Mel)l)()l)iteHiswrial)Volume IX, Number 2 June, 1983

The Herold Mennonite Congregation, Morden, Man.

World War I conscientious objectors at Camp Travis, Texas. Three of the men arefrom the Herold community, Washita County, Oklahoma. First row seated, centre (No.1) is Johann M. Klaassen, son of Michael Klaassen. The picture was taken in 1917, andJohn passed away the next year. Photo from The Herold Mennonite Church 70th Anniver­sary 1899-1969. By John Am, p. 16.

This congregation built its first meetinghouse in 1920, with dedication held on Oc­tober 17. The cost of the 24' by 40' struc­ture at that time was $4300.00. The Pro­tokolbuch, which began with entries onJanuary 14, that same year, records the deci­sion to build and the appointment of thecommittee to select a site. Persons present atthis meeting are listed as: G. Rempel, andson, Thiesen, Wiens, A. A. Quiring, fourDalke brothers and Peters. M. Klaassen waswith the group as well. Minutes of the nextmeeting, held February 6, detail discussionabout size of the building, as well as financ­ing purchase of the lot, and mention the ap­pointment of a building committee: C. K.Dalke, J. Loewen, and G.· Rempel.

A number of other archival items relatedto the Herold church family have been leftwith the archives as well. Among them arethe memoirs of Michael Klaassen, an exten­sive correspondence carried on betweenmembers of the Klaassen family, and sonJohann who was imprisoned as a conscien­tious objector at Fort Leavenworth, andcopies of several photos related to theKlaassens and the church.

The congregation dissolved around 1944when members who were left joined theBergthaler and other existing congregationsof the Morden community. Aeltester MichaelKlaassen had passed away in 1934. Personswho once belonged to the Herold churchcommunity remember those years with muchappreciation. A reunion was celebrated in1974, and steps are being taken to maintain·the cemetery at the old location as a historicsite. The original building was moved toKane, Manitoba and was used there for anumber of years till the congregation thereceased meeting also.

The documents of the Herold Mennonitecongregation remain to tell an importantstory of a Christian community, a story withsuch meaning and significance for those whowere touched by during two decades or more.

It is well worthwhile to preserve therecords of congregations which merge withothers or terminate for one reason oranother. If you have materials to deposit,contact the Mennonite Heritage Centre to ar­range for shipping or pick-up at your con­venience.Call 888-6781 or· contact Men­nonite Heritage Centre 600 ShaftesburyBlvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P OM4.

had joined the trek to Central Asia withClass Epp, but then decided, in the face ofmany difficulties and considerable disillu­sionment, to leave that region and move onto the U.S.A. It might be mentioned thatDavid Toews, later of Rosthern, a kat­chewanwa with this move as well.

Seven of tbe emigrant familieeventuallycame to Manitoba, the others having remain­ed in the Eigenheim, askatchewan areawhere the eighteen amili fir tsettled inCanada.

From acbUrcbregister also brought 0 thearchives one cim get the names of tbe fir tfamilies who came to Morden, and as a bodyof nineteen member, formed the congrega­tion. These included David and KatharineLoewen Dalke, Michael and Katharina DalkeKlaassen (second wife), Gustave and HelenaKlaassen Dalke,' COrnelius and KatharinaSchroeder Dalke, Peter and Anna NachtigalDalke, and Johann and Katharina ReimerLoewen.

Several months ago someone brought tothe archives an important manuscript titled:Protokolbuch der Herold Gemeinde beiMorden, Manitoba; 1920.00 its thirty hand­written pages can. be found the minutes ofthe Herold Mennonite congregation ofMorden from the years 1920 to 1939. Amongits final entries i a reference to Rev. Ben­jamin Ewert as a "leading con ultant" regar­ding matters re.latedto (debts which remain­ed when) some financial matters which hadto be cleared up when the congregationeli 01 ed.

The Heroldme uniquen wi hin the Menno ite com~

mu . y f anito a. The founders of thiscongrega'o ca vi h a ou of 18famili oha edfr ril eD.S.A.to Canada as" odgers" a heend·ofWorld War I.. Aeltester Michael Klaassen,their leader, had come originally from theKoeppenthal settlement on the Volga inRussia. He had been part of the group which

By Lawrence Klippenstein

Consider for instance the great variety ofnames, including non-traditional surnames,which appear in genealogical research andwhich speak not of a static but of a dynamicethnicity. The index of The House ofHeinrich, for instance, reveals a whole newset ofbeautiful names, which are not a partof the Epp family, names like: Aitchison,Babcock, Bloomquist, Borodawka, Carlson,Coleman, DeVries, Elliot, Foster, Gingerich,Hawkins, Iwanowna, Javonski, Krasnoba,MacInnis, Miedermeise, Orsulak,Rychliwski, Salzman, Szozda, Swanson,Usov, Van de Ham, Wachitewa, Xax­thopaulos, Ysseldyk and Zimmerman. Thereare many more like that.

Religious affiliations produce anotherwide spectrum: among the Freundschaft arenot only all kinds of Mennonites, denomina­tionally speaking, but also all kinds of Chris­tians, as well as persons related to otherfaiths.

The vocational distribution includes vir­tually all the possibilities ranging from thetraditional' occupation of farming tofreelance arti try with all conceivable profes­sions and bu ine occupations in between.

Genealogical work has psychologicalmeaning. It can contribute to a stronger senseof identity, in a number of way.

In a recent issue of New week, LorraineDushy, a mother who had been reunited witha child she had previously given up for adop­tion, writes about this problem. Accordingto her, child psychiatrists have establishedthat children who know their genetic rootshave much better prospects in life.

