Keep In Touch Newsletter Volume XXIII No 2 September 2011 The KIT Newsletter editorial staff welcomes all suggested contributions for publication in the Newsletter from subscribers and read-

ers, but whether a given submission meets the criteria for publication is at the sole discretion of the editors. While priority will be

given to original contributions by people with past Bruderhof connections, any letters, articles, or reports which the editors deem to be

of historical or personal interest or to offer new perspectives on issues of particular relevance to the ex-Bruderhof Newsletter reader-

ship may be included as well. The editors may suggest to the authors changes to improve their presentation.

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Contents

Letters to the Editor 1

Thanks for Keeping us in All in Touch 1

Stan and Hela Vowles Lived an Interesting Life 1

Some News from Australia 1

Cotswold Community Farm for Sale 2

Several Enthusiastic Reports about the KIT Gathering at FC 3

The Youth Hostel was Opened 64 Years Ago and Soon

Welcomed Bruderhof Guests 3

This Was my First Official Attendance Together

With Bettina 4

Reconnecting With my Extended KIT Family 5

Informal Meetings About a Representation at CSA, and

About the KIT Newsletter 7

Communal Webs, Communal Threads, Communal Ripples 8

Peer Pressure on the Bruderhof 9

Eileen Robertshaw Remembers her Childhood 10

Changes: KIT Address List Sept 2010 13

KIT Friends Remember Josua Dreher 10-14

KIT Gathering in Blossoming Bulstrode Park 14

Autumn - Poem 15

Armadillos Harbor Mycobacterium Leprae 15

KIT-Staff - Contact Details 16

___________________________________________________

Letters to the Editor

Thanks for Keeping us All in Touch

May 11, 2011: Dear Tim, Dave and all: I want to thank you for

your diligence and commitment to keeping us all in touch. As

soon as I get the Newsletter I read it straight thru. Even though

painful reading at times (deaths of so many people that I truly

loved - including my parents Norma and Lowell LeBlanc), I

have to accept that it is all part of our "history".

I grew up in Forest River, Woodcrest, Macedonia, Evergreen

and Oak Lake, (from the age of three until twelve years) and then

returned with hubby Art and children (1975-1981).

I remember Eileen Robertshaw as a very sweet, lively, funny

person. She had such a sparkle about her.

We will be so thankful to God forever for “rescuing” us from

the old destructive life and for the new life in and with Him (over

25 years!). All our eight children are now grown adults. Each

one is following their own unique “calling”. In our Lord's love

and provision our family includes: a college math professor, a

nurse anesthetist, two computer science professionals, a lawyer,

two social workers, and a mechanical engineer; also six grand-

children who are our joy and delight!

Life is never easy but we are assured that we are always car-

ried in the Palm of His Hand. I greet you with tender thoughts.

Deb Herman, Blairsville, Pennsylvania

Stan and Helen Vowles Lived an Interesting Life

Thank you, Erdmuthe, Linda, Charlie and Dave, for a very good

KIT letter. Special thanks to you Raphael and your siblings for

your contributions. We read with great interest about your father

and mother Stanley and Helen Vowles. They surely led a very in-

teresting life. They did so well with so many obstacles in their

way. I think here it would be very good to say: Veni, Vidi, Vici! –

I came, I saw, I conquered! I certainly take my hat off to them.

Thanks again!

Nadine and August Pleil, Washington, Pennsylvania

Some news from Australia

Dear Linda and the KIT production team, thank you once again

for a great issue of the KIT Newsletter April 2011 – it really does

keep us in touch with old friends all over the world.

I was particularly interested in the article about Stan and He-

len Vowles because I knew them in Primavera and their daughter

Brenda, now Vickery came with her husband to Australia as mi-

grants from England some years ago.

Brenda lives fairly isolated in Bundaberg on the north coast

of Queensland. About six years ago she was diagnosed with a

cancer behind one of her eyes. She came to Brisbane from time

to time to see a specialist and was able to use accommodation we

have at our Quaker Meeting House. A couple of years ago Bren-

da had surgery to remove the tumor behind her right eye. The

Danthonia Bruderhof near Inverell in New South Wales (NSW)

took Brenda in for a few weeks before the operation and sent

someone to look after her while recovering from the operation.

Francis and I met Bruderhofers when we went to visit Brenda in

hospital and they invited us to come and visit Danthonia for Eas-

ter 2007. Brenda was there when we visited and looked like she

was making a good recovery. The community was very good to

her and helped her by having her stay in Danthonia for as long as

she wanted to.

< Francis and Rhoda

Dorrell with their

great granddaughter

Olivia just a day old in

March 2011.

When we visited the

Danthonia Bruderhof

in 2007 Randy and

Linda Gauger were

the Servant and

Housemother there.

They have been there

since its beginnings

about twelve years

now. Most of the

families have been

brought in as immi-

grants from the USA communities, mostly young people who

come in on student visas or have special skills Australia is look-

ing for. Manuel and Meg Loewenthal looked after us that week-

end. Some of you may remember the Loewenthals from Prima-

vera; Meg is one of Dr. Milton Zimmerman‟s daughters; she is a

nurse, and nurses are in high demand here as immigrants. They

left three or four sons behind in USA.

Keep In Touch Newsletter 2 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

< Meg and Manuel Loe-

wenthal came for a visit

Meg and Manuel were

very nice and we have

had them over here for a

visit with us recently.

They came to show us

and the Chattertons a

video of a group of

young people from the

Bruderhof going to Pa-

raguay to restore the

Primavera burial ground.

Apparently the Menno-

nites ploughed over the

ground and destroyed the

fences. The Bruderhof

claimed it back and has built stronger fences and scientifically

relocated and renamed every grave. The youth group held a spe-

cial ceremony in the graveyard to rededicate the graves by light-

ing candles and reading out the names of the people buried there.

It was quite a moving video. The Chattertons lost a little girl

called Maria around eight years old, who is buried there. Appar-

ently they have a new Bruderhof house in Asunción called Pri-

mavera House. It is actually funny, just before Manuel and Meg

visited us I was trying to get hold of Andrew Chatterton to see if

we could arrange to get together with the Loewenthals; when I

saw him working on a house near our Quaker Meeting House in

Brisbane. I had not seen Andrew for a few years and there was

this man with a shock of red hair and beard doing carpentry

work. When I said hallo, he looked up. I said, “I know you don't

I?”, and he said, “Andrew Chatterton, aren‟t you Rhoda?”

The Danthonia community also looked after Doris Chatterton

in the nursing home not far from here, having a young girl by her

side for many weeks in the last stages of her life. She died in Oc-

tober 2007. The Bruderhofers are really trying to right some of

the wrongs they committed in the Heini era. When we were there

that Easter 2007, we told them that we did not hold any grudges.

Reg Chatterton had passed away suddenly thirty years earlier

(in June 1978); I think of an aneurism in the brain. It was a great

shock to Doris and the family. They had bought a large property

near Maleny-Kennelworth north of here and were running it as a

Caravan Park. Most of the boys were involved with that at the

time, but only David lives there now. Part of the property was

divided to give all of the children a block of land for a house, and

the rest was sold. That is when Doris was able to make a trip

back to England to visit friends and family. Over the years Doris

David and Kay Chatterton came to Francis’ birthday party.

was very well looked after by her family as well; most of her

children live close to or in Brisbane and we keep in touch.

My husband Francis celebrated his 70th

birthday on Septem-

ber 7th

, 2011. Andrew and David Chatterton came to his birthday

party. Below, in the first column is a picture of David and his

wife Kay. Andrew‟s wife Wendy is sitting behind David.

I will try to write my family‟s “Cocksedge” history from

Primavera to present time. In peace and love,

Rhoda Dorrell Cocksedge, Redland Bay, Queensland

Cotswold Community Farm for Sale

By Erdmuthe Arnold

On August 27th

2011 an auction took place at the former Cots-

wold Bruderhof, to sell off the furniture of the school there

which has moved already to a new location in Oxfordshire. Since

1973 the property was owned by the Wiltshire County Council

which made sure the Cotswold Community Farm remained a

school and home for difficult boys, but with therapeutic rather

than corrective institutional aims and methods.

Cotswold Community Farm – photo submitted by John Holland.

Until recently the settlement had been a village on its own, with

its own playing field, swimming pool, school, meeting hall,

postbox and farm buildings centered on the attractive old far-

myard. Gardening was encouraged, and vegetables, nurtured

with loving care, sometimes attained spectacular dimensions, as

one can read in an interesting and informative article by John

Whitwell online [http://www.johnwhitwell.co.uk/index.php/the-

cotswold-community-farm/]. Sadly fund-raising for this school

had become more and more difficult since its draw had become

nationwide with thirty nine of the forty children not local, but

coming from every corner of the United Kingdom.

Recently the Wiltshire County Council decided to sell 87 of

the 350 acres for gravel extraction.

