The following letter was sent to Berenice (Hampel) Bergkamp by Albin Bergkamp while they were dating.

Sunday Night

June 26, 1949

Nine O'clock P.M.

Cheney, Kansas

My Darling Berenice;

It is a nice evening this evening and I am feeling fine.  I hope you are in good health and in a pleasant frame of mind as this letter reaches you.

We did a little combining this afternoon, but had to quit because the wheat was a little bit too green.  We had a real goose-drowner of a rain yesterday afternoon about six-thirty, but it rained very little on the West Place.

I am writing this letter between spoonfuls of ice-cream and I wish you were here to help us eat it.  It isn't Chocolate Revel, just plain good old Vanilla, so maybe you wouldn't care for any.

Brother Norman got his left hand put out of commission yesterday.  The grain blower on the truck went haywire and he and Dad fixed it, but he happened to get his thumb in between the speed chain and the sprocket.  It wasn't much to look at afterwards.  Brother Jimmy hasn't been feeling too good since yesterday morning.  He was running a little temperature, but he seems to be all right now.  The ice cream must be good for him because he is on his second bowl full.

Father Debes gave an honest-to-goodness good sermon this morning.  I don't think anybody nodded this time.  He talked about how the Almighty meant for Sunday to be a day of rest.  That if some work has to be done, it should be done in a pious manner.  If you do not work hard over one hour and fifty-five minutes, you do not commit a mortal sin.  This includes all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.

How do you intend to celebrate the Fourth of July?  Are you going to get a bang out of it?

Dad and Brother Bob are talking about the furnace jobs they have to put in after harvest.  They have five jobs already lined out and more of them to come.

Well Sweetheart, it is now nine-thirty and time for me to get some shut eye if I want to see you again.  I have written about everything I can think of and I hope you will write me if you find the time.  If God is willing and all goes well, I hope to be over next Sunday night.  I will close sending you my Love and asking God to protect you till we meet again. 

Yours till a bullfrog grows hair,

Albin

P.S.

He - May I have this dance?

She - Yes!

He - Do you know me?

She - No!

He - Albin Bergkamp

She - You a Bergkamp?

He - Well, what did you expect?  Horns, clover, hooves, and a tail!

She - No, but you don't look like the rest of the Bergkamps.

That's how Albin H. Bergkamp came to know Berenice M. Hampel two months ago last Thursday night.