Monday, April 29, 2013

My Great Great Grandfather

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.

2 comments:

  1. 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?

    Thank you,

    Bo Bannister

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  2. 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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