History written by Frieda Andra. I previously shared the history of coming to America compiled by Deanne Yancey Driscoll. I understand this is the Boettcher family, not the spelling Frieda uses in the history.

My story begins in the old country – in Germany.  My father, Friedrich Theodor Andra, died November 23, 1902, in Meissen, Sachsen, Germany.  Mother, Wilhelmine Christina Knauke Andra, was left with five children, ranging in age from six months to nine years.  The children’s names were: Frieda Minna, Walter Theodore, Wilhelm Friedrich, Clara Anna, and Otto Carl.  My poor mother had to struggle to support us.  She did small jobs at home and we children helped.  I worked here and there to help along.

Three years later, while we were in the forest picking berries, Mother met a lady named Mrs. Bottcher.  Mrs. Bottcher told her about some Mormon missionaries who were holding some meetings.  So mother began attending the meetings.  One by one we all joined the Church.  Years later, after we were all baptized, mother invited the missionaries to our house.  She fed them and let them hold their meetings there.  However, the Lutheran pastor didn’t like it, particularly because Mother was a widow, and he gave her a very hard time.

In 1909 the Bottcher family decided to go to America.  Mother asked them if they would take her son, Willie.  They agreed to do this.  Mother gave them the money for Willie.  When they arrived to Salt Lake City, they attended the German Meeting in the Assembly Hall.  After they had been in America half a year, they sent Willie to do farm work for a man they had met at the German meeting.  They didn’t even know where the farm was nor did they care.  When they wrote to Mother, they said Willie was lost.  When Mother told the people in Germany that her son was lost in America, they called her names and told her she was wicked to have let him go.  But all the time God knew where Willie was.  He was opening the way for us to go to America.  Mother prayed to our Father in Heaven for her son’s safety and that she might be able to find him again.  Her boss, Conrad Zinke, sent telegrams trying to locate Willie, but was unsuccessful.

One morning Mother was on her way to work when a light shone about her, and she heard a voice say “Go to America.”  When she told her boss, he said he’d be glad to help her all he could.  When he asked her if she had any money, she answered, “Very little.”  He was so kind.  He sent a man over to help pack, get the tickets, and get the money he’d given them exchanged for America currency.  They gave us a big going-away party in the villa.  The farewell dinner was held in their most beautiful room.  They cried and hugged us as the said their good-bye.  Our friends gave mother the rest of the money se needed to make the trip.  Even my boyfriend, Mr. Knorr contributed.  Grandmother Wilhelmine Richter Knauke and Aunt Augusta were at the depot to bid us farewell.  They really thought Mother was foolish for going to America.  They didn’t realize my mother had been inspired to go.  She knew God would guide her if she were faithful.  God in Heaven surely did guide us all the way to America.  Glory be to him in the highest for all the wonderful blessings we have enjoyed.

We left to America on the 5^th of May in 1910.  We traveled by train to Bremer Hafen.  There we boarded a streamer: The north Deutcher Loyd.  For two weeks I was terribly seasick.  When we reached Philadelphia, the red salt was unloaded.  Everybody was very kind to us there and people gave us money.  The cook, who had become a good friend of mine, bought me a ring but my sister Clara insisted she wanted it, so I got the locket he had bought for her.  Then we traveled to Galveston, Texas.  When we arrived there, we freshened up and then my friend, the cook, showed us the town.  He bought us some bananas, which we had never eaten before.  We swallowed the chewing gun whole, as it was also strange for us, and then we all got stomach aches.  We certainly enjoyed the cook.  He was always kind to us and saw that we had good food to eat.  Another fellow gave us a cake.  When our train was due, we had to say our good-bye to these fine friends.  It was quite rough on the train.  We couldn’t talk much so we just enjoyed the scenery.  Many funny things happened.

