Today we had the pleasure of visiting the graves of Nikolaus and Nadja Onjanow - two beloved parishioners of St. John the Forerunner. Last Sunday marked the 9th annual memorial for Nikolaus who departed on May 23 (his birthday! - 90th in 2012) and since he is laid to rest beside his wife, Nadja, we were able to visit them both today and to hear stories about their remarkable lives from their children, Vera and Michael and the parishioners present exchanged fond memories as well.
Nikolaus and Nadja were born in Ukraine during Soviet rule. They met in a work camp in Germany when they were "displaced" during World War II. The two were married on July 14, 1947. Nikolaus had already begun work on his engineering degree before his displacement but he had to complete it in Germany after the War - not a small feat to earn an advanced degree in a language foreign to your own! After he earned his degree he found work in Brazil, where his two sons, Michael and Alexander were born. Nikolaus, native Ukrainian who earned his degree in German now found himself working in a Portuguese speaking country. Not long after settling in Brazil the Onjanow family needed to move again for the sake of Nadja's health. They relocated to Buffalo, NY and added a baby girl, Vera, to their family. English was now the 5th language Nikolaus and Nadja would master. While living in New York, Nikolaus was tonsured a reader in ROCOR (the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia). Later the family would relocate to Texas and begin attending the relatively new parish of St. John the Forerunner.
Several years passed before Nikolaus and Nadja began to search for family members in their home country. An aunt was found in Ukraine and some cousins - Vera was able to travel there with her mother to meet them. Nikolaus discovered that his mother had survived all of the hardships of the war and displacement and had settled in a nice home. But he never saw her again in his lifetime, after their separation from each other when he was only 18-years-old. And of course, one of the most awe-inspiring discoveries was that his grandfather, after whom Nikolaus was named, worked as an Orthodox Priest in Siberian Russia and was crowned a New Martyr during the Soviet Revolution when he was captured and forced to dig his own grave before they took his life. Our Church has an icon of the New Martyr Nikolaus Onjanow and we bring it out each year in January for its veneration. Here is a picture Vera brought of her father, Nikolaus reading in Russian, the service for his Martyred grandfather when the icon was first introduced to our parish.
Vera remarked that she grew closer with her father in the years following her mother's departure. They attended Liturgy together and Vera often drove him to run errands or attend appointments. She shared that it was a surprisingly tender choice for Nikolaus to include this inscription on the backside of his monument:
The Monument itself was designed entirely by Nikolaus and showcases his talent as an engineer and artist, having carefully chosen each detail and expertly executed each of them. It is evident in this thoughtful touch how much Nikolaus loved and esteemed his children.
Becky Thurner shared her memory of Nikolaus's faithful attendance at the monthly Akathist to the Theotokos, Nurturer of Children prayed by the parents and grandparents of our Parish. Today we take comfort in the knowledge that Nikolaus is still praying for our children. He loves his own children and grandchildren very much, and he loves ours as well.
We in the Groh household are very grateful to Nikolaus for his prayers for our boys and it was a great privilege to bring them to his grave today to pray for him and for Nadja, too.
And in case any other children need an incentive to attend a picnic with the departed - check out the happy grin on this kid's face, who got to hold Father Deacon Andrew's censor for a brief moment while all of the ministry items were gathered together.
Reader Matthew recalls the gratitude Nikolaus tenderly expressed when he and Reader Mark were able to locate some prayer books in Russian for him.
Father Deacon Andrew shared his memory of Nikolaus and Al Khoury conversing in what they surely thought were quiet voices during liturgy. Two good friends who were both suffering some hearing loss late in their life would greet one another with affectionately booming timbres of voice. Deacon Andrew remembers remarking to Reader Matthew Groh that he expects the two of them will fill those spots one day.
Any of us will be greatly blessed to finish our race as well as Nikolaus and Nadja completed theirs. They modeled such strength and fortitude in their lives. None of us really know what it is to "suffer" as we easily complain that our internet is running slowly or the line at Starbucks is too long.
Please continue to pray for us, Nikolaus and Nadja. And May your Memory be Eternal.
We had the bonus privilege today of seeing Bob's parents in this picture Vera brought of her parents and Bob's together.
Memory Eternal to the Poe Family, too - I leave you with this little animated photograph from our visit to the cemetery today. Bob's parents are resting very closely to Vera's. So if you missed our trip to the Liberty Hill Cemetery today - consider stopping by on your own sometime. The Onjanaw and Poe graves are located very closely to the first entrance into the cemetery. You can't miss Nikolaus's beautifully designed Orthodox monument, or the bright arrangements of flowers with which Vera and Bob have lovingly adorned their parent's graves. Thank you very much to Vera and Bob Poe and Michael Onjanow for allowing us to visit and learn more about your parents today.
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