Register of those massacred in Eichenfeld, Yazykovo Colony - Oct 26/27, 1919

The list of the dead was obtained from the diaries and letters of Cornelius Heinrichs, Mary Heinrichs and Julius Heinrichs, all children of #26; Katharina Hildebrand, daughter of #74; Aganetha Epp, daughter of #30.

Grave One

1)   Aaron David Klassen, 47 - minister
2)   Aron Aron Klassen, 23 - son of #1
3)   Johann Wilhelm Dyck, 35, son-in-law of #1
4)   Johann Jacob Braun, nephew of #3

Grave Two

5)   Wilhelm Martin Harder, 57
6)   Heinrich Wilhelm Harder, 21 - son of #5
7)   Peter Wilhelm Harder, 30 - son of #5
8)   David David Woelk, 39
9)   Isaak Wilhelm Guenther, 20 - from Gerhardstal
10) Heinrich Wilhelm Guenther, 18 - brother of #9
11) Isaak Isaak Guenther, 53 - father of #46, 80
12) Cornelius F. Krause, 34 - from Kronsweide

Grave Three

13) Paul Gerhard Friesen, 34 - from Paulsheim
14) Katharina Friesen, nee Pauls, 33 - wife of #13   Paul & Katharina were killed with a single shot
15) Abram Heinrich von Kampen, 26 - brother-in-law to #16, 18, 20, 22
16) Franz Johann Warkentin, 34 - brother to #18, 20, 22
17) Susanna Warkentin, nee Redekopp, 34 - wife of #16
 Susanna was the daughter of #36. She stood in front of her husband and died instantly from a gun shot. Franz was wounded with the same bullet, fled to the garden where he was found dead.
18) Isaak Johann Warkentin, 42 - son-in-law of #31
19) Johann Isaak Warkentin, 18 - son of #18
20) Johann Johann  Warkentin, 49
21) David Johann Warkentin, 20 - son of #20
22) Daniel Johann Warkentin, 47
23) Daniel Daniel Warkentin, 22 - son of #22

Grave Four

24) Jacob J. Huebert, 64
25) Anna (Mrs. Daniel) Huebert, 40 - daughter-in-law of #24
26) Heinrich Kornelius Heinrichs, 42
27) Peter Abram Quiring, 43 - single, brother to #28, 29
28) Jacob Abram Quiring, 38 - single
29) Johann Abram Quiring, 37
30) Johann Johann Epp, 48 - from Kronsweide, son-in-law of #31
31) Johann Jakob von Kampen, 70 - father of #32, 33, 41
32) Jacob Johann von Kampen, 29
33) Johann Johann von Kampen, 35
34) Heinrich Abram Wiens, 42 - teacher
35) Wilhelm Paul Peters, 20 - teacher

Grave Five

36) David Wilhelm Redekopp, 76 - father-in-law of #16, 22
37) Jacob Peter Wiebe, 42 - son-in-law of #36
38) Julius Jacob Lehn, 65 - single, fled from Neuenburg
39) Franz David Klassen, 46
40) Franz Franz Peters, 26 - single
41) David Johann von Kampen 27 - brother-in-law to #42-45
 Some lists put him in Grave Four together with his father and brothers
42) Peter Johann Peters, 18, brother to #43, 44, 45
43) Daniel Johan Peters, 17
44) Franz Johann Peters, 20 - single
45) Kornelius Johann Peters, 22 - single
46) David Isaak Guenther, 32 - brother-in-law to #42-45

Grave Six

47) Heinrich Jacob Dyck, 30 - from Gerhardstal
48) Abram Abram Dyck, 33 - son-in-law of #54
49) Abram Peter Heinrichs, 30
50) Peter _____ , a student staying with the Heinrichs family
51) Jacob Dombrowsky - son-in-law of #52
52) Abram Abram Teichroeb, 69
53) Jacob Abram Teichroeb, 47 - son of #52
54) Johann Johann Penner, 59 - father of #55-58
55) Peter Johann Penner, 17
56) Johann Johann Penner, 19
57) Jacob Johann Penner, 23 - single
58) Franz Johann Penner, 34 - single

Grave Seven

59) Wilhelm Peter Klassen, 23 - son of #60
60) Peter Wilhelm Klassen, 56
61) Franz J. Bergen, 20 - son-in-law of #60 from Neuhorst
62) Peter Wilhelm Pauls, 48 - single, son of #78
63) Kornelius Kornelius Pauls, 39

Grave Eight - The Tent Missionaries

They were found in Isaac Warkentin's granary. All had been killed by the sabre.

