Graewe family photo from 1927 As a child of immigrants, the only relatives we had nearby were the families of my dad’s three cousins, related on his maternal Graewe side. Now I’m discovering new connections through genealogy. What a surprise when I learned that Graewes began arriving in North America in the 1800s! Their story—our story—is shared below, along with where descendants can be found today.
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Graewe Familienfoto von 1927 Als Kind von Einwanderern waren die einzigen Verwandten, die wir in der Nähe hatten, die Familien der drei Cousins meines Vaters, die mütterlicherseits mit Graewe verwandt waren. Jetzt entdecke ich durch die Genealogie neue Verbindungen. Was für eine Überraschung, als ich erfuhr, dass die Graewen begannen in den 1800er Jahren nach Nordamerika zu kommen! Ihre Geschichte—unsere Geschichte—wird unten geteilt, zusammen mit dem Ort, an dem Nachkommen heute zu finden sind. Writer's grandson David Graves with wife Eva in 1995, Manitoba A girl stabbing her father for alleged abuse; a serious cough sickening children; death by lightning … these are some of the stories shared by a long-lost relative that I discovered through his letters to the Mennonitische Rundschau from Alexanderpol in Russia’s Memrik Mennonite Settlement. Enkel des Schriftstellers David Graves mit Ehefrau Eva 1995, Manitoba Ein Mädchen, das seinen Vater wegen angeblichen Missbrauchs erstochen hat; ein schwerer Husten davon viele Kinder krank geworden war; Tod durch Blitzschlag… dies sind einige der Geschichten eines längst verlorenen Verwandten, die ich durch seine Briefe an die Mennonitische Rundschau aus Alexanderpol in der mennonitische Siedlung Memrik in Russland entdeckt habe. Jakob and Emma Plett in Vancouver in 1983 My uncle Jakob shares about his family’s flight from Russia to Germany in this excerpt from his Life Story. Jakob and Emma Plett 1983 in Vancouver Mein Onkel Jakob berichtet in diesem Auszug aus seiner Lebensgeschichte über die Flucht seiner Familie von Russland nach Deutschland. An unforgettable haircut by my dad At a time when many people are sporting interesting haircuts, I thought I’d share my father’s story of his first job in British Columbia. Ein unvergesslicher Haarschnitt von meinem Vater In einer Zeit, in der viele Menschen interessante Frisuren tragen, dachte ich, Sie würden gerne die Geschichte meines Vaters über seinen ersten Job in British Columbia erzählen lassen. For a delicious comfort food, try these brownies made with applesauce. To make your own easy applesauce, click here.
My father shares how he survived scarcity in a prisoner of war camp “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? … your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” - Matthew 6:25, 32 NIV In our global pandemic, anxiety has driven people to an epidemic of hoarding. Can we really trust that we will always have enough? Perhaps we can learn from the past when others faced serious challenges. That led me to share a new video of my father telling how he endured starvation in a prisoner of war camp, with some surprising help. |
WriterIrene Plett is a writer, poet and animal lover living in South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Categories
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