Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta

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MHSA Archival Description Record

Title and Physical Description
Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta fonds. -- 1972-1991, 2004. -- 7.5 cm of textual records. -- 2 DVDs

Administrative History
the Western Canada Mennonite Historical Society was organized on 24 May 1973. xxx (organizers...) by participants from both Alberta and Saskatchewan. By 1975 it was operating under the name of Mennonite Historical society of Saskatchewan and Alberta. xxx (organizers, board members, location).

Because of the difficulties posed by operating in two provinces, the Alberta contingent withdrew and the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta (MHSA) arose on 12 July 1986. On that date, Bill and Lenora (nee Dyck) Janzen (Calgary), David Wiebe-Neufeldt (Lethbridge), Carl Schlichting (Edmonton), Henry Goerzen & Erna (nee Warkentin) Goerzen (Didsbury), Harry & Gladys Stauffer (Tofield), Marvin Schmidt, Mary Epp, Eric & Anne (nee Klassen) Harder, Irene (nee Epp) Klassen, Anne Falk, and Helen Brown. A Steering Committee was formed, consisting of Henry Goerzen, Harry Stauffer, and Jean Penner (Edmonton), with the first general meeting held on 1 November 1986 in Red Deer. Henry Goerzen wrote the editorial for the first newsletter in November 1986, noting the focus of the society would be to "collect and encourage writing of history, identify and inventory artifacts, genealogy and publish". The administration of the MHSA was held in the home and later grainary of Henry Goerzen in Didsbury. In 2002 the operation moved to the Mennonite Central Committee building (Skyline Drive), in 2003 to the MCC Thrift Store Mezzanine, and in 2004 to the 2nd floor of the MCC Tower. At that time, an environmentally-controlled vault was constructed. It is a member of the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada and the Alberta Society of Archivists. Independently a Mennonite genealogy group had been gathering monthly in the home of Judith Rempel from, under the auspices of the Alberta Family Histories Society. In the mid 1990s, it chose to aligned itself with the MHSA. The chairmen of the board have been: Henry Goerzen (Didsbury), Jake Harder (Edmonton), Colin Neufeldt (Edmonton, 2002-2006), and Vince Friesen (Edmonton, 2006-2008).

Scope & Content
The fonds consist of A) Mennonite Central Committee Book, B) Mennonite Historical Society Annual Conference Presentations

Source of Supplied Title
Title based on the contents of the fonds

Source of Acquisition
Gift by Henry Goerzen in 2002 and Lynnette Toews-Neufeldt in 2004

Access Restrictions
None

Finding Aids
See Files Inventory

Related Materials
For books related to the fonds, see:

• A Celebration of Service: The Story of MCC Alberta, 1965-1991 (available in the MHSA Library and for sale from the MHSA)
• Alternative Service for Peace in Canada during World War II, 1941-46
• Knowing and Interpreting our Past: Alberta's Mennonite History (2000)

Accruals
Expected

Notes
Accession 2002.020, 2004.059, 2007.024
Last updated 17 Jan 2008 - Judith Rempel

Files Inventory

A. Correspondence. -- 1972-1996. -- 6 cm.
The series consists of correspondence regarding the formation and administration of the MHSA. Arranged by date

1-7 Western Canada Mennonite Historical Society - 1972-1974
1-8 Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan and Alberta - 1873-1984
1-9 Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan and Alberta - 1975-1976
1-10 Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan and Alberta - 1977
1-11 Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan and Alberta - 1978-1984
1-12 Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan - 1992-1996

A. Mennonite Central Committee Book. -- 1985-1991. -- 1.5 cm.
The series consists of correspondence, minutes and research notes used to write the history of the Mennonite Central Committee (Alberta). Arranged by date

1-1 Mennonite Central Committee Archives Holdings at Mennonite Heritage Centre - n.d.
1-2 Mennonite Central Committee (Canada) Minutes and Reports - 1985-1986
1-3 Mennonite Central Committee (Alberta) Correspondence, Notes regarding Workshop on Christian Faith and Farming - 1986
1-4 Mennonite Central Committee (Alberta) Celebrates - Correspondence and Selected Drafts - 1991

B. Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta Annual Conference Presentations. -- 2004. -- 2 DVDs

1-5 MHSA Spring Conference at Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church and First Mennonite Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Volume I - 2004
1-6 MHSA Spring Conference at Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church and First Mennonite Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Volume II - 2004

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