64) Jacob J. Dyck 30 - from Halbstadt, Molotschna
65) O. Juschkevitch - from Riga, Latvia
66) J. Golitsyn - a Russian from Mogilev
67) Regina Rosenberg - a Jewess from Konotop
68) Liese A. Huebert, 26 - from Rueckenau, Molotschna
69) Johan Schellenberg, 54 - minister from Reinfeld
 Schellenberg was not buried at Eichenfeld. His son heard of the tragedy, came to look for his father and identified him only by his clothes. The body was taken back to the Reinfeld estate for burial.

Grave Nine

70) Jacob J. Regier, 54
71) Wilhelm Jacob Loewen, 18 - son of #70
72) Gerhard Johann Funk, 43

Grave Ten

73) Peter Jacob Block, 57
 His four surviving sons dug the grave, built a coffin and laid their father to rest. One of them would be killed a few days later.

Grave Eleven

74) Heinrich David Hildebrand, 59
75) David Heinrich Hildebrand, 17 - son of #74
 Heinrich's sons-in-law Jacob Pauls and John Driedger hastily built a crude coffin of barn boards. Eva and Mrs. Hildebrand cleaned and bandaged the bodies for burial. They were the last ones to be buried on that fateful Tuesday.
 

Grave Twelve - with those who were murdered a little later

 Many of the survivors remained in Eichenfeld for a while, particularly mindful of the livestock which were bellowing loudly from hunger and thirst. As a result, the bandits came back to kill more people. A handful of survivors finally fled.

76) Jacob Kornelius Friesen, 78 - on Nov 2 with #77
77) David Gerhard Friesen, 22 - from Paulsheim, brother to #13
78) Wilhelm Kornelius Pauls, 76 - on Nov 4 with #79,80
79) Kornelius Wilhelm Pauls, 42 - son of #78
80) Abram Isaak Guenther 20, - son of #11
81) Johann Peter Block, 20 - on Nov 6, son of #73
82) Anna Huebert, wife of #24
 Blind old Mrs. Hubert was killed on Nov 6. Grave Four was opened and she was laid to rest beside her husband
83) Peter Abram Giesbrecht, 53
 Peter, in great despair, committed suicide on Oct 31.

On Tuesday, October 29, 1919, many people from the surrounding villages drove to Eichenfeld to bury their dead. Bodies had to be gathered; five corpses were placed on a wagon. Extreme horror and revulsion had to be overcome. The skulls of many bodies had been smashed, parts of bodies such as hands, feet, etc. had to be collected. To gather these limbs and place them on the wagons required strength and courage from Above. How they grieved, ached and lamented! It was like a battlefield. Some faces were mutilated beyond recognition.

It was a dreadful time when the bodies were laid out on the grass at the cemetery. Next of kin screamed, prayed fervently, held on to one another trying to console each other. It was heart-rending.

Since it was cold and because of the large number of the dead and also because everyone feared the return of the Machnowze, the bodies were generally not washed or dressed. In the graves the bodies were lain on their sides, alternating head to foot, so that more could be accommodated in the small space. No pillows were used for the heads, only a little straw.

There was no formal service. Some verses were recited and many tears shed. Planks were placed over the graves and covered with dirt. Peter Dietrich Klassen recorded the names as the
burial took place. A burial service was held later in the Nikolaipol church under the leadership of Elder Heinrich Epp (from the Warkentin Family Annals)
 

Return to Widows Trail of Tears

Return to Cruise Main Page