John Holland, who lives nearby and was asked by the Ashton

Keynes Community to remove a tennis enclosure, found out

about the auction, which he attended on August 27th

and bought

a bed, a side cabinet, lamp and other items for a family member

paying only 20 Euros. He heard that the Darvell Bruderhof had

been supporting the upkeep of the buildings of the Cotswold

Community Farm practically and financially. Some of the build-

ings are listed – this means that the future purchaser will have to

maintain and incorporate them more or less as is in future devel-

opments.

It will be interesting to hear more about what will become of

the Cotswold Community Farm.

Keep In Touch Newsletter 3 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Several Enthusiastic Reports about the KIT Gathering at Friendly Crossways

The Youth Hostel was Opened 64 Years Ago and Soon Welcomed Bruderhof Guests

By George Maendel, Maine

The Hostel was opened 1947. (Photo: Virginia Cuanca)

August 13th

2011:We are at the Blackberry Inn, a Bed and

Breakfast open for overnight guests since 1763. Ben Cavanna

and I got here yesterday about 8:30pm, coming from Littleton,

Massachusetts where we attended the KIT Gathering at the old-

est continuously operating Youth Hostel in the USA, Friendly

Crossways, open since 1947 when a large dairy barn was con-

verted to a guest house and Youth Hostel. The barn and the at-

tached house are still the only buildings on the property. The

barn has private and semi private rooms as well as two dormito-

ries, located in the former hayloft. Ben and I shared a room on

the second floor. When the Bruderhof sent representatives from

Paraguay to the USA to find a property to buy in the early 1950s

they stayed at Friendly Crossways, so it has long Bruderhof con-

nections. KIT Gatherings have been held at Friendly Crossways

since 1990, twenty one years ago! The gatherings are like a fami-

ly reunion. Many of the people who attend have family in the

Bruderhof, family they don't get to meet with or see except when

it suits Broodie leaders.

We had a late dinner last night at another gathering, the

Sheble family reunion held at a camp near Norfolk, on Doolittle

Lake, where Annie‟s sister and her husband own a lakefront ca-

bin. Well, I guess it can be called a cabin or a camp, as we say in

Maine, but it is very spacious and elegant too. Annie‟s two

Discussing an interesting Hutterite Photo Book which George

brought with him: Erdmuthe Arnold, Hanna Homann (Patrick),

Ben Cavanna, George Maendel, Virginia Cuenca (Loewenthal).

daughters were there and six of her nephews, so there was quite a

gang of young people, most of whom are in college or working

their first jobs since graduating from college.

August 14, 2011: Traveling around the Norfolk, Connecticut

area with Ben Cavanna in his rental car, a rear wheel drive

Dodge Charger. We drove up Dennis Hill to a stone and wood,

eight-sided pavilion. Dennis Hill was once a volcano, back in

approximately that era when the Appalachian Mountains were

extruded upwards by the collision of continents, about 300 mil-

lion years ago. Brazil and Africa were connected back then and

you could walk from the part we call New England to Ireland. I

began to wonder why anyone would build such a complex struc-

ture in a small state park (300 acres) when Ben told me it was

originally built by a famous New York City doctor, last name of

Dennis, who was doctor and surgeon to several US presidents,

1900 to 1910. Another of his famous patients was the scientist

and inventor Michael Pupin, an immigrant from Serbia and a fel-

low resident of New York City whom he introduced to the Nor-

folk area. Mr. Pupin bought land just outside the village of Nor-

folk and built a huge stone mansion and a stone carriage house

People arrive. From left: Adolf Wegner, Vera DeBell (Stevenson),

Margot Purcell (Wegner), Gerrit-Jan Stevenson, Ruth Lambach

(Baer), Blair Purcell. (Two photos: Heidi Strickland [Kleiner])

both of which still exist in excellent condition and which served

for many years as the central buildings for the Bruderhof‟s Ever-

green and then Deerspring Community. They are now owned by

a Buddhist organization. The place is well guarded with a gate

which always seems to be closed. They do not encourage visi-

tors. From the road it seems that the extensive workshop and fa-

brication buildings left by the Bruderhof are not being used. But

it is a sure bet that these Buddhists do not patronize any of those

ubiquitous storage facilities that seem to sprout all over the coun-

tryside, in Maine anyway.

Driving through the village we stopped at the Library, an ele-

gant red stone building dedicated in 1889 and twice enlarged,

both times using stone from the same quarry in Longmeadow,

Massachusetts, where the original stone came from. It is the most

elegant library building you can ever hope to see and it was open

Sunday afternoon when Ben and I stopped to look at the tele-

phone directory to see if there were any Maendels listed. We

found one Jake Maendel and a few minutes later we were on his

Keep In Touch Newsletter 4 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

doorstep, a mile or two from the library, just off the main high-

way. He invited us over even though he and his wife were pre-

paring to leave for Torrington, her home town. Jake has worked

at a factory in Torrington for the past twenty years. He also has a

locksmith business on the side and a workshop located in what

was built as a two car garage. They park their vehicles outside.

Jake is our cousin, one of David and Anna's children, born Feb-

ruary, 1952. He said his family had been at Woodcrest for more

than a year when the carriage house burned, an event he re-

members well since it occurred on his birthday, 1957. At the KIT

Gathering there was a booklet on early Woodcrest from which I

was trying to determine when Dave and Anna moved there. It

listed two dates: January, 1956 and in another place it said Janu-

ary, 1957. Jake's memory cleared that up. I remembered only that

my friends Nathan and Harold disappeared from Forest River not

long after the first Bruderhof people arrived. Nathan, married to

Ben Cavanna's sister, lives at Maple Ridge these days, Harold

has not been heard from since attending a family wedding in

1977.

Being in the Norfolk area feels like a visit to a foreign coun-

try, people say it reminds them of the Tyrol or of Switzerland.

The area has been settled for hundreds of years, giving each

property a human story. Local custom demands that the past be

taken into consideration before radical changes are made. Many

places are listed on The National Register of Historic Places,

which means they are somewhat protected from demolition or

radical design change. The Blackberry Inn where we stayed two

nights is a listed property. This summer several of their hired

staff is from Austria. Featured on the breakfast menu were the

light, light pancakes we sometimes had at Forest River, simply

eggs and flour, according to Marlene, our Austrian waitress.

Monday morning, August 15th

, after a second delicious

breakfast, we said farewell to Ben and left for Maine. We were

quick about it since we were blessed with pouring rain which

lasted for most of our drive to Boston. From Portland north the

roads were dry, but it rained here last night, just over 1 and 1/2

inches, very welcome to our garden and to all growing things.

Our squash is taking over the garden, as it does every year

about this time. The rain has stopped and I need to get to work.

A year ago I bought a truckload of wide pine boards which have

been stick-piled (for drying) in our greenhouse. I need to load

them on the pick-up truck and on a trailer for transport to a plan-

ning mill where they will be planed to an even thickness and cut

to have a tongue on one side and a groove on the other. I like

watching the boards go through the machine and enjoy the smell

of fresh cut pine. The boards will be the floor in our new “barn”.

This Was my First Official Attendance Together With Bettina

By Hans Zimmermann, Colorado

My wife Bettina and I arrived late Friday afternoon at Friendly

Crossways. This was my first official attendance at a KIT gather-

ing together with my wife who previously had many reservations

about participating, not sure if she could stand days listening to

people complain and expressing their grievances about the Bru-

derhof. However the combination of a visit to New York City

and then visiting friends of many years at Hunter Mt. in the

Catskills persuaded her to come along; but living in a youth hos-

tel environment gave her some trepidation.

All this was soon overcome when we received such a warm

and joyous welcome from all of my friends most of whom I had

not seen for fifty years, and others I just recognized through

knowing their parents in Primavera. Tim, one of my earliest

buddies in Primavera greeted us with a beer in hand, and then

was accommodating enough to

< Hans Zimmermann

(Photo: Heidi Strickland)

us so that my wife had better

access to the main facilities. The

Johnsons were well represented

with Barnabas always ready to

start playing the next song either

on the piano or his recorder(s);

otherwise acting as unofficial

singing director. One always knew where Rosie was as she could

not contain her infectious enthusiasm. It was great to see Erd-

muthe Arnold again who has and is so instrumental in publishing

the KIT letter, Miriam Arnold Holmes and Joy Johnson MacDo-

nald did much of the organizing, with so many other willing hel-

pers: Hanna Patrick, Eileen Goodwin, Maeve Whitty, and Mar-

got Purcell to name a few. It was great to see again the Wegner

boys Hans-Helmut and Adolf (now men), Gerrit-Jan Fros, and

others whose names now escape me as they came dribbling in. I

hope someone can provide us with a list of attendees as I cannot

recall all of you, but was very interested in every ones past expe-

riences. Friday night‟s dinner was chicken, a delicious salad,

Barnabas Johnson accompanied the weekend as well accepted mu-

sic director and piano/recorder player (Photo: Virginia Cuanca)

wine, beer, etc. followed by a meet and greet in the conference

room.

