Preservings $20 No. 25, December, 2005 - Plett Foundation

that everyone should be quiet because they had
something to say.
A paralyzing fear gripped the assembly. Then
Father got up, carried my brother over to where
Mother was sitting, and went to stand behind the
pulpit. In a loud voice he spoke to the people: “Let
us not become discouraged; remember how our
forefathers suffered for their faith. Let us not be
afraid, for we are in God’s hands.” Then he went
over to the bandits and in a calm, friendly voice
asked them in Russian what they wanted.
Because of his quiet friendly
manner the congregation and also the
bandits calmed down. They asked for
a sum of money and, after discussing
the matter with Father, they agreed that
a few men and Father would collect
the money in the village. One of the
riders accompanied them from house
to house.
After they had collected the money
they went back to the church, passing
along the broad village street. The
blacksmith had a shotgun and was
unaware of what was going on. Wanting
to help Father, he hid behind a bush
and fired a shot. Luckily the shot hit
only the bandit’s horse which reared
up. Father instinctively raised his hand
and shouted, “Don’t shoot!” Another
bandit came running out of the church
to see what had happened. Hadn’t Father
promised that no resistance would
be offered? However, when the bandits
realized that everything was in order
and that they would get their money
they settled down. God had intervened
and helped. The Christmas program
was resumed and turned into a celebration
of praise and thanksgiving. Later
at the dinner table Father showed us his
hand which had taken a few pellets of
buckshot. He had also been spattered
by the horse’s blood, but otherwise he
was unharmed (Rempel, pp.29-30).
The Revolution and the anarchy that
followed soon brought famine to the
Mennonite colonies. Olga Rempel
recalls the effects of the famine on the
Toews household:
There is a saying that a drowning man will
grasp at straws. That is the way it is with starving
people. It is unbelievable to hear what people ate
in those times: cats, dogs, gophers, hedgehogs,
crows etc.
Fortunately, help eventually came through
American Mennonite Relief. Aron Toews was
active in distributing the food that was sent from
America. It was his duty to travel throughout the
region as an inspector in order to find people with
the greatest need. Rempel relates one of Toews’
experiences while he was doing this work:
Father told us the following about one such
inspection trip: He had stopped at an old mud hut
in one of the villages and knocked on the door. A
gaunt, half-starved woman appeared in the doorway
and in amazement asked the men what had
74 - Preservings No. 25, December 2005
brought them there. In one corner of the darkened
room stood a couch. Father could not believe
what he saw; a child’s head was sticking out of
each corner of the ripped-open feather bed. They
were covered with feathers and as they looked at
Father with their big eyes and starving faces he
thought they reminded him of birds rather than
children. The woman stood there stunned. Finally
she said that she hadn’t known how else to keep
them warm. She had long ago exchanged all bed
linens and other belongings for bread. Help had
After completion of the teachers’ examinations in Halbstadt, 1906-1907. Left to
right: Johann Enns, later Aeltester, Aron Toews, later minister, Johann J. Harder,
and Heinrich J. Wiebe.
come at the last minute (Rempel, p. 33).
Rempel describes the importance of this food
program:
According to statistics, 10,000 persons were
fed daily in the Molotschna colony. I have been
unable to determine how many there were [who
were given this aid] in the Chortitza colony
(Rempel, p. 43).
At this time Toews was corresponding regularly
with his brothers in America, reporting on the
famine and the plans that many Mennonites were
making to emigrate. Rempel describes her father’s
emotions on the occasion of the emigration of his
brother Heinrich:
In the summer of 1924 Father’s brother Heinrich
P. Toews and family emigrated. Father was
not ashamed of his tears as he [bade] farewell,
since he was the only one of the Toews family
remaining in Russia. But life went on and Father
struggled along. Deep in thought he strode along
the dusty street from the Chortitza [train] station
towards home in Rosental (Rempel, p.46).
Rempel sees the hand of Providence in these
events:
But God had other plans for Father. He had
had trachoma as a child and, although his eyes
had healed, he had scars from the treatment”
(p.44). Aron Toews, like so many
of his compatriots would remain in
Russia and pay the ultimate penalty
for his faith.
On the 6th of January, 1925 Toews was
ordained as minister of the Chortitza
church. Rempel writes:
The decision had been made. For
Father and the family this meant putting
the idea of emigrating completely
aside. Father knew this path would not
be easy (Rempel, p. 50).
One of Toews’ responsibilities at this
time was to represent young Mennonite
draftees in court. This was particularly
difficult since Toews and other Mennonite
leaders had been disenfranchised
and were thus looked on with contempt
by the governing authorities at that
time. Rempel singles out 1926 as an
especially difficult year:
During this year twenty-two Mennonite
men had been executed, fourteen
of them after eight months of jail.
Another four died of typhoid brought
on by malnourishment. In Kiev nineteen
were arrested, some receiving a
two-year prison sentence and three
years’ loss of all rights. Others were
sentenced to two years of prison and
a 300-ruble fine. Seemingly, after 400
years of Anabaptist existence, history
was repeating itself, since our people
were again experiencing persecution,
suffering and death for the sake of faith
in Christ. (p. 59).
This year [1926] was a troubled
time for our villages. Hearts were filled with
gloomy forebodings. There was talk of forced
resettlement. All those who had had 60 dessiatins
of land or more [were threatened with expropriation
and resettlement.]
The question of emigration was frequently raised
during the 1920s. Rempel cites the opinion of a
visitor from Germany in 1927:
I want to come to the heart of the matter: Do
our Mennonites have to emigrate or ought we
rather to conclude that God has prepared a way for
us in the Soviet Union? I want to say that I have
held to the latter view, that we should not leave our
homeland merely because of an uncomfortable
system or passing difficulty. This view has been
strongly [questioned] in discussions about the
future of our children....Will these turbulent times
help our children become strong? Only if parents