Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian - the Mennonite Historical ...

SASKATCHEWANM E N N O N I T EHISTORIANOfficial periodical of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewn, Inc.Volume XVI No. 2, June 2009INSIDEPark Valley Church history p. 1MHSS Annual General8Meeting, with theBergthaler Church storyNew MHSS board members 12“Glenbush Years,” by Dick Epp 13MHSS in Sask. Hansard 15Katie Sawatzky, Centenarian 16Saskatoon Mennonite17Street NamesRev.J.J. Nickel in Aberdeen 18churchCemeteries Web Site Report 19Cemeteries Project:20Help WantedVictor Wiebe’s Retirement 21New collections for archives 21“Mostly about Books” 22Mennonite Encyc Online 23Park Valley Church: A Short butImportant HistoryThe following account was put together by the editors from informationprovided by Peter Funk and Jake Bergen and information foundin the MHSS archives. — Ed.This is the story of a little church in a remote rural community.It’s a short history, but one that illustrates notable faith, courage,inventiveness and commitment.The story of Park Valley church begins in the 1920s, when Mennonitesbegan to move north into the Lake Four school districtfrom the Great Deer area, which lies just southeast ofRedberry Lake. Lake Four is about 25 kilometres southeast ofBig River, very near the southwestern corner of Prince AlbertNational Park. In the 1920s, these northern settlers were stillhomesteading.Family names of early homesteaders were Thiessen, Giesbrecht,Bueckert, Reimer, Unruh, and Veer. Later, people namedBethel Mennonite Mission: the original logchurch. Photo courtesy of Peter Funk.continued on page 4

2 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianSaskatchewanMennonite HistorianVolume XV No. 2 June 2009Published three times a year by the MennoniteHistorical Society of Saskatchewan (MHSS).Editor: Victoria NeufeldtStory Scout & Contributing Editor: Verner FriesenAdvisory Committee: Esther Patkau, Jake BuhlerPictures editor: Helen FastTypist: Hilda VothProofreaders: Ernie Baergen, Verner FriesenColumns:Victor Wiebe: Book Page and Archives Page(contact info: 934-8125 victor.wiebe@usask.ca)Rosemary Slater: Genealogy Page(contact info: 955-3759 r.slater@sasktel.net)Distribution: Verner FriesenReaders are invited to submit news items, stories,articles, photographs, church histories, etc. tomhss@sasktel.net or to the MHSS address below.MHSS Office and Archives:110 La Ronge Road, Room 900Saskatoon, SK S7K 7H8Membership: $25 a year. Donations welcome.Archive hours:Monday: 1:30–4 p.m.Wednesday: 1:30–4 p.m.; 7–9 p.m.June 2009From the Editor’s DeskBy Victoria NeufeldtThe two main articles in this issue are the story ofPark Valley church and the account of MHSS’sannual general meeting, with its special presentationson the Bergthaler church. The presentationson the Bergthaler church included historicalaccounts that are important for us all to know. Thestory of Park Valley is an inspirational one, in spiteof its sad ending. The people who persevered in sustainingthat rural church community over a goodnumber of years in difficult circumstances are wonderfulexamples of faith expressed in works.MHSS’s annual meeting was my first, and an interestingand educational experience it was. I was onlyable to attend on the Saturday, but it certainly wasworth the trip out. Not least among the things Itook away from the event was what you might callan introductory appreciation for the Valley ChristianAcademy, which I had not visited before. It is abroad and imposing edifice out there on the Prairie,and the amount of activity taking place on a Saturdaymorning, besides our own event, was wonderfulto see. (I had entered by the wrong door and so gota look at more than I would have otherwise!)As always, I urge members to let me know what youwould like to read in this journal. I welcome comments,quibbles, and suggestions, all with a view tomaking this as good a journal as it can be.A happy summer to all.

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian3MHSS Board of Directors, 2009Jake Buhler, President836 Main StreetSaskatoon, SK S7H 0K3Tel.: 244-1392 jakelouisebuhler@sasktel.netGeorge Dirks, Vice PresidentBox 235, Hepburn, SK S0K 1Z0Tel: 947-2158 gtdirks@yourlink.caVera Falk, Secretary/MC Sask ArchivistBox 251, Dundurn, SK S0K 1K0Tel: 492-4731 Fax: 492-4731Elmer Regier, Treasurer142 Haight StreetSaskatoon, SK S7H 4V9Tel: 373-0606 earegier@sasktel.netKathy Boldt, ArchivesBox 152, RR #4, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3J7Tel: 239-4742Margaret EwertBox 127, Drake, SK S0K 0H0Tel: 363-2077 m-ewert@hotmail.comVerner Friesen641–120 LaRonge RoadSaskatoon, SK S7K 7Z9Tel: 382-2970 vafriesen@sasktel.netErna Neufeld512 – 351 Saguenay DriveSaskatoon, SK S7K 5T4Tel: 975-0554 ewn.esn@sasktel.netHenry PennerBox 625, Hague, SK S0K 1X0Tel: 225-4568Victor G. Wiebe, Archivist11 Kindrachuk Cres., Saskatoon, SK S7K 6J1Tel: 934-8125 victor.wiebe@usask.caOther PositionsCemeteries Project — Helen Fast, coordinatorTel: 242-5448 rhfastlane@shaw.caCemeteries Project web site — Al Mierau, webmasteralmierau@shaw.caMHSS web site — Ruth Marlene Friesen, webmasterMHSS President’s CornerBy Jake BuhlerJohann Driedger (1859-1920) was a most remarkableperson for his time. Born in Chortiza, Russia,he travelled with his parents to Manitoba at theage of 15. He became a Schult (overseer) in the villageof Blumenfeld before moving to Saskatchewanin 1904. He settled onto the farm where Ben andWilf Buhler now operate a dairy. It would be fiveyears before he was excommunicated by an Old ColonyMennonite Ältester for driving a car, running astore, and operating a post office at Clark’s Crossing.He even bought 350 lots in Saskatoon that includedthe area where Mount Royal Mennonite Church islocated. He lost them all when the boom in Saskatooncame to an end. This volatile entrepreneur wasnot easily kept out of the Church and made manyattempts to become reunited with it. The papers andsome one hundred letters of Johann Driedger havebeen donated to our Mennonite Historical Societyby Leo, Otto, and Irvin Driedger, grandchildren ofJohann. They are a valuable addition and providea rare insight into a clash between an entrepreneurand his Ältester.June 2009

