jek-part 03-tribute to my mother · the following article entitled “a tribute to my mother” was...

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THEFAITHOFMYPARENTSATributetoMyMother

ByJuliusEwaldKarlThefollowingarticleentitled“ATributetomyMother”waswritteninbothGermanandEnglishbyJuliusin1988withthenote:“Happyninety-firstbirthday,Mom!IloveyouandwillbeeternallygratefultoGodforyou.Fromyouronlyson,fulfillingthemissionyouprayedfor,JuliusE.Karl.”

TheGermanclassicalpoetGoethesays,“Nogenerationstandsasaheroorvillainbyhimself,butwestandastalloraslowaswedobecausewestandeitherontheshouldersofourpreviousgenerationsorarechainedtotheirvices.”Howtrue.OnthisMother'sDayandontheoccasionofmyMother’s91stbirthday,IwritethistributetoherwhoseshouldersraisedmetomypresentelevationandusefulnesstomygenerationandintheKingdomofGod.

Mymother,KarolineKarl,wasbornin1897asthesecondofeightchildrentoafamilyofGermanfarmers.Theybelongedtotheprotestantstatechurchandwerebaptizedassuch.Intheearly1920s,missionariesfromtheAnderson,IndianaChurchofGodinAmericacametotheirvillagepreaching,“Youmustbebornagain.”Mostofthechildreninmymother’sfamilywereintheirlateteensandearlytwenties.Theylistened,believedtheWordofGod,andgotsaved.

Nowthebattlebegan.Mygrandparentswerestronglyopposedtothedecisionoftheirchildren.Theybeatthemandusedforcetostopthemfromattendingthemeetingsofthesepeoplepreachingsalvation.MymotherrelateshowsheslippedoutthewindowintheeveningtogotothemeetingswhereshemetotherChristianyoungpeople.Whenmygrandfatherfoundout,hebeatherseverely,tryingtoforcehertorenouncehernewfaith,butshesteadfastlyheldontoherconfessionofJesus.

BecausethesenewlysavedpeoplebelievedtheBible,theytookseriouslytheBiblicaladmonition,Benotunequallyyokedtogetherwithunbelievers.SincetherewereonlyafewChristianyoungpeoplearound,myfathermarriedmymotherandtwoofhisbrothersmarriedtwoofhersisters;andonesisterofthebrothersmarriedabrotherofthesisters.AllofthisbecauseoftheirfaithinJesusChrist.Commit-menttoJesusmeantmorethananymaterialinheritancetheymightotherwiseget.

MyparentsmadeasincereefforttoraisemythreesistersandIinthefearandadmonitionoftheLord.Iremembersittingonthefrontrowinchurchwithmymomandsisterslisteningtomydad AyoungJulianKarl,Julius’Dad.

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preach.ThepeoplegreatlyrespectedmyparentsfortheirunwaveringcommitmenttoJesus.In1942,myDadwasdraftedtotheGermanArmy,andtheresponsibilitytoraisethe

fourofusfellsolelyuponmymother.ShereadtheBibletous,prayedwithus,admonishedus,andchastiseduswiththerod.SincetheNazishadclosedourchurchandforbiddenustoassemblepublicly,mymothersecretlyledthelittlecongregationandtookustosecretprayermeetingsundertheguiseoffamilygatheringsandbirthdayparties.Weyoungchildrenweresentriesoutsidewatchingforanystranger.OneSundayafternoonIwasondutywhenIsawsomeoneapproaching,andIranintothehousetoalertthem.Theywereallontheirkneespraying,butquicklyjumpedupwipingtheirtearsfromtheirfacesandbegantointeractsocially.

TheinevitablecollapseoftheThirdReichcameinspringof1945.BeforetheJewsweretakenawayin1942-43,theyhadtowear—sewnontheircoatinfrontandback—asixinchbrightyellowstarofDavid.Irememberhowoften,atgreatrisk,mymomtookfoodtothehungryJews.Also,inJanuary1945whentheRussianArmyoccupiedPolandandallGermanswerecivilianprisoners,alltheGermanshadtowearonfrontandback–sewnontheirgarmentsawhitesix-inchswastika.

IsawmydearMotherwiththebigswastikaonherfrontandback—despised,hated,andabused.Theinnocentsufferedwiththeguilty.

