UDorothy Mae Sennett Covington, owayesilwela inkululeko yamaNgqina KaYehova ngeminyaka yee-1940 neyee-1950, usweleke ngoMatshi 14, 2015, eneminyaka eyi-92, eCincinnati, eOhio.

Ngeminyaka yee-1940, ngokuzithandela uDorothy wancedisa igqwetha elinguVictor Schmidt, elaliliNgqina LikaYehova nelalisebenzela ukulwela amalungelo awo. Ngelo xesha, amaNgqina KaYehova ayetshutshiswa kakhulu eMerika ngenxa yokwanda komoya wokuthand’ ilizwe owawukho ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Ukungathathi cala kwamaNgqina ngokuphathelele imibhiyozo yokuthand’ ilizwe nokungavumi ukuya emkhosini ngenxa yezazela zawo, kwakungqubana noko kwakusenziwa ngelo xesha. Incwadi ethi The Lustre of Our Country ithi, “indlela awayetshutshiswa ngayo amaNgqina ngo-1941 ukusa ku-1943 yaba kukuqalisa kokunganyamezelwa konqulo eMerika kuloo minyaka yee-1900.”

AmaNgqina ayehlaselwa ngamahlokondiba futhi ebanjwa kulo lonke elaseMerika, kuquka eCincinnati, eOhio naseIndiana. UVictor Schmidt wayetyhutyha yonke le ngingqi emela amaNgqina KaYehova awayebanjwe ngokungekho mthethweni. Kwangaxeshanye, uDorothy wayengaxhasi nje umsebenzi wezomthetho eofisini kaVictor Schmidt kuphela, kodwa wayenaso nesibindi sokuzibek’ esichengeni sokuhlaselwa lihlokondiba labantu ngokuthi aye kushumayela.

Intw’ angasoze ayilibale uDorothy ziziganeko ezakhokelela kudushe lwaseConnersville, eIndiana. Kwiintsuku nje eziyi-17 emva kokuba iNkundla Ephakamileyo yenze isigqibo esiqatha kwityala lango-1940 lokungakhahlel’ iflegi leMinersville School District v. Gobitis, umphathi wamapolisa eConnersville wabamba amaNgqina amathandathu ngenxa yokuba aye akavuma ukukhahlel’ isipeliti esasineflegi yaseMerika. Kwakulapha eConnersville apho uVictor Schmidt noHayden Covington, ummeli wamaNgqina KaYehova ukususela ngo-1939 ukuya kutsho ngo-1963, balwela amaNgqina amabini awathi kamva atyholwa ngokwenza iyelenqe.

Akugqiba ingxoxo yakhe, uMnu. Covington wakhawuleza waya kukhwela inqwelo-moya eleqa ityala elaliseMaine, kodwa uVictor Schmidt nomfazi wakhe balinda ukuva isigwebo. Emva koko, bahlaselwa lihlokondiba labantu. UVictor, inkosikazi yakhe nabanye banyamezela izithonga zamanqindi esinye emva kwesinye kodwa ke ekugqibeleni bade babhungca.

Kudliwano-ndlebe obelubanjwe kwiiveki ezintathu ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uDorothy uchaze ukuba emva kweenyanga ezilishumi kuphume isigwebo, kwabanjwa amaNgqina ayi-75 eConnersville kwangenxa yokuba etyholwa ngokwenza iyelenqe. UDorothy uthe: “Uninzi lwethu maNgqina lwavalelwa, ibe elona xesha esatshutshiswa kakhulu ngalo leliya laseConnersville.”

UHayden Covington, uVictor Schmidt, nabanye baqhubeka besilwela inkululeko yamaNgqina KaYehova. UCovington noSchmidt baye bakwazi ukujika izigwebo zaseConnersville, ibe uCovington wancedisa uSchmidt nakwamanye amatyala kuloo ngingqi. Njengoko uDorothy wayencedisa uHayden, baba ngabahlobo. Batshata ngo-1949.

UDorothy wafudukela eNew York ukuze axhase uHayden kumsebenzi wakhe onzima kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina KaYehova eBrooklyn, eNew York, ibe waqhubeka eshumayela ixesha elininzi ngoxa uHayden yena esilwa amadabi ezomthetho. UCovington, ekwakusithiwa lelona gqwetha liphum’ izandla ngexesha lakhe, wasebenza ngokuzimisela kumatyala amaninzi abandakanya inkululeko yamaNgqina KaYehova. Waxoxa izihlandlo ezingaphezu kweziyi-40 kwiNkundla Ephakamileyo ibe kwezasekuhlaleni, waxoxa izihlandlo ezingaphezu kweziyi-100.

UDorothy wayemkhapha uHayden xa esiya kumela amaNgqina KaYehova kwiNkundla Ephakamileyo kulo lonke elaseMerika. Uthe: “UHayden wayesilwela inkululeko esiye siyibethe ngoyaba thina. Ndicing’ ukuba intle kakhulu into yokuba achithe ubomi bakhe enceda abantu—hayi eMerika kuphela kodwa nakwezinye iindawo.”

Ngo-1959, uDorothy noHayden bazal’ intombi enguLynn, baza kwiminyaka emithathu kamva, bazala unyana onguLane. Ethubeni, le ntsapho yawushiya umhlaba waseNew York yaza yabuyela eOhio ngo-1972. Njengoko abantwana babekhula, uDorothy wachith’ ixesha ebafundis’ iBhayibhile ibe eyona nto wayexakeke yiyo ngumsebenzi wokushumayela.

Le ntsapho yaswelekelwa nguHayden ngoNovemba 21, 1978. UDorothy waphindela kumsebenzi wakhe wokushicilela, esebenzela amaphepha-ndaba ahlukahlukeneyo, kuquka iThe Cincinnati Enquirer. Umsebenzi wakhe wokushicilela wawunzima kakhulu, kangangokuba kwakusithiwa ngumsebenzi wamadoda, kuba wawuquka umsebenzi ongelulanga wokufaka umsizi kumatshini wokuchwetheza. Xa ethath’ umhlala-phantsi ngo-1988, uDorothy waphinda wachith’ ixesha lakhe lonke kumsebenzi wokufundisa abantu iBhayibhile. Wayedume ngokuhlal’ ekhuthele, ngokwazi iBhayibhile nangokwazi ukuphendula imibuzo ngokuthi avele atyhile ngqo kweyona vesi ifanelekileyo eBhayibhileni.

ULane, unyana kaDorothy, wasweleka kuqala, ibe yena uDorothy ushiya ngasemva intombi yakhe uLynn Elfers; umkhwenyana wakhe uGary Elfers; abazukulwana ababini; nodadewabo omncinci, uRuth Sennett Naids.