 Four Generations: Susanna, Anna, Elizabeth, Berdine |
?, Grandma Susanna, ? Of this photo Will Hohm writes, " I do not know who those people are. I wonder if it might be Grandma Susanna's brother David Mendel from Freeman, SD and wife." (May, 2020)  |
 Four Generations: Dean, Art, Jacob, John |
Violet, Elizabeth, Susanna |
 Susanna, Elizabeth |
 (Susanna Tschetter's recollections, continued) We had very loving parents, and I loved them, and they loved me. We lived in peace with them, but we were not born again. The Lord strived with our soul, especially with my husband. At first I did not understand my husband because he started to pray and read the Bible. The new birth was not preached in our church where my brother-in-law, Paul Tschetter was the preacher. Our Hutterish people thought that all that was necessary to please God was to live a good clean life. To become a new creature in Christ Jesus, to be born into God's family, to have peace with God, and to have sins forgiven was something altogether unknown. In the beginning my dear mother-in-law and I were much opposed to this new ordeal, but we were soon convinced that this was the right way to salvation. My husband soon found peace with God and had the blessed assurance that he belonged to Jesus. The joy was so great that he could hardly sleep for joy. The Lord was so near to him because he was the first one of our people who had the assurance of salvation. Often the Lord appeared unto him, as it seemed, in a vision of brightness as an angel, as he was meditating in prayer before the Lord. Soon I was under conviction and with tears confessed my sins and surrendered my life to the Lord. Then I found peace and forgiveness and rest in the Lord, my Savior. It is a peace that the world cannot give and so together we were happy in the Lord until today I can say the Lord is mine, and I am his. My husband was baptized by immersion in November, 1886, when the water was frozen over as we all stood around on the ice. There were 5 others that were baptized with him by Rev. Henry Wiebe in the icy water but none caught a cold nor became sick. I was baptized the following spring with a number of others, including my beloved mother-in-law, 70 years of age, by elder Jacob A. Wiebe. We were all very happy. It is now 47 years but it seems but a short time. Yes, times go so fast, and we with it. I had much joy in following the Lord in baptism. |