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Henry C. Taves: born in Tiegenhagen, Russia, 1916 |
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My parents Kornelius and Maria Wiebe Toews had a family of ten children: six boys and four girls, namely Kornelius, Abram, Anna, John, Mary, Katharina, Henry, Margaret, Dietrich and Jacob. In 1919, when I was three years old, I remember a horrific event which took place on our Chutor (large farm). The Bolsheviks came, entered our house, stood my Father and Mother up against the wall and with great demands which could not be met, hit Father with leaded whips. Mother ran and hid in the dark. Meanwhile, they fired bullets above Dad's head. My brother Neil asked us to come into a small room, kneel and pray. He went out and begged the Bolshevik's for the life of his father. And Father's life was spared; God most certainly had spared his life. To God be the glory. Dad asked a Russian peasant to take care of the animals and farm until things returned to normal. It never happened. We went to our relatives where a granary was renovated for temporary housing. This turned out to be our home until June of 1924, when we emigrated to Canada. The poverty was great and in March of 1922, the MCC came to our area and we received one rationed meal per day. That, with what we grew in the garden, sustained us. In June of 1924, we crossed the Atlantic on the SS Minnedosa and docked in Quebec on July 17-18. The following day we arrived in Kitchener and from here we were taken to Milverton. We were hosted by a Hopps family for eight months. Here I started school. The older children were taken to various places of employment on the farms. Father stayed home and found employment in the neighbourhood. We were exceptionally well-treated and are most grateful for this family's hospitality. In March of 1925, we went West to Headingly, Manitoba. We found and bought a farm of 480 acres near Meadows, complete with horses, machinery and no down payment. The first year's crop was excellent, but the next two years' rain and hail storms hit us with great force and the damage was extensive. |
We contacted our relatives on Pelee Island where Tante Anna Wiebe notified us of opportunities available there, for old and young. On March 28, 1928, we moved to Pelee Island and farmed Mr. Cruikshank's largest farm, 250 acres, on Middle Island, for five years. Here I finished public school. We grew 35 acres of burley tobacco, the rest was general farming. This was the first year of the Depression. On April 1, 1933, we took the first boat of the season to Wheatley, Ontario, on the mainland. Here we paid cash rent for a farm owned by an American. On May 5, 1941, my father died of a bladder infection. I continued to rent the farm until I bought my own 100 acres, plus two surge milking units in 1944. I did general farming and had a tomato contract for Heinz, plus a dairy herd of 12 milking cows. If I kept up my milk quota, which I did, that monthly cheque would take care of all expenses. After several years, I bought another 100 acre farm of beautiful black loam, three miles away. Our wedding day was in April 1956, on a Friday at three in the afternoon. It was a very warm day and absolutely calm, with temperatures over 70 degrees. Elsie and I were married by Ältester (Bishop) N N Driedger at LUMC. The service took place in the German language. After some reminiscing and visiting, we went home to change for a short trip to various places of interest. When we arrived back home, Mother and Margaret had moved to their house in Leamington. Our house was empty, tidy, and clean. We were now starting off together. 1958 brought the arrival of our first son, and in 1961 our second son was born. Before long, each boy brought home a girl, making our family complete: two boys and two girls. Elsie and I have six grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Children are a gift from God. We are most grateful for each one. May they bring honour to His name. Elsie, my greatest and most precious, wonderful possession, died May 27, 1998. She is in the presence of her Saviour and we will meet again. AK 2008 |
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