People who don't know where they comefrom don't easily know who they are andwhere they are going. Thus, the strongestcase against test-tube babies, sperm banks,and surrogate J;I1otherhood lies in a child'sneed and right to know the geneticconnection. Reprinted with permission fromMennogespraech, Vol. I, No. I, p. 5.

Page 2

Family StudiesThe Importance ofgenealogies

By Frank H. Epp

(Based on a talk given at the first publicmeeting of the Genealogical Committee ofthe Mennonite Historical Society ofOntario,18 November 1982).

Should people spend time, and energypreparing genealogies? Should the Men­nonite Historical Society of Ontario applysome of its human and monetary resourcesto genealogical work? My own answers tothese questions arose largely as a result ofcoming to terms with my own family tree.

It began, some twenty years ago, with thesearch for, and correspondence with, closerelatives - uncles, aunts, cousins - in theSoviet Union, people whom I had never seenuntil a representative family group of elevenfrom,Karaganda met us in Alma Ata, thecapital of the Kazakh Republic, in the sum­mer of 1976.

Then it became personally necessary forme to fit together all the parts of a vast fami­ly now scattered not only in Europe andAsiatic Russia but also in the Middle East,Africa, and mostly, of course, in theAmericas, both North and South.

Actually, my sister, Anna Epp Ens, wasalready far along in this task, and at a largeEpp family reunion at Leamington in 1980she presented us all with The House ofHeinrich, a 333-page well-illustrated hard­cover book, telling the story of my greatgrandfather, Heinrich Epp (1811-1863) ofRosenort, Molotschna, and of over 3,000other persons now linked directly, or throughmarriage indirectly, to his ancestry. Thesepersonal experiences have led me to reflect,not only on my family history but ongenealogies in general.

In the first place, genealogies havetheological meaning. This is true, of course,not just because genealogies are in the Biblebut because there is a good reason for theirbeing there.

What may that reason be? I find a pro­bable explanation in the doctrine of incar­nation, broadly understood. Again and againthe Bible reminds us of the manifestationsof the divine spirit in space, in time, and alsoin the flesh. The created world, the son ofGod, the people of God, the kingdom ofGod on earth are all incarnations of thedivine will.

Thus, genealogies are a reminder of thefundamental human fact that the children ofGod are not only spiritual souls but persons

in the flesh. And I find it rather interestingthat Matthew begins his go pel with thedeclaration that his book i ".the genealogyof Jesus Christ, the son of David, the sonof Abraham" and that Jo ph "the husbandof Mary of whom Jesus is born" is an in­dispensable link in that genealogical chain.In other words, for Matthew it was essen­tial that Jesus "who is called Christ" be in­separably linked to the human race throughgenealogical continuity.

There is an ongoing debate among usMennonites concerning the merits ordemerits of ethnicity in our spiritualpilgrimage and church identity. In thisregard, I would suggest that the biblicalgenealogies and genealogies in general repre­sent some food for thought.

Secondly,genealogies have historicalmeaning. To the extent that we love historywe must also be interested in genealogy. '

Genealogies, like chronologies, can, ofcourse, be very shallow histories. Mere datesand facts are at best the skeletal frameworkof history, and no historian can be satisfiedwith bones and frames. To these must beadded the stuff of historical life, namely fleshand blood, heart and brain, soul' andpersonality.

The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson andThomas Carlyle come to mind. Said theformer, "There is properly no history, onlybiography." And the latter: "The history ofthe world is but the biography of greatmen."

A more contemporary version of Carlylewould leave out "great men" because we nolonger accept that proper history can be writ­ten only in terms of the leaders - monarchs,presidents, prime ministers, generals - butthat it must be written also in terms of allthe people.

Genealogical work can also have broadsociological meaning. The infomiation thatis uncovered in family-related research canbe quite fascinating and instructive.

A scene from the Mennonites studies seminar held at Leamington United MennoniteChurc~ in'March. Left, .Hugo Thiesen, and right, Mary Janzen, members of the HistoryCommlttee of the Leammgton UM congregations. The speaker is Lawrence Klippenstein.

MENNONITE HISTORIAN is published quarterly by the History-Archives Committee of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. It is editedb~ Lawrene.e Klippenstein. AU correspondence and unpublished manuscripts should be sent to the editorial office at 600 Shaftesbury Blvd., Win­lllpeg, Mamtoba, Canada R3P OM4. Subscription fee, $3.00 per year. ISSN 0700-8066.

The Arts

The Many Roles ofthe Artist ..

by Allan Siebert

"Prophet, clown, revealer, mirror,disturber, celebrant." Those are the manyroles of the artist in a community, RobRegier told a good-sized crowd at a sym­posium of Mennonites and artists in mid­April.

He was speaking in the chapel of the Cana­dian Mennonite Bible College on a Fridayevening. To his left were nine Canadian ar­tists with some connection to the Mennonitecommunity. They had come from four pro­vinces - unsure of what to expect but sum­moned by an eager committee of organizersfrom the Mennonite Festival of Art andMusic and sped on their way by a grant fromthe multiculturalism program of the federaldepartment'of the secretary of state.

Collectively assembled on a curvinghaphazard arc of chairs in a Bible collegechapel, they were like a living art-piece - anassemblage thrown together by the wind andsoon to disperse - shifting in their seats, mut-tering wise-cracks, unused to the spotlight,

/but for one evening representing themselvesas "Canadian artists of Mennonite heritagein dialogue with the community."

Getting this dialogue going among Men­nonites isn't easy, Regier continued. Then hetold a story. A young Mennonite wanted todraw and paint. He announced his desire tobe an artist. The community's response wasa visit from the bishop who informed himthat "if he wanted to paint, well, themeetinghouse needed another coat."

