Windows on the West Reserve: A Mennonite Heritage Preservation Newsletter
No. 27 - 31 Aug 2008
This year, Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society (MMHS) and Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) together are celebrating the 50th anniversary of founding of the provincial organization. MMHS was organized in 1958, and among its earliest projects was the establishment of a Mennonite museum for the Manitoba Mennonite community.
The late Victor Peters, John C. Reimer and Gerhard Lohrenz, as well as president emeritus of MHV, Gerhard Ens, were strong, early proponents of such an institution. The museum began to take shape in the early 1960s and dates its actual beginning back to 1963-64.
Windows on the West Reserve would want to gratefully acknowledge those who founded the MMHS and MHV, as well as all those who have kept up the work of both organizations. Watch local and other newspapers for ongoing information about celebration events as the year continues. Note especially the festivities for the upcoming months at the Mennonite Heritage Vilage Museum mentioned below.
Lawrence Klippenstein, Editor |
COMMUNITY NOTES AND NEWS
ALTBERGTHAL
The early homesteading of four Altbergthal families who came to Manitoba in 1874-75, and then first settled near Gruenfeld on the East Reserve has been noted in a new book by Henry Fast titled Gruenfeld (now Kleefeld): First Mennonite Village in Western Canada, 1874-1910. These families included the Bergthal families of Jacob and Elizabeth Derksen Dyck (Dueck), Peter and Elizabeth Sawatzky Dyck, Jacob and Elizabeth Dyck Sawatzky, and Thomas and Elizabeth Harder Sawatzky all of whom would move to Altbergthal on the West Reserve around 1879 (pp. 107-108). These families were closely related.
A reunion of Klippenstein cousins, many from Altbergthal, held on 1-2 August, brought a number of descendants of persons buried at the community cemetery, to revisit the location. The gathering did a launch, at the Altona Bergthaler Church, of a new book on the Klippensteins, Peter H. Klippenstein and Maria Dyck Klippenstein: A Brief Sketch of Their Life and Work, written by Lawrence Klippenstein.
ALTONA VILLAGE (Darp Aultneiv)
A recent study by Loren Koehler of the now extinct East Reserve village of Schoenwiese (northwest of Chortitz/Randolph) has revealed that Abram and Helena Kehler Rempel, one of the founding families of Darp Aultneiv (Old Altona), spent their first (five?) years in Manitoba at Schoenwiese before moving west to what would become the village of Altona. A brief history of Schoenwiese in its founding years has appeared in the August issue of Heritage Posting. To get a copy contact Lawrence Klippenstein. The story will appear in a longer version in the upcoming Vol. 4 of Historical Sketches from the East Reserve, to appear in print next spring.
ALTONA
Joe Braun at has information on recent sessions held by the Altona History Seekers, and possible plans for a new series in the spring of 2009. A report on these sessions, written by Elmer Heinrichs appeared in News in a Minutes earlier this year.
The Local History Committee of MMHS is creating a bibliography of published and unpublished written pieces on all former and current villages of the West Reserve. A similar project has been underway for some years in the East Reserve. Further research on a number of these villages is in progress.
Gallery in the Park featuring the renovated Schwarz House, new art exhibitions, and a sculptor garden, is now open to the public. Contact Odia Reimer for further details. The August 2008 issue of Heritage Posting carried a brief report on the opening of this facility.
A new anniversary church directory published by the Altona Bergthaler Mennonite Church includes comments on the Hochstadt phase (see below) of its history. The book can be ordered from the church office.
EDENBURG
The 2007 issue of Preservings featured a brief biography of Minister Heinrich Wiebe, a Bergthal minister and land scout (1873), who first resided in Tannenau in the East Reserve, and then around 1880 became one of the pioneering homesteaders of Edenburg (east of Gretna) in the West Reserve. New info on Wiebe includes a page from the East Reserve Brotschuld ledger which lists the loans made by Wiebe and other early homesteaders to cover living expenses in the early years of settlement. The ledger has been copied for researchers at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg.
