Daniel's home was large, with the family living at one end, the servants at the other and a hallway between. The kitchen was on the servant's side and the main dining room was on the family side where children and relatives ate. Daniel and Marie were served meals separately. Servants were hired for all of the household duties and hired hands looked after the animals and took care of farming and building activities.

About 1877 they began to abandon the traditional village plan from Russia. Houses were moved to their owner's own property. Daniel became a US Citizen in 1879. He invested in large flocks of sheep and cattle. Daniel also loaned money to friends and relatives to help them get started in the New World. These loans he gave willingly, without a note or written agreement. Only a handshake was required.

In the spring of 1884 at the age of 64, Daniel retired from active management of his estate selling his land and personal property to sons John and Cornelius. During their final years, Daniel and Marie remained on their home place, faithful to their Mennonite Brethren congregation. They were buried on a little knoll not far from their home.

Twelve Unruh Children

First child Maria Unruh married Abraham J Voth in Crimea. They arrived in America with several children.

Second child Anna Unruh married Peter Isaac.

Peter became an Adventist in 1881. Anna joined three years later. They moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where Anna and with sister Elizabeth Wall purchased a home in College View. It is still known as the Isaac House today. Of her nine children, the two youngest children Anna, a teacher, and Frank lived with her. John and Daniel enrolled at Union College, Lincoln, Nebraska in 1891. He married Emilie Hetze and graduated in 1897 as an ordained Seventh Day Adventist minister and first preached in South Dakota.

In 1904, the General Conference sent Daniel and Emilie to South Russia just before the Russian Revolution of 1904-1905. Their daughter Elrona died in Russia in 1906.

In December of 1907, Daniel was elected President of the Southern Russian Conference, which the government did not like. They were arrested and jailed with many others destined for banishment or execution. They escaped in 1917 with a friendly farmer who hid them in sacks of grain while crossing the border out of Russia. They returned to America in April of 1921 and moved to California. They spent their last days in Dinuba, California but Daniel was buried in New Home, ND.

Daniel's brother John was born aboard the SS Hammonia en-route to America. After graduation from Union College he became an evangelist in South Dakota before he and his wife were sent to Germany as missionaries. They returned to Walla Walla College where John taught in the German Department. He was later elected President of the Oklahoma Conference of Seventh Day Adventists then attended the Clinton Theological Seminary for 2 years. In 1922 John returned to Europe as President of the Polish Union Conference in Warsaw. After 9 years he and second wife returned to Shafter California where John died in 1956.

Frank Isaac married Grace Hagelin and started work with the Seventh Day Adventist Conference in South Dakota as a teacher. The Conference promoted Frank to treasurer and then to principal at Elk Point, now the Plain View academy in South Dakota. The next promotion was to President of the Southwestern Junior College at Keene Texas. Next he was elected to President of Clinton Theological Seminary.

In 1923 he went to the Southeastern Union Conference for seven years. Another promotion in 1930 to the Lake Union Conference as secretary of the department of education. In 1937 the General Conference promoted him to President of the Kingsway College Oshawa Ontario, Canada.

Frank and Grace wanted to move back to the United States, so in 1939 Frank accepted a position as Chaplain of the sanitarium' in Boulder, Colorado and remained there for the next eleven years. My sister Bernice Lamberton was at Boulder Colorado taking her nursing RN training when Frank was the Chaplain there. His wife Grace was the Dean of Women in the nursing dorm where Bernice stayed. Frank and Grace retired at Arlington, California. Frank died in 1960 at the age of 80, wife Grace died in 1963.

3rd child Cornelius Unruh 's last child Alvina Louise Unruh.
Her brother William Unruh, is buried at Shafter, CA.

Fourth child Daniel Unruh
and his son Daniel Jr are buried at New Home.

Daniel Jr's wife Anna Fast. Their son Albert C Unruh is also buried at New Home. Auguste Malzer, wife of Daniel's second son John D Unruh, is also buried at New Home. Her son Johnnie is buried in Shafter, CA.

Albert

Auguste

Johnnie

Fifth child Lena first married Aaron Peters then Johann Gloeckler, brother of her sister-in-law Laura Gloeckler.

Sixth child Johann D Unruh married Susanna Wedel who was raised with her siblings in the Daniel Unruh home. His great great grandson John D. Unruh wrote The Daniel Unruh Story.

Seventh child Elisabeth Unruh married Heinrich Wall.

Children 8 through 12:
Daniel and Marie Wedel Unruh's last four children died young.