We've all written thank you notes to our grandparents at one time or another! Here's one from 1891,written by Frieda and her sister Sasha,probably from Moscow.
These were translated with the help of genners from Jewishgen. I think the Raja is a nickname for Sasha, as Fegenden the nick name for Frieda. Baby Isaac is Isador Monosson [about 11 months], and hard to manage David is my grandfather David [4 yrs]. Brust is probably Brest a city or distict in Belarus, probably referring to where he was born.
Russian Section
To my beloved grandfather and grandmother.
I am Thank God alive and healthy and wish you the same. Please write me more frequently letters. Give my best regards to great-grandfather and great-grandmother. Staying with you, your humble grand-daughter
Raja Monozon
91 year 21 August.
Translated by Evelyn Waldstein.
This is a cousin of the Freedland branch as Majorie Short pointed out to me! Small World!!!
Yiddish Section
My dear grandfather and grandmother. I am thanks to G-d well. Received your dear letter with great joy. Thanks for sending money. I bought two pair of woolen socks, different colors. Now I can write that Isaac from Brust is a beautiful child. David a very spoiled and hard to manage. He says he wants to write to you also and takes a piece of paper to do so. I have nothing else new to write. I beg you to write often and we will answer.
Your grandchild Fegenden
Translated by Tamar
Here is a second note!
"My dear and highly esteemed Grandfather and Grandmother,
My beloved ones! First of all,I am writing you that I am healthy, thank G-d, and may He continue to let it be so. My dear grandparents, I can tell you that I can play on a [illegible - Ramal?] a polka and a waltz, and I will play a volna [violin?].My dear grandparents, my dear Papa and Mama have a clothing [illegible], and the color is bordeaux. My dear grandparents, I ask you to write us letters more often in detail about how you are doing and how things are like there. Be well and happy. These are the wishes for you of your devoted grandchild,
Rosha Manadsohn [?]"
August 21,1891
This was translated by David Goldman
She may have been speaking about a piano.. Roz Monosson said that when Sasha was living with their family she played the piano. Rosha =Sasha Mansdsohn=Monossohn. As you can see the clearity of the letters makes the translation difficult....
I recieved these letters from Laurie Cohen our Warshall relatives.
Family connection:
Frieda and Sasha Monosson were half-sisters to David, Isador, and Fred Monosson. Frieda married Jacob Warshall, they had six children. Laurie is her grand-daughter, daughter of William Warshall and Edith Rubin. Another Warahall relative that has done a great deal of Monosson research is Michael Jaffe, Frieda's gr-grandson.
Sasha's husband was murdered in St Petersburg. She suffered greatly during WWII and when she arrived in the states she lived for a time with Isador's family, but she was not stable and she died in the Worcester State Hospital. Roz wrote a story about Sasha that I will put up on the blog. She is buried in the family plot at the Workman's Circle Cemetery in West Roxbury no stone was made for her memory. Roz Monosson and Majorie Short found out that information.
