A Short Note on Mennonites
to America from Harbin China
as told in
ESCAPE Siberia to California
by Pastor John D. Block, retired
© copyright 1995 by John Movius and FEEFHS, all rights reserved
First Posted 23 December 1996
ESCAPE Siberia to California, the 65 Year Providential Journey of Our Family, 171
pages, self published in April 1995 by retired Mennonite Pastor John D. Block, 14 Manteca
Court, Sacramento, California 95831-3409.
The book describes his personal recollections. The group originally came from the Chortiza
Colonie near Ekanterinoslav (now Zaporozhye, Ukraine) and the Molotschna Colonie in the
Taurida region. They came from many parts of Russia -- primarily in Western Siberia -- and
settled in the Amur River region of Eastern Siberia in 1927-1928. It is border of Russia and
China. He was then part of a group of about 180 Mennonites that left Russia by crossing the
icy Amur River in small groups over a period of months. They left at night in the winter of
1928-1929 and went to Harbin China.
They waited at Harbin - a Russian-Chinese city - for upwards of a year until President
Hoover approved their emigration to America. They were sponsored by American
Mennonites. They came to America in small groups of 16 per month from September 1929
through June 1930. Some (including Block) landed in Seattle, while others landed in San
Francisco. He was part of the group that went to the Mennonite Brethern settlements near
Fresno. A few went to Mennonite General Conference settlements around Spokane
Washington.
Reunions were heald after 25 years (1955), again in 1980 and every five years since at
Dinuba, California east of Fresno. Pastor Block did a survey of the group in 1980 and
discovered there were over 1,100 descendants from these 180 pioneers.
He is now writing a genealogy report based on the 175 responses he received from his survey
and other records. He welcomes contact or information from anyone descended from this
group or researching persons from this group. He does not have eMail, so please write him
at the address below.
FEEFHS has agreed to publish his report on the genealogy of this group on line and in
printed form when it becomes available, hopefully in 1997.
A few copies of this interesting book are still available for US$16.00 postpaid to U.S. and
Canada addresses and US$17.00 postpaid for overseas addresses. Please send your check or
money order to:
Pastor John D. Block
14 Manteca Court
Sacramento, California 95831-3409.
Telephone: (916) 391-2484
eMail address - To be provided
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