Dear Mrs. Kasper:
I was very happy to hear from you, and more than happy that you enjoyed reading my book, “Texas Wends, Their First Half Century.” Thank you for your kind compliments. Please thank Mrs Christi Lehmann for lending you her book and give her and all of your folks my best regards.
Congratulations for working on a family history, on the Jakob and Maria Noack family history. I wish you the greatest success with it. You may be able to find out a lot at the genealogy library in the city of Houston. They tell me it is quite up to date on people who came to Texas over 100 years ago. It is a shame that all the records at Galveston were destroyed during the 1900 storm.
You asked how you go about the job getting permission on using other peoples books for reference. First you make out a list from which pages you prefer to take information. Then you write to the Publisher or the person who wrote the book and tell them what you would like to use from their book. Some publishers charge you a certain fee and request one of your books for the pay on material you use. They and all authors request that they be given full credit for material of theirs you use in foot notes at the bottom of your pages. I had to pay a fee for the use of the material I used from Leonid I. Strakovsky’s Handbook of Slavic Studies, and one of my first books. I have no right to permit the use of what I used to anyone. However if there is something you want to use that is from my own information, write and tell me what it is and perhaps we can make an agreement for you to use it. You must have a written permission from every author for any material you use of theirs. Since my publisher is dead only I can give permission.
I agree with you 100% that it is a shame that our people know absolutely nothing about their ancestors, for they have a great heritage which reaches all the way back to the Great Flood and Noah. I certainly hate it that I have been kept back from my writing for the last five years for I have very much good material that I worked hard to get, and also spent a lot of money for doing the research on the Wends in Australia.
Please write again if I can help you,
(signed) Mrs Lillie Moerbe Caldwell