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MATHIES GENEALOGY

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REMEMBERANCES OUT OF RUSSIA

FROM JOHANN J MATHIES, VINELAND, ONTARIO, 1965

[Johann - brother of A. J. Mathies]

[Interviewed by Annie Krause]

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[1918]

Here many of us came before the Commission and got our leave papers. We had to go before the War Minister and so got a free ride on the ship, to Batum, Noworossijsk then by train towards home. As we were leaving Batum in January 1918, it was getting quite unruly. On the roads every day were machine guns. From Noworossisk we continued through Krasnodar, Zarizyn [later Stalingrad, now Wolograd] the long way around over Lugansk, Tschaplino and Gaitschur.

At Rostow there was a front. Even we got shot at. The trains were filled with the military who were going home but hadn't turned in their weapons, that's why we were being shot at. Not everyone got home. At the end of January, I arrived at our lovely Schoenbrunn. We were barely home when a band of robbers visited us. Our lives were not secure any more. This was our reward for serving our fatherland faithfully for six years. Our dear Lord so far had guarded us every where. Life should now begin. But oh well, "It was only a dream."

In the spring of 1917, the year of the revolution, we sanitaeter were on the track north from Moscow at Jaroslaw, when Kerenski with his stick stopped at the station and declared freedom. It was just minutes and the railsteps were covered with his acclamations and so it flew through the whole countryside. Our own land was given us. We received unwanted visitors, some out of the coal miners also released prisoners. Us Mennonites stuck together, yes moved together, because our life was in danger alone.

In spite of this mix-up, people were still getting married. And so was our marriage set for September 1, 1918. Suddenly we got word of an overthrow north of Ger. Balzers at Roppow. Our brother Dav. Mathies was the brother-in-law of Bakzers.  He got got a bullet through the head under the eye, and through the head, but stayed living. Lena, his wife and her parents, were dead and just the two boys John and George remained alive.

One day before our wedding, we were busy building a "Palatka." A Russian woman came driving up and asked how it was with the Mathies's. She eagerly wanted to buy potatoes but wished to dig of them out herself and inquired as to John, who she, at one time, had baby-sat, having been employed as baby-sitter at our place. "John is standing in front of you, and has wedding tomorrow" was my reply. :My dear Wanja, how big you've grown," she said and gave me a warm kiss. Happily she went then and dug her potatoes and we didn't take any money for them because we had lots.

The bands of Makhno were taking over everywhere and Gaitschur and Rosenfeld were standing in flames. Many were murdered. Others fled and came back. Despite of this we still had our fun. We Schoenbrunner drove in the dark of night on the large road towards Orechow. It was quite hilly. Our neighbours Aron Janzens were on their [verdeckwagen?] and so it was that the one wagon with the [diechsel?] was in their [verdeckwagen?]. Then Mrs. Janzen screamed, "They're shooting already." From Orechow, some then went back a ways.

My two brothers had not fled. My dear Margaret and I with our stepmother and the sister drove to Lindenau to stepmother's brother Frank Wiens's. The next day, in the morning, I saddled one of our horses and rode comforted over Blumental, Orechow, and towards our beautiful Schoenbrunn. Everything was in good order so that with my younger brother Jacob we drove back to Lindeneau with our other spring wagon.

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