SIX RUSSIAN CHILDREN

Heinrich Johann and Katharina Dürksen's first son Heinrich was born in 1833. He died very young. They had six more children, all of whom survived. Johann Dürksen was born October 4, 1836, Elizabeth Dürksen on December 30, 1840. Jacob Dürksen was born October 1, 1841 and Abraham Dürksen in 1843. Cornelius Dürksen arrived on December 21, 1847 and on September 17, 1856, came their little sister Eva Dürksen, born near the end of the Crimean War.

The war with Russia had begun in March of 1854 and by the end of the summer; the coalition of England, France and Turkey had driven the Russians out of Walachia and Moldavia. Then in September the French and British landed their armies on the Crimean peninsula in an attempt to seize the Russian naval base at Sevastopol, Crimea. This put the conflict at Molotschna's southern doorstep. Although the Mennonites were not subject to conscription, they were expected to, and did, contribute supplies and financial resources. Each farmer was required to provide a wagon and horses to haul supplies for the Russian armies in the Crimea. Young Mennonite men drove wagons to the war zone where they were exposed to much horror and suffering.

Soldiers marched through villages, and refugees flooded by. The wounded were brought back to Mennonite colonies for nursing care. These events strongly influenced Molotschna settlers, including the Dürksens, the Funks and their neighbors in Alexanderthal. Finally, in early 1856, Sevastopol fell and the war was over.

About 1858 oldest brother Johann Dürksen married Agatha (Ida) Teichrieb. Some time before 1870 Johann moved his family to Kherson and then Kharkov Russia. Their first child was Heinrich J. born June 16, 1859. He would later marry Maria Dirks. The second child Agatha, born in 1860, would marry Alan Rembolt. The third child was Katharina born in 1863. Their fourth child was Justina, born about 1867. She would later marry her first cousin Henry, the son of her father's brother Abraham. Their fifth child Johann was born in Kherson on May 19, 1870. He would later marry Margaretha (Maggie) Fast. On Dec 6, 1872 their sixth child Eva J. was born in Kharkov. She would marry John Rexin.

Heinrich J. and Katharina's oldest daughter Elizabeth Dürksen married Isaac Heinrich who became mentally disabled some time after their three sons were born. He was institutionalized.