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

a person of principle, and a person who gave us
a sense of history, of place and destiny.
The ‘flesh and blood’ humans in Delbert’s
books are not only caring and thinking. They are
also hearty, earthy, farm folk of the Low German
culture. Delbert was an historian with an ear to
the ground, an eye for the everyday, a nose for
the sensual. He wrote “social history,” the life
stories of ordinary folks, of our grandfathers and
grandmothers. Like Delbert, one sensed that they
knew whose accomplishments were worthy and
whose were merely boasts. These people knew
pedigree; they had those they respected and those
they dismissed. They were also people of the pen:
young men keeping the diaries, young women
writing heart-felt poetry, elderly grandfathers
copying ‘morality literature.’ They were people
who loved to work with their hands and express
their artistic senses. Notice their fine pottery,
exquisite calligraphy, tender wood carving, solid
furniture, beautiful Frakturmalen, and their colourful
hand-drawn paper-cut art. Listen to their
Low German stories and know them as folks with
an appreciation for the ironic, people who reveled
in “earthy folklore and ribald humour.”
There are numerous stories indeed, too colourful
to repeat in a service such as this. But there
is one that Delbert enjoyed telling me, one no
Today we have come together for a solemn
occasion. We are sorrowing for the loss of a dear
friend, of a person who had a love for church
history, who spent countless ours in writing and
setting up articles and publishing the Preservings,
and published books like Diese Steine, and many
others. He will be remembered for many years for
his dedicated work to this cause.
He had a special place in his heart for the
conservative people especially the Old Colony in
Canada, Mexico, etc. He and I had many discussions
about church history and other issues. But
that has now all come to an abrupt end. He is gone
now, but he will be remembered in history for the
work he has done, and for the time and money he
contributed toward this course.
Today we ask ourselves, why did he have to
pass on so soon? He was only 56 years old. Why
was his life so short? But by God there is a time
to be born, and a time to die. And as Job writes, “
For everyone of us, our days are determined and
we will not pass that time.” Delbert’s life was
complete at 56, and his work was to be terminated
at that time. We would probably think there was
so much more that he could have done in another
25 years or so, but his life as determined by God
was complete now. And God’s thoughts and ways
are different than our ways. In Isaiah 55 the Lord
says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are
higher than the earth so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. It
has been the will of the Lord that he should leave
us at this time, and we must now accept the fact,
8 - Preservings No. 25, December 2005
doubt originating with the Plett clan at Pattehof,
a half mile south of here, less than a mile from
our historic Loewen farm. In this story Delbert’s
grandfather, big muscular, burley Heinrich E.
Plett works alongside my grandfather, the smallstatured,
fine-boned Isaac P. Loewen. As young
men, the two neighbours have been assigned
the digging of a grave. Together they begin
the task. After only five or so minutes of deep
digging, strong-as-an-ox Heinrich turns to look
“up” at little Isaac still seemingly just scratching
the surface on his side of the grave. What did
Heinrich say – hurry up Isaac, dig, dig! No,
Heinrich said slowly, “seems as if the ground is
much harder on your side of the grave, why don’t
we change places.” The two men did just that and
after another five minutes, Heinrich again said
to Isaak, “seems as if the ground of your side of
the grave is much harder. Why don’t we change
places?” Story has it that burley Heinrich made
this generous offer to my grandfather a number
of times, thus ensuring that Isaak kept his pride
and that the grave was ultimately dug.
Of course these stories of the everyday often
had a moral. My own moralizing has it that
Delbert was like his grandfather Heinrich. He
would publish relentlessly, expending energy
beyond description, but as hundreds of local
Meditation at Delbert Plett’s viewing
November 9, 2004, Blumenort EMC Church
Abe Rempel, minister, Winkler Manitoba
that he will not be with us any more, even though
he will be missed by many. He will now rest until
that day of resurrection, when all the dead shall
rise again.
John 5:28 tells us “Marvel not, at this for the
hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves
shall hear his voice.” Delbert will not stay in the
grave, he shall rise again and body and soul shall be
re-united. Not this body, but a body incorruptible. I
Corinthians 15:42 says, “So also is the resurrection
of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption.”
Even though Delbert was very sick, especially
during the last days, we can say that God
granted him a time of preparation for death. He
knew that this could be the result of cancer, and
he had time to prepare for it.
Delbert had a simple, humble faith in Jesus
Christ. And because of this faith, and not of his
works, we place our trust and hope that he, through
God’s grace and mercy will receive a better life
after this life. In Thessalonians 4 we read, “For
since we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him
those who have died.” With these words we want
to comfort ourselves. We sorrow today, but not as
such that have no hope as we read in verse 13, “But
we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and
sisters, about those who have died, so that you may
not grieve as others do who have not hope.”
May the Lord grant that even though we
mourn this death, we are also reminded that we
are all going in the same direction, from life to
death. Amen.
writers, lay historians and family tree buffs will
testify, Delbert was especially skilled in helping
(some might say cajoling and manipulating) other
historians to write their own side of the story
of faithfulness. He would make it seem as if it
was their idea, he would offer them the richest
of historic materials and then allow them to pen
their name to the story.
Delbert’s love for the people of God cannot be
dismissed. I know he was moved by their commitment
to follow Christ daily, by their rock-firm faith
in God, their quiet and meek hearts, their sense of
belonging, and their earthy everyday enjoyment
of the ironic. They left a powerful testimony. As
Delbert shared on numerous occasions, perhaps
his faith had been weakened in his early years as
a “rich, young lawyer.” What brought him back
to the faith, what led him to meditate on God’s
word, what sent him to the fields to contemplate
God’s mercies, was the testimony of these our
ancestors; simple followers of Christ. At the end
of his life Delbert could attest that “things were
right between him and God.” He had come to
know a deeper side to life. The path was clear. It
was quiet obedience. It was coming to be still and
knowing that a merciful God calls his children to
his side to live as branches of the true vine.
Heavenly father, we come to thee in prayer and
we pray for comfort in this solemn time. Be with us
and comfort our sorrowing hearts, especially those
who were close to Delbert. We pray, grant him a
heavenly home in eternal glory. Remind us that we
all have to leave this earth at one time, and that we
are to be ready when the time comes. Be with all
those that take part in the funeral tomorrow, and
especially with the pastor conducting the service.
We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
Norman Plett with the headstone at his brother
Delbert’s grave, Steinbach.