In 1980, my husband, Theo Verhaaren, and I were called to an International Mission to Budapest [HungaryT. We found the name of Brother Janof Denndorfer in the rather scant Hungarian records which had survived and felt we should contact him.
In Debrecen we located his house but it was closed and dark. The next day we did find a neighbor who would talk to us. We learned that Brother Denndorfer had had a heart attack and had been taken to a hospital or clinic; which, she did not know. After a long search we found the address of his son. Our reception there was cool as we sensed a political embarrassment about being contacted by Americans. We did find out which hospital Brother Denndorfer was in, but this was Saturday and visitors were not admitted on Saturdays! We did locate the building he was in and, taking a chance, we just walked in.What a fine, wonderful person awaited us. We entered the room with no introduction at all, but he sensed who we were. His face was radiant. He said, "You have come at last."
He was in a seven-bed ward, and most of the beds were occupied. He asked Theo for a priesthood blessing right there, saying with a smile that it would give him a chance to explain the gospel if any of the other men asked questions. He told us of much of his life and that he had several hundred dollars worth of tithing set aside. This was on March 15, 1980.
In April, the missionaries were called to Vienna for the forming of the Vienna Austria Stake by Elder Ezra Taft Benson, then of the Council of the Twelve. While we were in Vienna, we received word that Brother Denndorfer had died on April 21, 1980. Sadly, we could not return to Hungary in time to attend the service that a minister of another church held for him. Though Brother Denndorfer's tithing [that he had at homeT probably never reached where he wanted it to go, we know it is recorded in heaven.
My husband died in 1990. Meeting Brother Denndorfer was one of the inspiring events of our life together.
