EDR's father

Evangeline’s father Heinrich Dirks

My father, Heinrich Dirks was born in Gnadenfeld on August 17, 1842. Heinrich’s parents (David and Elisabeth) had a farm on Gnadenfeld. They had five children: Heinrich, Maria, David, Elisabeth and Tobias. Young Tobias drowned in the Juschanee River.

Heinrich’s father, David, used to buy seed-grain from the farmer Heinrich Schroeder of Sandhof, who had several daughters. When David came, Aganetha Schroeder and her sisters would secretly observe the handsome Dirks of Gnadenfeld with his curly hair and tall stature. At that time, Aganetha had no idea that she would later marry his son. In 1869, she became the wife of the missionary Heinrich Dirks.

When he was 12-years-old, Heinrich went along with his father to Simferopol in Crimea to bring food to the soldiers fighting in the Crimean war, a task the people of the Mennonite villages had been commanded to do. It was his first long trip. In Simferopol, Heinrich went from house to house to sell butter for his mother, even though the city was under bombardment. He was able to make the trip a second time, but when his father had to go a third time, he had to stay home. When the driver of the wagon returned from Crimea with the tin kettle and fur coat, he brought the news that Heinrish’s father had died along the way. The children covered themselves with their father’s fur coat “to die after him.” David Dirks lies buried without a coffin near Dzhankoy, Crimea.

As a widow, Elisabeth Dirks had to rent out her land and see to it that her children could go to school. To augment the family income, Heinrich went to work. But he did not enjoy his job as miller’s helper at Harders’ windmill or as shop boy in their store. Lost in thought he often made mistakes like throwing the butter in with the wax. He always had to polish the boots of the Harder’s son. Once, in exasperation, he polished them with sticky plums.

The leading minister, August Lenzmann, of the Gnadenfeld church had a bachelor brother, Ferdinand Lenzman, a carpenter. He married Heinrich’s mother Elisabeth and took his new family to Brodsky, where he was working on the estate of Wilhelm Martens. But Heinrich, who loved books, stayed behind in Gnadenfeld to finish high school. He became the stable boy for his uncle August Lenzmann. Lenzmann's son, Herman, a schoolmate of Heirich and and now, because of his mother’s remarriage, a cousin, made sure that Heinrich did not leave anything undone as he worked in the stable. Heinrich did not mind working hard for his uncle, because in this way it was possible for him to attend Gnadenfeld high school. My dear father did not have an easy time of it in his youth. He also had a strict teacher, Mr. Franz. However, he got a very good report card.

Heinrich felt discontented. But he studied and worked hard until he had finished high school. When he was 17-years-old, Pastor Wuest of Wuertemburg, Germany visited the Lutheran and Mennonite churches. This resulted in a wide-spread revival, and Heinrich surrendered his life to Jesus.

After his conversion, he was baptized on May 12, 1860. He wanted to become a missionary. The minister and the congregation decided to finance his studies in the Barmen Mission House in Germany for six years and then to send him out as a missionary to the Batak people of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). In the Gandenfeld church he met Johannes Albert, a young man from Odessa, who wanted to travel abroad together with Heinrich, since his own father, who was a merchant, did not have the time.

Heinrich was cleaning grain with a hand-powered fanning mill, when he heard that his ticket to Germany was ready. He was to leave the next day, going first by train to Berdyansk, and then by boat to Odessa, where he was to meet Johannes Albert to travel to Germany together. Heinrich worked extra hard to finish his work, then he quickly washed up, packed and said goodbye. The wagon was already waiting. Quick! Quick! He put on his green coat, tied up his bundle, took his lunch bag, and his uncle August Lenzmann handed  him his papers and money and wished him God’s blessing.

In Berdyansk, he found no room in the small boat and ended up sitting on the anchor chain. In Odessa, he tremblingly looked up the office of Mr. Albert (Johannes’ father), knocked and heard an encouraging “come in.” Johannes came and introduced him to his gracious mother, who gave him a good meal and spoke kindly to him. He and Johannes felt encouraged and they cheerfully set out on their first journey abroad.

They knew they would not see home again for six years. First, they would study for two years in the Johanneum and then four years in the Mission House (in Barmen, Germany). The names of his teachers were Schrieber, von Rhoden, and Fabri.

