Letter from (Great) Grandma Lu

Kyler is studying American History this semester . . . immigration, the World Wars, all the way up to the Civil Rights Movement. It has been so fun to see him learning so much and really truly being interested in what he's studying. He has a Family History project due at the end of the semester which includes a family tree, research on his surname, and an interview among other things. He was to interview his oldest living relative so he sent a letter to my Grandma (his Great Grandma) Lu asking her a few questions. He got this letter back in the mail today:

Dear Kyler--

Here's what you asked for:

My Grandpa Conrad Lampe and his wife Louise came to America from Bolschla Hannover Germany in 1880. He was born in 1844 and she was born in 1850. They brought one son William (a baby). They lived in Chicago for 4 years and then came to Iowa to Bremer County.

My Grandma Johanna Dietrich came to the United States as a child with her mother. I don't have the date. They were living in Chicago during the big Chicago fire and came to Iowa afterwards. She came from Ostfriesland, Germany.

Ralph's [Lu's husband] Grandpa Alfred Dirks came from Germany, Ostfriesland, with his parents and 2 siblings, on March 28, 1885. They lived in Grundy County, Iowa.

I think my relatives came because they wanted a better life. Things were quite hard during those years over there.

About the World War I--I was born in 1916--The war was from 1914-1919 so I don't know much about it. But my dad could have been drafted if it kept on.

I well remember the second World War. Ralph was drafted. He left April 4, 1944. Judy was just 4 weeks old and he had a cream route--picked up cream from the farmers and hauled it to the Hudson Creamery. So we hired a man to take care of the business. I remember so many things were rationed. We all had ration cards.

Ralph was in the Navy Armed Guard on merchant ships. They hauled bombs and fuel in the Pacific area--of course it was secret to the families until the war was over. We never knew how dangerous. They were lucky they survived, and didn't get attacked.

Hope this will help you in your assignment. It brought back a lot of memories. A lot of things have happened in my almost 93 years.

Love,
Grandma Lu