Communities are "uneasy with thelanguage of vision, " Regier said. To a com­munity dominated by the work ethic - a com­munity that is "often unitilitarian andpragmatic" - the artist brings gifts of mysteryand ambiguity that stretch the mind andsenses.

Regier spoke from years of experience asan artist for Mennonite agencies and teacherat Bethel College, Newton, Kansas. "He putinto words eveTYthing I would want to say,"said Bill Epp, the first artist to stand up andrespond during the open forum session.

Exhibitors who participated in thedialogue of "Images and Identities" includ­ed: WilliamH. Epp, Saskatoon, sculptor;Cornelius Martens, Coaldale, sculptor;David Hunsberger, Waterloo, serigraph;Susan D. Shantz, Waterloo, mixed media;Aganetha Dyck, Winnipeg, sculptor; Wan­da Koop, Winnipeg, painter; Emie Kroeker,Winnipeg, photographer; Ken Loewen,Altona, photographer; and Gerald Loewen,Winnipeg, sculptor. Top centre, sculpture byWilliam Epp.

Robert Regehr, artist and professor atBethel College, North Newton, Kansas,spoke at the artists'seminar,on Friday, April15, 1983. Photos: Gerhard Ens. Winnipeg, Man.

Contemporary Fraktur by Alfred Siemens,Vancouver, B.C.

Page 3

Die Wiedertaeufferin Muenster

Peter Rempel, an MCC worker in Europe,recently viewed an exhibit at the new citymuseum in Muenster. By letter he gives hisimpressions of this interesting and infor­mative exhibit.

"The exhibit visually portrays the religiousand political setting in which the Anabap­tist kingdom of Muenster emerged. The firstsection, "Apocalyptic Age" (57 items) in­cludes the series of wood cuts of scenes ofthe apocalypse by Albrecht Duerer as wellas portraits of reformation and predictionsof the imminent apocalyptic age. The secondsection (16 items) depicts Muenster and itspolitical situation before the time of theAnabaptists with portraits and religious artpieces as well as a map and a chart. The mainsection (107 items) has four subsections: theseizure of power, the New Jerusalem, thekingdom and the conquest and punishment.Displayed are the writings and portraits ofthe Anabaptist leaders, manifestations oftheir book burning and iconoclasm (eg.damaged statues), the change in the city'scoins and seals in the new kingdom; armorand weapons sketches of the city and its sieg­ing forces and finally the records of theirpunishment by their victors. Many of thepublications of that era relating to theAnabaptists are also exhibited.

The final section (24 items) displays therehabilitation of the city and contemporaryreports on the happenings in Muenster andthen various artistic renditions to the presentday of the events."

From the newsletter of Centre for MBStudies, Winnipeg.

Display of "Fraktur" inVancouver Gallery

Burnaby, B.C. - "In the Beginning wasthe Word" is the title of an art exhibit whichwas on display at the Burnaby Art Galleryfrom March 17 to May 1. The exhibit,organized by Vancouver Mennonite artistTom Graff, is a collection of Mennonite il­lustrated manuscripts from the 17th centuryto the present.

The illustrated manuscripts,' known as"Fraktur" (from the Latin "fractura"meaning fragment, referring to the brokengothic-style lettering), were collected byGraff from .various Mennonite archivesacross North America. Included are a285-year-old band-copied Bible, mathematicstables, penmanship samples, school cer­tificates and maxims, all illustrated with theflourishes, designs and symbols accompany­ing the careful calligraphy.

Alfred Siemen of Vancouver, a drafts­man by profession, has a collection of con­temporary Fraktur upstairs in the gallery.Graff calls Siemens the only known livingRussian-Mennonite Fraktur artist activetoday.

Page 4

ResearcheMBe Student Papersby John Friesen

Each year CMBC students in the Men­nonites Studies class are required to completea major research project. Students maychoose from a variety of topics. The require­ment is that the papers constitute originalresearch and be based on primary documen­tation. The large collection of material in theMennonite Heritage Centre is utilized formany of the studies. Students are encourag­ed to collect additional documentation, andalso to do surveys and interviews. The papersnormally included this information in theappendices.

These papers are deposited in the Men­nonite Heritage Centre and are available forthose interested. During the past year thefollowing papers were completed anddeposited.

BiograpbyIFamily HistoryAlvin Bergen

The History of the Bergen and RedekopFamilies

Don BergenGerhard Lohrenz

Lynell BergenThe Bergens: A Genealogy and FamilyHistory

Keith BoldtThe Block Family HistoryPeter Block to Abram A. Block

Gerald K. Enns. The Life of Anna (Dyck) Wiens

Charlene EppA History of the Wiens Family

Jim EppThe Life and Work of G.G. Epp

Kenneth L. FroeseA History of the Froese Family

Patti Harms .Genealogy of the Reimer Family

Bruce NeufeldFamily Genealogy

David RubyThe History of the Amish Mennonites andtheir Development in Ontario with specialattention to the late Bishop Joseph Ruby181)-1897 . .

Monica StremplerBruno Enss and the Destiny of PrussianMenDonjtes

Harry WarkentinThe arkentin Genealogy 1788-1983

Peter W-iensThe Life of Jacob B. Wiens

Rod WiensBiography of Jacob B. Wiens

Congregational HistoriesBob Crosland

A History of the Calgary Mennonite Fel­lowship. "A Dream turned into Reality."

