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The Genealogy and Family History Committee awarded the Henry E. Plett
Memorial Award to two high school students this spring. The first prize of
$250 was awarded to Pamela Plett of Steinbach Christian High School for her
essay entitled "My Family History: From Abraham Klassen to Pamela Plett." The
second prize of $100 was awarded to Mark Schaan of Westgate Mennonite
Collegiate for his essay on the Loewen and Schaan families entitled
"Intersections: Cross-sections of a Family History."
The Plett Award has been made possible through the generous contributions of Delbert
and Doreen Plett of Steinbach, Manitoba. It is awarded annular to two Manitoba high school
students for research and documentation in the area of genealogy.
The California Mennonite Historical Society recently released the second volume of its
GRANDMA CD-ROM project. This new version of GRANDMA (Genealogical Registry and
Database of Mennonite Ancestry) includes all genealogical data from volume one, which was
released in September, 1996, and adds about 133,000 new individuals, for a total of
approximately 268,000 linked individuals. The second volume includes much better coverage
for Low German Mennonite families that migrated from the Soviet Union to Canada during and
after the 1920s.
Other files included in volume 2 include a shareware version of
Brother's Keeper (for those who do not yet have this program); scanned
photographs for some of the persons appearing in the database; scanned maps of
Mennonite settlements and villages; an index to Mennonite settlement and
village names; and scanned versions lists from B.H. Unruh's book Dieniederl
ndische-niederdeutschen Hintergr nde der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen im 16.,
18., und 19., Jahrhundert.
GRANDMA Volume 2 sells for US$30.00 plus $2.00 shipping and handling. It can be ordered from: California Mennonite
Historical Society, 4824 E. Butler, Fresno, CA 93727-5097.
The Genealogy Project Committee encourages persons who purchase any version of the CD-ROM to
also purchase a copy of the Handbook for the Low German Genealogist Using
Brother's Keeper 5.2. It is very important that anyone doing data entry that
will be contributed to the GRANDMA project used this manual, because it
explains how data should be entered. Nonconforming data submitted to us for
GRANDMA causes extra work for us, because we must adapt that information to
our standards before it can be added too the database. To obtain a copy of
the handbook, please send check or money order for US$5.00 plus $1.00 for
shipping to the California Mennonite Historical Society.
In the years 1999 and 2000 the Mennonites of Manitoba may commemorate the 125thanniversary of their coming to Western Canada. The first families to arrive in the East Reserve
came in 1874 and those who opened the West Reserve arrived in 1875. Their landing places
were at the junction of the Red and Rat Rivers, and Fort Dufferin near Emerson, respectively.
It has been suggested that a major historical work on Manitoba
Mennonites be prepared for the anniversary. The Research and Scholarship
committee is thinking that publishing a book of essays would be one good and
practical way to go.
The committee is looking for some feedback on this idea. Please send your views and comments on this proposal to Abe Dueck,
Centre for M.B. Studies, 1-169 Riverton Ave., Winnipeg MB R2L 2E5 (Phone:
204-669-6575), or Lawrence Klippenstein, 584 Berkley St., Winnipeg, MB R3R 1J9
(Phone 204-895-4421). Time is of the essence. The committee needs to make a
decision soon. Thank you for your help.
The passing on October 25, 1997 of Dr. George K. Epp of Winnipeg, Manitoba, has left
a significant gap in the areas of ministry and scholarship among Manitoba Mennonites and
beyond.
Epp and his family came to Manitoba from Paraguay in 1954. His family
had immigrated to Paraguay from Germany in 1947, after making the long trek
from the Soviet Union in 1943. George was 19 years old at that time.
George did his post-secondary studies at the University of Manitoba
where he obtained a B.A. in 1965, and M.A. in 1968, and a PhD. in 1976.
During this time he taught at Mennonite Brethren Bible College from 1968-73
and at the University of Manitoba from 1973-78.
Later appointments of service included Canadian Mennonite Bible College form 1978- 1983, during
which time he served as president, and at the Mennonite Studies Centre which
became Menno Simons College from 1985-1992, where he served as founding
president from 1989-92.
Many Manitobans met him in other places like the Mennonite German Society of Canada, the East West Advisory Group of MCC
Canada, the Mennonite Benevolent Society and the committees of the Mennonite
Heritage Society as well as Der Bote.
As well he gave significant leadership in a project which led to the erection of a large cairn at the Mennonite
Heritage Village in memory of Mennonite victims of Soviet repression. During
his retirement he then completed two volumes of a projected series of three
dealing with the history of Mennonites in Russia before the Revolution. Some
copies of volume I have been sold already in Manitoba and the second volume is
expected off the press in spring.
Other involvements included his work in helping to edit the complete works of Arnold Dyck (Vols. I-IV), co-editing
bilingual anthologies of Canadian Mennonite writings titled Harvest(1974) and
Unter dem Nordlicht (1977), and translating into German David Schroeder's
Learningto Know the Bible (1984) and Helmut Harder's Guide to Faith (1982).
George will be much missed as a major contributor in the German
literary world and historical endeavours, as he will be in the life of the
congregations at Douglas Mennonite and Springfield Heights Mennonite.
Tribute by Lawrence Klippenstein, Former Archivist, Mennonite Heritage
Centre. |