Rev. Kondraty Sozontovich Fefelov

Rev. Kondraty Sozontovich Fefelov, 71, died May 6, 2008, at his home in Nikolaevsk. Services were held May 8, 2008. He was born Oct. 4, 1936, in Russia. Rev. Fefelov was one of the original founders of the Russian Old Believer community in Nikolaevsk. He served as a priest at St. Nikolas Church for OVER 22 years until the Alzheimers disease made it impossible later in the fall of 2005. At the age of 8 his father and oldest brother were taken by the Russian communists. He escaped with his family to China, where he met and married his wife, Irina Karpovna Reutov, in 1956. He grew up always seeking for the true religion. He taught himself the church singing and reading in Old Slavonic. After communism spread to China, they were forced to move to Hong Kong where their first child was born, Feodor Fefelov (deceased 2003) From there they went to Brazil and lived there for five years. They had two more children, Deonisy and Feodosia. With help through the Tolstoy Foundation it was possible for them to come to America. When they arrived in Oregon in 1963, daughter Pelagea was born after just one week. After 6 years in Oregon, the family moved to Alaska in 1969 to save their religion and traditions and to avoid the temptations of the big city. By this time they already had Nikita, Raisa and Kira when they arrived in Nikolaevsk in the spring of 1969. The Fefelovs had $600 and seven children. After one week they built their first cabin, which they shared with another family. There were no floors but bare ground with only one kitchen. By October they already built a house. Children Ludmila, Faina, Felisata and Joseph were later born in Nikolaevsk. It was very difficult to raise a large family and jobs weren’t readily available. In the winter, Rev. Fefelov built boats in Homer and fished in the summer. Fishing and hunting was their main source of food. They also owned three milking cows, pigs, chickens and a big garden. After a few years life got a little easier. They opened their own boat building shop. Rev. Fefelov owned a grocery store, gas station and the first telephone in the village that people shared. He built more than half of the houses in Nikolaevsk and did a lot of volunteer work around the village.
“He was a God fearing, obedient individual. Through his love for Christ he touched many lives,” his family said.
He was chosen to be the church leader (nastoyatel) but not a priest. Still seeking for the true religion, SIX FAMILIES traveled to Romania and found the Old Rite Orthodox Church in its pure unchanged form where they were baptized and accepted priesthood. Rev. Fefelov studied to be a priest and was ordained in 1983. People helped him build a church in Nikolaevsk and in Oregon. He also built a church in Khabarovsk, Russian Far East, and helped them financially.
After becoming ill with Alzheimer’s in 2005, He stopped talking as the disease progressed rapidly and finally took his life. It was very difficult for his wife and family. He was very well loved and taken care of.
“We thank everybody who came to the funeral service on May 8, and attended his burial, as well as those who could not make it,” his family said. “We also thank you for all your prayers. God bless you. He was greatly respected and will be remembered by many for his good deeds and church teachings. We would also like to ask everyone to please keep him in your prayers.”
Rev. Fefelov leaves his wife of 68 years, Irina K. Fefelov, 10 children, 47 grandchildren, 32 great-grand children and many, even from Romania, Russia and Australia, who knew and loved him and will never forget him.