Preservings $20 Issue No. 26, 2006 - Home at Plett Foundation

Kornelius and Elisabeth Dyck Unger
Felsenton, Manitoba, By Pauline Unger Penner, Blumenort, Manitoba
Grandmother.
Elizabeth was born to Abram Wiebe (born
Jan. 14, 1819, died: Feb. 21, 1878) and Aganetha
Dyck Wiebe (born Aug. 14, 1831, died: date
of death unknown). Elizabeth was the 15th
of 20 children. Four children died at various
ages before becoming adults. Aganetha Dyck
Wiebe was the daughter of Abraham Dueck,
Schönsee, and was great-grandfather’s third
wife. Some of grandmother Elizabeth’s brothers
remained in Russia when the family emigrated
to Manitoba.
Grandmother Elizabeth married Cornelius
Klassen Unger on July 1, 1883. (born Jan. 3,
1860, died: Mar. 1933). They were four months
short of being married fifty years.
Grandfather was also the fifteenth of twentytwo
children (one previous marriage) born to
Peter Unger (born Jul. 29, 1812) and Katherina
Klassen Unger (born Sep. 7, 1832).
My father Abram Wiebe Unger (born Feb.
16, 1896, died: Oct. 7, 1983) was the fourth of
eight children. He married Katharina Derksen
Wiebe (born Jul. 22, 1902, died: Nov. 4, 1996)
on October 27, 1922.
The given name to a child was a high priority
to my grandparents. So when the first child
was born to my parents (a daughter) grandfather
travelled many miles with horses from Felsenton,
to near Niverville where my folks were
residing. The first daughter was called Elizabeth.
Our maternal grandmother had passed away
when my mother was only thirteen. Her name
was Aganetha, and that name was to be for the
second daughter that might come along. Well
sixteen months later I came along, so my dad
called me Paulina. He liked that name and no
grandparents had come. I married Jake Penner,
son of Aron M. and Marie Goossen Penner on
July 1, 1951.
Eighteen months later another daughter was
born. Then both grandfather and grandmother
came over; she was named Aganetha. Later a
brother was born, and called Abram after our
dad. Later another sister, Mathilda, brother Otto,
brother Willie, and in 1936 our youngest brother
Anton (Tony). Each of my dad’s brothers that
had daughters, had one named Elizabeth, a good
sturdy name.
As our grandparents lived about 3 1/2 miles
south and west of Steinbach, and our parents
lived at the Prairie Rose area for some years,
Christmas gatherings at the grandparents were
not always attended by us. Distance, horse
travel, and small children did not mix very well.
We always eagerly looked forward to the times
we did go to Christmas gatherings, especially
the Christmas bags with goodies and a hankie.
Sometimes we did not get the baggies till March,
but we opened them with great eagerness, and
grandma hugged us and I know she loved all
her grandchildren.
Children of Kornelius and Elizabeth Unger:
Their children, to the best of my knowledge,
come in this order:
1. Daughter Katharina, born: 1884, died:
Nov. 1946.
2. Daughter Aganetha, born: 1887, died:
Jun. 29, 1942.
3. Son Cornelius, born: May 1894, died: Jan.
29, 1962. He married Maria Barkman. They had
five sons and three daughters.
4. Son Abram (my father), (born: Feb. 16,
11896, died: Oct. 7, 1983). He married Katharina
Derksen Wiebe. They had four sons and
four daughters.
5. Daughter Helena, (born: 1898, died: Mar.
8, 1978). She married widower Klass K. Friesen.
They had one daughter.
6. Son Peter, (born: 1899, died: Sep. 19,
1969). Peter married Maria Ginter. They had
ten daughters and one son.
7. Son Gerhard, (born: Aug. 1902, died:
Jan. 11, 1940). He married Maria Sawatsky
Dyck in 1938. They had one son, Abram, (born:
Nov. 1939), who was six weeks old when his
father died.
8. Daughter Elizabeth, (born: 1905, died:
passed away at age three years from diphtheria).
As far as I calculate, there were 29 grandchildren.
Journal
Copied by A.W. Unger, from his grandfather’s diary, written in the Gothic
German script:
1819 January 14 I, Abram Wiebe, was born.
1838 I was baptized by Aeltester Jacob Dyck in Neuendorfer Kirche.
1839 May 9 I was joined in matrimony to Susanna Kopp.
1840 February 12 Our son, Cornelius, was born on a Monday at 2:30 in the afternoon. The
Lord be with him.
1841 June 14 Our daughter, Anna, was born on a Saturday. The Lord be with her.
1843 September 8 Our son, Abraham, was born Wednesday at 6:30 in the morning. The
Lord be with him.
1844 December 2 Our son, Peter, was born at 7:00 in the evening. The Lord be with him.
1846 July 14 Our daugther, Maria, was born. She died five days later.
1847 July 4 Our son, Martin, was born. The Lord be with him.
1848 October 29 My wife, Susanna, passed away on Friday at 1:15 in the afternoon. She
was 32 years, 1 month and 10 days old. We were married 9 years, 8
months and 20 days. Born were 4 male children, and 2 female children.
One male child predeceased her into eternity.
1849 February 2 After a period of 3 months and 21 days as a widower I joined in marriage
to Maria Klassen. She was born February 18, 1921.
1850 May 6 Our son, Wilhelm, was born at 1:00 in the morning. The Lord be with
him.
1852 May 18 Our son, David, was born and he died right away.
1853 June 21 Our daugther, Maria, was born. The Lord be with her.
1855 January 7 Our son, David, was born. The Lord be with him. His mother died at his
birth. He was adopted by Abraham Funks. For the third marriage I was
joined to Aganetha Dyck.
1855 June 5 Marriage to Aganetha Dyck. 1
1858 January 31 Our son Jacob was born.
1860 Aganetha born.
1862 December 22 Elizabeth born.
1864 Helen was born.
1865 Johan was born.
1868 March 13 Our son, Henry, was born. The Lord be with him.
1870 January 20 Our son, Gerhard, was born at 8:30 in the morning. The Lord be with
him.
1872 February 13 Our son Bernhard was born.
1876 July 13 Our son, Heinrich, died at 8:00 in the evening on the great ocean and at
10:00 the same evening, he was put to rest where the watery grave awaited
him. Oh what a heart-breaking parting it was. “The Lord will find his
own everywhere.” It is written, “And the sea gave up the dead that were
in it.” (“Und das Meer gab seine Toten wieder.”). 2
This is the end of his Tagebuch (diary). Great grandfather Abraham Wiebe passed away
February 4, 1887, age 68 years and 26 days. Great grandmother Aganetha Dyck-Wiebe passed
58 - Preservings No. 26, 2006