4 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianPark Valley continued from page 1Hildebrandt, Bergen, and Zacharias came from theRosthern and Osler area.Beyond the family names of some of the early settlers,little is now remembered of the beginnings ofBethel Mennonite Mission, now generally referredto as Park Valley Mennonite Church.However, we have enough information from twoformer pastors, Peter Funk (who served from 1959-1963) and Cornelius Boldt (1963-1970), and a formerresident of the area, Jake Bergen, to put togethera short history, enough to give a good picture of thebirth and death of a small rural church, which demonstrateshow hard it must have been to maintain aviable church community in such relatively remoteareas as this.Peter Funk writes, “In the mid forties, through theinfluence of the newly formed Saskatchewan MennoniteYouth Organization and the Bible schools,young people began to respond to the challenge ofministry in remote areas. Ella Heppner of Waldheim,a graduate of the Swift Current Bible Institute,responded to the call to serve the Bethel Missionat Lake Four. Also, young Christian publicschool teachers were making themselves availableto teach in what were then remote northern areas.Leona Heppner, Ella’s sister, joined Ella at LakeFour and taught in the public school there. WhenElla left her position at Lake Four, Dick Thiessenfrom Waldheim served in ministry there.”Sometime in the fifties or the late forties, the LakeFour store and post office closed, so the mailingaddress and identity of the Bethel Mission Churchchanged to Park Valley, the school district south ofthe Lake Four school district.Day of ordination of Peter Funk; from left, H.H.Penner; Cornelius P. Funk, Peter Funk’s father;Peter and Justine Funk; Peter G. Sawatzky, pastorof Mayfair Mennonite Church.The first church building was a log structure erectedabout 1942. A two-acre parcel of land was donatedby Henry M. Thiessen in the northeast corner of hisfarm for a church and cemetery. The people calledtheir church Bethel Mission, after the Bethel MennoniteChurch of Great Deer, where the first settlershad come from. Jake Bergen writes that the firstleader was Jacob G. Giesbrecht, grandfather of Jake’swife, Maria. Another early leader was Dick Thiessen.There were also many visiting speakers. JacobG. Giesbrecht’s son, Jacob Giesbrecht Jr, served aspastor in later years, with help from others.The Park Valley Mission church in 1959, shortly before thisoriginal log building was replaced with a new building.At that time, the ministry of the Bethel MennoniteMission was supported by Saskatchewan MennoniteYouth Organization, Canadian MennoniteConference Home Mission, and Mayfair MennoniteChurch in Saskatoon.On the Victoria Day weekend in 1959, Peter andJustine Funk, members of Mayfair MennoniteChurch in Saskatoon, were ordained at this church.The ordination service took place in the communityhall, beside the Lake Four school.Peter Funk describes the community as a mixed one.There was a fairly large group of Norwegian families,June 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian5he writes, ten German families of Mennonite background,a few German families of Lutheran background,and a few English families.“The church,” he says, “was very plain with shortslanted pews. There were no Sunday school rooms,so we began with two classes, a children’s class thatmet in the foyer and an adult class that met in thesanctuary. For the foyer, we installed a small, airtightheater for heat and in the sanctuary, at the side,we had a forty-five-gallon barrel with legs for heat.The mice had made use of most of the fibre in thepump organ for nesting, so it did not have the bestPark Valley old and new churches: the old log church is at theright; the new one, unfinished, is at the left.of sounds. It was a joyous gift when we were able toreceive a different pump organ from a family wholived in a village north of Saskatoon. We conductedregular Sunday morning services with an averageattendance between forty and sixty people. We alsohad Wednesday evening Bible studies and we had ayouth choir with ten singers.”Those were the good years, when the future musthave looked bright, for the year the Funks begantheir ministry, a decision was made to build a newchurch. The log church was deteriorating and it wasvery cold. A new church became possible throughthe generosity of several people and organizations.The Park Valley storekeeper, who was a Catholic,donated a thousand board feet of new lumber; a giftof $500 from the SMYO provided a large truckloadof third-grade lumber from the Big River lumbermill. The Home Missions Board and Mayfair MennoniteChurch also made contributions.The new lumber church was completed and openedin 1960. Peter Funk reports that during his ministry,they had two funerals and four weddings. JakeBergen remembers that the first funeral was that ofDiedrich R. Bergen, on February 17, 1961, and hebelieves the first wedding was that of Jake Bergenand Maria Giesbrecht, on September 2, 1962.When Peter and Justine Funk left in 1963, Corneliusand Maria Boldt came to serve the church.Cornelius Boldt was a retired school teacher and anordained minister from Osler Mennonite Church.The circumstances were beginning to change forPark Valley church by the mid 1960s. Rev. Boldt’sannual reports to the Canadian Conference MissionCommittee show a gradual slide in membershipfrom a strong beginning in 1964. The reports give usa clear picture of increasing struggles to sustain it.Some excerpts:November 17, 1964Bethel Mennonite Mission has a membershipof 18, but attendance at Sunday servicesis from 30 to 40. Sunday Schoolattendance ranges from 25 to 32. Sevenpersons are attending Catechism classes.Daily Vacation Bible School attendance insummer was 17.Sunday evening services or youth fellowshipprograms are held every other Sunday.A 16-voice choir, age 12 and up,sings Sunday mornings and on other occasions.Weekly Friday evening meetingsconsist of choir practice and Bible studies.A ladies aid meets monthly.In addition to the work at Park Valley, Sundayafternoon services are held everyother Sunday in a school classroom in BigRiver, a town with a population of 1000.Attendance is from 5 to 12 persons; usuallyhalf of those attending are not of Mennonitebackground.June 2009

6 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianOctober 23, 1965Two families have moved out of the community.Average Sunday School attendanceis 20, church attendance from 35to 40. Ladies aid members are contactinghomes of non-members to draw innew people. J. C. Schmidt from Rosthernhas served with evangelistic services andCommunion.May 16, 1966In and around Big River we have 12homes where we visit and have devotions.Worship attendance was poor this winterdue to severe weather. On May 8 theroads opened up from the north, so attendancehas improved. Thirty people from9 families in the Park Valley district areattending.1968Park Valley church in 1960Resident membership is down to 13. Atpresent 9 families are attending, withSunday morning attendance of 20 to 30,including children. The Henry Zachariasfamily with 5 children has moved to Rosthern.Other young people have left for workand studies.In and around Big River we are trying tokeep in contact with 12 Mennonite families.Our meetings consist of house visitationsand devotions only. Many peopleof various denominations do not attendany church. My wife and I visit many suchhomes and also make visits to the hospital.The local elementary public school atLake Four closed last summer. Consequentlyall school children are conveyedby bus to either Big River or Debden.December 1, 1969Our church membership stands at 15.Attendance in Sunday School and weeklymeetings is very low. The participatingfamilies are: Jake Bergens, Abe Bergens,Henry Thiessens, Jake Giesbrecht, Mrs. A.Bergen (Sommerfelder), Henry Rempels,Abe Reimers, P. Hildebrands (Sommerfelder),and Abe Thiessens. Some otherscome occasionally. We endeavour to keepin constant contact with many families,including non-Mennonites, through devotionsin their homes. Once a month wehave resumed Sunday afternoon servicesin the home of [the] John Hieberts, 5 mileswest of Big River.We are happy to report that many guestspeakers from Saskatchewan churchesInterior of Park Valley church in 1985.are willing to serve at Bethel Mennonite.The financial situation in this area is nextto disastrous. For several years wheat,coarse grain and hay have been in veryshort supply due to early frosts and poormoisture conditions.August 1, 1970 will mark the end of the7th year of our ministry here at BethelJune 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian7Mennonite Mission. I herewith give noticeof our wish to terminate our ministry hereat Park Valley on August 1, 1970.On October 8, 1973, representatives from the CanadianConference and Saskatchewan Conference metwith some members of the Park Valley Church.Some options suggested:1) On some Sundays have a Bible study instead of aworship service.2) Share a pastor with Grace Mennonite in PrinceAlbert.3) Relocate the church to Big River.4) Ask Jake Giesbrecht, the current leader, to be fulltimepastor, while some of the farmers help him withhis dairy farm.Consensus reached was:1) Continue on as at present with Jake Giesbrecht incharge. Encourage Jake to preach every second Sundayin winter, and every third Sunday in summer.2) Ask the Church Board to take the initiative inarranging for guest speakers and in providing activityfor the children.3) The two levels of Conference will continue to providefinancial support as at present, and the localcongregation is encouraged to also continue with thepresent level of support.In August, 1970, Cornelius and Maria Boldt endedtheir ministry at Bethel Mission.After the Boldts left, the church was served for someyears by the Conference of Mennonites of SaskatchewanMissions Committee, until they discontinuedtheir support. Jacob Giesbrecht, Jr. served as thelocal minister from 1971 – 81. Abe Bergen helpedin 1982. Others helped until the church closed. Thelast meeting was held May 18, 1990.Peter Funk reports that ownership of the churchbuilding was given to “what was then known as the‘Sharonite Group’, people of Norwegian descent.”The graveyard is being maintained by the communityand still serves as a burial place for the people ofthe community.An update fromn Jake Bergen tells us that thechurch building is gone, but that the graveyard has alarge new sign and there is a metal sign at the roadwhere the church was.The Park Valley church in 2007.June 2009

