Epilogue 2 about Peter Janzen

Epilogue 2-Peter Janzen

By Jacob Janzen,July 2, 1984

Repeatedly, Herman makes mention in his diary of Peter M. Janzen (he was not related to me), the elected representative of the Batum refugee group. He was largely responsible for the successful immigration of this group to the United States of America. I wish to pay tribute posthumously to this man of courage, drive and perseverance in executing a difficult task for which, as far as I know, he hardly received any remuneration and perhaps insufficient recognition and thanks.

Peter came from the village of Dberntal, colony Memrik, where in the year 1920/1921, I had taught in the newly established Mennonite Boy’s School. That June, the Communist government had passed a religiously restrictive law inimical to Christian teachers, so I decided to leave.

From fragments of a wretched carriage, I constructed a two-wheeled cart, bought a small pony called Pulka, and with Peter as my partner drove to the Crimea where Peter enrolled at the Bible school in Tscnongraw.

But here too, restrictive laws and official interference caused no end of trouble. So Peter left and joined the seekers for freedom in Batum, Caucasus.

After some harrowing experiences and financial devastation, I found employment as a clerk in the German Union of Transcaucasia. In an empty building of the German Gymnasium school, I found lodging. My presence there was thought to serve as a deterrent to vandalism. This was also a godsend refuge to many of my friends in their frequent trips from Batum to Tbilisi, especially to Peter Janzen.

Upon arrival in Constantinople, I helped Peter in locating the refugee-immigrants in Ghieuz-Tepe as told by Herman. Here, I also assisted him with his correspondence on behalf of the group.

After five months of sojourn there, the day of embarkation finally came and, as Herman also tells of it, Peter found himself minus his briefcase with documents and more than $1,000 in money. It disappeared while he was assisting widows and orphans descending from the train coach in Haider-Pasha. Peter’s presence at ship embarkation was indispensable, so it fell to my lot to try to locate the irreplaceable briefcase, fruitless though it proved to be.

The ship left without me. The group of about 60 with their leader traveled on a French steamer, going to Marseille and Cherbourg to America. I sailed a week later on an Italian ship, going over Brindizi and Naples, Italy. I arrived in New York on October 1 and they arrived on October 11.

Peter died several years ago in Ritzville, Washington, where he had been active as a painting contractor. His widow, Mary Dirks Janzen, is retired and lives near her son, Heinz Janzen, secretary of the Mennonite Central Committee in Newton, Kansas.