MY MOTHER’S (ANNIE VERIGIN) VERSION ON HISTORY OF Seuyomma (Sam) Morozoff

(Dated January, 1990)

Note: Elmer Verigin, son of Annie Verigin, transcribed from her personal  writings using her own words  (she was a grade four graduate) with no corrections to keep the authenticity.

“……True life about Seuyomma (Sam) Morozoff. He was my grandfather and your great, great grandfather (Elmer’s note: as written to her son Elmer’s children Nona, Lori, Tamara and Kimbal).                                                                                       I had a lot of respect for him. He was a kind man, he tried to help all he could do, if anybody ask him for help, he would give his last shirt off his back. His life was rough hard life. He was born in 1859 in Russia Republic of Georgia Village of Slavlanka. He was the son of Meisha (Mike) and Poilya (Polly nee Dubosov) Morozoff.

There were four (4) sons besides Seuyomma. Their father Meisha was a drinking man. He kept drinking until his sons grew up and told him to quit.

Seuyomma never went to school (I don’t think there was school). They just learn from their parents or from who ever knew how to read and write. Seuyomma was a respectable man. He married and had 5 children of his own, and he was mayor of that village in Russia. They called him Deissatnick. I don’t know exactly what year it was, when Russia demanded that they need so many soldiers but Doukhobors won’t let their sons join the army. They burned their guns, who had, and refused to join the army (Elmer note that was before June 29, 1895 when they burned their arms). They were pulling some tickets, and if ticket (Elmer’s note this happened after the burning of arms and was the penalty accessed the Doukhobors in each family) say to be soldiers, he has to join the army and obey their laws. Seuyomma and his two brothers pulled those terrible tickets and they had to go but refused to go, so they were sent to prison (Elmer’s note: they were sent to Yakurst) for life.

Seuyomma had 5 children. His brother Pete, that had to go too, were also married and had one child. Brother Ely, was a young lad, but he had to go too. Two brothers that were lucky that didn’t had to go were Mike and youngest brother, John. Mike was married and had family, I can’t remember how many, but John wasn’t married.

Seuyomma and his two brothers were sent to prison and meanwhile first group of Doukhobors were emigrated to Canada. Seuyomma and Peter’s families were with that group. While brothers were in prison, Pete got sick and died.

Martha (Seuyomma’s wife) and her 5 children, one of them was my father Seuymeon and he used to tell us later, about sailing on the sea. He was 7 years old and he could remember when the weather was rough and the ship used to rock from side to side, old people were scared and they sit and pray but children like him had fun. They would run from side to side.

They were thirty days and nights on the water. They landed in Halifax in 1899. Lot of kind people helped them in many ways, but they had to work hard to survive. For Martha and other women like here, whose husbands were in prison was a hard life.

I really don’t know how long Seuyomma and Ely stayed in prison. When they were transferred them and other men to cold Siberia forever. There Ely met with one young girl and got married, by name of Matroniya and later the son was born to them as Mike.

There were many things happened, I don’t know exactly now and there is nobody living now that could tell us. Finally Seuyomma and Ely and his wife got to Canada the hard way. Seuyomma (grandfather) used to tell us, it was 10 years passed before they got together with his family(Elmer’s note: the approximate 100 prisoners so impressed the local Governor with their trade(s) talent in the work they performed for the Governor that he recommended their sentence be reduced to 10 years and so they used their earnings, that the Governor had decided to pay them. to permit them to travel to Canada in 1905 . Children grew up and his youngest son George burnt his eyes out. Martha (grandma) was living in some village with other Doukhobors all working together. There was Lordly, Peter Verigin, was their leader.

There was some misunderstanding and soon Seuyomma was pushed out of that village. Seuyomma was quite hurt to think he had suffered so much and being away from his family and saving Doukhobors from going to war, now he was no good any more. God helped him or otherwise he wanted to get rid of himself. He said he had three friends who really helped him: one was Patience, second was Reasoning and the third was Meekness and after he talked with them, he could keep on living.

Pretty soon he found job for himself, and after a while, Martha and their family came joined him. She worked hard too, to keep the family fed. She used to tell us later, that she washed some bodys clothes for a bar of soap. Then use to wash her clothes. They used to have dirt floors. There was no money to buy wooden floors and many had roofs made of dirt too.