Ken.GroveThe History of the Hagerman MennonitChurchnita HeinThe euwied Mennonite Church 1946­1980

Angi HiebertThe History of the Unique Separation ofthe Douglas Mennonite Church from theSpringfield M nnoniten-Gemeinde (l976.1982)

DenDi KasdorfBethel ennonite Church L936.1982

Patti teinmanThe Hi tory of Cro hill MennoniteChurcb 1888-1982

Janice WidemanA Hi tory of the Wideman Mennonite

hurch J816-1928

in titulion OrganizationSharlene Baergen

History of the Youth Orientation Unitin Alberta

Hildi JanzenA History of the Mary School for Deaf­Mutes, Tiege, South Russia

Ella May KroekerA History of the Lowe Farm DistrictSchools

Lori KroekerThe Transition from "The Canadian en­

nonite" to "The ennonite Reporter"Bonnie ickel

Hi tory of Bethania Mennonite PersonalCare Home

Ed eufeldHistory of the Landmark Drama Com­

panyKathy Plett

Die Arbeitsgcmeinschaft der Mennoniten­gemeinden zur geistlichen Betreuung derUmsiedler .

MapLaurel Elia

Map of Danzig, West Prussia, Prussia,Galicia and Voylnia

Dwayne RegehrMap of the Ukraine

MiellaneousJacob Giesbrecht

In the" chfolge" tradition: The Som­merfelder Mennonitin Manitoba, Can­ada

Arthur KI enennonit in Canada: Compari on of

Church Practi e Among the MennoniteBrethren, Gener I C nferene and Men­nonite Church.

Kathy McArdleAmish Society of Ontario

Brenda NeufeldA urvey of nabaptist-MennoniteHymnology

Winnie PankratzA Study of the Sommerfelder HutteriteColony

Hermann StahlMennonites and Natives in the Paraguay­an Chaco

Bruce WiebeA Study of the Hutterite Christian Faith

Association of ManitobaArchivists

The Association of Manitoba Archivistsmade its debut in 1980. Its membership roserather quickly to over sixty members, ar­cllivists, and others interested in the work ofpreserving records and documents importantfor the province.

A major event of AMA's past year's pro­gram was the sponsoring of Archives Weekfrom May 29-June 3. Its central focus wasa large exhibit prepared by 22 participatingarchives in Manitoba. Materials were plac­ed in the foyer of the Manitoba Archivesbuilding at 200 Vaughan, and were accessi­ble to the public during that period. An of­ficial opening took place on Sunday, May29, with an address by Eugene Kostyra,Minister of Cultural Affairs and HistoricalResources for Manitoba.

Manitoba has six major Mennonite ar­chival collections; the Centre for MB Studies,Winnipeg, Mennonite Heritage Centre ar­chives, Winnipeg, the archives of theEvangelical Mennonite Conference, Stein­bach, the Evangelical Mennonite MissionConference archives at Mennonite HeritageCentre, Mennonite Genealogy Incorporated,Winnipeg, and tbe Mennonite VillageMuseum, Steinbach. The first two of this listwere also represented in the exhibit.

AMA executive members for 1983-84 in­clude: Lawrence Klippenstein, MHCA,president; Diane Haglund, United Churcharchives, vice-president; Judith Beattie, Hud­son's Bay Co. archives, secretary; ShirleyPayment, University of Winnipeg, treasurer;Anne-Grace Diehl, Boissevain CommunityArchives, member at large; and ZenonHluszok, Ukrainian Cultural and EducationCentre, Winnipeg, immediate past president.Nancy Stunden of the Manitoba Archivesedits the newsletter of the Sociery.

Research RequestI am looking for information about the

parent of Justina Bornn born February 4,1915, in Prangenau, Russia. Her father'sname w.as Thiesen or Tie en, and mother'sEpp. Any information would be greatly ap­preciated. Write to:

Eileen HomoBox 152

Fork River, Manitoba.ROL OYO

>J, _'''.~ ......

HSSociety ReorganizationFinished

The 1983 reorganization meeting of theManitoba Mennonite Historial Society tookplace on May 3 at the Mennonite HeritageCentre in Winnipeg. Major business for themeeting included election of a new executiveand committees to carry out the program forthe year.

Elected as officers for the 13 memberboard were Delbert Plett, Steinbach, aschairman; Ted Friesen, Altona, first vice­president; Bert Friesen, Winnipeg, secondvice-president; Ruth Bock, Headingley,secretary; and Ken Reddig, Winnipeg,treasurer. Sub-committee appointments arebeing finalized.

Several major projects are in progress atthe present time. The Re carch and holar­ship Committee is working on anew editionof the work of Arnold Dyck, planned infour volume, with the fir t one to appearnext year. The Inter-disciplinary Arts Com­mittee is working with the production of arecording of Victor Davies' Mennonite pianoconeeno prepared for the Centennial celebra­tions in 1974. Active work is also being doneon setting up a Mennonite Book Club formore effecti 'e di triburion of ennonite.literature and books.

Membership of the Society now tands at140. Per on interested in joining may writeto Ken Reddig, 77 HendersonHwy., Win­nipeg, Manitoba R2L ILl, or LawrenceKlippenstein, 600Shafte bury Blvd., Win­nipeg; Manitoba R3~ 0 4. Other boardmembers will be of help as wetl. .

The 1983-84 MMHS BoardE eeutiveDelbert Plett, Steinbach, Manitoba,

president .Ted Fri en, Altona, Manitoba, first vice-

president .Bert Frie en, Willllipeg, anitoha, second

vice-presidentRuth Bock, Hcadingley, aoitoba, secretaryKen Reddig, Winnipeg, Manitoba, treasurer

Committee chairpersons and membersat largeElizabeth Peters, Winnipeg, ManitobaAl Reimer, innipeg, anitobaHerman Rempel, orden, Manitoba,

Hi toric Sire .. 'Lawrence Klippen tein; Winnipeg,

. anitoba, ember hip PublicityDoreen Klassen, Winnipeg, Manitoba,

Interdisciplinary Arts .Ed Schellenberg, Steinbach, ManitObaRoy Loewen, Blumenon, ManitobaBill Schroeder, Winnipeg, ManitOba,

Education Resources

CELEBRATE!