GRETNA
The writing of four booklets in the 1940s and early 1950s under the title, Woher? Wohin? Mennoniten! by Paul J. Schaefer, teacher at the MCI in Gretna, took place under the auspices of the Rhineland Agricultural Society's Historical Committee which was a forerunner of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society. A set of minutes of a meeting held by this committee in 1953 is preserved in the Mennonite Heritage Centre in the Ted E. Friesen collection. A paper by Dr. John J Friesen, professor at CMU, read a paper on the forming of the MMHS at a March meeting of the organization held at CMU in Winnipeg.
HASKETT
There are materials on the community of this area (including Haskett) in the vertical files of the Mennonite Heritage Centre archives. Contact Alf Redekopp at the archives if interested. Some of this data is incorporated in a new book titled Haskett Centennial History, compiled by Peter Dyck and Dr. Peter Letkeman (Brandon: Peter Letkeman, 2007), pb., 240 pp., $18.75. To order, contact Alan Warkentin
A service of dedication for a new cairn placed at the cemetery of this community was held on 5 October. Alan Warkentin has details on the program.
HOCHSTADT
The history of this village became a part of the story of the establishment of the Altona Bergthaler Mennonite Church 125 years ago. That congregation originated in the Hochstadt community with, it is said, the building of a church there in 1882. A new membership directory of the Altona congregation has the fuller story of these events. For further info contact Joe Braun.
HORNDEAN
A new Mennonite congregation has been meeting in the town of Homdean for a number of years. This congregation belongs to the Conservative Mennonite Nationwide Fellowship of Churches. A number of its families come from Kleine Gemeinde communities in the Arborg-Riverton area. It is listed in the new book by John J. Friesen titled Building Communities: The Changing Face of Manitoba Mennonites (p. 178). For information on this volume, or to order it, contact Alf Redekopp or check with the MHV bookstore.
KRONSFELD
A local newsletter, Neubergthal Notes, continues to bring family stories from the community. The spring 2008 issue notes that the Neubergthal Heritage Foundation has recently purchased the lot on which the Neubergthal School once stood. For further information contact P. Krahn. Info on the reconstruction of a heritage house-barn undertaken by the local Heritage Foundation, can be obtained from P. Krahn.
A Holdeman (Church of God in Christ Mennonite) congregation has been meeting for some years in Neubergthal. It is one of 15 Holdeman congregations active in Manitoba, with a total membership of 1800 (see p.179 in the J. J. Friesen volume noted above -the church is listed as an Altona congregation).
Have you heard of this publication by Peter J. Priess? It is titled The Cultural Resources of Neubergthal National Historic Site: An Archaeological Perspective (Winnipeg: Cultural Resource Management, Western Canada Service Centre, Parks Canada, 1998), 77 pp.
NEUBERGTHAL
Henry Unger of Morden is gathering information on the village of Neuenburg, and the School District of Birkenhead. To connect with him, and supply information, you can contact him. He is also gathering bibliographical data on publications dealing with the full range of extinct and existing West Reserve villages.
REINFELD
Sally Harms, former editor of Legacy Links, is continuing her research on a history of the village of Reinfeld, located just east of the city of Winkler. She is looking for more information.
ROSENFELD
The town of Rosenfeld was among the communities for which a short historical sketch was presented at the recent sessions of the Altona History Seekers. Among local historians in the past has been Gus (?) Pokrant. A full history of Rosenfeld still needs to be written, but a paper on the community story was presented by Art Wiebe on 19 March at the History Seekers workshop held in Altona this year. The current Rosenfeld cemetery has several cairns and signs of historical significance for the region.
SCHANZENFELD
With the former West Reserve a current research theme and focus of recent commemoration (2006), one might note again that a cairn to remember Jacob Y. Shantz who first explored and recommended the area for Mennonite settlement, is located on the school grounds at Schanzenfeld just south of Winkler. A local committee led by Frank Suderman, under the auspices of MMHS, erected the cairn some years ago. Not far away, perhaps a mile or so to the north, is a cairn set up in south Winkler in memory of the first Hoffnungsfeld residents of that nearby village, and also one dedicated to recall the role of Jewish families who lived in Winkler at one time.