The atmosphere was relaxed, and my wife soon adjusted. I

enjoyed the singing, lively discussions, the camaraderie, good

food and drink, the early morning walks with Rosie and Hanna

as the mist was still stuck to the dew laden grass and bushes. We

had to be careful not to step on the occasional green frogs who

were trying to jump across our path. We were welcomed back

with a healthy breakfast of eggs and other goodies. I was glad to

see Justina Jaime in attendance who had just returned from visit-

ing her sister Tina in Asunción, Paraguay. Various people

brought photo albums in addition to many of our Primavera song

books, so in the sing along we had plenty to choose from.

I was pleased that we were able to use the public swimming

beach at the Harvard lake which provided a roped off area big

enough for most people to swim. These activities helped me to

build a good appetite for the evening meal of Pasta Primavera –

Keep In Touch Newsletter 5 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Miriam Holmes (Arnold) received much praise and acknowledge-

ment for organizing the KIT Gathering once again; next to her

Erdmuthe Arnold and Justina Nolden (Jaime).

followed again by singing in the meeting room. Sunday morning

I went for another walk concentrating on the grass and trees as

there were few birds to be seen. On return I found Heidi Strick-

land and others, busy in the kitchen making pancakes the way we

knew them on our trips to the river Tapiracuay in Primavera;

they tasted just as good. We (I) enjoyed the fact that things were

rather informal yet well organized. My special thanks to those

who made this possible.

I will fondly keep you in my mind and hope to see you again

in the future. Yes a next meeting in the Midwest or nearer to

Colorado would be welcomed, but has to have water and longer

hiking trails. I will try to find you on the map on my next trip

across the country and should you pass through Colorado, give

me a shout, I may even find a horse for you to ride.

Hasta la proxima!

Reconnecting With my Extended

KIT Family

By Hanna Homann (Patrick), Iowa

I flew into Newark on August 10th

, Virginia Loewenthal. picked

me up. She lives close to the airport and suggested that I spend

the night and we could drive up to Friendly Crossways on

Thursday. She had been having car problems, but after having

Johanna Homann and Virginia Cuenca travelled together for more

than a weekend.

The weather was just fine. Here enjoyed by: Al Hinkey, Christrose

Sumner (Johnson) and Joy MacDonald (Johnson) – for many years

engaged as KIT treasurer. (Three photos: Heidi Strickland)

a new alternator installed, we had an uneventful four and a half

hour drive up. I was the map reader and was glad that she was

able to drive us safely through all of that heavy traffic!

After settling into our rooms, we headed to Muschie's place.

First we went with her to pick up some pizza, salad and wine and

then back to her place to put together a grocery list for our food

shopping trip Friday morning. Erdmuthe and Justina were arriv-

ing at FXways at 7:30pm and we joined them later for food, wine

and good conversation. Friday, I was up early and headed across

the road to enjoy the sunrise on my one hour hike in the Nature

Preserve, through the White Pine woods, the prairie, and the

many wild flowers. I enjoyed a few black raspberries in the

woods and picked a bunch of wild flowers to place in the dining

room for breakfast. Justina, Virginia and I had a relaxed break-

fast and enjoyed chatting with some of the other hostel guests.

Muschie, Virginia and I left later that morning to meet Heidi at

the Market Basket Store where we spent close to $500 on food

for the weekend. Upon our return we were greeted by familiar

songs played on the piano by Barnabas. Others were arriving,

Tim, Ben, George, later Hans and Bettina, Purcells and Rosie,

John Holland, Maeve, Gillian Burleson and many others. The

weather was just beautiful for our weekend and many of us spent

the afternoon visiting out on the patio. We even had a Bruder-

Schwester-Rat gathering out there, to peel the freshly picked

sweet corn for the evening meal.

Saturday, I awoke to the call of a Great Horned Owl and was

later joined for a sunrise walk in the Nature Preserve by Rosie

and Hans. We spent the morning visiting with old friends and

greeting new arrivals. For lunch the men did a great job cooking

the meat on the grill, while others helped set out the rest of the

food.

We had new volunteers who cooked a great evening meal of

Pasta Primavera and then gathered for an evening of singing our

favorite songs. It was amazing to realize how many songs we

still remembered and to hear the blending of so many voices,

soaring together in harmony. Later Hans kindly drew maps of Is-

la and Loma for me, from memory. Amazing, after fifty years! I

hope to compare them to my large canvas map of Primavera that

I put together in the 80ties.

Sunday the weather changed. We had gentle showers for

most of the day and Barnabas had to take down a wet tent. He

did report that he had no nocturnal visits from Black Bears, and

really enjoyed the night-time choruses of crickets, cicadas and

tree frogs! So did I! It was wonderful to be able to leave the

Keep In Touch Newsletter 6 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Ruth Lambach and Gillian Burleson cooking the Pasta Primavera

(Photos above and below: Heidi Strickland)

Dan Thorn and his boys Ethan and Nick are enjoying a meal.

windows open and to be lulled to sleep by Nature's music! At

Virginia's it was tree frogs, at Friendly Crossways: tree frogs, ci-

cadas and owls, and at my last location, the Vermont Retreat, it

was rain drops and rushing streams. Fantastic!

Vermont was our next retreat

Sunday is always harder, as people are leaving. We still had fun

visiting and greeting some new arrivals. Some had to get to Bos-

ton airport, others started their long drives home. Virginia and I

would leave in the evening for a Vermont Retreat belonging to

Maeve's friend, Helen.

Geryunant Retreat- What a wonderful place! It was pitch

black when we arrived and, as this retreat is off the grid, Maeve

had to scurry up to the dark house in the rain to find a Solar lan-

tern to light our way. She turned on the solar lights inside and

gave us a tour of the large house and surrounding cabins. The

property is hilly and heavily wooded, with a rushing stream run-

ning right through it. The house and cabins have lots of large

windows, some stained glass, tile floors, colorful rugs, beautiful

wood paneling, quilts and artwork everywhere. There are wood

burning fireplaces in all the buildings, and several composting

toilets – fantastic! They are clean and efficient and the bathrooms

and outhouse always smell like fresh cedar wood. The outhouse

had its own stained glass window and two walls made of colored

bottles embedded into some medium – just amazing! There was

plenty of hot water for showers and we did have a gas stove for

cooking.

Once again Al Hinkey was the barbecue cook, and he did a good

job! (Photo: Virginia Cuenca)

We all chose where we wanted to sleep; I picked a newly con-

structed hexagon shaped cabin, almost completely surrounded by

windows. It was decorated with stained glass, candles and art-

work and I was lulled to sleep by the sound of falling rain and

rushing water from the nearby stream. If it wasn't so late I would

have lit a little fire, but even without a fire, it felt like I had found

a little piece of heaven!

It was still pouring when I awoke the next morning; the rain

continued for the next twenty four hours. I went up to the main

house – the owner was gone until that evening, so I made myself

at home. After a nice cup of Earl Grey tea I made a fire in the

wood burning stove centered in the middle of Helen‟s lovely liv-

ing room. Maeve and Virginia had joined me by then and after

breakfast we relaxed by the warm fire while Virginia read to us

from May Davis's book about her Bruder'hof experiences. We

decided to wait until John and Barnabas arrived before going into

town, as we weren't sure if the wet, dirt roads would let us get

back up the hills after all of that rain. Virginia and I played some

board games until the guys arrived. They had a quick tour of the

place and picked their cabins before it got dark and then Barna-

bas entertained us with piano music, while John and Maeve went

into town for food. After enjoying a delicious meal and some

great company we all turned in for the night. I found that my ca-

bin had sprung a leak when I stepped on a wet rug in the dark,

but my bed was dry and I was soon lulled asleep by the sounds

of the rushing water.

Maeve Whitty had invited to another retreat after FC, and shows

Barnabas how to get to Geryunant. (Photo: Heidi Strickland)

Keep In Touch Newsletter 7 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Helen arrived late after I had turned in and it was such a pleasure

to meet her the next morning! She and Maeve took a quick dip

below the waterfall of the rushing stream before they joined us

for breakfast. Virginia and I had to leave that afternoon to get

back to New Jersey for my flight the next day, so we packed our

things. John helped Helen brainstorm about correcting the prob-

lem of the leak in my cabin. The next day he helped her with lots

of needed repairs. The skies were clearing when we left for the

town of Brattleboro. We strolled around this quaint little town;

full of little stores and eventually stopped in a small cafe for a

hot drink and a pastry. What a nice way to end our short visit to

this beautiful place and say good bye to our friends. Our drive to

Virginia's house took only four hours and we enjoyed more

wonderful conversations. We had another special Nature surprise

right after we arrived, when Virginia beckoned me to her back

garden to see a doe and her fawn just lingering outside her gar-

den fence! What a treat!

Virginia took

this photo of

a doe and

fawn in the

backyard of

her house. >

We enjoyed

a nice meal

and more

conversation

on the patio

of a local

restaurant

and I headed

for bed soon

after that.

