As an author interested in history, I like autobiographies. The one below is special to me. Its author was a cousin of my grandfather Jacob K. Martens (1893-1976). I received it years ago from Katherine Hooge, a daughter of the Peter Hooge in Jacob's story. I finally translated it from German into English.
GOD'S LEADING IN MY LIFE
By Jacob J. Martens (1880-1974)
I was born October 22, 1880 in Adelsheim, Jasirour, South Russia. My parents were Jacob and Helena (Schellenberg) Martens. I was the oldest of three siblings. My mother died when I was six years old. My father married a second time, and four children were born to this union. I lived at home until 1903, went I went into the forestry service in Wladimir. I enjoyed it. We had good camaraderie among the men. Though there was strict discipline, we had time for recreation and fun.
After the forestry service, which lasted four years, I moved back to my parents' house, but this time to Andreasfeld, the place they had moved to. My father had purchased a mill there, and I learned mill work.
In my parents' house the book of books (Bible) was not read. Each of us had a New Testament and hymnbook, and we went to church, which was held on the second Sunday, but it didn't go further than that. When I was 20 years old, I learned the catechism, was baptized, and became a church member, but I had no personal experience with the Lord. In the forest service, we always had an evening benediction. Also we often had a visiting preacher. The Holy Spirit worked often in my heart. Also when I was on holidays, when living in Andreasfeld, I always went to the Mennonite Brethren services, but I resisted the Spirit and didn't give myself over.
In 1910, at a wedding, I became acquainted with and fell in love with Anna Hildebrand. At that time my bride was not converted. We soon married. At the beginning we lived in my father-in-law and mother-in-law's summer kitchen. In the evenings, we knelt by the bed and each of us prayed separately.
After a time I began to think about looking for a business opportunity. In the city of Jekaterinoslaw I met Peter Hooge, a cousin of my wife's. He asked if I would like a position in his mill. The previous miller maintained that the mill wasn't worth running—didn't make money. He left so Hooge urgently need a manager. He offered me 800 rubles a year, a place to live with heating, two horses for my own use, and feed for cattle and chickens. The offer satisfied me and I agreed. Then I drove home to discuss it with my wife and her parents.
It wasn't long before we moved to Waziljewka with all our wordly goods. The mill workers greeted me in a very friendly way, and the work always went well. I told them there would be no work on Sundays, and they agreed with me on this. After a year, when the mill was making good money, Peter Hooge made me a new offer. I was to come to his large estate as its manager. It wasn't easy for me to give up my position in the mill and move to a totally new place, but at Peter Hooge's urging, I agreed and became estate manager. I had three overseers under me and more than 100 workers. This was in 1912. Peter Hooge insisted that the workers should be well and fairly dealt with. So we never had any lack of workers. Everybody preferred to work on the Hooge estate. I totally agreed with his friendly way of dealing with workers, and spent two pleasant years there.
In the fall of 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, I was conscripted and went into service as a medical/first aid worker with the train for the wounded number 206. Soon I was put in charge of buying supplies and finding enough water. I always had to drive ahead and see that everything would be in order for the train for the wounded when it arrived at a particular place. There were often problems.
During the (Bolshevik) revolution of 1917, I was in Moscow and after many hardships I finally reached my parents' home. From here it was still 45 werst (48 km) to my wife and children. We were so happy to be together again. My father wanted us to move to their place since it was a troubled time. There we endured difficult days. Plundering and murder were everyday occurrences. Most of the village fled from the bands of bandits who frequently plagued the villagers. Sometimes I stood in front of guns, often in great fear, but not thinking about the health of my soul.
At this time I received a request from Peter Hooge. He wondered if I wanted to come back to his estate. I agreed. That was a difficult time. People were never sure of their own lives. Hooge sometimes came to the estate—but stayed only a short time and left again. I knew only that he lived in the city, but nothing further. He told me again and again, if the situation got too bad, to make sure I saved my own life. Nothing else was as important as that. In 1919 typhoid broke out. I received order after order for boards for coffins. I became ill. After a month, when I was almost better, my wife fell ill. She also recovered.
After my illness, when I was able to go outdoors again, I found great changes on the estate. The horses were all gone, and the oxen were being taken little by little. I allowed the machinery to be divided up. We, 12 families, took grain out of the granaries to keep from starving. Bands of bandits came again and again to plunder the estate. On one day I changed caps three times though not willingly. My boots were also taken away, so I no longer had the task of putting my boots on. I was just glad that my life was preserved. It was time to leave the estate. My brother-in-law came and took us to my mother-in-law's. My father-in-law had died of typhus, also (another?) brother-in-law and his child. My parents were also felled by the disease, and my brother was murdered.
In Hochfeld, where we attended the Evangelical (probably Mennonite) Brethren church, my wife became a believer. She and I spoke a great deal about faith, but I couldn't decide to follow the way of faith. I couldn't grasp that it was apparently so simple. My wife wanted to be baptized and asked me if I had any objections. I wasn't against it, so she was baptized on August 14. We became better and better acquainted with the Word of God. One evening salvation became clear to me through the words "faith is the victory." I understand them and accepted the Lord as my Saviour. I was baptized on June 18, 1922.
We started seeding crops again, and harvested enough that we had something to eat and never needed to turn a beggar away from our door. Each one got a piece of bread.
After these difficult years, nothing held us in Russia anymore. When emigration began, we also started on the journey and arrived in Herbert (Saskatchewan) on August 28, 1923. I had $183 and was in debt for the whole journey. I paid $125 right away, and kept $58 to buy clothing, etc. A bachelor in Herbert took us in, and it became clear that my wife was supposed to be the housewife in his home. We were not spared disappointment, but little by little we adjusted, learned customs and practices, saved our money, and could buy a farm. In March 1925 we moved to the farm we had bought for $16,000. My wife and children helped, and by 1947 we had paid for it. The farm work always went well. The children married and moved to their own farms. Our son Jacob (born 1926) took over our farm and we moved into the village of Herbert, where we had bought ourselves a house. We were retired.
After a time our children got the idea of moving to Manitoba. In 1954 the Heinrichs (probably daughter Susie born 1914 and husband Herman Heinrichs) sold their farm and moved to Niverville (Manitoba). I went along, and hearing the German language there made me feel very much at home, including in church where everything was still in German. I was so pleased with it. In Herbert everything was already in English. Quickly deciding, I bought the house on Main Street, where we lived.
My wife was also pleased with the house and the move. However, we were only there a short time when my wife became ill with heart problems and dropsy. After eleven months she went to sleep in the Lord, on December 19, 1955.
I lived alone for a year and a half. The children did what they could to make me happy, but I was alone. In answer to my prayer, the Lord gifted me with a second wife, sister Elizabeth Peters. Her children, like mine, are pleased about it. We are happy and satisfied that the Lord steered us together. May God, who has led me for 90 years with much love and patience, also direct my last steps and then take me to Himself, through grace.
October 20, 1970
(Jacob J. Martens died November 26, 1974.)
(Jacob & Anna Martens' children were: Maria born 1911, Susie born 1914, Anna & Lena born 1918, & Jacob born 1926. All married & had descendants except for Lena, who died in 1920.)
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