Wouldn't They Be Surprised?

At the urging of our oldest daughter, Janet, a few years ago, Pat and I started writing and collecting brief biographies of ancestors to put in the Memories section of Family Search. We wanted to share what we had learned about their lives with our children, grandchildren and extended family. Between Pat and I, we have added several biographies to the Family Search website, including those of our parents.

A week ago, while at dinner with another senior couple who works in the mission office, Scott and Verna Rhine, we learned we had a lot in common. Elder Rhine and I had served missions in our youth in Switzerland and Germany. Sister Rhine's grandparents, the Heimanns, had been members of the Church in Kiel, Germany. Her mother married a German missionary, Elder Fluckiger, and after they immigrated to the states, Sister Rhine was born and raised in Star Valley, Wyoming.

I mentioned to the Rhines that my father worked in Kiel as a missionary prior to WW II, where he served as branch president. One of his counselors was a local member and the other a Nazi soldier who often wore his uniform to Church. There was great excitement in Germany at the time. Hitler’s power was expanding as he promised the people more “lebensraum” (living space) and economic relief.  My father said he had witnessed a torchlight parade in Kiel on January 30, 1933, the night Hitler became Reichschancellor of Germany.  Uniformed soldiers marched four abreast through the streets for more than an hour.  He and his companion had also witnessed a young Jewish boy being shot by a Nazi guard as he tried to gain entrance to his father’s furniture store.  Dad had heard Hitler speak twice during his mission, once in Kiel, and once at a large Nazi gathering in Osnabruck.

I knew my father’s story well, because I had compiled his biography and posted it in Family Search.  Following our conversation with the Rhines, I couldn’t wait to get to my computer to review what my father had written about his mission and see if his history made any reference to Sister Rhine’s grandparents or her mother in Kiel.   I was surprised to read the following:

“The branch presidency in Kiel was composed of me as president, Brother Heimann as first counselor, and Brother Tietjen as second counselor.  Brother Heimann was against the rise of Hitler and all he stood for, while Brother Tietjen was a Nazi and often came to Church in his uniform.  Sometimes they would argue with each other in Church until I would plead with them to stop.  We tried to separate politics from religion and we suggested the men not wear their Nazi uniforms to Church. It was not long until Brother Tietjen resigned as counselor and we didn’t see him again.

Brother Wilhelm Heimann

Elder Alvin Carpenter

“It was difficult for me as a foreigner to know what to do at times to keep peace in the branch and keep us studying the gospel without becoming excited politically.  We lived at Brother and Sister Metelmans, good Church members who did much to help us.  My junior companion was Paul Jensen from Salt Lake City.  My counselor in Kiel, Brother Heimann, and his wife migrated to Star Valley, Wyoming.  Their daughter had married a missionary by the name of Fluckiger.  After the war, Sister Metelman also migrated to Star Valley.  Her husband was killed in the bombing of Kiel during the war.  Both of these families were very staunch Church members and lovely people.”

Elder & Sister Rhine with us outside the CA Anaheim mission office.

To me, this is an amazing example of how family history and missionary service link us together. Knowing that my father and Sister Rhine’s grandfather served together in a branch presidency in Germany before World War II binds Elder and Sister Rhine to me and my wife as we serve together in the Anaheim Mission. I wonder if our ancestors would be surprised to know that that their posterity have met and are serving missions together in California more than eighty years later.

--Don--