We would

have an early start in the morning, when Virginia would drop me

off at the airport before heading off to work. John and Maeve

would head up to Peaks Island Thursday, to visit with Barnabas

and Lowrey, before heading back to Boston on Saturday.

So, I'm back into a routine, while trying to come down from

this tremendous high of reconnecting with my extended KIT

Family! I want to thank Muschie, Joy, and all of those who made

such a memorable experience possible!

Informal Meetings About a Representation

at CSA, and About the KIT Newsletter

By Tim Johnson, Georgia

There were three informal meetings during the gathering at

Friendly Crossways. In brief, the first evening (Friday) we had

the traditional round of introductions, which included several

new attendees. This session ended with the traditional and lusty

Die Gedanken sind Frei. At that meeting there were also the

usual housekeeping announcements to facilitate smooth opera-

tions for the next two days. This included scheduling two infor-

mal more “business oriented” meetings. It also included a heart-

felt “thank you” especially to Muschi, but also to others who

helped organize this year's KIT gathering.

The first informal meeting, held Saturday morning, and at-

tended by at least half of the assemblage, was called by Ruth

Lambach and me, to invite discussion of issues people would

like to have included in a talk that Ruth and I will be giving on

Meeting time, from left: George Maendel, Judith Tsukroff, Eileen

Goodwin and Gillian Burleson. (Photo: Heidi Strickland)

Saturday morning, October 1st, 2011 at the annual meeting (in

Kentucky) of the Communal Studies Association (CSA). A brief

abstract we submitted some months back, relating loosely to the

overall theme of the meetings, which is "Communities at the

Margin" was accepted, and now we have to prepare the presenta-

tion! (We'd mentioned this on hummer, a week or so before the

FC meeting). Our purpose in the FC meeting was to get interest-

ed participants to give us their perspectives on the phenomenon

of "KIT". It will necessarily set the stage with a bit of history,

and something about the “KIT community” participants' general

characteristics, and will then go into issues of the functions KIT

has served, and does now serve, for its participants. It will also

go into some speculations on its future. That‟s it in a nutshell,

except to say that both Ruth and I are organizing our notes from

that meeting, to see

how they fit with, or

modify our prior think-

ing. It was a lively ses-

sion, and many partici-

pants offered their

suggestions, for which

we are grateful.

< Tim Johnson led the

meetings. (Photo: Bar-

nabas Johnson)

The second meeting,

held Sunday morning,

was also surprisingly

well attended. This

was our informal up-

date on the KIT New-

sletter, letting meeting

attendees know infor-

mally the present sta-

tus. Erdmuthe, Joy

and I were the ones present who could best speak to this, as oth-

ers with significant involvement (Charlie Lamar, Dave Ostrom,

Linda Jackson, and Anthony Lord) were not there. The voluntary

nature of KIT was emphasized, along with the need for more

submissions of suitable contributions, and of course the need to

get more readers involved as subscriber/donors, though it was

noted that the percentage of contributing readers has risen since

Joy's last report. Also noted was the desire to have some turnover

Keep In Touch Newsletter 8 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Singing along – from left: Barnabas Johnson, Hans-Helmut Wegner

and his wife (hidden), Al Hinkey, Adolf Wegner, John Holland (be-

hind:) Christrose Sumner, and Miriam Holmes.

of some of the above-named staff, who have been active for

many years, and would be glad to share the “management” of

KIT and its finances. However, none of the current staff have

threatened imminent strike action!

In addition to these semi-formal meetings, there were lots of

informal group walks, and of course the frequent group singa-

longs. Though at least two of us brought ping-pong paddles, that

particular activity never got organized (though I confirmed the

ping-pong table was still in the basement). Thus, walking and

swimming were the only "group" activities undertaken outside

the building and its immediate porch/lawn areas. However, it did

seem that pretty much every minute was filled, so no complaints!

Communal Webs, Communal Threads,

Communal Ripples?

By Ruth Lambach, Chicago/Illinois

There‟s going to be a new regular column in KIT. I‟m editing it.

It is going to explore positive aspects of communal outcasts from

communal life today. While I have not attended all KIT gather-

ings, I understand that at one gathering everyone participated in

an exercise expressing something positive they still valued from

communal life. So far, there are already two volunteers who wish

Gerrit-Jan Stevenson, Ruth Lambach (the editor of the new KIT

column) and John Holland. (Photos on pages 8/9: Heidi Strickland)

VOLUNTEER needed to organize EuroKIT 2012

KIT. If there is to be a Euro KIT next year, someone will be

needed to come forward and set the time and the place soon –

and be willing to organize the gathering. A short informational

notification should be published in the December issue of KIT so

that people can make arrangements.

Some of our readers might think it is up to the KIT Staff to

organize the gathering – but frankly every one of us already in-

vests enough private time for keeping in touch. On the other

hand we know of several people who would be happy to meet for

a weekend in Europe. Please positively think about this:

Could YOU be the one to organize EuroKIT next year? You

will always find KIT-Staff-addresses on the last page of a News-

letter. Please let one of us know what you can do.

to write for this column. Above, are three possible titles that have

come to me this week. When I asked Erdmuthe what we should

name the column she, with a wry smile, advised waiting to see

what emerges. My choice at this moment is ripples as I have

swum in Lake Michigan every day since my return to Chicago.

From the airport to my home on Monday, I listed 46 people

(among them four children) being at Friendly Crossways. As I

did this I thought how strange it was that I needed to do this. It

reminded me of when I was first out on the streets of Pittsburgh

in 1959 and felt overwhelmed with the masses of people I passed

on the sidewalk thinking that I needed to get to know everyone‟s

name. Riding on the streetcars, I felt obliged to talk to anyone I

sat next to. After three days of talking, I noticed that I was the

only one talking. People were either reading or looking out the

windows. I followed suit and looked through the books in the

rack of a drug store and bought On The Beach by Nevil Shute, a

post apocalyptic end of the world novel by a British/Australian

published in 1957. The world I had entered felt like the end of

my world. It was barren, devoid of the comforts and securities

I‟d been accustomed to in communal life. Worst of all for me

was eating by myself.

The difference between the way of being in communal life

and the world rushing about in unfettered capitalism was sharply

focused when I returned my rental car, got lost, got a friendly

young Haitian to guide me to the Thrifty car rental and then

hopped into his cab to get to the airport. He got hung up where

two roads diverged and he sat and blurted out “Savages”. Relen-

tlessly the glaring lights sped past, each to their own destination

in the predawn dark rain. Sitting beside this young man in his

new white cab, stopped at a dangerous and illegal intersection to

consider which road to take, I chuckled remembering how I‟d

joked about Yogi Berra saying “when you come to a fork in the

road, take it.” Now it was no joke. I had taken the wrong turn

just an hour earlier at this very juncture.

This experience was starkly different from my arrival in Bos-

ton, where within fifteen minutes after landing, I got a call from

Gillian Burleson ready to help me take public transportation to

Maeve Whitty‟s place in a beautiful section of the city next to a

lake and within half a block of a bike path on which one could

get all the way to Concord and Walden Pond. I rented a car and

got to Maeve‟s house where she graciously served John Holland

and me lunch. John and I then drove out to Littleton, taking a

four hour meandering adventurous road to the hostel. We never

did back-track but found at least two other Littleton Roads, be-

sides other interesting winding roads in the area. Stopping by

Walden Pond, taking pictures, getting tea at a Dunkin Donut –

taking a picture of a young woman‟s cleavage marked with an

Keep In Touch Newsletter 9 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

< Gretka Domer

(Mommsen) and

Jonathan Clement

– lived in Wood-

crest and Oaklake.

implanted spar-

kling stone – all

of these were ad-

ventures to John

who perhaps

feigned naiveté

about things in

America in order

to heighten the

sense of living every moment to its fullest. We discussed differ-

ences in language between British English and American English

as when I referred to the beautiful horse‟s ass, he was taking a

picture of.

Other reports fairly well covered the events at Friendly

Crossways but I want to mention Maeve who did a yeoman‟s job

of transportation. In all, she and I missed no less than six hours

of interchange at the gathering because we drove to Boston and

brought Geert Burger out on Saturday and then returned him

again that night. The next day we went to the airport. We missed

out on about an hour‟s worth of singing! But, all of it was

worthwhile because I got to know Maeve, we talked about our

lives and of course had the sense that we were making a contri-

bution to the smooth functioning of the whole.

Each of us signed three beautiful cards: one for August Pleil

whose 85th

birthday it was, one for Marlene Wegner and one for

Balz Trümpi. Individuals are remembered. The cards were works

of art designed by Heidi Strickland who also contributed fresh

garlic and basil from her garden, thrown into the leftover stew

cooked up by Gillian Burleson. I‟m not sure if anyone has men-

tioned the efforts of Joy, and of course Muschi who together ma-

naged to deal with the money and the logistics of sheets and to-

wels and Hannah for the meal planning and shopping.

