TRANSKRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:05.900
Dear Pastor Raywinkle, I am sorry to add this additional
2
00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:09.599
burden to your work. I know that what has been
3
00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:12.220
done is wrong from all that I have been taught
4
00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:14.949
and that any reasons that I might give will not
5
00:00:15.009 --> 00:00:18.390
make it right. But you are the one person that
6
00:00:18.449 --> 00:00:21.929
I know that, while not condoning this, will at least
7
00:00:22.050 --> 00:00:27.170
possibly understand why I felt that I had to do this. One,
8
00:00:28.429 --> 00:00:31.210
I wasn't earning anything anywhere near enough to support us.
9
00:00:32.210 --> 00:00:35.710
Everything I tried seemed to fall to pieces. True, we
10
00:00:35.729 --> 00:00:40.490
could have gone bankrupt and maybe gone on welfare. Two.
11
00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:44.200
But that brings me to my next point. Knowing the
12
00:00:44.219 --> 00:00:46.390
type of location that one would have to live in,
13
00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:49.979
plus the environment for the children, plus the effect on
14
00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:53.450
them knowing that they were on welfare, was just more
15
00:00:53.490 --> 00:00:57.310
than I thought they could and should endure. I know
16
00:00:57.340 --> 00:00:59.740
they were willing to cut back but this involved a
17
00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:05.439
lot more than that. 3. With Pat being so determined
18
00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:08.159
to get into acting, I was also fearful as to
19
00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:10.650
what that might do to her continuing to be Christian.
20
00:01:11.650 --> 00:01:16.689
I'm sure it wouldn't have helped. 4. Also, with Helen
21
00:01:16.730 --> 00:01:19.250
not going to church, I knew that this would harm
22
00:01:19.290 --> 00:01:22.939
the children eventually in their attendance. I had continued to
23
00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.400
hope that she would begin to come to church soon
24
00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:28.469
but when I mentioned to her that Mr Yudsei wanted
25
00:01:28.510 --> 00:01:30.829
to pay her an elder's call, she just blew up
26
00:01:31.250 --> 00:01:35.370
and said she wanted her name taken off the church rolls. Again,
27
00:01:35.390 --> 00:01:38.150
this could only have an adverse result for the children's
28
00:01:38.189 --> 00:01:44.620
continued attendance. So, that is the sum of it. If
29
00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:47.019
any one of these had been the condition, we might
30
00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:50.959
have pulled through, but this was just too much. At
31
00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:53.079
least I'm certain that all have gone to heaven now.
32
00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:56.370
If things had gone on, Who knows if this would
33
00:01:56.390 --> 00:02:02.090
be the case? Of course, Mother got involved because doing
34
00:02:02.129 --> 00:02:03.849
what I did to my family would have been a
35
00:02:03.909 --> 00:02:07.930
tremendous shock to her at this age. Therefore, knowing that
36
00:02:07.969 --> 00:02:10.189
she is also a Christian, I felt it best that
37
00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:12.659
she be relieved of the troubles of this world that
38
00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:16.139
would have hit her. After it was all over, I
39
00:02:16.180 --> 00:02:18.520
said some prayers for them all, from the hymn book.
40
00:02:19.419 --> 00:02:22.560
That was the least that I could do. Now for
41
00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:25.750
the final arrangements. Helen and the children have all agreed
42
00:02:25.889 --> 00:02:28.789
that they would prefer to be cremated. Please see to
43
00:02:28.849 --> 00:02:33.409
it that the costs are kept low. For Mother, she
44
00:02:33.449 --> 00:02:37.169
has a plot at the Frankenmuth Church Cemetery. Please contact
45
00:02:37.430 --> 00:02:44.939
Mr Herman Shelkus, Route 4, Vassar, Michigan, 41768. He's married
46
00:02:45.020 --> 00:02:47.460
to a niece of Mother's and knows what arrangements are
47
00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:51.539
to be made. She always wanted Reverend Herman Zender of
48
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:55.599
Bay City to preach the sermons. but he's not well. Also,
49
00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:58.860
I'm leaving some letters in your care. Please send them
50
00:02:58.979 --> 00:03:02.900
on and add whatever comments you think appropriate. The relationships
51
00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:16.860
are as follows. Also, I don't know what will happen
52
00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:19.659
to the books and personal things, but to the extent possible,
53
00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.219
I'd like for them to be distributed as you see fit.
54
00:03:23.189 --> 00:03:28.789
Some books might go to the school or church library. Originally,
55
00:03:29.030 --> 00:03:31.449
I had planned this for November 1st, All Saints Day,
56
00:03:32.210 --> 00:03:34.650
but travel arrangements were delayed. I thought it would be
57
00:03:34.689 --> 00:03:38.840
an appropriate day for them to get to heaven. As
58
00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:41.740
for me, please let me be dropped from the congregation rolls.
59
00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.400
I leave myself in the hand of God's justice and mercy.
60
00:03:46.419 --> 00:03:48.039
I don't doubt that he is able to help us,
61
00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:50.939
but apparently he saw fit not to answer my prayers
62
00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.990
the way that I hoped they would be answered. This
63
00:03:54.030 --> 00:03:55.789
made me think that perhaps it was for the best
64
00:03:55.909 --> 00:03:58.960
as far as the children's souls are concerned. I know
65
00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:01.340
that many will only look at the additional years they
66
00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:04.439
could have lived, but if finally they were no longer Christians,
67
00:04:04.740 --> 00:04:08.419
what would be gained? Also, I'm sure many will say,
68
00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:12.580
how could anyone do such a horrible thing? My only
69
00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:15.740
answer is it isn't easy, and was only done after
70
00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:21.300
much thought. Pastor, Mrs Norris may possibly be reached at
71
00:04:21.300 --> 00:04:25.050
802 Pleasant Hill Drive, Elkin. home of her sister. One
72
00:04:25.089 --> 00:04:27.920
other thing, it may seem cowardly to have always shot
73
00:04:27.949 --> 00:04:30.279
from behind, but I didn't want any of them to know,
74
00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:32.860
even at the last second, that I had to do
75
00:04:32.899 --> 00:04:37.339
this to them. John got hurt more, because he seemed
76
00:04:37.379 --> 00:04:40.910
to struggle longer. The rest were immediately out of pain.
77
00:04:41.490 --> 00:04:46.149
John didn't consciously feel anything either. Please remember me in
78
00:04:46.170 --> 00:04:48.490
your prayers. I will need them whether or not the
79
00:04:48.529 --> 00:04:51.230
government does its duty as it sees it. P.S. John.