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00:04 I was born in a little town 00:07 called Adair, Iowa 00:09 —actually out on the farm— 00:11 and that was in 1930. 00:15 I was born in 1931, 00:17 also in a small town in Iowa. 00:20 My father wanted to be a farmer. 00:23 So we moved to a farm, and I grew up on a farm. 00:26 And then the Watchtower Study of a little group, 00:29 and then a little congregation was in our home. 00:32 And happily, when Peggy’s father came into the truth, 00:37 the family came to our place to the Watchtower Study. 00:42 I was—I guess at that time— eight or nine, 00:46 and Peggy was one year younger. 00:49 But the thing was, they moved away just after about one year. 00:55 Well, I started pioneering in September 1948. 01:00 Gilead was what I wanted. 01:03 I didn’t apply for Bethel 01:05 because I liked the field service, 01:07 and I thought South America, Africa, 01:09 countries where there is still so much to do 01:12 —that’s what I wanted. 01:15 I was called to Gilead 01:18 in 1951, in February. 01:23 The assignment after attending Gilead 01:28 was a great surprise. 01:30 Brother Schroeder, one of the instructors, 01:33 he said: “You will have 01:35 “a very wonderful opportunity, 01:38 “being assigned to the German Bethel. 01:41 “There are brothers there 01:43 “who have been in concentration camps for up to nine years, 01:47 and you can learn very much from these brothers.” 01:51 And that was very true. 01:56 In 1953, at the convention in New York, 02:00 I saw a beautiful young sister 02:03 standing in the cafeteria line next to my cafeteria line. 02:07 And I looked twice, 02:09 and it was Peggy. 02:11 So we were together for the rest of the convention 02:14 and decided that we would correspond and think about serving together. 02:19 In 1955 we married. 02:24 I had received the assignment to circuit work. 02:28 We were assigned to northern Germany. 02:31 When we began circuit work, I was 24. 02:35 I felt completely inadequate 02:37 because I’d been serving in Bethel 02:40 and had no training 02:43 that would qualify me to serve as a circuit overseer 02:48 —that was my feeling. 02:51 In the first place, the sisters with me always got nervous 02:54 with me not being able to speak correctly. 02:57 So they would take over the conversation, 03:00 and I stood there and didn’t understand anything. 03:03 But with time, you pick it up. 03:06 After two years, I could understand everything 03:09 in the theocratic language, 03:11 but in the kitchen I was still lost. 03:15 It was nine years for circuit work and, at the conclusion, district work. 03:20 And then we were called back into Bethel. 03:25 The biggest shock for me 03:28 was when Brother Knorr asked me 03:31 if I would be branch overseer. 03:35 And that was at the convention 03:38 of 1969 in Nuremberg. 03:41 And despite different arguments that I presented, 03:45 I got a letter later saying that I’d have that assignment. 03:50 For about 40 years, 03:52 we had the wonderful privilege of doing zone work or, 03:56 as it’s now stated, being representative of headquarters. 04:01 So it was wonderful to visit 04:04 somewhat over 90 different countries. 04:07 We became acquainted with Jehovah’s lovely family 04:12 —the worldwide brotherhood, the unity, 04:14 and seeing how the brothers everywhere 04:17 are devoted to Jehovah 04:20 and want to serve him faithfully 04:22 under sometimes very difficult conditions. 04:25 I would say, sometimes we benefited more 04:29 from the visit than the brothers we were visiting 04:34 because it was so faith-strengthening. 04:37 When we got this privilege 04:40 of traveling to many branches in the zone work, 04:44 we were able to engage in the field ministry 04:48 in numerous countries, 04:51 which I never would have had, of course, 04:54 if I would have just gone into missionary service. 04:57 So I said to myself, 04:59 ‘Accept every assignment Jehovah gives you 05:03 and you’ll find that you have the greatest blessings possible.’ 05:07 Since the 1st of January 1952, 05:11 I’ve been able to keep full-time service as my career. 05:15 And it’s something I certainly wouldn’t have changed 05:18 for anything else. 05:20 We have often said, 05:22 “Where would we be today if we hadn’t taken up full-time service?” 05:26 Certainly, we would not have enjoyed 05:29 so many things as we have in our lifetime. 05:33 There are so many young, talented brothers and sisters 05:38 who are working and helping. 05:40 We encourage them to make full-time service 05:44 in Jehovah’s organization their goal in life.