After we arrived in Salt Lake City, we hired a hack, which is like a buggy but much nicer.  The driver sits up very high.  We couldn’t locate the Bottcher’s so we went to the L.D.S. President’s (John F. Smith) residence where their daughter Ida worked.  Ida was so happy to see us.  She sent us to her sister Clara’s.  After visiting there, she gave us her mother’s address and we left to look for it as it was getting late.

Although we had come to America in the hopes of finding my brother, Willie, whom the lady had reported as lost, I know our coming to America was God’s plan.  Our Father in Heaven works in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform.  Our driver kept driving toward the address we had given him.  As we came to 9 West and 4 North, he turned.  This country was so different to us.  Then Mother saw a little boy coming down the street and we stopped to ask him directions.  Then Mother shouted, “That is my boy!”  And sure enough, it was our brother.  He couldn’t speak German.  He just stood there trembling and pointing to where the place was.  We all jumped out and hugged him.  He had been on his way to the depot to meet our train.  Mrs. Bottcher had told him we were coming when we had returned from Fairview where he had been working for that man.  Two blocks away lived the lady we had been hunting.  So we paid the driver $3 for driving us around all day.  When we knocked at the lady’s house, she refused to let us in.  For her excuse, she said, “Keep your things out there.  I don’t want any lice in the house.”  Of course, we knew we didn’t have lice, but we sat outdoors on some lumber, and she bought us a piece of bread and a drink of water.  Her home was filthy.  There was a pig in the house and the chickens were running in and out.  What an awful place!  When Mr. Bottcher came home, he invited us in and fed us.

Then the Sister Rigler came and said, “Come.  There is an empty house you may stay in.  I will give you a couple of blankets and a lantern.”  It was about eleven o’clock by now and we were all very sleepy.  We were even to tired to look around the house.  We all slept soundly, grateful to have our brother Willie with us again.  His hips were bleeding, and his feet were sore and bleeding also.  He had not been cared for, only given a lot of cussing and lickings.

In the morning we looked around the house.  This house had been flooded during the time that the Jordan River had flooded this area.  It had left dirt throughout the house.  There were no windows. Outside there was a nig barn, and flowing well, and four large trees (Poplars).  It was a beautiful day.  Everything looked very green.  Mother called us together to have our morning prayers.  She thanked our Father in Heaven for all His goodness and for providing us with this home, which would be our paradise.  We were so thankful to be in America.  I have never heard a more inspiring prayer of life.  The next morning Mrs. Rigler came back and told Mother who owned the house.  We made arrangements to rent the house for $2.50 a month.  Then Mrs. Rigler took Mother to town on a streetcar to buy a stove, just a small one, washboard, washtub, dishes, food, pans, and a dishpan.  While Mother was gone, we scraped the dirt out.  Sister Rigler bought glass for the windows and even helped Mother put them in.  Walter made a cupboard from some lumber he found.  We used orange crates for chairs.  We were very busy that Saturday.  Then on Sunday we attended Sunday School.  The people were all very kind to us.

We had arrived June 3.  On June 5 I got a job for $5 a week plus rom and board at the boarding house.  On June 6 Walter found a job at the flour mill (Hasler’s).  He boarded with Mother.  Willie worked at a slaughterhouse, so we were able to get meat to eat – tails, liver, etc.  It was very good.  Mother bought Willie a small red wagon which he took to market and bought home food we had never seen before.  The cantalopes made us sick.  We ate the corn raw, which didn’t make us feel any better.  It wasn’t long before we learned which foods to cook and which food to eat raw.

Well, it wasn’t long before our little house was a cute little dream house, complete with furniture and curtains.  Soon we had some baby chicks, a dog, and cat.  Oh, those wonderful, happy days in a very wonderful country which was given to us by God.  God Bless America.

                                                                                                Frieda Minna Andra

P.S. On Sunday, June 20, 1965 we saw our old home – this very one we had immigrated to on June 4, 1910.  The house had now been covered with shingles on the outside.  The barn has been moved and the well is no longer there.  It was such a joy to see this home we used to live in.