MMHS News & Notes

Mennonite Historical Society of Canada Annual Meeting

The annual meeting was held at the Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, on 4 December 1999.

The Mennonite Historical Society of Canada (MHSC) has become a multi-faceted organization. It was founded over thirty years ago to publish the history of the Mennonites in Canada. The result is the three-volume series. The last was published in 1996.

Since then, the MHSC has explored many ideas. The first to come to fruition was the Canadian Mennonite Encyclopedia Online project. This began with a two-fold purpose: i) to enlarge on the Canadian content of the Mennonite Encyclopedia (ME), Vol.1-V ii) to make accessible the database of material accumulated during the research for the publication of the three volume Mennonites in Canada series. Both purposes are now underway. The relevant Canadian content material from ME is now being put online and enlarged. The database material was mostly congregational profiles and these have also been put online. Plans are being formulated to put up new material. The process is being finalized and soon a call will go out for writers. The site URL is www.mhsc.ca

Secondly, it was decided to rewrite the three volume series into one volume. This would be in a format that would appeal to the general reader and could also be used as a text, especially at the high school and possibly undergraduate level. Also, a pictorial history is envisioned in the future. So many photographs, which were not able to be included in the three volume series, should somehow be made accessible. This project will only start after the one volume work is completed.

Thirdly, the Divergent Voices of Canadian Mennonites History Project (DVCM) was begun. The proposal is to have four projects. The first is to publish a work on the history of Mennonite women in Canada. The second is to have a symposium and then publish a book on the coming, settlement, work patterns, and faith activity of German-speaking Latin American Mennonite immigrants in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. The third is to have a symposium and then publish a book on the history of Asian and African refugees who were assisted by Mennonites families between 1960 and 2000. Fourthly, a conference is planned for the autumn of 2000 on the relationship of Aboriginal communities and Mennonite mission, church, and social-concerns agencies and then to publish the proceedings of this conference. A major source of funds of this endeavour is Mennonite Central Committee Canada.

Some other conferences were highlighted. The 1874 Revisited conference discussed the 125^th Anniversary of the coming of the Mennonites to Manitoba, in Winnipeg at the beginning of October this year. The Khortitsa '99 conference in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine was reported to be a big first for Mennonites in the former Soviet Union. Another conference is being planned in Ontario in the late autumn/early winter of 2000 on the history of the Mennonites in Ontario.

So, from a one project organization, the MHSC has truly become multi-project organization.

125th anniversary celebrations continue on West Reserve

The Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society held its annual meeting 29 Jan.2000 after a year which marked the 125th anniversary celebrations of the arrival of Mennonites to Manitoba, and the beginning of the 125th anniversary celebration of the settlement of Mennonites on the Manitoba West Reserve, west of the Red River.

Meeting at Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach Jan. 29. Outgoing president Adolf Ens reflected on the Mennonite emigrations of the 1870s, the 1920s, and the 1940s. "Even for the historical society, it has meaning for us today. Let''s commit ourselves to another year of working together," he urged. The executive report touched on celebrations held and planned for 2000, memorials and publications, other initiatives, active committee work, and a need to recruit others to membership.

Membership and publicity committee chair Ed D. Hoeppner reported the resignation of long-time member and newsletter co-editor Lawrence Klippenstein, that Bert Friesen will be the general editor of Heritage Postings in 2000, and the launching of a membership drive, with a video inducement, a new brochure, and a mailing to churches.

The local history committee report, prepared by Otto Hamm, noted the death of long- time active members John Dyck and Bill Harms, reported on a spring workshop in Gretna, and an October meeting in Winkler with representatives of surrounding communities to discuss West Reserve 125th anniversary plans for 2000.

From genealogy Alf Redekopp reported progress in preparing for publication the first volume of the Russian Mennonite Genealogy Series. In a joint effort with the Alberta Mennonite Historical Society, a database may be created from genealogical information from Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization papers.

Lawrence Klippenstein, historical sites and monuments committee, reported on Conrad Stoesz''s research, and publication of a short series on the Post Road in newspapers, exhibits at Emerson in connection with March West, a larger public exhibit in the Morden Gallery, and a possible Fort Dufferin landing re-enactment in July, 2000.

A West Reserve 125th anniversary celebration update says Gerhard Ens is providing a series of W.R. history sketches on his Low German program on CFAM/CHSM Wed. at 9.30 p.m. and the Altona EMM congregation is preparing a 50th anniversary book

The main activity of research, scholarship, and publications committee, reported Hans Werner, was the evaluation of potential manuscripts received, and the initiation of a project to publish a history of the Mennonite experience in Manitoba. The project''s concept has been discussed with a potential author, and donations to a fund are encouraged.

Treasurer Bert Friesen presented the financial report for the year showing operations with a small $1,179 operations loss, a balance sheet with assets of $51,600 and a preliminary budget for 2000, not yet approved.

George Klassen, of Carman, attended to introduce briefly a proposal to restore a Mennonite village (i.e. Neubergthal, Reinland) over 10-15 years with 15-30 residences, most of the house-barn combination. He says he sees a village of newer and older homes, with at least one restored to as close to an "original condition" as possible.

Guest speaker Wilmer Penner addressing the amateur historians encouraging them saying "somewhere you''ll find that historical item. Many books have been published here on the East Reserve, with anecdotal historians like Roy Vogt, compilers like John Dyck, and historians like Delbert Plett, who works with a grand vision.

Examining a pile of books before him, the playwright said "my scripts come from these books, from experiences found here, and perhaps telling why they did what they did. Our descendants will write and tell their own story. A close relationship between history, drama and sources goes into the making of a script," he said.

In a board reorganization meeting, Alf Redekop was elected president, and Abe Dueck retained the vice-presidency. Ken Reddig continues as secretary, Bert Friesen as treasurer, and Irene Kroeker as member-at-large. This Executive Committee serves as the Finance Committee.

Newly elected to the board were Esther Epp-Tiessen, researcher-writer, and Paul Friesen, librarian, both from Winnipeg. Returned for new two-year terms were Ed Hoeppner, Jake Peters, Hans Werner, all from Winnipeg, Otto Hamm, Morden, and Irene Kroeker, Steinbach.

Elmer Heinrichs

Committee Memberships

Local History: Otto Hamm (chair), Adolf Ens, Bruce Wiebe, Ed Falk, Mary Ellen Neufeld, David M. Friesen, Jake E. Peters, and John Wall.

Historic Sites and Monuments: Henry Ens (chair), Martha Martens, Dolores Harder, Lawrence Klippenstein, Ed Hoeppner, and Ray Klippenstein.

Research & Scholarship: Hans Werner (chair), Jacob Peters, Abe Dueck, Irene Kroeker, and Paul Friesen.

Membership & Publicity: Ed Hoeppner (chair), Irene Kroeker, Elmer Heinrichs. Bert Friesen, treasurer, sits on this committee as an ex-officio member.

Genealogy: Bert Friesen (chair), Richard Thiessen, Marianne Janzen, Conrad Stoesz, and Alf Redekopp.

125th. Anniversary: Conrad Stoesz (chair), Adolf Ens, Ken Reddig, Lawrence Klippenstein, Irene Kroeker.