Seminole: Some People Never Give Up

by Tina Siemens

1569: Anabaptist Dirk Willems plots his escape from prison and sure death. He succeeds, only to discover the one thing that will deliver him true freedom. 1875: On the rugged plains of the Llano Estacado, Lt. C.R. Ward leads his exhausted men on an expedition to remove the Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne. They are out of water and near death when his Seminole scouts find a miracle in the desert. 1921: Mennonite Jacob Rempel, holding the same beliefs as Willems, prepares his family to escape an entire country. Will their journey end the same? In a true story of faith, hope, and perseverance, Rempel’s granddaughter, Tina Siemens, reveals the incredible narrative of an event that captivated the hearts of people around the world. From the parched territory of Mexico to the West Texas town of Seminole, Siemens gives a firsthand account of her family’s difficult migration… and the people who wouldn’t quit. Experience this vivid saga of a man determined to survive, a people who refused to die, and the town that fostered it all. SEMINOLE. Because miracles do happen.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2019

About the author

Katharina “Tina” Rempel immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1977, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1986. She married her best friend, John Siemens, on April 17, 1988. She is the proud mother of two sons, both married, and Oma to four precious grandchildren. In 1989, Tina and her husband, John, started JW&T, Inc.—a company specializing in both residential and commercial construction.
Tina has served on various boards in Seminole, including the Chamber of Commerce and the hospital board. In November 2015, Tina had the great honor of being named citizen of the year of Seminole, Texas. And hardly a day goes by that she doesn’t tell someone how proud she is to be an American! This is her first book.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! It's about my people and my town! In a roundabout way, it's part of my own history.

I loved the way this was written, "creative nonfiction" the author called it. Made it very easy to read. Info dumping and dry facts do not make for a very gripping tale! :P

I remember having conversations with my family about how someone should write about the Mennonite's journey and experience in immigrating to Seminole. I knew it was interesting and full of problems, turmoil, and not knowing if they could stay, but I never knew how much...until now.

I'm extremely grateful Tina Siemens wrote this book and told their story for others to read.

[Delilah Ingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story!

I live about 30 miles from Seminole, so I have known a lot of the Mennonite people through the years. This book helped me to understand even better the struggles that they went through when they first settled in the area.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the Mennonites, but it’s also a good book to encourage us all to understand the way God can bless in spite of our struggles. We can also learn from the example of the people in local, state, and the national government who went above and beyond to help so many people with the paperwork and government red tape that was necessary for citizenship.

[Alwilda Jaquish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a most interesting book filled with stories of human struggles against the dogma of a religious group who struggled to find God's way in an inhospitable world. I had little knowledge of the Mennonites or their way of life. Tina Siemens brings life to the struggles to be free to live and worship as they followed the doctrine of their religion. The the list of individuals included in this story brought to life the fact that this was, in fact, real life stories captured in prose that gripped my attention and imagination. I couldn't put the book down as it described the lived experiences of people who endured persecution, struggles in physical and spiritual survival beginning in the Ukraine, moving to Canada, then migrating to Mexico. Finally, Jacob and a group of Mennonites returned to Canada only to be refused citizenship. They returned to Mexico but Jacob continued his pursuit of life in the United States. There were years of struggle as they dealt with United State government and difficulties in establishing a new home in Texas. The author documents some of the legislative activities that eventually allowed the Mennonites to become citizens of the United States. This was a gripping saga that I could not put down. I read every word and appreciated their struggle to live freely in their chosen country.
Thank for such a revelatory book. I shall long remember it.

[marcus miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author tells the story story of her families experience in an Old Colony Mennonite community in Mexico and her fathers attempts to leave the community. The title of the book refers to the town of Seminole, Texas the place where her parents finally succeed in establishing a life away from the colony in Mexico.
Siemens doesn't sugarcoat the problems of the Old Colony Mennonites, nor does she seem to spend a lot of time placing blame. Rather it seems to be more of a "it was what it was," approach. Her families story is compelling especially the dynamic evident between her father and his grandfather, both who had a desire to leave the community. The older man wasn't able to go, but he did encourage his grandson to leave and to get an education.
The story has some loose ends as the author seems to drop the story of Rose(?) one of the women who helped the town of Seminole prosper. It feels a bit like the editor perhaps told the author it was time to land the plane and bring the book to an end. The book gets a bit preachy at the end as Siemens tells the story of how the Mennonites immigration papers were finally approved allowing them to stay in the country.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book because I thought it was about native Americans. It is a history of Mennonites following one family. They moved from the Ukraine to Canada. When it became too hard to follow their religious rules, some moved to Mexico. I learned much about how Mennonites lived and worked, the rules they lived by, and the fact that they believed that hard work would lead to salvation. The family ultimately moved to Seminole, Texas. This happened in my lifetime, but I don't remember all the media coverage. The last part of the book has sections explaining Mennonites customs.
It was episodic in telling jumping years. It was interesting.

[Linda Lysack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because it tells the story of a branch of my family that I was not that familiar with. I ended up enjoying it not only for that information, but for the story and the various themes in it. In learning the history of a group of people, you appreciate their values and contributions. The reader can't help but appreciate the resilience, ethics and dedication of the Mennonites seeking a better life for their families. The author has an unabashed love of her adopted community and country for the opportunities it has given her. A great story and a good lesson, too.

[Carrie-Lee Hurzeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Grandma, her 13 siblings, and her parents moved from the Canadian prairies with the same hopes that things would get better for them, however after just a year or two they decided to move back home to Canada. I’m so very thankful they did and I’m so thankful to have read this book, this really was like seeing the world through my Grandmothers eyes.

[Dinah Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this family history interesting to read and informative concerning the movement of the Mennonite's movement's. Although they weren't the ones who forcibly removed the Natives from their homes they benefited by these actions. So, the gross negligence of how these people came to this land and removed the Native Americans is morally reprehensible to me.