Thelma’s Photo Restoration Story

"Semyon Nikolayevich Shevchenko was born in Russia to Nikolay Shevchenko and his first wife. After his conversion into the Protestant sect and becoming a preacher, he was exiled with his family to somewhere along the Polish or Lithuanian border.

During times of famine, nothing grew in the fields and gardens, so the Germans living in the area helped feed the family. Still, he and Oksana both died of famine in the early 1900s.

This photo was taken in one of the Russian Orthodox Cathedrals. Having your photo taken was a requirement for membership.

Religion was a serious issue during that time and the protestant movement had to meet privately and secretly to study the Bible. My Mom Doris brought a Russian Bible with her when her family migrated to the United States in 1924.

Sadly to say that the Bible my Mom brought with her on the boat is lost as of May 2020 during our devastating flood here in Midland, MI, USA. There is so much more to the lives of these generations but I’ve written enough for a reading."