8 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianHistorical Society Weekend Focuses onBergthaler Mennonite ChurchBy George Dirks and Verner FriesenOn March 6th and 7th, 2009 the Valley ChristianAcademy near Osler was the scene of weekendmeetings sponsored by the Mennonite HistoricalSociety of Saskatchewan. Valley Christian Academyis a private school begun in 1986 by the BergthalerMennonite Church in Saskatchewan. Classesare offered for Kindergarten through Grade 12. Theweekend sessions focused on the Berhthaler Churchstory and included the Annual General Meeting ofthe historical society.Friday eveningTo begin the Fridayevening session,MHSS presidentJake Buhler welcomeda full housein the auditorium ofVCA. We heard fittingtributes to twobishops (Ältester)who had served theBergthaler Church. First, David Buhler presenteda tribute to his father, Abram J. Buhler. AbramBuhler was elected as minister in 1948 and as bishoponly nine months later. He could relate to, and wasappreciated by, all ages. In addition to faithfullyserving the Bergthaler churches in the Valleyarea, Bishop Buhler took the initiative in bringingtogether like-minded churches in Western Canadafor joint conferences and helped with planting newchurches in the western provinces and in Bolivia. Inhis 27 years of ministry he preached 1,751 sermonsand baptized 1,016 people.Next, Linsay Martens (grandson) and Frances Saggs(daughter) gave tributes to Bishop John D. Reddekopp.John Reddekopp was elected as a ministerin 1968 after a number of years in business (Weldon'sConcrete and Hague Hardware). He gave uphis business pursuits in order to devote himself tothe responsibilities of church leadership. He waselected bishop in 1975, replacing Abram J. Buhler.In his role as bishop he guided the church throughthe German-English struggle, convinced that thelanguage change had to be made for the sake ofthe young people. Reddekopp also had the visionPhotos this page: Left top: MHSS president JakeBuhler. Left bottom: David Buhler, presenting his tributeto his father, Abram J. Buhler. Right: FrancesSaggs, daughter, and Linsay Martens, grandson, of JohnD. Reddekopp, presenting their tribute.All photos for this article by George Dirks.June 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian9of starting a private Christian school, which cameto fruition after many meetings and a lot of prayerand hard work. Valley Christian Academy is thatschool. John Reddekopp retired from the ministryin 1996. (See the articles on Abram J. Buhler andJohn D. Reddekopp in the February 2009 issue ofthe Historian.)Saturday morningOn Saturday morning, Rev. Martin Wiebe, a pastorfrom Blumenheim, led us in a devotional based onJoshua 24.The Friday evening program further featured severalwell-received numbers by a singing group from theBergthaler Mennonite Church in the village of Blumenheim,near theSouth SaskatchewanRiver east of Osler.A slide presentation,prepared by LeonardDoell and AbeBuhler, portrayedmany of the leaderswho had served theBergthaler churchesin the Valley areaover the years.Annual General MeetingThe annual meeting of the historical society followed.The year 2008 was again a busy one for ourSociety. One highlight was a historical event inNovember that featured presentations and a video onthe 1880 – 1884 trek from the Ukraine to Turkestan.New information emerging from diaries, letters, andrecent visits to the area is throwing a new and positivelight on that event.Victor Wiebe, our archivist, talked about and displayedsome interesting recent acquisitions in ourarchives. Plans are underway for a major expansionof the archives to provide much needed additionalspace for our growing collection and to improve thedisplay and activity areas. The archives continue tofunction solely through the work of volunteers underthe direction of Kathy Boldt. Our official publication,the Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian, hasagain put out three issues and was distributed to 350members. We are thankful that Victoria Neufeldt ofSaskatoon has taken over as the new editor.Photos this page: Left top: singing group from BlumenheimBergthaler Mennonite Church. Left middle:Leonard Doell. Left bottom: Victor Wiebe displayingthe painting of Menno Simons recently donated toMHSS by Paula Dyck. Right: Martin Wiebe.June 2009

10 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianThe development of our online web site atwww.mhss.sk.ca, under the direction of RuthMarlene Friesen, is ongoing.Three Board members, Abe Buhler, Ed Schmidt, andMargaret Snider, asked not to continue serving onthe Board. Re-elected were Kathy Boldt and VeraFalk for three-year terms each, and new memberselected were Erna Neufeld and Elmer Regier. (Seepage 12 for profiles of the new board members.)Church. Various outside groups (the HoldemanMennonites, Mennonite Brethren, Swedenborgian,as well as General Conference home mission workersfrom the United States) made inroads into the lifeof the Bergthaler Church, and this became a majorreason for friction and division. The Sommerfelderand Rudnerweider groups were formed, as membersbroke away from the Bergthaler Church.Saturday afternoonAfter a tasty lunch of soup and pie served by thewomen of the Bergthaler Church, Leonard Doellcontinued with the Bergthaler story. He sharedabout the big challenges which the Bergthaler faceddue to language (changing from the German to theEnglish), conscription, education, and the shortageof land in the Hague–Osler Reserve. Many of theBergthaler people migrated to remote parts of Saskatchewanand Alberta (e.g. Mullingar, Swan Plain,and LaCrete) and to Paraguay and Bolivia as well.Leonard Doell is the author of the book, The BergthalerMennonite Church of Saskatchewan, publishedin 1987.Our guest speaker was Conrad Stoesz from Winnipeg.Conrad is archivist for the Centre for MennoniteBrethren Studies and the Mennonite HeritageCentre, working half-time for each centre.He shared the story of the early beginnings of theBergthal Colony in Russia in the 1830s and the circumstancesthat prompted the whole colony to moveto North America, most of them to Manitoba, in theyears 1874 to 1880. In Manitoba, some ousted OldColony members were accepted into the BergthalerJune 2009The weekend sessions concluded with a brief presentationby current bishop George Buhler on thesubject of his vision for the future of the BergthalerChurch. Bishop Buhler would like to seePhotos this page: Left top: the three outgoing boardmembers: from left, Ed Schmidt, Margaret Snider, AbeBuhler. Left bottom: Conrad Stoesz. Right: GeorgeBuhler.

