Preservings $20 No. 25, December, 2005 - Plett Foundation

during the 1920s and 1930s. He had inherited
money from his wealthy father, and he also
generated his own income so the family never
had real financial woes. During the Great Depression
of the 1930s, Abram contributed money
and food to people. Since he was a deacon, it
was partly his responsibility to ensure the physical
survival of his neighbours. The church at
Chortitz was designed in the traditional Prussian
style and the upper portion functioned as a larder
which was filled with grain, hams, and other
foodstuffs for those in need. But it seems that
Abram went considerably beyond his duty as a
member of the Lehrdienst. Many older people,
Abram and Maria Schroeder shortly before her passing
in 1951.
including his oldest grandchildren, fondly recall
the method in which he handed out grain or other
foodstuffs whether for charity or for sale. He was
honest in his dealings and always added just a
little more product than the deal had required.
Abram was known for his generosity towards
others even if it meant less for his own family
though they were never threatened by hunger
and privation. In this fashion, Abram stands in
contrast to his own father who seemed a little
more market oriented.
World War Two provided a major challenge
for Abram’s family. His chronicle, written in
the traditional German script of the time, translates
as “France and Britain declared war on
Germany” for the date September 3, 1939. The
entry is nearly eerie for its starkness. He gives
no hint about how he felt when the war began.
Certainly he retained memories of World War
One and the rabid anti-German sentiment expressed
in the province. The Manitoba Schools
Act (1916) eventually led many families from
the East Reserve to move to Mexico and Paraguay
in the 1920s. These were huge events in the
post-World War One period and Abram would
have been in the middle of the debates pointing
out the merits of leaving or staying. Therefore,
as war was declared in 1939, Abram must have
72 - Preservings No. 25, December 2005
been aware that his community would again face
devastating divisions. Threat of conscription
must also have played a major role in Abram’s
life because he had eight sons, many of whom
were eligible for service. In the events that
followed the declaration of war, Mennonite
churches of substantially different affiliations
banded together for many meetings with each
other and with the government to deal with the
issue of whether to send Mennonite men to fight.
Again, there is no emotion in Abram’s entries.
Eventually, acceptable terms were reached
between the government and the Mennonites.
Abram’s son Abram found alternative service on
the David Doerken farm. Sons Jake and Henry
did service in northern Ontario, and son Johan
served his time in Clear Lake at Wasagaming.
After the war, many people saw the worldliness
of the Canadian system as untenable, so many
Mennonites migrated to Paraguay just as they
had done after World War One. Many of Abram
and Maria’s relatives made the move, but the
Abram Schroeder family remained in Manitoba.
For a number of years Maria had wanted to make
the move as well, but it was ultimately Abram’s
decision to stay.
In his later years Abram lived a simple life.
He was a renowned tinkerer, but also spent
much time harvesting watermelons and berries.
Though he was quiet, he had a warm sense of
humour and was known for his thoughtful wit.
His wife was a considerable contrast to him.
Maria was outspoken and liked to stay on top of
what people were doing. She was a good cook
and seamstress and loved to sing. As a younger
woman, Maria took considerable pride in her
appearance but she gave up wearing fancy clothing
after Abram became a deacon. As deacon,
Abram wore only dark clothing and Maria had
to wear simpler fashions. Thereafter, she wore
only black as was befitting her new role in the
humble atmosphere of the time. Unfortunately,
Maria was ill a great deal. In her last years she
often sequestered herself and did not partake in
meals with the rest of the family. In the last few
months of her life, Maria was hospitalized in
Winnipeg, and finally died of cancer in 1951.
Since she had no daughters, domestic work
during her illness and after her death was done
by some of the sons as well as by her granddaughters
and female relatives. Her death left a
void in the family, but Abram survived her for
another nine years, dying August 28, 1960.
Of Abram and Maria’s eight sons, only half
of them married and had families of their own.
George married Katarina Loeppky and they had
three children. Jacob married Elisabeth Wiebe,
daughter of Aeltester Peter S. Wiebe, and they
raised eleven children on a dairy farm near
Kleefeld. Johan married Eva Hildebrand and
they raised four children on a small farm north
of Randolph. Henry married Anna Hiebert and
they raised four children on a hog farm south
of New Bothwell. The remaining boys, Abram,
Aron, Frank, and Peter stayed on the family farm
until old age forced them into various retirement
homes. Until the family property was sold, the
Schroeder farm was a place where a great number
of people stopped in on a daily or weekly
basis. It appears as though people had always
been made welcome when Abram and Maria
were alive and even after their passing, that
tradition continued. Many people stopped in at
the corner of PTH 52 and PTH 206 to visit with
the boys and there were often reminiscences
dealing with Abram. In that manner, his reputation
and memory was kept alive. Incidentally,
the graveyard at Randolph is a good place to
conduct Schroeder family research. Abram and
Maria are buried there as are his parents, all of
his siblings, some of his half-siblings, and all of
his sons except George.
It is relatively easy to record what a person
did in their lifetime. It is much more difficult
to define a person’s character or accurately
capture the essence of a person without another
researcher’s disagreement. Abram Schroeder is
one of those people who is not difficult to assess.
Everyone who met him says good things
about him. There are never harsh words used to
describe him. For those that never met him, such
reverence for a character seems exaggerated, or
at the very least, contrived. Furthermore, aside
from all the first hand accounts of him, old
photos of him show a man that is revered and
respected, but who at the same time is both familiar
and kind. It is justifiable then to honour a
good man whose legacy deserves celebration.
The Abram Schroeder farmstead at nw35-6-5E. The photo looks towards the northeast. At the top of the very
top of the photo lies the southern boundary of Eigenhof. The road is currently PTH #12 near where it joins
PTH #206.