have a lot of their employees as patients so they may be sport enough to return favors as no fees are ever charged for treatment given.

I am more surprised all the time how well Ralph does these mechanical jobs. If I do say it myself he is very clever at them and good at doing neat carpentry work too. I think he must have inherited the mechanical turn for he never had any experience along these lines at home. [Personal portion redacted.]

We have just had a real tropical storm. The rainy season has begun again and so we are having much cooler weather for which we are indeed grateful. It rains nearly every day and sometimes several times in one day.

Now I must go as today has been a very busy day, for I've done the medical and packed every minute that could be spared so I’m good and tired. So far I’m very well though there are some days when things seem to be down to rock bottom and I get tired so quickly – but know this is rather the usual run of things.

Hope you are having much joy in the Lord. 

With lots of love,

CORALEE

Footnotes

1. Edith was born in August 1928, at Aba. 
2. Her prayers were answered. The Kleinschmidts served at Aba together until 1964.  

September 4, 1927 - Aru

In which Coralee describes their new home in Aru, and they welcome the long-awaited Indian motorcycle. 

Aru, Congo Belge

September 4, 1927

Dear Home Folks,

[Personal portion redacted.]

Yesterday was a big day with us. We moved into our new house. Our whole household i.e. boys and ourselves, worked hard and the place is pretty well in order today. I wish you could come and see our “swell” little place. I feel just like we had purchased a fine little bungalow at home and had set up housekeeping for the first time. 

We are alone for a change i.e.  no guests, so it makes it seem more like a home for just we two.

You should see my swell chambray curtains.  I sent to Montgomery Wards for it at 10¢ a yard. I got a medium blue and also the stripe to match. Then I sewed a band of the bias stripe material on the curtain about two and a half inches from the edge. They look very fresh and “grand”.

We have new cretonne (1) or the living room. I sent to England for it. It is a blue with pink roses. Cretonnes are very reasonable in England. For instance this was reversible and 48 inches wide and cost about 60 cents.

Well it’s great to be out here and we love it very much. From the veranda where I am writing I can see miles around. Some lovely hills and large stretches of grassland dotted with native villages here and there. Each village with its cattle “carral (2)” (is that the way it is spelled?).

They make these carrals by putting strong branches of trees in the ground standing upright like a post. They usually take a certain kind of branch that will take root and grow. This is necessary because of the white ants (3) that destroy wood so quickly.  They are usually built on a hillside, for drainage. The entrance is well closed at night because of leopards and lions. Sometimes the man will have a house in the enclosure or just near so he can be near to frighten away wild animals when they come.

This tribe (4) are strictly cattle people. So we are able to get fresh milk each day and make our own butter. It is a big help to us.

Not long ago, we had a real treat, a nice big pork roast. A man in the government poste had a pig and the boy didn't put it in its house at night and a hyena came and gave it some terrible gashes, so that it had to be killed. So they allowed us to buy some of the meat that was alright.

Quite often they butcher a cow in the Poste and we are able to buy some. It is always a real treat to us, who have no butcher shop around the corner.

I am very busy getting lawn planted. Here we don’t have seed for lawn. There is a short green grass that spreads very quickly, so we just transplant little rows or dots of it and soon, if kept well weeded we have a nice green lawn. It doesn't grow tall so we never need a lawn mower – better come out here and you won’t have that duty!

Ralph is terribly busy these days. He has charge of the station as Mr. Kemptner (5) the station superintendent is away for a few days’ rest.

Ah yes, much excitement the other day. A huge four ton truck came up the road to the station (they sound like an airplane with their cutouts open). It stopped at our house and the boy brought me a bill of lading for the Indian motorcycle that was sent us so long ago (2 years 8 months!). There it was right in that truck! Ralph was tickled skinny.  He’s like a child with a new toy. 

The machine is in fairly good condition considering its long and tedious journey. He hasn't been able to get it to “agami” (6) that is cry. The natives always say a machine is crying when it is running. However he has high hopes. Maybe it will need some new parts right away but we hope to get it going and then we will try to sell either it or the Harley. One I guess to help pay for the other.