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian11the Bergthaler Church continue to promote missionsat home and abroad, as well as support the CanadianFood Grains Bank and Mennonite Disaster Service.He sees the need for expansion of the Seniors'Home in Warman and the establishment of a ChristianFM station in the Valley area. He prefers bridgebuilding to creating boundaries in relation to otherChristian groups.This March weekend was indeed an inspirationaltime of bridge building between the BergthalerMennonite Church of Saskatchewan and otherMennonite groups in the area. The Mennonite HistoricalSociety of Saskatchewan is pleased to havebeen able to facilitate that bridge building.Photos this page: Top: enjoying the books and magazineson display during a break. Middle: Victor Wiebepresents a certificate of recognition to members of theReddekopp family: from left, Linsay Martens; SusanReddekopp, wife of John D. Reddekopp; FrancesSaggs; Victor Wiebe. Bottom: Victor Wiebe presentsa certificate of recognition to members of the Buhlerfamily, all sons of Abram J. Buhler: from left, GeorgeBuhler, David Buhler, Victor Wiebe, Abram Buhler.All photos for this article by George Dirks.June 2009

12 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianNew MHSS Board Members: Brief ProfilesErna NeufeldElmer RegierErna Neufeld was born in Winnipeg. When shewas nine, her family moved to Rosthern. She is agraduate of Rosthern Junior College.Erna and Elmer Neufeld were married in 1950 andmoved to Saskatoon. They started out as membersof First Mennonite Church but left to become chartermembers of Nutana Park Mennonite Church.Erna worked in the Royal Bank for a couple of years,and later, after receiving a permanent teaching certificate,taught kindergarten for a few years. Thenshe again went back to school, receiving a Bachelorof Social Work from the University of Regina. In1979, she became the first full-time School SocialWorker in Saskatchewan, working in the SaskatoonWest School Division. She retired in 1989and worked part-time in family counselling with theFamily Service Bureau.Erna has a history of volunteer work in her churchand other organizations, including indexing obituariesfor MHSS.Erna says, “I became interested in family historywhile quite young,” when her father showed her apicture of his great uncle Peter F. Suderman andtold her how “Uncle Peter” came to Kansas withhis grandmother at age two. “This prompted meto think deeply about the meaning of family relationships,”she says. In 2008, she and her husbandedited a book about her mother’s family, Toews FamilyHistory: The Story through the Generations. “Workingon this book has been a real highlight of my pilgrimageto date with genealogy.”Elmer Regier is originally from Watrous. He andhis wife, Agnes, are retired and now live in Saskatoon,after 32 years in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Theyhave two children: Joanne Weighill in Carrot River,and Sheldon in Medicine Hat. Elmer and Agnesare graduates of Swift Current Bible Institute andElmer also graduated from CMBC (1965).He served as interim pastor at Mount Royal MennoniteChurch in Saskatoon in 1965 – 1966, whileWaldemar Regier was completing his studies atAssociated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Afterthat, he completed a four-year BA–BEd program atthe University of Saskatchewan.This education led to his career in marriage and familycounselling. He was executive director of MedicineHat Family Services from 1978 – 1997. From1997 – 2003, he was in private practice in counsellingand mediation.While in Medicine Hat, Elmer and his wife wereactively involved in the Crestwood MennoniteBrethren Church. He served on the board for about20 years, including 13 years as treasurer. He alsoserved as a lay minister for most of their time there.(They maintained their membership in Mount Royaland were associate members in Medicine Hat.)He states that he and his wife are both deeply committedto their faith and their Anabaptist heritage.He has been “fervently working” on their genealogies.They have been to Germany twice to meethundreds of their relatives, and have also met relativesin Paraguay.June 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian13The Glenbush YearsBy Dick EppDick Epp wrote this story of his childhood in Glenbush,Sask. in December, 2007. The photo, courtesy of BettyEpp, is from December, 1985. — Ed.My parents moved from Rosthern in 1927 when Iwas just a few months old. The eight cows and fourhorses were shipped in a C.N.R. boxcar to Glenbushand Father drove there with his Model T along withMother and me. We stayed at the H.P. Neufeldsfor the time it took to make a 14 x 14 house, whichbecame the core of the rest of our home. TheNeufelds had homesteaded in Glenbush a year earlier.Father moved the house to our farm with hisCase tractor. When they arrived they dug a cellarand a well and also built a barn.Then the C.N.R. came and laid their rails rightthrough our yard, so Father had to close the well andmove all the buildings. For this inconvenience hereceived $500 from the C.N.R. Years later Fathersaid that he should never have accepted only $500,because it did not cover the time nor the cost to diga new well, that did not have water as good as thefirst well, nor did it cover the costs of moving all thebuildings and digging a new cellar for the house.But that is the way it was. Father had a new welldug but it did not have good water, so he really lostout on this deal.For 15 years or more he hauled water from Gordon’sLake for our cattle twice every week in summer andon a daily basis during the winter. It was a distanceof approximately two miles. He usually put five barrelson his sleigh or wagon and covered them so thewater wouldn’t splash out. This was a lot of workand it took time to drive the two miles daily to thelake to get water.Within a year, the railway came and built anotherline through our farm including a whye whichcame right behind our yard. We were now enclosedby two rail lines plus a whye between the two raillines. The whye was used by the C.N.R. to turntheir trains around when they needed to return toNorth Battleford by a different route through RabbitLake instead of Sandwith. Our farm now hadabout 12–15 acres on each side of the two tracks.This meant that each time we wanted to leave theyard we had to open the railway gates, cross andclose them so that our cattle would not get on tothe track. The whye cut off most of the land on thenorthwest of our quarter. There was just a very smallpiece of grassland left, which we never fenced andit was often used by the gypsies when they camearound in summer to dig seneca roots. (Seneca rootswere used to make medicinal products.) They foundthis a good place to camp and they always loved tocome to get milk and water from us, convenientlyjust across the tracks. Very often, Mother would givethem some fresh baking when they came. The gypsiesloved our little camp spot.The two rail lines and the whye that cut through ourfarm reduced our 160 acres and divided it into severalawkward pieces, which required more fences andgates to prevent the animals from getting into thegrain fields. Although on two sides the railway hadbuilt good fences, we always had to open gates andcross the tracks to get to either piece of land on theother side of the tracks. To move farm equipmentacross the railway tracks was not always easy. I recallthe times that Father moved the threshing machineacross the railway; we had to be careful of the telephonewires so they would not get caught on thethreshing machine. The railway crossings were notlevel; they were built up about five to six feet so itJune 2009

