Nicolas "Nick" Afanasyevich Urazoff's Obituary
Celebration of Life Service was Saturday, June 4th at 3pm CST at Woodland Hills Baptist Church. View the recorded service at: the church’s website at https://whbchurch.com/live/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/woodlandhillsbaptist/.
Nick’s father, Afanasy Andreyevich Urazoff, was born in 1894 in Kharkov, Ukraine. His mother, Anastasia Ivanovna Kushnerova was born in 1904 in Kiev, Ukraine. Afanasy was a trained shoe cobbler and learned his trade while in the Russian White Army under Czar Nikolai Romanov II, making boots for the soldiers. By learning this trade, Afanasy was exempt from carrying arms in the military, allowing him to hold true to his Christian faith.
After leaving the army, Afanasy travelled to Pyatigorsk, Russia because he heard about a vibrant Evangelical Baptist church there with many young people, especially unmarried young ladies. The part-time pastor was Anastasia’s father. He was a Baptist Missionary and settled his family there from Kiev. He was a lawyer by trade and also a Circuit Judge, traveling to the villages defending persecuted Christians. This is where Anastasia and Afanasy, or as their grandkids called them “Babushka & Dedushka” met and it was love at first sight. They were married in 1921.
Babushka was an accomplished seamstress and sold her wares at the Bazaars. The villagers were allowed to only sell in their area, however, she could get a better price in Moscow. She would sometimes take a great risk of imprisonment if caught traveling without permission. On one of these trips by train, a Russian soldier noticed the quality of her work. He told her he would pay her to sew 10 winter coats for his officers and she told him she would not take payment. Instead, she negotiated a deal…10 coats in exchange for visas to leave the country for her & her family, her sister & brother, and their families. By God’s miracle, she was not arrested when the officer discovered she did not have permission to be in Moscow. He instead allowed for their visas to be granted. Other family members were to save money and planned to follow later but could not escape due to the political “Iron Curtain.”
The family left Russia in 1928 due to religious and political persecution. Many family & friends lost their lives prior to and after his family left Russia. Babushka & Dedushka traveled with their children (Alex, Nina, and Luba), along with 10 additional family members. Their journey consisted of stopping for periods of time to work and earn the money needed for their passage. They traveled through Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Mexico, landed in Vera Cruz, Mexico, and finally settled in Tijuana in July 1930. Sister, Nadia, was later born in Tijuana in 1932 and Nick was born on December 5, 1933.
In November 1945, the family entered the United States. The 17-year journey from Russia to the US concluded with the family having saved $2,000 allowing them to make down payments on both a half city block on Soto Street in Los Angeles, California and a house on Woods Avenue, in East Los Angeles.
Nick knew both Russian and Spanish at this time but had to now quickly learn English. His new school friends, Charlie Asendorf and Max Cujak, stood by his side and helped him acclimate to life in the US and became Nick’s life-long friends. In February 1954, Nick met Carol Louise Foster and they were married in August later that year.
Nick and his wife lived in Southern California where Thomas Nicolas, James Kenneth, Susan Louise, and John Charles were born. Nick grew up in a Christian home but did not give his life over to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ until the age of 37. He was in business with a non-Christian who was trying to persuade him over to his religious beliefs of calling on the spirit world for guidance. Nick saw a demonic presence when he was around his partner and the partner’s spiritual advisor. One day in 1971, Nick had witnessed enough demonic activity at work and he knew he needed God. He went home that day and poured his heart out to his wife. She knew of his long battle within himself between choosing or not choosing God. Carol had already given her heart over to God four years prior. She had the privilege of listening to her husband pray the prayer of salvation in their kitchen that glorious evening. The next day when Nick went to work, the Holy Spirit living inside of him was also present at the business. Nick witnessed the physical manifestation of Satan and his demons fleeing from the presence of God. Within that week, the partner’s spiritual advisor visited the workplace again. Nick was reading his Bible and the man told him he did not have to do what the Bible said, he needed to only listen to the spirits. He placed his hand on Nick’s shoulder and he removed it very quickly and said his hand felt burned. Nick heard God speak to his heart and the words were, “We are with you.” Nick was covered and protected.
Nick loved camping, music, and fixing anything and everything. His love of music, especially playing the violin, provided him with numerous ministry opportunities to bring the message of salvation to others. Nick could basically fix anything. He kept his home and vehicles repaired, as well as working beside others to help them with their repairs. His kids spent time learning by his side in the garage. He spent countless hours volunteering at a variety of churches for building and grounds, maintenance and improvements. The only thing He could not do was to get his lawnmower running after his son John rigged it one day to where only he could operate it. John did not want anyone else to use it for fear it would get messed up!!! Nick made him quickly change it back.
After Nick and Carol retired to Prescott, Arizona in 1991, he spent his time working for contractors as their finisher to provide fine-tuning to the houses after the home-owners moved in. They were there for 21 years at two different churches and were blessed with many wonderful friendships.
They moved to Longview in 2012 to live near family. Nick and Carol joined Woodland Hills Baptist Church in 2019 and Nick always said he loved the welcoming spirit and fellowship they received. He said he was blessed by the way Bro. Charles always spoke the truth from God’s Word.
Nick arrived to glory on March 6, 2022. He was surrounded at home by his wife and family.
Nick was preceded to eternity by his parents, Afanasy & Anastasia, brother Alex, sisters Nina Wood & Nadia Woolman, and son Tom. Family remaining: wife Carol, son Jim (and his son Phillip), Susan and husband Kevin (son Nathan and his wife Charley and their girls Lilly & Lincoln, son Ethan, and daughter Rebecca), son John (and his wife Suzanne & their son Johnathan), Nick’s sister Luba Kobzeff, and many loving brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, nieces & nephews and their family members.
Nick’s favorite passage in God’s Holy Word:
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
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