OnebittercolddayinJanuary1945,Ihadtoshovelsnowunderarmedguard.IpushedtheshovelunderwhatIthoughtwasafootofsnow,andwhenIliftedit,Iliftedthefrozenlegofadeadman.Terrified,IcriedandraninsidethepoliceprisonwheremymotherwascryingbecauseIwasfreezing.Mybarefingerswerestickingoutthroughthegloves.Mymotherhadaneedlewithapieceofthreadstuckbehindthelapeloftheman'sjacketshewaswearing.Shepulleditoutandtriedtomendmygloves.Whensheranoutofthreadbeforeshecouldmendalltheholesinmygloves,shestartedcryingwithabreakingheart.Ifeltlikewipingthetearsfromherface—hercryinghurtmemorethanmyfreezingfingers.

ProbablythefirstincidentwhenIrecallthattheHolySpiritspoketomewaswhenmymotherandIwerecleaningapolicestationafterhours.Tired,physicallysuffering,sheaskedmetocleansomearea,uponwhichIgotmadatherandshoweditonmyfaceasmuchasIcould.Shelookedatme,andcryingaskedme,“WhatwronghaveIdonetoyouthatyoudisplaysuchanger?"Iwasonlythirteen,buthercryingandquestionconvictedmeinsideandfocuseduponmysinful,selfishbehavior.

Ilookbackandseethepowerandinfluenceofthetearsandthebreakingheartofagodlymotheruponherchildren;butIalsosawthen,andseeitnowwithmoreperfectclarity,thesacrificialloveshehadforus. AfterthewarwasoverwewerenotallowedtoleavePoland.WewereprisonersuntilJune1947whenwewereabletoescapetoWestGermany.

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MomreadtheBibletous,encouragedustoreadit,andprayedwithusteenagechildrendaily.Inaddition,shespentalotoftimetalkingtousaboutbeingbornagainandservingGod.ShedevotedherselftoprivateBiblereadinganddevotions.Shetaughtusbothbypreceptandexampletoforgiveandtoaskforgiveness.Sheoftenaskedustoforgiveherwithtearsflowingdownherweatheredcheeks.Iamsurethatmostofthetimeshehadnotdoneuswrongbutwassimplyoverwhelmedbytheenormoustaskofraisingfourteenagersbyherself.Asaresultofherprayersandexample,allfourofusmadecommitmentstoChristasteenagers.Shetrainedusupinthewayweshouldgo.

MomoftentoldmehowshehaddedicatedmetotheLordwhenIwasbornandconstantlyprayedfortheLordtocallmetopreach.Sheneverwaveredinthatdeterminationanddesire.WhenIreachedmyearlytwenties,shewasmygreatestcheerleader.

ThisforegoingArticleentitled“ATributetomyMother”waswritteninbothGermanandEnglishbyJuliusin1988withthenote:“Happyninety-firstbirthday,Mom!IloveyouandwillbeeternallygratefultoGodforyou.Fromyouronlyson,fulfillingthemissionyouprayedfor,JuliusE.Karl.”

Left–Karoline’s90thbirthdaywithhersisters-LtoR–Klara,Hulda,andLidia.TheirbrotherGustavdiedin1946.Karolinesurvivedherothersiblings.Thesesistersmetmuchgriefintheirlife.Emma,theoldestwasmarriedtoFerdinandHoffman.Theyhadtwochildren,ErwinandGertrud(Henning).KlarawasmarriedtoAdamKarl.Theyhadfourchildren:Erika(Bohl),Horst,Irma,andHeidi(Flatt).ShediedinGermanywhenshewentforavisit.AdamdiedinCanadafromcancer.Huldadidnotmarryandasaresultofsomechildhoodillnesswasdeaf.

OlgawasmarriedtoRudolfKarl.Theyhadthreechildren:Olga(Schroeder),Ewald,andHeidi(Holz).Rudolphleftthefamilyandremarried.OlgaimmigratedtoCanadawithherchildren.TheWernersistershadtwobrothers:GustafWerner,marriedtoMartaKarl:theyhadfourchildren:Gustaf,Marta(Heimlich),Hildegard(Wagner),andFrieda(Stetner)JuliusWerner’sfirstwifewaskilledduringthewar.HeremarriedandremainedinEastGermany.EmmaandJuliusweretheonlytwosiblingswhodidnotimmigratetoCanada.