14 Saskatchewan Mennonite Historianmeant going up and over and down, and with Dad’sCase engine and threshing machine it was always ascary event.Our 160 acres were totally covered with poplars, sothe road onto our yard and all the fields had to becleared before the land could be broken or used. Irecall vividly the big fires after Father had clearedsome land and when he burned the roots andbranches of the trees to get rid of them. The treeswhen freed from the branches became our firewoodfor heating our home in winter and cooking ourmeals. Father would use a big share plow and breakthe ground to make the soil ready for the crops. Toclear ten acres took a long time and a lot of work.Add to this the fact that there were tons of stones inthe ground so that before the land could be cultivatedthe stones had to be removed. Nor should I forgetthat there were also many roots to pick. It was pioneeringat its worst. In spite of this, they carried on.It was part of life. It was definitely a hard start.The other main job that Father had was to buildfences to keep our cattle in. Thank goodness, on twosides we could take advantage of the railway fences.But every field where crops were planted had to havefences to protect them from the farm animals.During this time Father added to our 14 x 14 ft.home. He first added a shanty to the north, whichbecame the kitchen, then a shanty was added to thewest side, which became the parents’ bedroom. Thena 14 x 14 addition was added to the east side, whichbecame a living room. The centre part became thedining room. After the twins were born, anothershanty was added to the kitchen, which became theboys’ bedroom. Architecturally, it was quite a sight,but it served a purpose: five children were lovinglybrought up here. And we never felt that we werepoor or suffering. It was just the way it was.Early in January, 1933 (I was five), 1 got up at sixo’clock in the morning, packed myself a lunch in asyrup pail, and in the dark hiked along the railwaytrack one mile south to the Aaron Enns’, our neighbours.When I got there Mr. Enns was just lightingthe fire in their kitchen stove. He was surprisedto see me so early in the morning. When he askedme what I wanted I told him that I wanted to catcha ride to school. Seeing that I had a lunch pail hethought that perhaps my parents had sent me, buthe was very suspicious, since he had not heard that Iwas starting school in January. However, after I atebreakfast with them, they took me along to AverySchool. But when he returned home he thoughtthat he should go and visit my parents. Much totheir surprise they had not missed me. So Fathercame to Avery School to talk to Miss Dolan, theteacher, and to take me home. I wasn’t eligible tostart school until I was seven years of age.However, to Father’s surprise, I put up a big struggleto stay at school and I refused to come home. Sothere was a long discussion of which I remembernothing, except that when it was all over they hadagreed that I could stay. Their thinking was that thisnovelty of mine would wear off and I would willinglystay home after this stressful morning. However,they were wrong. I stayed in school for the balanceof the year and many more.Years later after Bill and I had been teaching formany years, Miss Dolan retired in Ruddell, Saskatchewan,and invited Bill and me to be guestspeakers at her retirement banquet. We acceptedgladly, and I told my story of my first encounter withschool and with Miss Dolan, my first teacher. It wasa wonderful experience. Miss Dolan was my teacherfor three years. She had not forgotten Bill and me.Our time at her retirement was a highlight of mylife. The audience, too, was excited about my anecdoteabout my first day in school with Miss Dolan inAvery School.When Miss Dolan left Avery, William MacRobertFish became our teacher for four years. He was ahandsome young man who owned a Model T Ford.When Avery School had a ball game against anotherschool, the ball team would pack into Fish’s car andthey would drive off gallantly to play their game.During Mr. Fish’s term at Avery several interestingthings happened. The big boys, and I was not one ofthem, built a big slide out of poplar trees. The slidewas about twelve feet high and we got up by meansof a ladder at the back. In winter the slide was inmuch use. The boys put snow on the runway, packedit down and sprinkled it with water. This made theJune 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian15surface slippery. Then students took turns going upand sliding down on a piece of cardboard or just onthe seat of the pants, although it was awfully hardon the pants. There was a railing about a foot highon each side, so it wasn’t a slide you wanted to standgoing down. It only lasted one season; then thepoplars started to give way and it became more ofa hazard than a safe slide. It was taken down andthe poplars probably were used for firewood in theschool during the next winter.I do not recall a skating rink at Avery Schoolbecause I don’t think the well on the grounds hadenough water ever to keep a skating rink going.As a matter of fact, I believe the well was eventuallyclosed and water was brought to the school byone of the farmers nearby. Water was used only fordrinking and washing hands. However, that didn’tkeep the boys from creating a “shinny court”. Thesnow was soon trampled down and became slipperyenough for a good shinny game. I am surethere were many sore shins by the end of the day.Very few boys had the official hockey sticks. Manymade their own, often using a heavy branch with acurl that served as a stick. Most boys trimmed thesebranches and made them into semi clubs referred to ashockey sticks. Then there were guys who made theirown hockey sticks from boards. It wasn’t until myGrade Eight year that the official hockey sticks becameavailable at Jack Harrison’s store. After this the homemadevariety soon disappeared from the rinks.I still remember when Willie and I got our firsthockey sticks for Christmas. We got up in the middleof the night to see what we had received. Whenwe saw the hockey sticks we took them to bed andWillie and I placed them between us and we tried togo to sleep. That was a very exciting time. We nowhad “store-bought” hockey sticks. Our parents reprimandedus for getting up in the night. However,that soon was forgotten after we had gone outsideto try our new hockey sticks on our own rink. Peterprobably became the best hockey player in our familyand he actually made the Rosthern Junior CollegeTeam years later.Now at eighty years of age the nostalgic times bringback wonderful memories of my youth. What a greatexperience it was!Saskatchewan HansardRecords MHSS EventOn March 9, 2009,Cam Broten, MLA for SaskatoonMassey Place, made the following speech in the SaskatchewanLegistlature about MHSS paying tribute to thetwo Bergthaler Mennonite leaders at the Society’s annualgeneral meeting this year. Thanks to Leonard Doell forthe information. The text of the speech as it appears inSaskatchewan Hansard is quoted below. — Ed.Mr. Speaker, on Friday I had the pleasure of beinginvited to attend a Mennonite Historical Societyevent at Valley Christian Academy in Osler. Theevent focused on the history of the Bergthaler Mennonitesand paid tribute to Bishop Abram Buhlerand Bishop John D. Reddekopp. Leonard Doell andReverend Abe Buhler presented the remarkable historyof the Bergthaler Mennonites, a people whocame here to flee persecution and to have the freedomto live out their faith as pacifist Christians.Reverend David Buhler paid tribute to his father,Abram Buhler, who led the Bergthaler Mennonitesfrom 1949 until 1975. John D. Reddekopp,who served as bishop from 1975 until he retired in1996, was honoured by his daughter, Frances Saggs,and grandson, Linsay Martens. Bishop Buhler andBishop Reddekopp led their faith community withgreat distinction, and their legacy lives on.Bishop Buhler helped establish the Warman MennoniteSpecial Care Home. Bishop Reddekoppfounded Valley Christian Academy, a kindergartento-grade-12school that educates hundreds of studentseach year. And both bishops had a profoundimpact on their communities.While listening to their stories, I was reminded ofour provincial motto: “from many peoples, strength”.Our province is great because of the strength andresilience of our people, people like Abram Buhlerand John D. Reddekopp. I ask all members of theAssembly to join me in acknowledging the exceptionalcontribution of these bishops and the BergthalerMennonites in making Saskatchewan a betterplace. Thank you.June 2009