Voyage to Sumatra, November 24, 1869

At that time there were no steamships. Also, the Suez Canal had not been completed. So the first missionary couple sent out by the Mennonites of South Russia, Heinrich and Aganetha Dirks, left Amsterdam, where they had taken a medical course, and sailed around Africa on the sailing ship, Elektra. It had 40 young Dutch soldiers and two families as its passengers.

For three days a hurricane raged. The ship was in great danger and listed sharply to one side. The devout captain gave up hope and warned the passengers of the seriousness of the situation. He asked them to pray and to humble themselves before God. There was a weeping, praying group of people.

That night (Feb. 5, 1870) in the storm, Aganetha gave birth to twins, Anna and Liese (Elisabeth Elektra) Dirks. But only Liese survives. Anna was later in a canvas coffin, weighed down with a stone, in the deep sea. Her mother, lying in the cabin, heard three knocks of a staff on the ship's deck as the signal that the coffin was being lowered. God, whom she trusted until her life’s end, preserved her for her children yet to be born.

After a sea voyage lasting 100 days, the sailing vessel docked in the harbor of Sibolga, Sumatra. Then they traveled by boat up the Lumut River far inland, where missionaries of the German Rhenish Mission lived. This was the home of missionary Ludwig Nommensen who lived in Priorat by lake Toba. They stayed there for a time to learn the language and prepare themselves for their 12 years of service.

In the year 1881 they returned to their home in Gnadenfeld, South Russia with their seven children.

Heinrich’s sisters Maria and Elisabeth

At that time, my father-in-law, Heinrich Janzen, also lived in Gnadenfeld. He was a well-known teacher and preacher, artist, supervisor of forestry camps, as well as a skilled decorative painter of furniture. His wife was my father’s sister Maria.

Heinrich’s youngest sister, the very talented Elisabeth, took over the teaching position in Timirbulat (Crimea) at an early age. She died young and is buried there. “Go and give papa a hug and say he should not cry,” said my mother to me when we were still in Pakantan, Sumatra. Father lay covered with a blanket, weeping for his dear sister Elisabeth. I didn’t know that paps could also cry and sob. It gave a five-year-old much to think about.

As beloved leading minister of the Gnadenfeld church

After the death of their leading minister, August Lenzmann, the church in Gnadenfeld elected the missionary Heinrich Dirks, recently returned from Sumatra as their leading minister. He held this office from 1881 to 1915. In addition, he was a traveling mission speaker. He also edited the Mennonite Almanac, the printing of which he financed himself. In the latter years of his life, his son Heinrich H. Dirks, who had studied in Barmen, Germany became his assistant.

Heinrich Dirks tithed faithfully, setting a good example for his family. He helped needy students obtain necessary funds to attend Central High School. At Christmas he presented widows with a sack of flour. He often gave away his good shoes to some poor wanderer.  When the gypsies came to town, they stopped in front of his house. The old gypsy man with the children ran to greet him and to receive a few coins. There was always laughter and delighted squealing until they went on their way again, for they had met a friend. O love’s golden sunshine! He saw to it that he always carried enough coins in his wallet. The gypsy’s eyes shone with pleasure, as did those of the giver.

Before the Molotschna Mennonite settlement was founded, the gypsies used to wander through this region. Now they often visited the villages to beg there. They searched for hedgehogs and the men sold wrought-iron items they had made. They often celebrated their weddings at the edge of town. They invited the youth to come and watch them dancing. Tatars and gypsies passed through the villages on their way to Taganrog, Crimea, Tokmak, or Melitopol. This was still going on during my school years around 1885.

Grandmother Elisabeth Lenzmann died of pneumonia at age 66 in 1887 in Gnadenfeld when I was 14-years-old. Step-grandfather Ferdinand Lenzmann moved into his step-son’s Heinrich Dirks home. Since he was a heavy smoker and polluted the air, it was unpleasant to be in the same room with him. This was especially hard for Heinrich, a minister with so many demands on him. So, on his own, grandfather Lenzmann decided to move in with his daughter and son-in-law Helena and Gerhard Wall, a mill owner in Kodagu, Crimea where he was well provided for until his death.

I have heard the saying, “A man’s virtues are at the same time his greatest weaknesses,” and this was true of my dear father Heinrich Dirks. He died of a heart attack on February 18, 1915.  I thank God that I had him as my father. May he rest in peace beside Mother’s and Grandmother's graves in the Gnadenfeld cemetery.