Life in utopia would not be so rich if it weren‟t for the beauti-

ful sound of the recorder playing a beautiful, haunting Scottish

Gaelic melody by Barnabas Johnson emerging from his tent be-

tween the cornfield and the edge of the woods:

Morning has broken like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken like the first bird

…Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one light Eden saw play.

If you can‟t sing or hear this song to remind you that every

day is a new beginning maybe you can at least learn to purr.

I‟mglad I had the opportunity to experience for a weekend, some

elements of our communal past. This experience will help merge

the sharp contrast and boundary between utopia and the rest of

the world, complete with funky mugs and old floor rugs.

P.S. I think

Threads or Rip-

ples are better

than Vibes.

It was wonderful

to meet again

Vera DeBell

(Stevenson) and

Amanda Gurga-

nus (Stängl) –

from old Prima-

vera times. >

Please Submit your Personal Stories

KIT. We want to encourage our readers to submit personal ac-

counts and stories on topics which are of interest for our group of

ex Bruderhofers. Please send them electronically by email, as

word.doc, or pdf-file attachments – to make the work easier for

those who edit and publish the Newsletter on a voluntary basis.

Typed letters will also be accepted – as they can be converted

easily. Send your submissions to Erdmuthe Arnold or any of the

other KIT Staff – listed on last page.

Peer Pressure on the Bruderhof

By Hanna Johnson

I can remember a clearance meeting of all the high school stu-

dents at New Meadow Run in the 60ties. We were scolded about

not taking a stand against evil; the Brotherhood supported us

going to public schools. We must know how important it was to

be students even where we were exposed to lies and false ideas

(same speech getting us ready to go to high school). Implying

that we‟d failed, the speaker got louder and then there were

names and incidents that were news to me, some private office

conferences made examples of in our inner circle. Although my

name was usually out there and I was wondering what my infrac-

tions were, the accusations took a spin, “All you others are

equally guilty.”. Some of us were told how wrong we were to be

involved in things we had not known about – until the clearance

we knew nothing. So now that we‟d been told who, what, when,

and where it was evil to have such knowledge. The implications

of peer pressure were so twisted they made me sick on adrena-

line to flee: How to deal with such a lot of talk never to be men-

tioned again by any of us? I tried to forget about names named

and find love for each one in the circle as equals (equally loved).

When I was little child I had learned that it is my personal

struggle against wrong – to gain victory over sin, “Resist the De-

vil and he will flee from thee,” James 4:7. To go along with the

others doing wrong is no excuse (Eve did it, Genesis 3:12).

I developed a syndrome of testing limits, trying things in va-

gue areas. Yet as a trouble maker I felt safe expecting others to

keep me in line. Sure we are all sinners, but being told of things

done by an acquaintance, accused as party to that and then told

not to talk about it – well, how can that be addressed? Dear cult

leader I forgive you for the way you twisted my mind to be one

mind with you.

Where to draw the line intrigued me. Admonished to be more

open but with discussions limited to me listening and then

closed, causing trouble was the best way for me to test the safety

net. There certainly was a feeling of safety when I was being cor-

rected gently.

On my way out of New Medow Run I developed unsocial

pastimes and legal boundaries became observing other people's

deviances. Many get away with finding ways to claim both ig-

norance and freedom.

A statement I remember from childhood is, “What if every-

one did that?” I observe many things done that only a few do –

personal ways that are odd to say the least. I find my own differ-

ent ways. Peer pressure is usually spoken of negatively while

most of it is necessary for growing up socially adjusted. Some

talk sticks in my thoughts – what I remember to the best of my

ability.

I did not like being told to go to my room and think about it –

I‟d think about what I was told by a crocus dressed in gold. I got

Keep In Touch Newsletter 10 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

sent to my room a lot but it was far from abusive. When I felt

under pressure I found many escape routes. I don't think Eber-

hard Arnold set up the best place for Christians to grow. That

may have been his vision but The First Law of Sannerz is the cult

foundation of the hof. His son Heini could not have become a

cult leader without that.

Eileen Robertshaw Remembers her

Childhood

By Hanna Johnson

As reported in the KIT Newsletter of April 2011, page 10, my

Aunt Eileen Robertshaw, nee Taylor, born in 1920 passed away

on March 29th

2011 at the age of 90. She was the younger sister

of my Mom, Margaret Goodwin, who was born in 1917. I have

copied for KIT some of Aunt Eileen‟s memories which she told

at Mom‟s memorial – memories of their childhood in Merton,

near London. I picked out bits and pieces I find to be interesting

and different.

Aunt Eileen’s Memories…

Our parents were “both great lovers of nature", and would go for

long walks.

There was a hymn in our Sunday school hymn book which

said, “The rich man in his castle, the poor man at the gate, God

made them high and lowly and ordered their estate.” – well fa-

ther opposed that. He felt it was totally un-Christian."

Mother was an ardent socialist, and between the two of them

we had many lively discussions.

It wasn't easy being in the church because our views were

different...

We were told that when the question of dismissing father (the

organist), Fred‟s father, Mr. Goodwin (also an organist), turned

to those who wanted to keep our father as organist and said, “All

pull together boys!” – And they pulled together sufficiently...

After father died in the spring of 1938, Margaret wanted to

cheer me up and encourage me. She devoted most of her summer

holidays to a two week youth-hostelling expedition with me. We

hiked across North Somerset and Devon, then south across Ex-

moor and Dartmoor. It was glorious country and we found plenty

of literary interest too. We walked through the Quantock Hills

and thought of Hazlett, to Westward Ho and talked of Kingsley

and Kipling. We visited Lorna Doone country and followed the

descent of Badgworthy Water. We planned – though not serious-

ly – to hike in Germany and write a book on the influences of

Landscape on Folk Tales. We stopped briefly at Dartington Hall

(reputedly very advanced in educational practices) and went by

boat down the river Dart to join my mother in South Devon.

After Fred and Margaret's wedding (1939) the young couple

joined the Oaksey Bruderhof.

In 1940 Eileen visited them at the Cotswold Bruderhof. She

went to Wheathill and my Granny Vera Taylor joined in the

work there. - End of Eileen’s memories.

* Eileen went to Paraguay in 1947 I think. I did not meet my Aunt

until DP camp Wheathill in 1961 or 1962. Robertshaws, the cou-

sins of Goodwins came back to England from Uruguay.

At New Medow Run we met again. I enjoyed singing out of

the Oxford Book of Carols.

After my Mom died 1992, my Aunt kept up correspondence

with me. Her last letter tells what joy she had with great grand

children.

KIT Friends Remember Josua Dreher

Josua Lost a Long Battle with Cancer

By Hans Martin (son of Ruth and Arno Martin)

Maybe I am not the first one to report the death of Josua Dreher.

He is the fifth child of Leo and Trautel (Fischli) Dreher and on

April 19th

, 2011.

Josua was born in England on January 20th

, 1938. According

to a letter I received he died peacefully on the Woodcrest Bru-

derhof after a long battle with cancer.

I visited Josua in 2003 on his little farm in Vaca Hú, Para-

guay. In 2008 I visited him again with Lucrezia Meier when we

spent a marvelous week together. He was the only one who could

still find the old places we used to roam in as children. Shortly

after my last visit he joined the Bruderhof, which had become

quite active in Paraguay. I believe he did the right thing, since he

was treated with great love and given excellent care. I visited

him on the Bruderhof last May when he was already quite sick.

Josua was a very quiet person. Because of the age difference I

did not know Josua well during my years in Primavera. Howev-

er, the times I visited with him in later years we talked a lot,

mainly about our childhood there.

Josua had joined the Bruderhof during his earlier years. He

came to North America. However, he could not forget his early

childhood and youth in Paraguay. He left, and returned to Para-

guay, were he got married and lived most of his adult life. He

had a wonderful family with three children. His wife preceded

him in death many years ago. His children are married; all live in

Paraguay. Josua also has several grandchildren. I got to know

three of them.

My Brother was the Happiest Child

By Evi and Adolf Pleil

Evi wrote: “A picture is worth a thousands words.” - Josua Dreher

with two of his grandchildren. (Photo submitted by John Holland)

Let me share in the KIT Newsletter some thoughts and memories

of my brother Josua. As a child, he was the happiest one of all

the nine children in our family. He was always in a good mood

and never picked a fight with anyone. If something got lost he

was the one to find it, thus the nickname “Schnuff”.

He also loved animals and always fed and took special care

of our family pets.

When our mother died quite unexpectedly, he was eight years

old. This was a hard time for our whole family, and our father

never really recovered from her loss. Our family was incorpo-

rated into the big Meier family, and as teenagers, Josua and Dan-

Keep In Touch Newsletter 11 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

ny Meier decided to leave the Bruderhof to have their own ad-

venture.

We then met my brother again in the USA where he had to

do his CO-Service in Evergreen. He lived with Adolf and me,

and our two oldest sons. Our boys simply adored and loved him.

