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No. 21 NEWSLETTER
June 1998
by Elmer Heinrichs A book launch of Volume 2 in a series on the Mennonite West Reserve featuring the 1880 census of settled villages took place in Reinland, Manitoba, Saturday, March 21. The launch included a presentation of dedicated copies of The 1880 Census of the Mennonite West Reserve to editors John Dyck, Winnipeg, and William Harms, of Altona. It was made by Ken Reddig, president of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, which published the 500-page volume. This book follows the Reinlaender Gemeinde Buch, which was published in 1994, and is a printed version of the first church register of the Reinlaender Mennonite Church which had its main church at Reinland, Manitoba at that time. The information for Volume II was compiled by committee members Adolf Ens of Winnipeg, Mary Ellen Neufeld and Bruce Wiebe of Winkler; Otto Hamm and John Wall of Morden; William Harms of Altona; John Dyck, of Winnipeg, and Abe Loewen of Gretna. The original 1880 West Reserve census included the 37 Mennonite villages then established with a total of 769 families including 3,595 persons. The book edited by Dyck and Harms also includes the 1880-82 individual tax records by villages, the 1880 family census with supplementary data (birth, marriage), and profiles of Reinlaender bishops, ministers and deacons. In the volume are also an 1891 federal census of the Mennonite West Reserve and 1880-1896 passenger lists of Mennonite immigrants from sourthern Russia landing in Quebec and moving on the western Canada. The book is available from Mennonite Books, other bookstores, and from members of the historical society. Sixty persons interested in genealogy and historical research attended a day-long historical programme here. An unexpected guest was Dr. C.W. Wiebe, of Winkler, now 105. During the Reinland meeting historian Adolf Ens made a presentation on four West Reserve administrators - Isaak Mueller 1875-1886; Franz Froese Sr. 1887-1908; Johann W. Rempel 1909-1918, and Franz Froese Jr. 1919-1925 (years indicate term of office). In a preview of the next volume (Vol. III) Adolf Ens suggested it would be more story-oriented stressing West Reserve's unique history, how events affected Mennonites, biographical sketches of bishops, etc., local studies, and miscellaneous. John Dyck, co-editor of Vol. II, commenting on Vol. IV suggested it might contain village histories, a story on the relocation from the East Reserve to the West Reserve, early medical practitioners (chiropractors), the business community, and the Mennonite settlement in Fargo, ND, U.S.A.. Another highlight of the day was a talk by Rev. Abe Wiebe, of the Sommerfelder Church in Winkler. He dealt with the history of colony administration in Paraguay.
Elmer Heinrichs of Altona is a member of the MMHS Membership and Publicity Committee
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