Malmesbury, 26 November, 1901
To my dear and precious wife, Taube Kretzmar, may she live happily, and to my dear children, sons David and Noah, and daughters Leah and Freda, may they live and grow up in wealth and comfort.
My dearest wife, I have received your letter last week and I thank you for it. I am very glad about the news that you are all well and I thank God for His mercy for granting us good health, and that is all that is needed. One can endure all kinds of experiences, and one can hope that better times will come.
About business I can tell you now – it is very little and poor, because everybody’s movements are restricted. Everybody must stay or lie down in a certain place. One is not allowed to leave and one can’t arrive, either. About going to farms to do business, there is no talk. And so everything is very quiet. I know that you need money, even though you have not written about it. I would like to wait until the new year, and then we will know the results of the bakery; perhaps even earlier, and then I will send you some money. Further, the best news that I can tell you is that I am well. May God grant that my writing should give you pleasure and that you must not lose hope, and everything will come right, and so I close my letter. Keep well and in good spirits, As is the wish of your ever faithful husband, Tuvye Kretzmar
To my dear parents, my dear father, Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and my chaste and modest mother, Beile, and my beloved brother, Yaacov Kretzmar, and to all my brothers and sisters, Hinda and Chana, may you all live well. My dearest parents and brother Yaacov, I am very surprised that you keep yourself so far away from me. I don’t get any greetings from you. How are you? How is business? I’m also writing very little, but I have lots of excuses. I have little patience and little news, and one must talk very little these days because of the war. I cannot do otherwise, but I hear nothing from you, and so I’m asking you to write to me, in particular about everybody. I wish you all the best of luck. From me, your son and brother, Tuvye Kretzmar
I greet cordially my dear mother-in-law, Neche, and my dear brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, and his wife, my sister, and family – my sister-in-law, Chana Reza, and brother-in-law, Aaron Morris – I wish you all much luck and blessings in all ways. From me, your dear son-in-law and son and brother-in-law, Tuvye Kretzmar