Stories

My Klassen heritage can be traced to those who practiced the Mennonite religion (basically Protestant plus pacifism) in the 1700's in Amsterdam. The unique tenet of this denomination is the requirement to avoid armed military service. This tenet was the motivating factor in their migration from the Netherlands to Prussia (now Germany) in the late 1700's and then to South Russia (now Ukraine) in the 1800's. In the 1910's and later, violence, epidemics, famine and the cruel communist government in Russia drove them to North America and elsewhere.

We have many first-person accounts from people in our lineage. There are several themes in our extended family's history:

One is the "riches to rags" process in which the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the subsequent violence , famine and epidemics destroyed the lifestyle that wealthy estate owners had enjoyed. By the early 1920's, everyone in the Mennonite communities had become poor. See Reimerhof, Life in Marienskaya , Romance-Henry and Susanna , Impact of the Russian Revolution (1917) .
Another theme is how faith in God can increase one's resilience from unexpected life events. They were able to bounce back without bitterness if not financially. See Evangeline Dirks Rempel, Herman's escape from Russia, Bob's tribute to Agnes Klassen , Heinrich Dirks .
Another theme is the major effect that decisions by parents can have on their family's outcome. Some consequences turn out to be positive and some turn out to be negative (in sympathy to parents, the future is only partially predictable). For example, there are risks to emigrate and risks to remain. See: Rempel family 1917, The Sister Left Behind , Herman's Escape From Russia , Arthur Rempel's Story , My Trip to America , Harry's first forty years , From Sask. to Toronto , Dietrich Klassen .

There are also some interesting quirks of fate in our history. For example, there is the Klassen connection, by marriage, to a plot to kill Hitler (von Stauffenburg connection). And my dad and uncle fought on opposite sides in WW2.

The diaries also provide a glimpse into life in the early 1900's in South Russia (Ukraine) . See Ode to the Dirks' house , Breakfast blessing, Aganeta Dirks , Agnes Classen's story, Tina Harder-From Russia to Canada , Agnes Jordan , Romance-Henry and Susanna , Agnes Klassen-My Life .