Building a Legacy

Published originally in 1998, the book documennts the early history of the Anabaptists, then the gathering of the followers of Menno Simon in a region controlled at various times by Poland, the Teutonic Knights, Prussia, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, for a short time by Russia, and later on by Germany. One of the original cities in the Hanseatic League, Danzig was a major hub for shipping and commerce.

The Mennonites were invited to settle in the region due to their known expertise in reclaiming wetlands. Over time the Mennonites became quite prosperous, leading to a clash with the political interests in the late 1700's. That's where our family history picks up. Written with extensive use of footnoting and references to source materials, it has proven useful to many a novice Mennonite genealogist.

As yet unpublished, the historical novel unfolds in 1780, written in this style to provide some literary license to recreate as accurately as possible the era in which our ancestors lived and raised their families. Names of the persons in this story have been changed as have the facts, in order to protect any known ancestors.