16 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianReflections on a Century of Life: Katie SawatzkyBy Helen Kornelsen“As I am getting older and older,I think of how God deals withhis people.” Surrounded by familyand siblings, Katie Sawatzky(nee Kornelsen) celebrated her100th birthday on December28, 2008 at Manitou Lodge,Watrous, Sask., where she hasbeen a resident for twenty years.Katie Kornelsen was bornDecember 28, 1908 in Ukraine.She grew up, married, and hadher first child there. On November19, 1928, Katie and herhusband, Peter Sawatzky, withtheir six-week-old son, Peter, setout for America from the villageof Kusmitzky. In Canada,the family spent its first winterwith Katie’s aunt and family, theJacob Regiers, in Watrous.In April, 1929, the family moved onto a rented farmnear Manitou Lake, Sask., together with Peter’s sisterand family, the Jacob Wiebes. The two familieshad travelled together from the same place in Russia.They settled into a house in the ravine now calledDellwood and partitioned the house to accommodateboth families, each with a baby.In the spring of 1930, Katie’s parents, with a familyof four, arrived from Russia. “We had nothing to beable to accommodate our parents when they arrived,”Katie wrote in her memoirs. “We had nothing but abare floor to sleep on, with mattresses of straw-filledsacks, and only rags [for them] to cover themselveswith. Heating, too, was scarce. The wood was wetand green and had to be dried in the oven beforeit could be used. It was a very difficult time foreveryone.”A number of immigrant families, who had comefrom Russia between 1923 and 1930, settled in theWatrous area. They had come from different placesin Russia and were now scattered on lonely farms.June 2009Katie Sawatzky, in a recent photo.Photo courtesy of Helen Kornelsen.Three needs emerged: there was aneed for bonding to solidify theirrelationships; a need to share aspiritual renewal; and a need tofind a permanent place to worshipin. Initially, the group metalternately in the homes of theAbram Dycks and the JacobEnnses, with Jacob Klassen asminister.An invitation was sent to Rev.I.P. Friesen of Rosthern to hold aseries of revival meetings. Thesewere held in the Sawatzkys’home, despite the restricted spacethey could provide. In addition,Katie and Peter also hosted thespeaker. Katie reminisces witha smile: “Mr. Friesen wasn’t usedto such impoverished living aswe had. Because fuel was costly and scarce, we werefrugal with night heating. We had given him ourbed, while we slept on the floor with our two children,Johnny being only two months old. After thefirst night, Mr. Friesen asked for a scarf to tie aroundhis head to keep warm.”Following these meetings the group organized itselfinto a congregation, with the help of Rev. GeorgeBuhler of Waldheim, Sask. Again, this took place inthe Sawatzky home. On March 14, 1932, twentyonepeople signed as charter members, called on Rev.Jacob Klassen to serve as their pastor, and namedtheir congregation the Bethany Mennonite Church.Of those charter members, only two are left: KatieSawatzky and her sister, Margaret Pankratz. TheWurtz school became their first church.By 1950, Katie and her family had saved enoughmoney to build a new home. They did it themselves,with the help of their three sons, Peter, John, andJacob. It was here that Margaret was born. The joywas great. All too soon, before she reached the ageof two, she joined the angels in heaven. The loss has

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian17remained a life-long sorrow. Katie often recalls howMargaret enjoyed playing with three buttons. Thesethree buttons were later cemented into the headstoneon her grave.At Katie’s 100th birthday celebration, her grandson,Grant Sawatzky, wove the theme of these three buttonsinto his homily, naming them Bitterness, Boldness,and Blessing, to represent Katie’s many sorrowsand hardships, her faith and courage throughout life,and a long life of God’s blessings.After the Second World War, Katie and her husbandwre able to sponsor Peter’s brother’s family to cometo Canada. Later, the brother himself was locatedand could come to Canada to be reunited with hisfamily.“We did not need to get rich like so many of ouracquaintances. We just needed to be there to be usedof God, to be of service,” Katie explained. “Whenmy parents were led out of Russia, God first providedfor them in Germany. They could not come toCanada unless they had close relatives as sponsors.Despite our extreme poverty, we were able to sponsorthem. Others had to go to Uruguay, Paraguay, or Brazil.God had sent us ahead to be able to help them.”Katie continued her train of thought: “Then, afterWorld War II, we were able to locate Peter’s brother’sfamily with the help of the Red Cross and MennoniteCentral Committee. We sponsored them andthey could come to Canada, my sister-in-law and herfour children. Later we also located Peter’s brother,just released from prison. He was able to join hisfamily just before Christmas 1951.”With the radio beside her, the TV in front of her,Katie now spends her days knitting for MCC —slippers, tuques, mittens, scarves, knee warmers —while remembering the past. She rejoices in the factthat God has led all the way. “I can see how wonderfullythe Lord has led us. We just needed to bethere — to be of service to others. Praise be to God,the Lord.”Saskatoon Street Names with a Mennonite ConnectionBy Victor WiebeIn John Duerkop’s book Saskatoon’s History in StreetNames (Saskatoon, Sask., Purich Publishing Ltd.,2000), information is given on the naming of allSaskatoon’s 865 streets. Three have a direct MennoniteConnection. Epp Avenue, Court, and Placeis named for William H. “Bill” Epp (1930-1995).At the time of his death, Epp was Saskatoon’s mosteminent sculptor. Goerzen Street is named for theGoerzen family, of which Cornelius Abram Goerzen(1890-1984) was the most prominent in business.Goerzen was born in Ukraine, came to Canada in1928, and settled in Saskatoon. He was employed atRobin Hood Mills (flour milling) and was a chartermember of First Mennonite Church. J.J. ThiessenCrescent, Terrace, and Way is named for ÄltesterJacob John “J.J.” Thiessen (1893-1977), the foundingpastor of First Mennonite Church, Saskatoon.Duerkop’s account of the Thiessen name does notcomment on the use of initials in the street name,but Thiessen was always known as “J.J.” and thestreet name got it right.There is also a Ewart Avenue, which is not Mennonite,however; it was named for a land surveyorof Scottish background. Eby Street is an interestingname, chosen in remembrance of the Methodistand Temperance colonist James Morley Eby (1844-1921). James Eby was the grandson of Samuel “SaddlerSam” Eby (1790-1878), one of the Mennonitepioneers of Waterloo County, Ontario.The City of Saskatoon receives suggestions andrequests from all citizens for street names. Shouldyou want a street named for a special person, placeor event, contact City Hall. The process of gettinga new name to actually be adopted is lengthy andsomewhat political.June 2009