Join us in giving recognition to allthose who have helped to createan archives for CMC during thepast fifty .years 1:1: Special ac­tivities at the Conference sessionswillfocus on this theme. Visit theMennonite Heritage Centre. andthe archives. take note ofspecialexhibits, and make a deposit inthe records collection this summerif you can";:'

(erial on tbi page were provided bytbe Manitoba Mennonite Hi torieal

.iety.

PECIAL 0 R!

SiORMY nOEs

.-.. ......................

/I

IjI

~---

Stormy Tides. Religious Persecution inSoviet Russia. By Mrs. H. Martens

78 pp., paperback: $1.00

Postage extra.

Order from:Mennonite Heritage centre6OO·Shaftesbury Blvd.Winnipeg, ManitobaR3P OM4

You must mention ing ad In Men.nonite Historian to et discount!

Page 5

DYCK FAMILY RE 0Descendants of

Jacob Dyck(I800-1869) and ElizabethJaeger (1807·1893)

Date: Sunday, July 17, 1983Begins: 2:00 p.m.Location: Winkler Park in Winkler.

. Indoors in case of rain.Food: Manitobans asked to bring their

own. Guests will be lOOked after.Hot and cold water avaiiable.

Program: Informal. Singing. Visitirig.Contact: Jacob Dyck, Box 1314 .

Winkler, Man. ROO 2XOPbone: (204) 325-8757

orJohn Dyck, 48 Coral Cres.Winnipeg, Ma,n. R2J 1 7Pbone: (204) 256-1637

New Musical ResourceDiscovered.

A Prolokollbueh der Dirigeolen - Kursenin Manitoba was recently di covered in theFirst Mennonite. Church Library in Win­nipeg. Thi minute-book of early M.B.musical activities dat s back with its firstminute to February 23-25, 1912 and con­tinues with the last minutes dated June 14·1936. ..... •

.Containing some 101 pages of minutes itgives valuable informatiOll on the earlymusical activities of M.B, ongregationlnManitoba. Written in gothic script atranscription has been made by Erica Vothto enable those unfamiliar with the script togain acce to its contents.

A special'thanks to the First MennoniteChurch for alerting us to its discovery andfor depo iting the book in our Centre.

From the newsletter of Centre for MBStudies, Winnipeg.

Grave stone ofJacob Friesen (1801-1886),remaining in il fieldnorlhwest ofSteinbaCh,Martlloba. Son Jacob, moved to'Mountain·Lake, Minnesota, USA.

Page 6

HseNew Journal Coming

Subscribers arid other interested personsask from time to time when the new Jour­nal of Mennonite Studies will appear. TheJournal is at present at the printer and weexpect this year's issue to be ready fordistribution by August.

The inaugural issue of the Journal willcarry the proceedings (some twelve articles,responses and a review) of the MennoniteStudies conference which was held in June,1982, at the University of Toronto, St.Michael's College; The conference whichbrought many Mennonite scholars fromCanada and the United States together, washeld on the occasion of the publication ofFrank Epp'ssecond volume of Mennonitesin Canada 1920-1940, and was sponsored bythe Multicultural History Society of Ontario,the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada,and the Ethnic and Immigration Studies Pro­gram of the University of Toronto.

There are as of now 260 paid subscribersto the Journal. Some half of these havesubscribed for one year and the other halffor two or three years. Another 250 copiesof the first issue of the journal will be pur­chased by the Multicultural History Societyof Ontario.

The three societies which sponsored theMennonite Studies conference are also con­tributing substantially toward the publicationcost of this inaugural issue of the Journal.

For subscriptions to the Journal readersmay write to: The Editor, Journal of Men·nonite Studies, The University of Winnipeg,Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 2E9.

Dr. Harry Loewen

Mennonite EncyclopediaThe appearance of the four volume Men­

nonite Encyclopedia was quite possibly thepublishing event of the late 1950s. The pro­ject, headed at that time by editors, HaroldS. Bender, Cornelius Krahn and MelvinGingerich, provided an invaluable tool fortudents of Mennonite life throughout the

world.ore recently it has eemed appropriate

to con ider updating and possibly expandingthe Encyclopedia to more adequately reflectcurrent research and changing needs of thecon tituency. Discussion has gone on fororne time now at the Institute for Men­

nonites Studies at Elkhart, Indiana, andprivately in various areas of Canada and theUSA.

Both tbe Manitoba Mennonite HistoricalSociety and MennoniteHistorical Society of

Tbe material on tbis page was providedby tbe Mennonite Historical Society ofCanada.

Canada have come out strongly in favor ofa revision. It is not clear yet whether the bestmove would be the preparation of a fifthvolume to add new materials, or the under­taking a larger more thorough rewriting ofthe four volume work as a whole.

The recent appointment of a task force byMHSC is intended to focus thinking on thismatter, and perhaps to propose some aux­iliary action on the project within the Cana­dian Mennonite scholarly community. Muchwork will be involved. It is important thatmaximum energies be gathered if this under­taking is to succeed.Note: A brief history of the ME enterprise,as it developed for the publication of the fourvolumes, appeared in Mennonite Life: Cf. .Rachel Waltner, "From Anabaptism toMennonitism: The Mennonite Encyclopediaas a Historical Document" (December,1982), pp. 13-19.

