Participants were given a passport listing the actual names of those who traveled to America aboard the SS Tueonia.
The Russia-to-America Reenactment event was held indoors at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday due to inclement weather at the Gathering Room. Around 30 attended and learned, through a reenactment, what it was like for the Mennonites to leave their homes in Russia in 1874 for America.
The Rev. Goertzen (Ron Goertzen) explained to the congregation why they must consider leaving for America and begin making plans. There were tearful goodbyes from grandmothers (Lynette Friesen & Carol Ott) who stayed behind.
Once they arrived at Castle Garden (Ellis Island was not open yet) at the tip of Manhattan, they had to undergo a medical examination and have their passports stamped by an official (Dale Steingard). Land agents (Byron Friesen) from Kansas and Nebraska met with the immigrants to try to sway them to settle in their respective states.
Anna Wolf (Jan Friesen) told the story of how she gave birth to their first child and the immigrant’s firstborn American citizen after arriving at the Immigrant House in Henderson.