18 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianRev. J.J. Nickel in the Aberdeen Mennonite ChurchBy Menno NickelMenno Nickel presented this account to the Aberdeen churchon Sept. 10, 2007, on the occasion of the church’s 100thanniversary. — Ed.Our parents left the villages of the Neu Samara, adistrict about 450 miles east of Moscow, Russia toescape the horrors, terrors, and persecution of theBolshevik Revolution. They arrived in Halifax, NovaScotia aboard the ocean liner The Empress of Scotlandand then travelled by C.N.R. train to Aberdeen,Sask., to arrive there on Nov. 22, 1924.Mennonite Church leaders under Elder (Ältester)David Toews of Rosthern had requested that Dadbe allowed to go straight to Aberdeen to become thepastor there. They were hosted by the Jacob J. Heinrichsfamily in their spacious home for a few daysand then moved to a suite of rooms above the HeinrichsHardware Store. Some time later they movedout to the Cornelius Boschman farm to work therefrom a nearby house. Our parents, Jacob and Anna(Wiebe), were married in 1907 and now with a familyof six children, preferred the rural setting.Dad was able to get some employment working withthe contractor building the new large brick school inAberdeen. He told me the first words he learned inEnglish were “Hurry up, Jake, more bricks!”In about 1928, Dad was able to buy a farm completewith horses, equipment, and some cattle from HenryP. Dyck, about 6 1 /2 miles north of Aberdeen. Thechildren, Jake, Frank, Art, and Lil enrolled in LilySchool. The eldest daughter, Justina, married JacobBoschman and moved up to theCarrot River area.Dad began to serve the Aberdeen congregation inDecember of 1924. Rural ministers were not salariedin those days and farming was not very profitableeither, but mother was a very efficient andeffective home manager and so they were able to getalong reasonably well.Our parents celebrated their silver wedding anniversaryin 1932. At that time the congregation gavethem a beautiful silver wall motto, Eben-Ezer. WeJune 2009Rev. Nickel in 1933, on the stepsof the German English Academyin Rosthern, where the BibleSchool was located.Photo courtesy of Menno Nickel.still have it today.They also receiveda full set of dinnerdishes. The congregationfurthershowed its appreciationof their servicesby giving mothera new McClarykitchen stove onthe occasion of herbirthday on May 5thone year. This helpfrom the congregationwas greatlyappreciated.In 1932, Dad wasgiven leave to teachat the Ros-thernBible School duringthe winter months.Peter Koop took over the preaching duties duringthese absences.It was in August of 1937 that the church councilfrom Zoar Mennonite Church came to visit our parentsto invite Dad to come to Langham to serve asfull-time minister there. After some deliberationsand discussions they decided to accept the invitationon one important condition. Mother absolutelyinsisted that arrangements be made so that she couldtake her favourite cow, a beautiful Jersey named Nellie,and some chickens with her. This was done andso they moved.Isaac Schellenberg had a big two-ton farm graintruck. Everything that Mother wanted to movewas packed into its box. A “Schlop-benk” (sleepingbench) was set on top across the load. Motherand Anne sat in the cab with Mr. Schellenberg whileDad, Mary, and I sat on the “Schlop-benk”. Seatbelts had not yet been invented! Thus Dad left thefarm to Art while we moved to Langham. Becausethe river at Clark’s Crossing was too low, the heavy

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian19truck had to go over the bridge at Saskatoon. Wemust have been quite a sight sitting up on top drivingalong the city streets! But we made it safely.The cow Nellie and the chickens followed some dayslater.Dad and Mother had served the Aberdeen congregationfor not quite 12 years. Many permanentfriendships were made. Even at the risk of missingsome, I must mention Heinrichs, Thiessen, Bergen,Koop, Hamm, Neufeldt, Klassen, Dyck, Wiebe,Schellenberg, Graham, Neudorf, Harder, and Fehr.Friendships are made and friendships endure.To God be the Glory!MHSS archives receive collectionsThe photos below show Victor Wiebe, archivist,receiving the Old Colony church records fromLeonard Doell (top photo, at left) and the Driedgerpapers from grandson Otto Driedger (bottom photo,at right). See the article on page 21.Report on Visits to theCemeteries Web SiteBy Al MierauThis report covers the period from March 4, 2008, toMarch 4, 2009.The number of visitors is down 7% from the12-month period prior to March 4, 2008. Over thepast 12 months there have been 3,244 visitors. Thesevisitors viewed 12,567 pages of the web site; 2,541were new visitors and the balance were returningvisitors.Traffic sources overview by percentage of total:• referring sites 61.25%• direct traffic 22.81%• search engines 15.91%• other .03%With respect to the referring sites, the major onesare given below:• 740 visitors came in from direct sources (notspecified)• 532 visitors came in from a link on the saskgenealogy.compages• 419 visitors came in from a link somewhere onthe google organic engine source• 260 visitors came in from mennonites.ca web site• 197 visitors came in from mennonitegenealogy.com web site• 166 visitors came in from islandnet.com web site• 106 visitors came in from cyndislist.com web site• 99 visitors came in from mhss.sk.ca web site• 60 visitors came in from rootsweb.ancestry.comweb site• 54 visitors came in from canadiangenealogy.netweb siteI find it interesting that the referring sites far outweighthe search engines, a complete change fromwhen the site was relatively new.The site has now been in operation for close to tenyears.June 2009