The life went on and most of the children grew up and got married. Then time came when homesteads were given for five dollars and Seuyomma got homestead 4 ½ miles Northwest of Veregin but lived in village called Pakrovka but farmed on their homesteads. His second son Seuymeon was married and he had his family living together in same house there in that village. Brother Ely was living in that village but across the street. His oldest son Pete and his second wife moved to their own homestead some place North of Canora. Pete’s first wife died, when she was giving birth to a little girl. So that baby was left for Martha to look after. So Seuyomma and Martha had two big burdens, blind son George and granddaughter Nora to look after. So Seuyomma and his family were living in same house and helping them in many ways.

Little by little, everybody started moving to their own farms and so did Seuyomma and his son Seuymeon and his family too. Everything went smoothly for awhile. Then in November 1918, there was terrible Flu went around and lot of people dying and so it did happen to Seuymeon’s wife Masha died (that was my mother), and she was 28 years old leaving us girls motherless. Soon Martha had to look after us also.

That winter Seuymeon got married to a girl 10 years younger than him. Within a year, their son Alec was born to them, but they still living in same house with Seuyomma and Martha and the family. I can’t remember how long they lived like that and it was getting hard so they decided to break the family in two. So Seuyomma, Martha, the blind son and granddaughter, Nora, would live in old house and on same yard, they pulled house from other farm that was for Seuymeon’s family. I was about 13 years old and same with cousin Nora (she was the same age) when our dear hardworking grandma (Martha) died. She was 65 years old and it was 1924. The life sure changed for Nora. She had to cook and look after grandpa and after uncle George. But we lived in same yard, we helped each other a lot. Then after 10 years or so, another bad luck happened….Seuymeon got sick and died of Cancer in October 27, 1929. He was not quite 40 years old and left 7 children fatherless, 3 from his first marriage and 4 from his second wife, Alec, Sam, Nick and Florence.

Then next spring in March I got married to Bill Verigin and in April, Cousin Nora got married to Nick Chernoff. There was grandfather Seuyomma, left with blind son George. So he asked my sisters, his granddaughters (Polly and Lillian) to moved to his place and help him look after George and him. So girls moved to his place. They thought it will be better to to live there with Grandpa then with stepmother. She was young yet. She decided to get married again, and they will be on their way. So they moved to Seuyomma’s (Grandpa) place and look after their grandpa and Uncle George.

I can’t remember how long they lived like that when Lillian got married to John Sookachoff from Buchanan. Then after a year or two, Polly got married to Fred Chernoff. Then Grandpa asked his Granddaughter Nora and her husband Nick Chernoff, to look after him and George. I can’t remember how long they lived like that. When Seuyomma’s health went down and in December 27, 1938, he died. Nick and Nora and their three girls lived there for a while then bought farm of their own and moved there and took Uncle George with them there too.

When they retired, they built house in Canora. Yes, they took Uncle George along too but it wasn’t very good for Uncle George in town cause he likes to be outside but in town they can’t leave him or he might wander away. They use to put him in the hospital, if they go away for a few days and in 1972 they took him to Nursing Home in Canora and there he stayed till he died in December 27, 1978.

It used to bother Nora for giving him to Nursing Home cause she promised Grandpa to look after him to the last. But she often visit him in Nursing Home and bring him something to eat from home. I and my sisters, we would visit him too. Once in a while, he wouldn’t say anything, bet he would smile as if to say that he knew that we are there and he would stretch his hands to us. We always bring him something to eat. Even now, when I think of him, I could see him with his hands stretched to us.

I can’t remember how long Uncle was at Nursing Home. Then he finally died in 1979. (Elmer note, a conflict in a specific death date as December 27, 1978 stated above). He was in his 80s. His funeral was in Canora at Doukhobor Dom, but he was buried in Veregin Cemetery.

There are no old buildings where Seuyomma Morozoff and his son Seuymeon use to live, just good happy memories where we used to slide down the hill, when we were young.

Those were the Days!

(Elmer note: Anne Verigin was the oldest daughter of Seuymeon Morozoff. Anne died on January 17, 2003 and was also buried beside he husband Bill in the Veregin Cemetery with most of her immediate relatives.

Transcribed by Elmer Verigin September 19, 2012