00:04 I was born in a little town 00:07 called Adair, Iowa 00:09 —actually out on the farm— 00:11 and that was in 1930. 00:15 I was born in 1931, 00:17 also in a small town in Iowa. 00:20 My father wanted to be a farmer. 00:23 So we moved to a farm, and I grew up on a farm. 00:26 And then the Watchtower Study of a little group, 00:29 and then a little congregation was in our home. 00:32 And happily, when Peggy’s father came into the truth, 00:37 the family came to our place to the Watchtower Study. 00:42 I was—I guess at that time— eight or nine, 00:46 and Peggy was one year younger. 00:49 But the thing was, they moved away just after about one year. 00:55 Well, I started pioneering in September 1948. 01:00 Gilead was what I wanted. 01:03 I didn’t apply for Bethel 01:05 because I liked the field service, 01:07 and I thought South America, Africa, 01:09 countries where there is still so much to do 01:12 —that’s what I wanted. 01:15 I was called to Gilead 01:18 in 1951, in February. 01:23 The assignment after attending Gilead 01:28 was a great surprise. 01:30 Brother Schroeder, one of the instructors, 01:33 he said: “You will have 01:35 “a very wonderful opportunity, 01:38 “being assigned to the German Bethel. 01:41 “There are brothers there 01:43 “who have been in concentration camps for up to nine years, 01:47 and you can learn very much from these brothers.” 01:51 And that was very true. 01:56 In 1953, at the convention in New York, 02:00 I saw a beautiful young sister 02:03 standing in the cafeteria line next to my cafeteria line. 02:07 And I looked twice, 02:09 and it was Peggy. 02:11 So we were together for the rest of the convention 02:14 and decided that we would correspond and think about serving together. 02:19 In 1955 we married. 02:24 I had received the assignment to circuit work. 02:28 We were assigned to northern Germany. 02:31 When we began circuit work, I was 24. 02:35 I felt completely inadequate 02:37 because I’d been serving in Bethel 02:40 and had no training 02:43 that would qualify me to serve as a circuit overseer 02:48 —that was my feeling. 02:51 In the first place, the sisters with me always got nervous 02:54 with me not being able to speak correctly. 02:57 So they would take over the conversation, 03:00 and I stood there and didn’t understand anything. 03:03 But with time, you pick it up. 03:06 After two years, I could understand everything 03:09 in the theocratic language, 03:11 but in the kitchen I was still lost. 03:15 It was nine years for circuit work and, at the conclusion, district work. 03:20 And then we were called back into Bethel. 03:25 The biggest shock for me 03:28 was when Brother Knorr asked me 03:31 if I would be branch overseer. 03:35 And that was at the convention 03:38 of 1969 in Nuremberg. 03:41 And despite different arguments that I presented, 03:45 I got a letter later saying that I’d have that assignment. 03:50 For about 40 years, 03:52 we had the wonderful privilege of doing zone work or, 03:56 as it’s now stated, being representative of headquarters. 04:01 So it was wonderful to visit 04:04 somewhat over 90 different countries. 04:07 We became acquainted with Jehovah’s lovely family 04:12 —the worldwide brotherhood, the unity, 04:14 and seeing how the brothers everywhere 04:17 are devoted to Jehovah 04:20 and want to serve him faithfully 04:22 under sometimes very difficult conditions. 04:25 I would say, sometimes we benefited more 04:29 from the visit than the brothers we were visiting 04:34 because it was so faith-strengthening. 04:37 When we got this privilege 04:40 of traveling to many branches in the zone work, 04:44 we were able to engage in the field ministry 04:48 in numerous countries, 04:51 which I never would have had, of course, 04:54 if I would have just gone into missionary service. 04:57 So I said to myself, 04:59 ‘Accept every assignment Jehovah gives you 05:03 and you’ll find that you have the greatest blessings possible.’ 05:07 Since the 1st of January 1952, 05:11 I’ve been able to keep full-time service as my career. 05:15 And it’s something I certainly wouldn’t have changed 05:18 for anything else. 05:20 We have often said, 05:22 “Where would we be today if we hadn’t taken up full-time service?” 05:26 Certainly, we would not have enjoyed 05:29 so many things as we have in our lifetime. 05:33 There are so many young, talented brothers and sisters 05:38 who are working and helping. 05:40 We encourage them to make full-time service 05:44 in Jehovah’s organization their goal in life.