Josua then moved to Woodcrest. From there he worked his way

back to Paraguay, his Heimat – home. Throughout the years he

warmly welcomed and hosted the many visitors who came to see

the place where they grew up and where he met and married his

wife, Elvira, and settled down to have a family. They had two

sons and two daughters. His wife, Elvira, and son, Antonio, sadly

predeceased him. His daughters, Marisa and Gladiola, and son

Buena Ventura live in Paraguay.

In January 2011, Adolf and I visited my brother Josua in

Woodcrest. We knew he was very sick. He seemed very, very

quiet and thoughtful, but attentive to everything we said. In our

hearts we knew we would not see him again. Our sister Maidi

wrote to let us know about him, but we did not have the chance

to talk with him again before he passed on.

Rest in Peace, dear brother!

Fond Memories of an Old Friend

By Bill Bridgwater (alias Ingmar Wingård)

I was very sad when Paul Dyroff called to say that our good

friend Josua had passed away in the Easter week. Although we

were of the same age I can‟t remember having Josua as a class

Josua on Rey, with Ingmar outside of the Isla kitchen.

mate. One of my first memories of Josua is when we as teenagers

attended lectures on cattle breeding, given by Johnny Robinson.

We took a team of horses and the “Kutsche” – a two wheeled

wagon with springs – and drove from Isla Margarita to Loma

Hoby in Ben Hur style; one spring broke to our wheelwright

Heinz Bolk‟s great dismay. The course ended in a memorable

ride with Johnny to Estancia Santa Virginia where Danni Meier

was working. On our way back we stopped for some tereré

(Yerbamate with cold water) at a small boliche (inn). There was

a guy playing a mandolin, Johnny asked if he could have a look,

he was given the instrument and started playing. Both we and the

locals were amazed, we had never seen or heard anyone play the

mandolin that well. In the years to come Josua and I worked in

the cowshed, and participated in the work on the Estancia, Josua

on his beloved mount Rey. We formed a good team and got on

very well; the milk production soared.

I left the Bruderhof before the final collapse, and met Josua

again briefly in 1961 when, for some odd reason, we all were

1987: Elvira Dreher chatting with Lucrezia Meier in her kitchen.

called to come to Primavera prior to departing to Europe. It was

a depressing experience, some people were apathetic, and others

seemed scared stiff.

Our next encounter was in 1987, when Hans Jürg, Lux, my

wife Margareta and I went to visit Josua on his chacra (small

holding) in what in our day had been known as the Tujango for-

est, a haunted place, according to the locals, who were scared to

pass through by night.

Josua had left the Bruderhof in the US in 1964 and returned

to work on the De Stefano Estancia, adjacent to Primavera. There

he met Elvira, the daughter of the capataz (foreman). They mar-

ried and built themselves a rancho (primitive thatched structure)

on the property they bought. They had four children, the oldest,

Turi (Buena Ventura), a foster son followed by their son Antonio

and two daughters Marisa and Gladiola. The boys attended

school; they were smartly dressed but only had one pair of shoes

and one bike which they used on alternate days.

There was no electricity, a gas lamp provided light. Water

had to be drawn from the well. Hans Jürg, my wife and I slept on

the floor in what was going to be the new brick house. There was

one room which was used for storing maize and had to be cleared

We were woken at 4:00am the following morning by an angry

cock-a-doodle-doo from a cock out looking for maize. We spent

some nice days with Josua and his family looking at the rem-

nants of Primavera, taking a dip in the Tapiracuay River, going

to Friesland, Itacurubi, Puerto Rosario, etc.

Josua was always willing to show visitors around the ruins of

our childhood paradise. He also loved to wander off on his own

Evening meal at gas lamp light. (Photos submitted by author)

Keep In Touch Newsletter 12 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Later on Josua moved into the house of his daughter Marisa – here

with her husband and son in 2009.

and spend days on end fishing in the river. He often went to the

burial ground to sit at his mother‟s grave and meditate. When

strapped for cash, he would work for the Mennonites.

We helped Josua finishing the little brick house which the

family subsequently moved into. When electricity came, Hans

Jürg and I helped him with a pump, water tank, tubing etc. He

built a primitive shower, but when asked, if he would put in a

WC he replied I don´t think my women can cope with so many

novelties.

In January of 2000 son Antonio died of leukaemia. He was

soon followed by his mother. She could not get over the loss of

her son. Eventually Josua sold his property and moved in with

his oldest daughter Marisa, who is married and lives in Carolina

where she runs a small shop. Gladiola is also married and lives in

the vicinity of Friesland.

Josua and his son in law, a butcher, bought a new property

and had a nice little herd of cattle.

I have visited Josua many times in the last twenty years. The

last time I saw him was in 2009. We took a ride on the camp (sa-

vannah) and spent a couple of nights at the nice motel Tannenhof

in Friesland. We sat talking about old times and he gave me a

nice compliment by saying: “You are my oldest friend, the only

white guy I know who successfully broke in a mule.”

By this time Josua had reconciled with the Bruderhof. It hap-

pened during the baptism of Martin Dyroff which took place at

the Isla Margarita burial ground. A crowd of bruderhofians had

flown in from the US in a private jet to do the ritual. The arrival

of this jet in Asunción caused all kinds of speculation in the local

media. Josua mockingly showed me a large bundle of letters of

“love” he‟d received from the community which I did not bother

to read.

He was required to go to the local phone booth each Saturday

afternoon to await a phone call from his mentor Jacob Gneiting.

When I was due to leave for Asunción, Marisa asked if I could

take Josua along. He had an appointment with a lawyer provided

by the Bruderhof, to arrange for his papers. Josua had lived all

these years in Paraguay as indocumentado – without documents.

Quite a risky business and the reason why he stayed put and was

unwilling to leave home.

We spent a couple of days in Asunción and I had the feeling

that he, although he did not actually say so, was seriously con-

templating going back to the Bruderhof. When the news came I

was not surprised; especially after hearing that he was suffering

from advanced prostate cancer and needed specialist treatment.

I will always treasure the fond memories of one of my oldest

friends – may he rest in peace.

*

My most recent visit to Paraguay was at the end of August to

early September, 2011. I did the normal rounds of visiting

friends, among them Josua‟s daughters. During our discussions it

became evident that Josua had made a pragmatic decision when

returning to the community: He was dying of prostate cancer.

Knowing what cancer treatment in Paraguay costs – he had lost

his son Antonio who died of leukaemia – Josua opted for the

Bruderhof. His strategy had always been to keep all avenues

open just in case; don‟t burn any bridges.

I suppose he got the best treatment possible, far better than

what he had gotten in Friesland. He died among friends, and the

community got another trophy.

Fida Meier went to see Josua‟s daughters to show a video of

Josua in the US. The older daughter accepted her visit; the other

daughter declined.

Gringo Aleman

By Hans Zimmermann

After we lived in Loma Hoby for two years, Josua all of a sud-

den showed up. I cannot recall where he lived before, but I was

familiar with Maidi and Evi. We immediately clicked and be-

came good friends. He was one and a half years older than I and

two classes ahead. We would go hunting wild pigeons together

with sling shots, he always let me have the first shot saying:

“Hap (my nickname at the time) you are the better shot.” It kind

of embarrassed me a little because most older boys would not do

that, luckily I could deliver, he was totally content to point at a

dove and say, “shoot that one,” then “that one.” Josua felt totally

at ease to let another person take the glory.

He was barely out of school when he disappeared again for

two or three years (I did not know where at the time) onto an Es-

tancia in the Chaco. He totally adjusted to the Paraguayan cul-

ture, learning Guaraní and all the native customs. He also ac-

quired the art of working with leather, braiding lassos, halters,

reigns, cinches etc. He was a good rider but not what we would

call a Jinete or damador.

I believe when he returned, the Ibaté dairy was his new do-

main, or was it Isla Margarita? At that time each hof still had its

separate dairy cows. That soon changed, as our dairy herd now

was mostly Holsteins, which started to give more milk. So the

dairy production was moved to Ibaté for consolidation. Josua

must have made the move to Ibaté at that time because I saw lit-

tle of him. He was always content to play the supporting role,

giving advice, rarely taking the lead on his own initiative unless

asked to. In that way he remained approachable and made friends

easily. Josua was never argumentative and rarely pushed his

point of view, in youth meetings however he would act as the ar-

biter when arguments did arise.

We did not see each other again until my return early 1960

from my stints on various Paraguayan Estancias both in the

Josua worked 1958 in Isla’s dairy. (Photo album Erdmuthe Arnold)

Keep In Touch Newsletter 13 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Chaco and last in Caazapa in south eastern Paraguay. We had

less contact as he was now in the brotherhood, and I decidedly

undecided as what my future there would be. After the breakup

we lost touch with each other even though both of us were in the

USA but at different locations.