._--------------,

....<kelt........ ~.......Jn.._,

Mennogespraech is ti research bulletin andnewsletter introduced' by the MennoniteHistorical Society ofOntario. Editor is SamSteiner. For further information write to theeditor, c/o Conrad Grebel College,Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G6.

Research RequestsI am looking for a book called

"Hauskanzel." I remember our Fatherreading a sermon on Sunday, or better said,a reading based on a Scripture. The book wasa common household possession, andpresumably copies of it might still exist.

If you have such a book or know whereto get One please write to: .Tina GoUan

8221-133A' Ave., Edmonton, Alberta T5EIGI.

I need information on Henry HenryBartel. Born on December 14, 1898 in Krons­gart, Ukraine, he immigrated to Canadaaround 1929.

He fIrst resided in Saskatchewan, and wasmarried to Anna Peters, November 26, 1935.Anna was born in Wasseljevka on July 20,1897. Henry's father was also Henry HenryBartel. His mother was named ElizabethNeufeld. Anna's father was Henry Petersand her mother was Aganetha Eitzen. Aftertheir marriage Henry and Anna lived in Rab­bit Lake, Saskatchewan.

Please send any more information youhave to: June Bartel, 11658 246th Street,Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 6X6. Thank youvery much.

Neufeld Biography Underway

A. H. Neufeld, retired medical professorat the University of Western Ontario, is com­pleting a book on the work of his father,Herbert A. Neufeld, who was an elder in theMennonite Brethren Church in Russia andbecame a travelling 1l1inister in the U.S. andCanada after. 1923, making his home inWinkler, Manitoba. When the family fledRussia, they left behind their father's dailylog of recollections from 1881-1923. The logwas retrieved in 1929 by an Americandiplomat and forms part of the book.Publication is expected by September.

The diaries are now on deposit at the ar­chives of the Centre of MB Studies inWinnipeg.

New Books in Print

Doerksen, Nan. Bears for Breakfast. TheTbiessen Family Adventures. Winnipeg,Manitoba: Kindred Press, 1983, pb. 34pp. $2.25.

Hiebert, Albert H. and John H. Taeves,compilers. Tbe Family of Jobann Hiebert1816-1975. Hillsboro, Kansas, 1976 (?).pb., 124 pp.

Hostettler, John A. Mennonite Life. Scott­dale, Pa., 1983, reprint. pb., 48 pp., $4.95US, $5.95 Can.

Klassen, Is. P. Finsternis und Licht. Drama.Winnipeg,. Manitoba, author, 1982. pb.,

. 49 pp., $4.00.Quiring, Isaac. Strangled Roots. Calgary,

Alberta: Detselig Enterprises, 1982. pb.,186 pp., $8.95. The story of Frank Tilit­sky from adolescense to early manhood.

Reimer, Mavis. Cornelius W. Wiebe. ABeloved Physician. Winnipeg, Manitoba:Hyperion Press, 1983. pb., 133 pp.$10.95.

Willms, Abram P .. Mein Lohn. Gedicbte.Winnipeg, Manitoba: Christian Press,1982. pb., 272 pp., $8.00.

Book Reviews (cant. from p. 8)

doubtedly inherited his flair for story telling;the later ones are recollections of personalexperiences. In them the reader experienceswith the author or his protagonists theSiberian steppes in all their wild beauty andtheir hidden dangersin all seasons: the floodsin spring, the blizzards of winter. the sizzl­ing heat of summer. He notes as well in­describable beauty of the flora and fauna,the waving sea of grasslands and the endlessvistas and distant horizons.

As well, the reader may experience the tur­bulence of the two decades, 1907-1927: war,revolution, civil war. We even catch a glimp­se of Stalin himself through the eyes of thestory teller who encountered the dictator ac­cidentaily when he, as boys are wont to do"strayed" inside the Kremlin walls duringthe. family's stay in Moscow en route toCanida.

The Siberian Chronicles afford severalhour-sof relaxed as well as informativereadlng, even though the more experiencedhistorian will wish that the author had beena little more explicit with dates and places,and had included amap or two. Sltch datafomi the framework, the skeleton ofhistorical accounts. While far too· muchhistory writing suffers from too many "drybones", these Chronicles have too· few ofthem and as strictly historical accounts aretoo amorphous and unstructured.· Also theauthor would have done well to update hisaccount of the beginnings and the spread ofAnabaptism in the centuries preceding theMennonite migration to Russia.

Be that as it may, Snowoorne is a "goodread;', as the saying goes, and a worthy com­panion volume to the historical monographsthat we already have on the Mennonite ex­perience in Siberia by· authors such asGerhard Fast, J. J. Hildebrand, Peter Rahnand others. Read the book; you will enjoyit throughout.

Note: The book may be purchased fromthe author at Box 34, Black Creek, B.C. VORleO. i Enclose cheque for $10.00 whenordering. .

James M. Stayer and Werner O. Packulleds~ . The Anabaptists and ThomasMiintzer. Toronto, Ontario and Dubuque,Iowa, Kenolle/Hunt Publishing Co., 1980.167 pp., pb., $2.95.

Cornelius Krahn. Dutch Anabaptism:Origin, Spread, Life and Tbought. Scott­dale,Pa. and Kitchener, Ontario: HeraldPress, 1981. 304 PP.,·pb., $20.85.

James Stayer and Werner PackuU standanile forefront Of the cun:~t debate onAnabaptist historiography. The Pllry;ose oftbis anthology is' 'to acquaint thesophisticated studentwitb the development

of Anabaptist studies in the last thirty-fiveto forty years." There is no question thatthey do an admirable job of fulfilling thisgoal. The book consists of representativereadings from "the Bender School" ofAnabaptist historiography, revisionisthistorians, and Marxist scholars. The resultis a book that broadens considerably therange of good articles which are available inEnglish.