A group in the Niverville community near the original landing site of Mennonites arriving in 1874 is considering putting up a similar Shantz cairn near the landing site park on the Red River. The community which grew up around the site was called Schantzenberg.
SCHOENWIESE
This village was among the first ones established by the Reinlaender Mennonites who came to the West Reserve in 1875. A paper on its founding was read by Dr. Adolf Ens of Winnipeg at the History Seekers workshop sessions held in Altona last spring. A village, now extinct, by the same name was first established in the East Reserve some miles northwest of Steinbach. A number of its families moved to the West Reserve in 1878-1882.
WINKLER
A local committee headed by Bernie Loeppky of Winkler is working on raising awareness about the service of conscientious objectors during WWII. It includes discussion of setting up two memorial cairns, one at the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) in Steinbach, and the other on the former West Reserve at a site still to be chosen. A proposal for a design of the MHV site has been forwarded to the museum. The group has also been sponsoring Hutterite drama presentations on the conscientious objector theme. For further info contact Bernie.
Sally Harms has just completed a family study entitled Legends and Legacy: Klaas Heide 1740-2007 (hdc, 300 pp, many photos). Heide was one of the main delegates that headed the emigration to Mexico in 1922. For more on the book contact Sally.
Vol. 2 Issue 2 of Heritage Happenings, a newsletter edited by Ellie Reimer and Marjorie Hildebrand for the Winkler Heritage Society, came off the press several months ago. It carried news on the opening of a new archival centre in the city, and the establishment of Bethel Heritage Park, designed by Rudy Friesen of Friesen Tokar Architects in Winnipeg. For further info on Society events and Heritage Happenings, contact Ellie.
The Winkler EMMC congregation has published its history on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The book is entitled Winds of Change: Winkler EMMC. 70 Years of a Church on the Move (Winkler: EMMC Church, 2007), pb. and hdc. 188 pp, $30.00. Order from the Winkler EMMC Church). It was written by Jerry and Marjorie Hildebrand. For further info contact the authors.
Other Announcements
- A new issue of Preservings, formerly edited and published by the late Delbert F. Plett is going to press soon. The journal is edited by Dr. Hans Werner of the University of Winnipeg, assisted by Dr. John J. Friesen of Canadian Mennonite University. To order a subscription, or get copies, contact John J. Friesen or Alf Redekopp
Upcoming events for Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach
- 2 November — Evening Vesper service, 7 p.m..
- 8 November — Craft Sale Call 1-204-326-9661 to reserve a table.
- 23 November – Sunday – Grey Cup Celebration Dinner. Begins at 12.00 noon. Pay at the door
- 30 November – Evening Vesper Service. 7 p.m.
- 5-6 December – Touch of Christmas and Nativity. Enjoy the spirit of Christmas — --home baking, marshmallow roast, rides, etc. For details call Anne Toews, 1-204-326-9661
- 13 December – Closing for the Christmas Vacation. Opening again on 1 February 2009
Other events
- 8 November – MMHS Workshop: "Mennonite Cultural and Social Traditions From Cradle to Grave: A Look at Some Rites of Passage," at Canadian Mennonite University, 600 Shafesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, South Campus, 9:30 a.m — 3.00 p.m.
- 9 November, Sunday – Book launch of Remember Us: Letters: from St's Gulf 1930-37 by Ruth Derksen Siemens, and showing of the DVD Through the Red Gate at the Springfield Heights Mennonite Church, 570 Sharron Bay, Winnipeg, MB at 7:00 p.m.
- 21 November – 50" anniversary celebration for MMBS and MHV - To be held at the John Wolkoff school in Winkler. For more details contact Conrad Stoesz
For further information on any items mentioned in this issue of WWR you may contact the editor
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