We next saw each other forty-two years later in Tujango,

Paraguay where he had his homestead. That was a joyful reun-

ion and we spent three days together, visiting Primavera‟s vari-

ous locations, Isla Margarita, the burial ground, orange wood

spring, Ibaté and the old corrals we personally had built with

Irundaímy trunks, Invernada, the Brennkorral in Riveros Cué,

Loma Hoby, one full day at the Tapiracuay River, with Willy

and Helly Braun being our hosts in Friesland. Kulla Fischer and

Clementina Jaime were our companions. We had a wonderful

time together.

Two years later in 2004 I visited again and stayed three days

with Josua at his son-in-law‟s home in Carolina where he was

now living. We talked late into the nights about everything, re-

vealing much more about our youth than we would have dared

during our Bruderhof days, having matured and lost some of our

false inhibitions. We walked from Carolina to Isla Margarita and

then traced the old foot path to Loma Hoby. On another day we

helped build a rancho for one of the cowboys who was watching

his son-in-law's cattle. We had a great time together, but he con-

fessed that as a Gringo he would never be fully accepted by the

natives; he would always be an outsider. I found this hard to be-

lieve at the time, but there must be a lot of truth behind it; once

his wife had died and his daughters married natives, he lost part

of what tied him to that life. This may have made it easier for

him to go back to the community.

I want to give him the benefit of doubt that what drove him

back was in his best personal interest. It saddens me immensely

that he is gone and that I will not see him again on my next visit.

It would have been great if the community had buried him at our

place in Primavera

Josua, where ever you are, you remain my friend.

Zu Besuch bei Josua

Von Irene Pfeiffer-Fischer

Von 1993 bis 2001 bin ich alle zwei Jahre mit meinem verstor-

benen Mann Ludwig Fischer nach Paraguay geflogen. Auf jeder

Reise war es ein Muss, bei Josua Dreher und seiner Frau Elvira

vorbeizuschauen. Ich habe sehr nette Erinnerungen an diese Be-

suche. Einmal verbrachten wir eine Nacht bei ihnen. Elvira hatte

uns ein Zimmer mit zwei Betten fertig gemacht. Hans Jürg

Meier, Kuller Fischer sowie unser damals achtjährige Sohn Se-

bastian waren mit von der Partie. Als es abends dunkel wurde,

saßen wir beim Schein einer Gaslaterne vor dem Haus und san-

gen deutsche Balladen. Elvira freute sich sehr darüber, konnte al-

lerdings nichts verstehen. So bat ich Josua ihr doch etwas zu

übersetzen, was er auch tat. Als nächstes war das Lied „Es zogen

drei Sänger“ an der Reihe. Bei der Strophe „und er breitete sei-

nen Mantel aus und setzte Feinsliebchen obendrauf“, hörte ich

aus der Guaraní-Übersetzung von Josua nur die Worte poncho

und cuñataí heraus. Beiden war der Spaß ins Gesicht geschrie-

ben.

Wenn wir die mennonitische Familie Braun im ehemaligen

Isla Margarita besuchten, baten wir Josua mitzukommen. Wir

nutzten diese Gelegenheiten auch, um schöne Stunden am

Tapiracuay-Fluss zu verbringen. Die Brauns luden Josua ein, bei

ihnen zu bleiben, bis wir uns wieder verabschiedeten. Unser

Sohn Sebastian absolvierte bei Josua seine erste Reitstunde. Das

Pferd wollte den Jungen partout unter einem Espina de Corona

Baum abstreifen. Da riet Josua Basti, „gib ihm anständig welche

mit der guacha“! Diese Besuche waren immer nett und voller Er-

innerungen; wir spürten, dass sie Josua gut taten.

Josua hat sich für alle Ex-Primaveraner, die ihn besuchten,

Zeit genommen, um ihnen unser einstiges zu Hause zu zeigen. Er

erklärte immer wieder geduldig, wo sich ehedem beispielsweise

die Küche, der Kuhstall und so weiter befanden. Denn: in Loma

Hoby gab es kein einziges Haus mehr; in Isla Margarita stand

nur noch das Babyhaus und in Ibaté das Steinhaus, in dem wir -

die Friedemanns – dereinst wohnten. Von der Bäckerei war le-

diglich eine Ruine übrig geblieben. – 1998 oder 1999 hat ein

Wirbelsturm das Babyhaus verwüstet. Die Familie Braun zog da-

raufhin zurück nach Friesland.

Ich begrüße es sehr, dass der Bruderhof Josua für seine letzte

Lebenszeit bei sich aufgenommen hat.

Visiting Josua

By Irene Pfeiffer-Fischer

Every two years from 1993 to 2001 my late husband Ludwig

Fischer and I flew out to Paraguay. It was a must that on every

trip we called in on Josua and his wife Elvira. I have some lovely

memories of these visits. Once when we spent a night with them,

Elvira had prepared a room with two beds just for us. Hans Jürg

Meier, Kuller Fischer as well as our son Sebastian, who was

eight at the time, were all part of the group. In the evening when

it got dark, we sat in front of the house by the light of a gas lan-

tern, and sang German ballads. Elvira enjoyed this very much,

even though she couldn‟t understand any of it. So I asked Josua

to translate some of the words for her, which he did. The next

song was “Es zogen drei Sänger“ (Three wandering minstrels).

When it got to the verse: “and he spread his cape on the ground

and settled his sweetheart upon it,” I recognised just two words

Changes: KIT Address List Sept 2010

Please copy these updated and new addresses and add them to

your KIT Address List September 2010.

Cuenca, Virginia (Loewenthal) – her current address:

805 Tabor Rd

Morris Plains NJ 07950

Herman, Deb (LeBlanc) – new email address:

hermandebdana@gmail.com

Jackson, Gordon & Linda (Lord) – new email address:

lljax@btinternet.com

Johnson, Hannah (Goodwin) – new address:

100-102 Elm Street, Apt. B-6

Edgewood, PA. 15218 USA

Stevenson, Gerrit-Jan – newly listed:

616 Celebation Dr

Princeton/Illinois (IL) 61356 USA

tel: +1 815 876 6002

Tsukroff, Judith – address and phone number corrected:

c/o Ray Tsukroff

35 Dally Farms Rd

Windsor, CT 06095-4316

tel: + 1 860727-8090

Vickery, Brenda (Vowles) – newly listed:

6 Mc Dougall Street, Kepnock

Bundaberg

Australia QLD 4670

tel: + 61 741 528 047

Keep In Touch Newsletter 14 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

in Josua‟s Guaraní translation: poncho and cuñataí. Their sense

of fun was clear to see on both their faces.

We asked Josua to come with us when we visited the

Brauns, a Menonite family, living in what used to be Isla Marga-

rita. We also used this opportunity to spend many happy hours

by the Tapiracuay river before we had to leave again. Our son

Sebastian had his first riding lesson with Josua. The horse

wanted to throw him by going under an Espina de Corona tree.

Josua advised Basti to “give him a few firmly with the guacha“!

These visits were always great, and full of memories, we felt

they did Josua good.

Josua always had time for all Ex-Primavera folk who visited

him, to show them around what was once our homeland. He pa-

tiently explained over and over again, where for example the

kitchen or the cow sheds and so on once used to be: As in Loma

not one single house remained, in Isla just the baby house, and in

Ibaté the stone house in which we - the Friedemanns - once

lived. The bakery was nothing but a ruin. –In 1998 or 1999 a tor-

nado destroyed the baby house, at which point the Braun family

moved back to Friesland.

I welcome the fact that the Bruderhof took Josua back into

their care for the last years of his life.

Translation by Linda Lord Jackson

Memories of a Dear Friend

By John Holland

Over a forty-year-period Josua took anybody who came to visit

the old Primavera down to the river Tapiracuay in his horse cart.

He gave wonderful hospitality to a whole stream of visitors. He

treated everybody with great respect as if it were their first visit

or might be their last.

I remember him in the cowshed, and when my brother Peter

and I lived with the single men. I particularly remember his

sparkle and love for animals.

In 2002, the first time I saw him since we left Paraguay in

1961 he put his arms round me and hugged me as if we had nev-

er been apart.

Josua looking after his cows. (Two Photos: John Holland)

In 2005, on my next visit, we travelled together through northern

Paraguay and into the Chaco. It was like travelling with a Para-

guayan encyclopedia. His knowledge of Paraguay and the people

there made it a very special journey for me. We went together to

Makxawaya (the Lengua Indian mission station that our family

lived at for a year in 1961). Josua had a very realistic concept of

what the Lengua Indians needs were.

And then we had the memorable river trip on the river stea-

mer down the Paraguay River from Concepción down to Asun-

ción. We paid the rent on the 18 third-class-hammocks so that

the people on the boat could have a comfortable night. We really

enjoyed the company of the fellow travelers. Josua just had a

knack of making everybody relax and making it possible for us

all to enjoy each other's company.

As soon as we reached Asunción, Josua could not wait to get

back to his homestead. He did not like the city.

I met him again in 2009 in Asunción, when he was with a

Bruderhof group and preparing for his move to Woodcrest.