Where the reviewer finds the book lack­ing is in its ability to give meaning toAnabaptist history. Harold S. Benderpostulated that the Anabaptists derived theirconcepts of the gathered church,nonresistance and discipleship from theScriptures. To maintain this view he had anarrow definition of Anabaptism. There was

. no place in his Anabaptism for ThomasMuntzer and the Munster revolutionaries.

The revisionists· have succeeded indiscrediting Bender's narrow definition ofAnabaptismand the:notion'that there wasa consistently-held core of belief. Links bet­ween Mtintzer and several Anabaptist leaderscan no longer be denied. The belief thatZurich was the center of Anabaptism fromwhence it spread to all other areas has beendebunked .. But . in . the process of"demytholOgizing;' the Bender· vision, any'VIsion of the church has been lost. We knowfrom Claus Peter Clasen's study thatnumerically-martyrdom amorig the Anabap­tists was not very significant. But what ex­actly there was that was significant - mean­ingful- the revisionist historians have not yetanswered. .

Cornelius Krahn's study of DutchAnabaptism· was originally published in1968. This edition is essentially an exactreprint with an added preface for the secondedition, and a short additional Qiptiography.Given the fact, however, that thorough booklength studies in the English language of thissubject are quite scarce, it is very gratifyingthat Herald Press did the reprint.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Krahnis the most competent ·scholar on this contienent to have undertaken such astudy. Hedoes .a first rate job of relating DutchAnabaptism both to development among theAnabaptists in other regions and to the sur­rounding society inwhich it arose. His studyreveals the extent to Which both Anabaptismand other-Dutch religious groupings were in­debted to indigenous Ideas like humanismand sacrartlentalism. To a large degree DutchAnabaptism was a product of the soil inwhich it took root. .

This volume probably does not give thelast word on matters· like Mermo's view ofthe incarnation or the theological· bases Ofthe Kingdom of Munster. It is however; avery thorough and well researched work (asthe twenty-five pages offootnotes will attest)which serves to make the literature onAnabaptism richer and more well rounded.

'Krahn, in theconcluslon of his book, lays

Page 7

forth a challenge to writers (and readers) ofAnabaptist history. It provides ample foodfor thought for all.

"What is now needed above all is aconcentrated effort to restudy thepotential (emph. mine) that earlyAnabaptism presented in its day andits application the ne.el;ls oLcontem- ..porary life. The A.nabaptistswere···radical in their day in introducingchanges in regard to antiquatedreligious, sodal, and political tr'ldi­tions. In what way can· theirdiscoveries and legacy be made of u~ein our day?" rg. 262. .

Anabaptist Lecture-FilmSeriesby April Yamasaki

Last January, Peace Mennonite Church inRichmond, B.C. offered an Anabaptist filmand lecture series as one of several study op­tions during the Sund~y School hour. Bet­ween sixty and eighty young people andadults attended each of the eight sessions.

The series included both local resourcepeople and films from the Canadian Con­ference Ways and Means catalogue.

Bill Klassen, professor ,at Simon FraserUniversity in Burnaby, B.C., held two ses­sions. on Anabaptist beginnings. JohnKlassen, who teaches at Trinity Western Col­lege in Langley, B.C., spoke on Anabaptistsand the family. Peter Loewen, a retired Men­nonite Brethren lay minister, gave input onthe Meimonite Brethren perspective. ErwinCornelsen, assistant pastor at SherbrookeMennonite Church in Vancouver, B.C.,spoke about his involvement with the Um­siedler work in Germany.

The films were' 'Anabaptist Beginnings" ,"Menno's Reins" (a film· about ManitobaMennonitesj~md"Mennonite Migration.s toNorth America. h

Class coordinators John Sawatzky andBruno Bergen ~ere pleasantly surprised bythe number of people who chose to par­ticipate in the course. At least part of thereason for its popularity was the lecture-filmformat, instead ofthe church's more usualdiscussion format for adult study classes..

. But the main.reason for the success of theseri~ was undol\btedly its content ~nd theexcellence of its presentation. Many par­ticipants were glad to be reminded of theirearly Anabaptist roots. Other~ found that thecourse material-filled gaps in their knowledgeof AnabaptisthrStory. Still others foundsome of the information entirely new. Theresponse was overwhelmingly positive, andthe comment of one man summed up thefeeling!> of many: "I've never enjoyed Sun- .day School so muchl" '

CENTRE FOR MB STUDIES77 HENDER:;::ON HWY.WINNIPEG, MANITOBAATTN: ARCHIVESR2L 1L,1

Book Reviews

Delbert F. Plett. History and Events.Writings and Maps Pertaining to the Historyof tbe Mennonite Kleine Gemelnde from1866 to 1876~ Steinbach, Manitoba. 1982.166 pp., pb. $11.00 (Can.)

Delbert F. Plett. Plett Picture Book. Stein­bach, Manitoba, 1981. 159 pp. Hdc. $20.00.Reviewed by John Friesen, Associate Pro­fessor of History and Theology, CMBC,Winnipeg, Manitoba. .

These two books interpret Qne of thesmaller Mennonite church groups, the KleineGemeinde, which nOW carries the nameEvangelical Mennonite Church. Most Men­nonite history is written from the perspec­tive of the larger and frequently the most ac­culturating groups. It is thus refreshing andinstructive to look into the life and ex­periences of one of the smaller Mennonitegroups and from its perspective to view thelarger Mennonite history.