However the Indian hasn't cost us much. Just the transport and customs. I think the whole thing comes to about a hundred dollars. So I guess we will be able to weather that somehow.

At the end of the week we expect to go to Aba for a week’s general conference. It is a conference of all the Congo AIM workers. We also hope to have several workers from the Kenya field as guests. We will go in the Harley (7) and will be gone about ten days if all goes well. [Personal portions redacted.]

With heaps of love,

RALPH AND CORALEE

---

1. Cretonne is a printed cloth, usually with small flowers.  Often used to line cupboards, drawers, or make seat covers. There is an example here, which looks like it might be similar to what Coralee describes.
2. I believe she means “kraal”, an enclosure for domestic animals usually made of thorny brush, although her description in the next paragraph is a bit different than the normal preparation. The Wikipedia entry is here.  
3. Termites.
4. The Alur, a tribe which was divided when the borders for Uganda and Congo were delineated. There is a fascinating book about the Alur written in 1956, AlurSociety by Aidan Southall.  In some positive news for such a war-torn corner of the world, the divided tribe has reconciled after more than 200 years of discord. 
5. Wesley and Flora Kemptner. Later reassigned to Aba. The Kemptners also served as dorm parents at Rethy while Esther and Edith were there. 
6. Bangala.
7. The Harley probably had a sidecar. They certainly had one for the Indian, which they received long before they got the motorcycle.

March 5, 1925 - Excerpt from the H.A.M. Monthly Bulletin, May 1925

In which the Ralph thanks the Heart of Africa supporters for sending out a motorcycle (1). 

THE MOTORCYCLE

Ibambi, March 5, 1925

Dear friends:

Your “lovely bit of news” received here last mail, and lovely it was indeed.  I happened to be away at the time it arrived, and Coralee was impatient for my return. I hadn't had a fair chance at the inevitable tea before your letter was produced and read and rejoiced over.

Yes, we surely are delighted over the prospect of a motorcycle, and almost as much surprised as delighted, for the idea of such a thing had only occurred to us as a sort of vague dream far in the future. It was characteristic of you, too, to stop with nothing less than the best. I am very glad you chose an Indian (2), for the roads out here demand a sturdy machine such as that.

At present there are regular motor roads between Poko(3), Bambili  (4), Niangara, and Wamba, and another will probably be completed before very long between Wamba and Botongwe. Most of the roads between here and Wamba are suitable for motorcycle, and the Wamba-Niangara road I understand passes within a few hours walking distance of Deti (5) and Nala. So you see what an asset a motorcycle will soon be. My warmest thanks to you all.

R.E. KLEINSCHMIDT

---

1. This motorcycle took more than two and a half years to get to Ralph and Coralee. By that time, they were at another mission station, and working for another mission board! 
2. Unfortunately I do not know which model Indian was sent, nor do we have a photograph of it.  Quite possibly it was a Chief or a Scout.  See here for photographs.
3. Google calculates the distance between Ibambi and Poko today as 206 kilometers, and estimates travel time at 2 hours 48 minutes.  Given what I have heard about roads in the DRC at present, I would guess that is a wildly optimistic estimate.  
4. Bambili lies at the confluence of the Uele and an unnamed tributary. 
5. Deti doesn't appear on the map now.  Nala, on the other hand, is now near what appears to be a regular road. The distance between Nala and Wamba is calculated at 134 kilometers. 

September 28, 1926 - Blukwa

In which Ralph & Coralee describe their travels around the AIM mission field. 

Loafing

Blukwa

September 28, 1926

Dear Home-Folks,

A few days ago after spending about a week’s vacation at Kacengu (1) we returned to Rethi (2) to find among other things a nice long letter and a big fat package from you. And now while we say our heartiest “Danke shönn (3)” we wish you could know something of the thrill of hearing from home like this. 

Everything you sent was most timely and much appreciated; but you asked especially about the candy.  It was certainly great to see a real box of “BusyBee”(4). However our suspicions were aroused before we could undo the box and more or less confirmed after! The contents were pretty well united into one sweet mass, because of the pasteboard box, but not beyond rescue. Far from it!  We carefully separated the sheep from the goats, the latter being reminiscent of Anheuser-Busch. The sheep brought smiles of contentment to a number of faces.  But the others performed their mission well too, providing joy for the “tumbus” (5) of a number of the house boys. The house-boys, by the way, are always very “nosy” when packages from home are opened up. This is largely due to curiosity concerning things from the white man’s country, but is mixed, we fear, with more or less selfish motives at times.

