THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

lished by his father in 1820 (cf. above #62, c.). His last teacher here was the well-known pedagogue Heinrich Franz, Sr., whom he followed to the Gnadenfeld school as a youth of approximately the same age, and with whom he established a bond of intimate spiritual The M.B. Church 1885-1910 535 friendship (cf. 051, 52 and 62, c). In Gnadenfeld, in this early period of his youth, he learned to know and to love the Christian way of its people. Here, already walking in the living faith, he was received into the congregation through baptism (he would very much have liked to be baptized by immersion, #131, b), instead of, as his dear father wished, in Rudnerweide. In Gnadenfeld he married a Miss Strauss and became an independent landowner and a prominent member of the village and the church assemblies of Gnadenfeld. Twelve days before his death he was visited by Elder Aron Lepp, and Minister Johann Friesen, Sr., Einlage Church, with whom he had worked together in fellowship for more than twenty-five years, although he had become progressively more quiet and reserved. A blessed celebration of the communion with these brethren and with the members of his family (following a detailed, heartfelt exchange of views with the five brethren) was his farewell to the fellowship. He died in child-like faith in the sole and completely valid salvation in Christ. 328 It should be emphasized that his most pleasant memories related to the times of fellowship in the brotherhood before the separation of the “Wuestian brethren,” 1858, and that in the last years he associated intimately with his spiritual friends of Felsental and spent much time in theosophical thought, in loving and nostalgic memories of his spiritual cradle (cf. 062). In the year 1886 the author had the joy of having a long intimate conversation with the beloved honorable sage walking in his orchard, his “foretaste of paradise,” 329 in which all favorite and interesting exhibits of the orchard and of the tree-nursery were shown, sketched biographically, and characterized with deep thoughts about creation, fall, redemption and consummation. Farewell till the redemption of our body when God will be all in all! Step by step we must leave memorial stones to the fathers of the M.B. Church. For us too evening descends ; Lord, abide with us! The leadership around 1905: Minister Cornelius Reimer. . . . 5) Jasykovo-Nikolaipol (cf. above 0219). Postal Address: Chortitza, Province of Ekaterinoslav. This branch is presently literally the church center. Here the leading brethren live: Elder Gerhard Regehr, Co-elder Martin Koslowsky, the preaching ministers Peter Toews, Johann Peters, for several years Heinrich Braun (cf. above Rueckenau), Johann Schellenberg (graduate of the pedagogical Secondary School, formerly elementary school teacher), the treasurer of the Conference, Jakob Siemens. . . . 6) Petrovka (“Naumenko”), since 1889 Province of Kharkov, District Isiu