Dear Relatives, Our great-grandfather, Gerhard Willems, was born in Holland (or Prussia) on Oct. 3, 1820. He was married to Katharina Rempel in 1841. They spent some years farming in Russia. Great-grandmother died in Russia in 1875 at the age of 52. [1] Gerhard Willems (1820-1900) and Katharina Rempel Willems (1823-1875) are my paternal great-great-grandparents. … Continue reading Ukraine, pt 3: Gerhard & Katharina Rempel Willems
Author: lorettawillems
Ukraine, pt. 2: The Steppe
Note: The following piece was written in 2013 while I was researching the history and geography of the land north of the Black Sea where my Mennonite ancestors sojourned before migrating to North America. This is the land Russia is trying to take back from Ukraine. Photo from the Mennonite Library and Archives collection with … Continue reading Ukraine, pt. 2: The Steppe
Ukraine
Ukraine is not just a place on the map to me; it is a land that carries deep, personal meaning. My Grandmother Willems was born in southern Ukraine, in a small Mennonite village on the east bank of the Dnieper River about 200 miles from where that river’s waters empty into the Black Sea. Her … Continue reading Ukraine
Christmas 1960: Monroe, Washington
The log house in Monroe, Washington. Summer 1960 December 20, 2021 Woke this morning thinking about the log house in Monroe, winter thoughts, a pulling up of memories, Christmas memories, from that long ago time. Ben, the girls and I, spent only one Christmas in the log house, Christmas 1960. We must have had a … Continue reading Christmas 1960: Monroe, Washington
The House on South Blakeley
Note: The story below continues "The Log House in Monroe" (September 6, 2020). June 1968 We were moving back to Monroe, Washington, the town we left December 1961, a place we left because Ben hated his job and could find no other work in the area. We left hoping that someday we would be able … Continue reading The House on South Blakeley
How I got to the GTU
"Human inheritance is both blessing and curse. And in religious inheritance this paradox is acute…. What curses do we need to shed, in the process of growing up? What can we hold to as blessing? " Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith The discovery of Mennonite history was exciting and welcome. But … Continue reading How I got to the GTU
How I became a Mennonite
Note: The following piece is from a larger essay about the revolution in my family that occurred when my mother ‘went forward’ at a revival service at the Lodi Mennonite Brethren Church in Lodi, California. I have taken down the earlier part of the essay because I am using that material in the book I … Continue reading How I became a Mennonite
Agnes Young Willems: In Memorium
Mom is about twelve in this school photo. It is the earliest picture I have of her. May 30, 2021 My mother, Agnes Young Willems, was born 100 years ago today. She was born on a homestead in southwest Saskatchewan not far from the Montana border. Her parents, Adam and Margaret Armbruster Young, were both … Continue reading Agnes Young Willems: In Memorium
Phoenix, Arizona: March 1958-59
Easter 1959 Beni & ReneeThis photo was taken one week after Beni's first birthday. It is March, the month that my daughter Benith was born. Every year at this time, no matter where I have lived, memory turns to Phoenix 1958. March was cool that year, cool for Phoenix I should add, sunny and almost … Continue reading Phoenix, Arizona: March 1958-59
Japan: 1956
HOKUSAI (1760-1849) Japan’s mountains receive abundant snow, but Tokyo is a coastal city. Winter brought cold rain, grey sky, damp air. It looked cold, and it felt cold. People on the streets walked huddled inside their coats, cheeks and hands red and chapped. Shops were open and unheated. The only source of heat in traditional … Continue reading Japan: 1956
Heritage 