I mentioned above about having been to Kacengu on vacation. Coralee especially had been very busy with the new babies and surgical cases among the missionaries in our house ever since coming to Rethi, and so we were urged by the powers that be as well as by others to take advantage of the present lull to get away from the station for a while. We were mighty glad to do so and decided first to go to Kacengu to visit the Kiesslings.  The trip itself from Rethi to Kacengu (6) is through very beautiful hill country, but we were disappointed in not being able to go together, as I was called to Kacengu a few days ahead of time to see someone who had gotten sick. Coralee at the time was entertaining some newlyweds and so could not go along at once but came a few days later. Kacengu, as I believe I wrote before, is very beautifully situated on a high hill above Lake Albert, and the surrounding country is beautiful with its hills and valleys dotted here and there by native villages. One day we all went for a little hike to the top of a nearby hill, higher than Kacengu, which afforded an even better view of the lake including its outlet into the Nile. Just as we were well up on our way a thick fog came from over the lake shutting out our view completely. However we kept climbing anyway and reached the top. For a long time there was nothing to see but fog but just before we were ready to return the fog disappeared and we got a fine view of the country all around. We took a few pictures which we hope may give you a little idea of the country when they are finished.

We stayed at Kacengu a little over a week and then went to Ara, another of our stations, visiting also the “Sanitary Agent” and his sleeping sickness cases. This place is only about four miles from the lake and we could see the breakers and white caps very plainly. Our trip from Ara to Rethi (7) is one we will not forget very soon, chiefly because of the hills we had to climb. At one place the path leads directly to the very summit of a high steep hill, rising at an angle of 45 degrees and in one stretch the path seems to be nearly 60 degrees.  In climbing this hill I had a rope around my waist which was pulled by two natives ahead of – or rather above – me. Coralee was carried up in a carrying chair part of the way, but also walked up much of the way, which was too steep for the men to carry. After climbing a hundred feet or so I would lie down and rest for a long while, then climb a bit and rest etc. The natives had a good many laughs over me because of my much resting and puffing, as they have wonderful endurance themselves. It took us around four hours to reach the top, and then we had another three hours or so over more level ground to get home.

After a few days at home, getting our clothes washed and looking after the medical cases that were waiting, we again started off, this time on Mr. Camp’s motorcycle and sidecar which he was kind enough to loan us.  

We are now on our first stop of this trip, Blukwa, where we are visiting the Whitermores. Soon we expect to go on further to see some other stations to the south and to visit Irumu, the capital of this province. Before we finish we will have seen all but one of the Mission stations in what we call here the “South Country” i.e. the southern half of the AIM (8) Congo field.

We have heard rumors to the effect that Dr. Trout was scheduled to return to the field, leaving New York on Sept. 6. If so, that means that we will at last be moving on to what we expect will be our permanent station. Where that will be we do not know as yet. It will be decided when the Field Council meets. We also learned recently that our motorcycle has at last left Kinshasa and is well on the way to Aba. The sidecar has already arrived at Aba. The charges for duty and transport have been surprisingly low thus far. Of course it remains to be seen whether or not the motorcycle will be in running order, but we have fair hopes anyway.

So much for now, more another day.

With lots of love,

Coralee and Ralph

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1. Now spelled Kasengu. 
2. Interesting that Rethi is spelled with an “i” here. Later on, when I went to school there, it was called Rethy.
3. German for “Thank You”. Ralph grew up in a German-speaking home. 
4. A candy company in St. Louis.
5. Tummies.
6. About 33 kilometers.
7. According to Google maps, the trip is about 250 kilometers, and takes 5 hours by car.  It appears that they did the trip with porters, and the walking estimate on the map is 50 hours!
8. You will note that the Kleinschmidts are now with the Africa Inland Mission.  The change came earlier in 1926.