I
was told that I am half English and half Marshallese. It is quite true. My
great great grandfather came to the Marshall Islands in the year of 1890 and
served as a missionary around the Pacific. His name was Carl Russell Heine. He was
from England but grew up and was raised in Australia along with the rest of his
family. He migrated here by himself with no family or friends. He started
working as a missionary at Jaluit, an outer island, where he met a woman named
Arbella. They had a son named Claud. Later on, his wife passed away and there
he got re-married to the younger sister of his late wife, named Nenij. They had
eight children, and my descendants came from the sixth child.
Carl
Russell Heine continued his missionary work, travelling from island to island
with all his children, grandchildren, and wife with him. During that time, Japan
took control of the Marshall Islands. The Japanese did not believe in God and
did not want the missionaries to teach the Bible to them and the local people. They
were trying to prevent missionaries from preaching the word of God around the
Marshall Islands. They warned people that whoever was preaching the word of
God, they would have them beheaded or hanged. The Japanese soldiers found out
that there was an old man who persisted in preaching even though he was aware
of the consequences. Before they arrested him, he put all his children,
grandchildren, and wife in a hole where they could hide from the Japanese troops
so they would not be killed. He told them to hide every Bible they had and also
his missionary papers. After he made sure that his family was safe, he turned
himself in to the Japanese. They had him killed. It is a sad story but I can
say that my great great grandfather risked his life for his family, and did
what was best for them.
Hi, I really, really hope you get this. I'm doing research on my grandfather, who on Feb 1st, 1942 crashed into the Jaluit lagoon with his airplane and another plane during the Marshalls-Gilberts raids. 6 soldiers in all. They ended up on Pinglap island, where an old man took care of them until the Japanese came and captured them two days later. One little boy on the island was Carl Heine, later to become Ambassador. It was his grandfather who took care of my grandfather. That was either your great-great-grandfather Carl Heine, or little Carl's maternal grandfather, the father of Kathy Heine, and I don't know who that is. Do you think you might have some access to answers?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Bo Bannister
That old man you said that rescued your grandfather is my great great grandfather, late Reverend Carl Heine. The little Carl Heine is the grandson. He is also known for the name "Laan". You are right he was a senator before in the island of Jaluit and later became an ambassador. His dad, Bourne Heine, is the second son of my great great grandfather or his grandfather whom married his mom, Kathy Juda Heine.
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