When I suggested to him that he should not spend too much time

with me, because the bruderhofers might not like it, he said with

his usual twinkle, “Ach, what difference does it make – what can

they do?” And we carried on, laughing about our stories.

And then I met him at Woodcrest later that year. We had our

usual hug and delight at meeting up with each other again. He

was very happy and

seemed to have a wonder-

ful relationship with all his

old friends there. When I

asked him about his health

he said: “Ach, don't worry

John.” – Adios amigo.

John Holland visited the

grave of Josua in Woodcrest

this year. >

___________________________________________

KIT Gathering in Blossoming

Bulstrode Park

By Raphael Vowles

The annual gathering of KIT folk in the United Kingdom was

held again at Bulstrode Park, on Saturday – 7th

May 2011. The

event was well attended with many friends meeting to enjoy the

occasion. A great range of food was provided by all. The park

and lakes were exceptionally beautiful this year – the timing was

just perfect to catch the wide variety of exotic flowering shrubs.

It is always a pleasure to see the whole place so well cared for.

Many thanks again to the organizers and WEC for making the

facilities available.

It being the 50th

anniversary of the abandoning of Primavera

a picture CD was available for those that wanted to take home

the memories from the Swiss photographers that visited Prima-

vera in January 1961. A book celebrating Paraguay‟s 200 years

of independence was also available for those that were interested.

Desecration at the grave yard

Those gathering in Bulstrode were shocked to find that the grave

of Don Alexander‟s father had been desecrated and that the site

had been vandalized. WEC and Darvell were informed. This

seems to have been a targeted action that left the other graves un-

touched. Some people felt they would no longer be happy to visit

the graves of their loved ones alone; the graveyard atmosphere

was no longer peaceful.

The desecration of graveyards is a criminal offence. I have

had much opposition in my attempts to publish this information.

I feel it is important to bring this news to the wider KIT reader-

ship. I do hope the wind can help us come to terms with these

tempestuous times.

Keep In Touch Newsletter 15 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

Autumn

Poem by Susanna Alves, November2001

He gets up from the chair, his body aches.

He shuffles to the door.

She plays the song again,

“Remember me my dear.”

Remember me. Remember.

How can he forget.

Standing in the door, he sees the light unfold.

The saxophone’s calls, cries and sobs

expand behind him.

How can he bear it, this entreating sound.

His eyes drift inward

while gath’ring in his surroundings.

He sees a most beautiful, mellow autumn day.

The sky is clear of cloud

yet early mist still hangs on the horizon

and won’t let the sky take blue.

Not yet.

It overcomes him how beautiful this day is,

this autumn;

how much he hungers to enjoy it.

Enjoy his autumn in autumn.

Share the beauty with her,

she whom he remembers far too well.

She sees this beauty too.

But she is gone.

He can only share autumn and beauty

with his own self now.

Yet when beauty is thus overwhelming,

aloneness is not enough anymore.

As beauty seeps into him

it requires to be let out again

into the chest and heart and mind

and brain and bloodstream and bones

and nerve centres

of his beloved.

The saxophone sails

above orchestra and choir.

It yearns, calls, woos.

Now it recedes;

returns, coaxing.

Why is it sobbing?

They hold hands as they walk,

and she says, “Oh, look,”

and he will look.

He will know and see as her eyes and soul see.

They will stand quietly,

she will lean against him

as she always does,

their bodies touching,

alongside each other.

He places his arm around her warm waist.

She turns her face,

their eyes meet

to find the beauty reflected there.

They kiss gently.

Old, tender lips, soft as silk.

Now nature breaks the spell

— a laughing blackbird flies low over the road;

a Robin, unseen, offers a brief trill.

But not anymore.

Now, multiplied beauty seeps away unnoticed.

He knows that it will revert to where it comes from,

but this knowledge does not satisfy,

is not enough.

His torment is turned unbearable

because beauty’s dance will begin ever again.

Its perpetuity he cannot intercept and end.

It is the pain that paralyses.

He stands and remembers,

and looks to his horizon,

focussing his eyes:

A hedge, shrubs, some roofs, a distant tree.

Like gossamer shroud,

the thin mist still floats,

pinned to that horizon.

The saxophone has ceased its lament.

He hears a rustling in the room behind him.

He turns and looks.

“Don’t play it again, Samantha, my child,” he says.

Armadillos Harbor Mycobacterium

Leprae

By Erdmuthe Arnold

A report in the Wall Street Journal of April 28th

, 2011 says that

“the armadillo is the only non-human animal known to harbor

Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy.” Remembering

how eager the boys in Primavera were to hunt these animals to

harvest a special treat of tasty roasted meat, I now think how for-

tunate they really were.

In his article, “Leprosy Linked to Armadillos,” Ron Winslow

cites several studies which have fingered the armadillo as the

most likely source of leprosy (also called Hansen‟s disease)

among some Americans

who contracted the rare dis-

ease in the USA. According

to the New England Journal

of Medicine, several small

studies during the years

1980-2000 “suggest that

contact with the wild arma-

dillos is a risk factor,” but

that this risk is low. Re-

< Horst Pfeiffer with a nine

banded, young armadillo, in

Isla Margarita about 1958.

(Photo submitted by Andy

Harries).

searchers of the National

Hansen’s Disease Program

found out that infected armadillos captured in five southern

States had the same strain of Mycobacterium leprae as that found

in some Hansen's patients from the area. The most likely way

Keep In Touch Newsletter 16 Vol. XXIII No 2 September 2011

people might acquire the infection would be through contact with

the blood or uncooked flesh of an armadillo – because of a cut or

scratch in the skin.

In the USA leprosy is rare; with fewer than 250 new cases

reported yearly, most of them were acquired overseas. But in

one-third of the cases the “patients weren‟t out of the country or

couldn‟t recall contact with another infected person, leaving re-

searchers uncertain of the source of the bacterium,” writes Ron

Winslow. – On the other side, leprosy was a terrifying, lifelong

disease in Paraguay – as long it couldn‟t be treated properly. And

we do know from our time in Primavera that armadillos were a

extra supply of food for the people living in the countryside.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Details for the Volunteers Who Produce Keep In Touch:

Charles Lamar: receives/edits articles, letters, etc; address: c/o SFCR, 755 Frederick St. 1st floor, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA,

Tel: +1-415-386-6072 - Email: rastus@mindspring.com

Erdmuthe Arnold: receives/edits articles, letters etc. and formats the issue; address: Ostendstraße 22, 60314, Frankfurt am Main,

Germany. Tel: +49-69-444099 - Email: erdmuthe.arnold@t-online.de

Linda Jackson: maintains address lists, sends out email newsletters and mails paper newsletters for Europe and the rest of the world

(Argentine, Brazil, Paraguay, Australia). Address: 7 Severn Street, Longridge, Lancashire, PR3 3ND. UK. - Tel: (land line) +44-

(0)1772-784473 or (mobile) +44-(0)7703-133369 - Email: lljax@btinternet.com

Dave Ostrom: mails US and Canadian paper newsletters; address: 1530 Lydon Court, Clarkston, WA 99403 USA;

Email: ddostrom@msn.com

Your annual contribution for the KIT Newsletter 2011

The suggested annual contribution is US$ 20, UK£ 10, or Euro€ 15 for three issues. The next issue in 2012 is planned for April.

Depending on which currency you use, please send your money

in North America to Tim Johnson: US $ cash or checks made out to „Tim Johnson‟. Address: 155 Garden Lane, Decatur, GA30030,

USA. Tel: +1-404-373-0633; Email: timchowki@comcast.net

in England to Joy MacDonald: UK£ checks, cash or Bank transfer. Please check details with Joy. In any case, checks should be made

out to Joy MacDonald personally, and not to KIT (as Bank rules have changed). Address: Foxglen, Pinemount Road, Camberley, Sur-

rey, GU15 2LU, UK. Tel: +44-(0)1276-26938. Email: joy.macdonald@homecall.co.uk

Euros or other currencies to Anthony Lord: Euro € checks, cash or bank transfers. Details for bank transfers: Volksbank Brüggen-

Nettetal EG, BLZ: 31062154, Kontonummer 2201052010, Objektbezeichnung: „KIT‟. From other countries, currencies converted to

Euros can also be deposited into the account using: IBAN: DE52 3106 2154 2201 0520 10, or BIC: GENODED1KBN. Address:

House of Lords, Johann-Finken-Straße 35, 41334 Nettetal, GERMANY. Email: nalord44@googlemail.com

Email subscribers: Please let Linda Jackson know that you have received the KIT Newsletter (lljax@btinternet.com). Also please let

her know if you have changed your preferred email address.

Addresses – a request for all subscribers: Please let Linda Jackson know of any errors in address, or change of address: 7 Severn

Street, Longridge, Lancashire, PR3 3ND, UK. Email: lljax@btinternet.com (write or email only please).

Also, if you need an enlarged printout of the Newsletter (size A3) please contact Linda.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________