A letter from Ferdie

In 1930, there was a family east of Buckman by the name of Stepan.  Albert and Marie Stepan were in their late 30s.  They had five kids at the time--Oswald, Ferdinand, Lawrence, Clarence and May Josephine; (Dolores came later).  Albert's dad, Lorenz, had lived with the family, but had died the year before.  Marie's dad was Henry Dengel, and in 1920, the young Stepan family lived with them in Buckman (all according to the 1920 and 1930 censuses and the LFHerald ☺).

Albert & Marie's son Ferdinand is 94 now.  As a pastime, he types monthly reminiscent letters to the Stepan descendants about when he was young. 

So...are Stepans related to Heschs?  Both families came from Bohemia and lived in Buckman, but other than that, I don't know.  Because the blog is online and searchable, I got an email last month from Chris, Ferdie's niece, with this wonderful letter attached.  (I re-typed it so it can be translated).
The letter is one connection with Heschs, where Ferdie specifically mentions Grandpa AA and his brother Math...☺


               "THE UNITED STATES POSTAL AND MAIL SERVICE

We lived one mile east of Buckman. The mail came to Pierz by Star Route and by Passenger and Mail Train, to Genola.  The post office in Pierz had several routs and they did a good job of getting the mail out into the community. Our mailman was Leo Virnig, always on time, well liked. Hed leave Mail at the Post Office in Buckman operated by Pete Blake.  It was also a service station.  The day the Pierz Journal came also came some congestion as a fellow wrote a column every week and the people wanted to have their paper right now. The guy did a good job and it was quite hilarious once in awhile.  Matt Hesch was his name and he had a brother Tony. They were kinda in the Moonshine business.  Matt worked for the Soil Conservation and he did a good job.  I don't think they were ever thought of as non [law] abiding citizens.  They had large families, some nice girls, too.

Found on Google Images

Back to the Mail.
We had lots of snow some winters and those years the roads were not plowed or kept open so people just did the best thing and went by horse and sleigh, or walked. The Postman got Dad interested to haul the mail with horses and a nice Bus on a sleigh. Dad signed a five year contract.  We had to deliver Mail three yr And the other years we got a small sum just to be ready. This was all Govt involved. All went well and it was a fun job as we got to know the people on the route. It was a nice cozy bus the Mailman furnished, a little wood stove to keep things warm. Even had head light on and used it the first year. The next year things went better as our oldest Brother came home to help. He and Dad divided the routes so it was not such a hassle.
We had a nice little sleigh and Dad had a carpenter in town build a dandy Bus on it. A little wood stove in it and they were the coziest little house to live in for the time it took to do the job. A couple days were kinda hectic with the Sears and Wards and a few Spiegles catalouges had to be delivered. Those days people did lots of mail ordering and the Mailman did the delivering. When some of those orders came to be delivered the Bus was full but you always had to keep things in order so it really was not a big chore. Things often got returned as the people those days were the same as they are now, only at a slower pace. One time a guy passed a Counterfit half dollar for some stamps. I think the only thing done was give this guy a good talking to and let him know that he could sit in jail for a long time if he was reported. How someone came up with a coin like that I can't imagine how they figured they'd get by with it. One fellow called the post office and wanted Dad to bring him some JT chewing tobacco. He figured Dad was a good sport and would just get the tobacco and hand it to him. Well, Dad knew he was working for the Postal Service so there was to be a postage fee. I have no idea how much it was but the guy chomped at the bit for a long time. There were some folks that showed theit appreciation for getting mail every day and would bring a piece of cake or a few cookies. I had a chance to go along on the route several

Google Images

times but only when there were lots of parcels to be delivered. We were never to leave the bus or the mail but if there were two of us it was OK. The horses had to be kept in reign at all times. I was along with my brother one day and it was a lucky day for him. We had to turn off the main road that was plowed and the snowplow had made kind of a ridge and my Brother tried to manuever as good as possible but it was not a good day for us as the sleigh got caught against that ridge and the horses mad kinda jump and broke the doubletree and took off. I guess the crack it made when that broke sounded like a rifle shot.  I took off after the horses and they ran a little more than a half a mile and turned into a farmers yard. This guy gave me another doubletree and we got going again, and we figured as long as the horses were so anxious to run, that is what we made em do and got the mail delivered in good time. I think we were lucky that I was along that day, at least the mail did not have to stand without someone with it. That was the worst accident we had in those three years of driving. I think this is enough about our mail delivering, but it was a good learning experience.*-*-*

I might not do a good job of typing this stuff but I try to shake the cobwebs a little bit once in awhile and see what I can come up with, or up with come.------

                 From the desk of the coyotes den.  GOOD HUNTING.  

                                         FERDINAND"

THANK YOU Chris!