Unruh Genealogy
THE MENNONITES
During the religious reformation between 1520 and to the close of the century, Menno Simons, a catholic priest renounced his priesthood in the month of January 1536, and chose the way of the Cross. Menno Simons was born in 1496, in Witmarsum a little village in the Province of Friesland, Holland, and died January 13, 1561 at Wuestenfelt, Germany. Persecution set in. Menno Simons and his followers emigrated to West Prussia and settled along the Vistula River Delta, near Marienburg. The first settlement was made on about 1546, and later in 1562 many more followed. Here they were promised the rights of religious worship, and attractive rental terms were offered by the landlords. At the close of the seventeenth century, hampered by excessive tax and unable to provide new homes for their growing young people and curtailment of religious worship; they set out to seek new homes in other lands. Cathrine II, Empress of Russia, invited the West Prussian Mennonites to settle on her Crown lands in South-Russia, of which she had millions of acres of unoccupied agricultural land. Special privileges were offered to the Mennonites. Religious and civil liberties, and examption from military services. This invitation was cordially accepted. In 1789, emigration started. The first two settlements were established at Chortitz and Kiev. And in 1804 two more settlements were made, a major one along the Molotchna River, in South-Russia, and a smaller group settled near Ostrog in the Province of Volhynia in Poland-Russia. In 1870 special privileges for the Mennonites were ended, and military examption was abolished. In 1873, a delegation of twelve was sent by the churches of Russia, to the United States of America, to investigate suitable land for location. Elder Tobias Unruh was the one chosen from the Volhynian Province of Poland to be the representative of our forefathers. These 12 men investigated the situation in the middle states and Canada. When they returned to their people and described to them in glowing terms the opportunities they would have plus the possibility to satisy their yearning to own land, and the freedom to live and worship unhampered it was immediately decided to come to America. They did not obtain the promise of military exemption but were quite assured wars were not in the realm of possibility in our country so they were willing to take a chance of that. Now that the decision had been made to come to America, what an excitement ran thru the villages. It must have been a stupendous job getting everything ready for the long journey to the port of embarkation, then across the ocean which seemed especially dangerous to them. Hundreds of Mennonites migrated to America from Europe in the 187's. Our forefathers were numbered with the 708 souls that boarded the steamer Vaderland, embarked on Friday, December 4th, 1874 from the port of Antwerp, Belgium, and arrived at Philadelphia, Penn. on Christmas Day, December 25, 1874.
UNRUH AND RATZLAFF FAMILY RECORD
Cornelius Unruh married Mary Nightengale and to this union were born three sons; Jacob, David, and Tobis. A few months before journeying to America, Cornelius became seriously ill and death separated this young family. Mary bravely embraced the plans of her husband and struggled with others to America. Also coming to America was Bernhard Ratzlaff and his wife Anna. Anna and infant daughter died at Florence, Kansas, on March 2, 1875. Some time later Bernhard Ratzlaff married Mary Nightengale Unruh. To this union were born four sons; Henry, Pete, John and Fred. They chose the plains of Kansas. In the summer of 1874 they made preparations to leave. In November they were on their way. Arriving in Kansas December 1874.
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