View source for Peters, Abraham (1833-1882)

Abraham Peters: a minister of the [[Orloff Mennonite Church (Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Ohrloff-Neukirch]][[Orloff Mennonite Church (Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Mennonite Church]], [[Molotschna Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Molotschna Mennonite settlement]], [[Russia|Russia]], and the leader of a settlement in [[Aulie-Ata Mennonite Settlement (Kazakhstan)|Aulie-Ata]]<em>; </em>born 7 May 1833 in Petershagen, Molotschna, South Russia, the son of Duerk Abraham Peters.  Abraham married Agatha Wiebe (21 October 1833, Wernersdorf, Molotschna, South Russia - 7 June 1877, Friedensruh, Molotschna, South Russia) in 1858. Abraham and Agatha had seven children, but only two, Dietrich and Jacob, lived beyond childhood. Abraham died 4 February 1882 in Tashkent, Turkestan.

Peters was a teacher and was chosen to the ministry in 1873. Under the impact of a revival which swept the Mennonite settlements, the writings of [[Jung-Stilling, Johann Heinrich (1740-1817) |Jung-Stilling]], and the introduction of compulsory military service, he - like [[Epp, Claas (1838-1913)|Claas Epp]]<em>, </em>who led the settlement in [[Ak-Mechet (Uzbekistan)|Ak-Mechet]] - became the leader of several dozen Molotschna Mennonite families who went to [[Soviet Central Asia|Central Asia]] in 1880 to seek a refuge from the Tribulation, which they thought was at hand. Peters hoped to secure his ordination as elder at Trakt but failed. Upon arrival at [[Tashkent (Toshkent Province, Uzbekistan)|Tashkent]] his group and Epp's negotiated regarding their eventual settlement. Peters died before his group eventually settled in the Talas River Valley region forty miles south and east of Aulie-Ata.  


= Bibliography =
Bartsch, Franz. <em>Unser Auszug nach Mittelasien. </em>North Kildonan, 1948: 40 ff.

Belk, Fred Richard.  The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884.  Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1976.

Friesen, Peter M. <em>Die Alt-Evangelische Mennonitische Brüderschaft in Russland (1789-1910) im Rahmen der mennonitischen Gesamtgeschichte</em>. Halbstadt: Verlagsgesellschaft "Raduga", 1911: 409, 480 ff.

GRANDMA (The <strong>G</strong>enealogical <strong>R</strong>egistry <strong>an</strong>d <strong>D</strong>atabase of <strong>M</strong>ennonite <strong>A</strong>ncestry) Database, 5.04 ed. Fresno, CA: [http://calmenno.org/index.htm California Mennonite Historical Society], 2007: #2336.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. <em>Mennonitisches Lexikon</em>. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 353.
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