Delbert Plett is a lawyer by training andan amateur historian by avocation. He hasa keen interest in the background, life, beliefand values of his forebearers and this hasmotivated his historical research. Hismethbdologygives evidence of a lawyer'sconcern for detail, careful documentationand original sources. The result is a fine ad­dition to our knowledge of Mennonitehistory.

In the Plett Pictnre Book Delbert Plettfollows the experiences of one family, thePletts. In particular, it follows the story ofthe Cornelius and Sara Pletts and theirdescendants.

The Plett book is not a genealogy, henceit does not list dates of birth, death and mar­riage for all the descendants of Cornelius andSara. It is rather the story of an extendedfamily. The story is constructed primarilyonthe basis' of primary materials; letters,diaries, etc.' The extensive extracts fromvarious diaries arid letters provides one of the'more valuable dimensions of the book. Eachsection is liberally footnoted;

Because this book records the life of onefamily, it includes many pictures both ofpeople and places of residence. The Plettfamily story is, however,rtot told in isola­tion from world or Mennonite history. Plettis careful to ~et his story into a larger con­text by prOViding a helpful set of maps andappropriate general historiCal surveys. TheP!ett Picture Bookthus provides insight in­to the life' of a larger community asitmov­edfroin Prussia to Russia to Manitoba. Thebook contains an index of all names for easy

557

reference.The second book by Delbert Plett is quite

different, although its subject is the samecommunity. In History and Events Plettpresents in translation two lengthydocuments written during the nineteenth cen­tury around the time of immigration toNorth America from Russia. The first of thetwo documents is by Peter Toews, ordainedas Altester of the Kleine Gemeinde in 1870.It is an ex.cerpt from a larger work of his en­titled Sammlung. The excerpt is calledAnhang Number One. Toews' Sammlungconsisted of materials which he collectedwhich relateto the history of his church fromthe beginning up to 1874.

The second article is by lohan W. Dueck,who settled ;l.t Rosenort, Manitoba. Dueckcame to America as a young lad, and even­tually became a school teacher in the Scrat­ching River settlement. His article is entitl­ed History and Events which Plett chose asthe title for the whole book.

In History and Events Plett sets both ofthese documents into their historical context.The introductions are brief, but help thereader interoret the significance of thesedocuments. Plett also provides enough ofMennonite historiography for the reader torealize that what he is reading here presentsa different view of Russian Mennonitismthan most Mennonite history booksprovide.

In Toews' Anhang are included manyr.eferences to local Kleine Gemeinde events,but he also speaks to the larger issues affec­ting all Mennonites in Russia such as the con­flict between the landiess and the lan­downers, and the threat of military service.In Dueck's memoirs the reader gains a viewof the everyday life of Kleine Gemeinde Men­nonites in Russia shortly before emigration,and in Manitoba after .settlement.

In this bookPlett expresses his convictionthat maps are essential for understanding apeople which have been on the move inhistory. Heincludes twenty maps ofMen­nonite settlements in Prussia, the Ukraine,Manitoba, Nebraska and Kansas. This is theonly book which gathers all relevant KleineGemeinde maps into one collection. Plett in­cludesl:xtensive footnotes, as well as a nameand place index.

. In these two books Plett has made avaluable contribution to a greater understan­ding of Kleine Gemeinde history. Theperspective is clearly that ofan insider, Thelarger more extensive interpretations willneed to be given by other historians. These

two books, however, provide very importantsource materials, and insights into the life,faith and outlook of the Kleine Gemeindepeople. For providing this valuable servicePlett is to be commended.

H. H. Schulz, Snowhorne. The Siberian.Cbronicles of Henry Scbulz (Vancouver,B.C.) Orca Sound Publishing, 1982 pb., 230p., $10.00. Reviewed by Gerhard Ens, Win­nipeg, Manitoba.

In 1906 the Czarist government of the Rus­sian Empire opened the crown lands ofSiberia to settlers. Very soon after that theMennonite colonies of Sagradowka, Ufa,Samara and Orenburg sent a delegation in­to the Omsk area to investigate thepossibilities for agricultural settlement. Theyfoundtthe Bamaul region near the Ob Riververy suitable and they immediately reservedland for about 1500 people and negotiatedterms of settlement with the government. In1909 the first settlers arrived and by 1908,according to the Mennonite Encyclopedia,there were already 59 villages around the newcentre of Slavgorod in an area of 135,000acres of agriculturalIand. ME does not in­dicate whether all of them were Mennonitevillages. Possibly they were not.

The book, SnowbQrDe, with the sub-titleThe Siberian .Chronicles of Henry Schulzdeals with the period of settlement of thisparticular area. The author does not recordonly his own recollections (he was born 1912in Slavgorod of pioneer parents) but also thestories which he must have heard from hisparents and grandparents.

Henry Schulz is an excellent oralraconteur. His fund of stories and anecdotesis virtliallyinexhaustible, and he has the un­mistakable flair of the born story teller, quitenoticable (although somewhat less so) evenin cold print. His writing style, of necessitywithout the gestures and voice inflections soimportant to the oral story teller, is furtherhampered somewhat by the fact that theauthor is nj)t fully at ease in written English.One assumes he may have learned it on hisown after his immigration to Canadaas a15year old lad.

The 43 anecdotes>of the Cbronicles coverroughly chronologically the period of timefrom the author's maternal grandfather'sfourth marriage and subsequentmigr<.=lUonto Siberia (ca. 1907) to the author's migr~­

tion toCanada in 1927. The early anecdot~s,

of course,were heard from his parents andgrandpareIitsfrom whom the author C un-

(cont. on page 7)