NEW YORK—Pa August 22, 2014, mayi Lillian Gobitas Klose anamwalira kunyumba kwawo ku Fayetteville m’dziko la Georgia. Mayiwa ali mtsikana, anakana kuchitira ulemu mbendera pa nthawi imene anali pasukulu ndipo zimenezi zinachititsa kuti mlandu wawo ukaweruzidwenso ndi khoti lalikulu kwambiri m’dziko la United States.

Pa October 6, 1935, mayi Lillian Gobitas ndi achimwene awo a William omwenso ndi a Mboni za Yehova, anamva nkhani pawailesi yonena kuti Baibulo limaletsa kulambira mafano. Atamvetsera nkhaniyi, onse anasankha kuti asamachitirenso ulemu mbendera. Patapita milungu ingapo anachotsedwa sukulu chifukwa cha zimene anasankhazi. Zitatero, bambo awo a Walter anakasuma ku makhoti aang’ono pofuna kuteteza ufulu wa ana awo ndipo mlanduwu unagamulidwa mowakomera. Koma akuluakulu a sukuluyi ataona kuti mlanduwu sunawakomere, anapanga apilo ku khoti lalikulu kwambiri m’dziko la United States. Ndipo pa June 3, 1940, pa mlandu wakuti Minersville School District v. Gobitis, (dzina lakuti Gobitas analilemba molakwika m’mabuku a kukhoti) khotili linapeza kuti ana a Gobitas anali olakwa. Patapita zaka zitatu, pa tsiku lokumbukira mbendera lomwe linali pa June 14, 1943, khotili linasintha chigamulochi pa mlandu winanso wakuti West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette ndipo linalola ana onse a Mboni za Yehova kukayambanso sukulu. Aka kanali koyamba m’mbiri yonse ya dziko la United States kuti khoti lalikulu kwambiri lisinthe chigamulo chake patadutsa nthawi yochepa chonchi.

Mayi Lillian Gobitas anali mwana wa bambo Walter ndi Mayi Ruth Gobitas ndipo anabadwira ku Minersville, Pennsylvania pa November 2, 1923. Pa March 14, 1935, mayiwa anabatizidwa monga a Mboni za Yehova. Ali ndi zaka 20, mayi Gobitas anakhala mlangizi wa nthawi zonse wa Baibulo (masiku ano munthu wotere a Mboni amamutchula kuti mpainiya wokhazikika). Kenako mu February 1946 mpaka mu April 1953 ankagwira ntchito ku likulu la padziko lonse la Mboni za Yehova ku Brooklyn, mumzinda wa New York.

Mu 1951, mayi Gobitas anapita ku Ulaya kukachita msonkhano wa Mboni za Yehova ndipo anakumana ndi a Erwin Klose ku ofesi ya Mboni za Yehova ya ku Germany. Kenako chibwenzi chinayamba ndipo chinapitirira pamene a Klose anali ku Sukulu ya Giliyadi Yophunzitsa Baibulo. Iyi ndi sukulu ya a Mboni za Yehova yophunzitsa umishonale ndipo pa nthawiyi inkachitikira ku South Lansing, mumzinda wa New York. Mu 1952, anamaliza maphunzirowa ndipo anatumizidwa kukagwira ntchito ya umishonale ku Vienna, m’dziko la Austria. Nawonso mayi Gobitas anamaliza maphunziro awo a umishonale mu February 1954.

Pa March 24, 1954, iwowa ndi bambo Klose anakwatirana ku Vienna ndipo anapitiriza kugwira limodzi ntchito ya umishonale ku Austria. Komabe chakumapeto kwa chakachi iwo anabwerera ku United States chifukwa a Klose ankadwaladwala. Thanzi la a Klose silinkayenda bwino kwenikweni chifukwa ankamenyedwa mwankhanza pa nthawi imene anali kundende ya Nazi. Iwo anamangidwa chifukwa chokhala wa Mboni za Yehova. Patapita nthawi, banjali linakhala ndi ana awiri ndipo mayina awo anali Stephen Paul ndi Judith Deborah. Mu 1967, banjali linasamukira ku Riverdale, m’dziko la Georgia komwe onse anakapitiriza kugwira ntchito yophunzitsa anthu Baibulo.

Mayi Gobitas Klose anasiya mwana wawo wamkazi, Judith Klose; azichemwali awiri, Jeanne Fry ndi Grace Reinisch, komanso mchimwene wawo, Paul Gobitas. Koma iwowa asanamwalire, amuna awo, makolo awo, mchimwene wawo William Gobitas, mchemwali wawo Joy Yubeta komanso mwana wawo Stephen Paul Klose anali atamwalira.

Lankhulani ndi:

Kuchokera m’mayiko ena: J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000