20 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianCemeteries Project: Help WantedBy Helen FastMennonite cemeteries in Saskatchewan have beenlisted and recorded since the early 1990s. Variouschurch districts or communities would list theircemetery and then forward this information to theMennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan. Thecemetery listings were put on the web (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~skmhss/)tobe used as a research tool. We invite you to checkyour cemetery listing on the web site for date oforiginal entry; it may need updates and if it does,please forward them to my e-mail address:rhfastlane@shaw.ca.Many genealogists from all over the world havefound this site useful for connections to their familytree. However, we are still missing many cemeteries,and would encourage our readers to search thefollowing community names, all of which are as yetunlisted, and contact me at the above e-mail addressif you would be willing to list a cemetery in yourcommunity for the web site. I have standard formsfor assisting with the listing of cemeteries.Aberdeen — Dyck/Brown CemeteryArlee CemeteryBeaver Flat Friesen CemeteryBlaine Lake MB CemeteryAberdeen RMEagle Creek RMExcelsior RMBlaine Lake RMBlumenhof — Neuhoffnung Cemetery Lac Pelletier RMBlumenhof CemeteryBlumenort CemeteryCabri Mennonite CemeteryCapasin CemeteryCarrot River — Bergthal CemeteryChortitz — E.M.C. CemeteryChortitz — Sommerfeld CemeteryChurch of God in Christ CemeteryDalmeny — Ebenzer CemeteryLac Pelletier RMLac Pelletier RMRiverside RMSpiritwood RMMoose Range RMSwift Current RMCoulee RMSwanson RMCorman Park RMDebden — Bethel CemeteryFairholme — Kroeker CemeteryFairholme — Speedwell CemeteryCanwood RMParkdale RMParkdale RMFlowing Wells-Gnadenau MB Cemetery Lawtonia RMGouldtown Sommerfeld CemeteryHague — Sommerfeld CemeteryHerbert — Lichtfeld MB CemeteryHerbert Greenfarm CemeteryHeron Evangelical Mennonite CemeteryMorse RMRosthern RMExcelsior RMMorse RMMaryfield RMLangham — Evangelical MB Cemetery Corman Park RMMain Centre — CapelandMain Centre — Lobethal SommerfeldMain Centre — MB CemeteryExcelsior RMExcelsior RMExcelsior RMMain Centre — Turnhill Bethania CemeteryExcelsior RMMayfair CemeteryMcMahon — Rheinfeld CemeteryMcMahon Old Colony CemeteryMistatim Bergthal CemeteryMorse Schoenthal CemeteryNipawin — Pontrilas CemeteryPeesane — Bergthaler CemeteryPetaigan CemeteryQuinton Mennonite CemeteryMeeting Lake RMCoulee RMCoulee RMBjorkdale RMMorse RMNipawin RMBjorkdale RMMoose Range RMMount Hope RMRabbit Lake — Hoffnungsfelder Cemetery Round Hill RMRosenbach/Ginther CemeteryRosenhof CemeteryRushlake RMCoulee RMRush Lake — Krimmer Friedensfeld CemeteryExcelsior RMRush Lake — Rosenbach/Ginter Cemetery Excelsior RMRush Lake — Ebenezer CemeteryWarman — Bergthal CemeteryWoodrow Gospel Chapel CemeteryExcelsior RMCorman Park RMWood River RMJune 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian21The University’s Loss is MHSS’s Gain:Victor Wiebe RetiresThe following is from Novum in Librariis, newsletterof the University of Saskatchewan Library. Used withpermission. — Ed.On January 1st 2009 VictorWiebe retired froma 30-year career in theU. of S. Library, followinga couple of years atCISTI, the Library of theNational Research Councilin Ottawa. We enjoyhis continuing presence asLibrarian Emeritus.“I truly enjoyed my work — especially answeringquestions on the Reference Desk,” remarked Victorover a pleasant lunch. “I miss the routine of goingto work and I miss the people.” He never lost hisengaging curiosity in the questions, the answers, andthe people who asked them, which form the stuffof library work. Victor was Head of the EngineeringLibrary at the time of his retirement, havingpreviously served every public service departmentexcept Law and Technical Services. Victor probablyworked in more areas of the Library during hiscareer than any other employee.He now spends a few days a week in his tiny LibrarianEmeritus office and enjoys having coffee with librarycolleagues while being free from deadlines and committeemeetings. He is currently sorting through fiftyboxes of accumulated papers, winnowing out thosewhich will be of value to the University Archives.Victor is now sharing his expertise. He is the Archivistfor the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan.He also serves on the Canadian EditorialBoard of the Global Anabaptist MennoniteEncyclopedia Online, http://www.gameo.org/.Recently, he completed an article for the encyclopediaon Colonel John Stoughten Denis Junior and hisrole facilitating settlement of the dispossessed RussianMennonites in the 1920s.As well as these responsibilities and research projects,Victor is enjoying more time with family andthe opportunity to travel around some of the moreremote parts of Saskatchewan. He continues toaccumulate wonderful stories and observationswhich we hope he will always share with us and perhapscommit to writing.Important Collections Acquired byMHSS ArchivesOn Wednesday, 24 June 2009, a ceremony was heldat the Archives of the Mennonite Historical Societyof Saskatchewan (MHSS) to receive two importantcollections of materials relating to the Old ColonyMennonite Church.Deacon Henry P. Wiebe of the SaskatchewanOld Colony Mennonite Church had given LeonardDoell permission to photocopy their completechurch register, which has the formal title of: “Kirchenbuchin der Mennoniten Gemeinde zu Neuanlage,NWT 6 November 1903”. This Kirchenbuch lists allfamily members of that conference from the inceptionof the register in 1903 until 2009. The OldColony Mennonite Church has been very helpfuland generous in opening up their records to peopleinterested in getting accurate family information.This church record book will be available to be consultedin person at the Archives. Researchers will bepermitted to copy information by hand.The second collection consists of the personal andbusiness papers of Johann Driedger (1859-1920) ofOsler, Sask., a controversial entrepreneur and farmer.The papers were donated by Otto Driedger, retiredprofessor at the University of Regina, and grandsonof Johann Driedger. They contain, among a numberof other documents, more than a hundred letterswritten by Driedger and others, following hisexcommunication from the Old Colony MennoniteChurch in 1908.See page 19 for photos of the presentations.June 2009

22 Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianMostly about BooksBy Victor G. WiebeBook EditorRaymond G. Gordon, Jr., editor. Ethnologue: Languagesof the World, 15th Edition. 2005 1,272 pp.ISBN-13 978-1-55671-159-6. online access:http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CAThe reference book Ethnologue: Languages of theWorld has been published in 15 different editions forover 50 years. The book gives basic information onthe world’s living languages and is considered theauthoritative list of world languages. It gives informationon 6,912 languages, including about 80 forCanada. The 80 languages are mostly First Nationsbut also of special interest to Mennonites are HutteriteGerman, Pennsylvania German, and Plautdietsch.Ethnologue gives the following informationabout these three languages:Hutterite German has 34,200 speakers of which29,200 are in Canada.Pennsylvania German has 100,000 speakers in onlytwo countries of the world, USA and Canada, with15,000 speakers in Canada, mostly in the Kitchener/Waterloo area.Plautdietsch has a total of 401,699 speakers worldwide.This includes about 20,000 as second languagespeakers. The number of speakers in some countriesis given in the table at right. The number of speakersis taken from a variety of sources, such as nationalcensuses and estimates by linguists and experts onethnic peoples. Also, the information has been gatheredat different times. For example, the USA numbersare from their 2000 census but Brazilian numbersare from 1985.Plautdietsch speakers have texts such as the completeBible, stories, dictionaries and other materialsin their language. Now that several churches areusing Plautdietsch as the medium for preaching, thelanguage seems secure for the next several generations.However, as it is becoming limited to isolatedand disbursed communities in different continents,it will no doubt undergo significant changes as, forJune 2009example, Spanish and Portuguese words are absorbedin Latin America, Kazakh and Russian in Kazakhstanand Russia, and English by Canadian speakers.CountryBelize 5,763Bolivia 28,567Brazil 5,955No. of speakers Regions where spokenCanada 80,000 Southern Canada: Ont.,Sask., Man., Alta., B.C.Costa Rica 100 Sarapiqui area.Germany 90,000Russia & 100,000 various places, includingKazakhstanAlma Ata near Chinaborder beyond Tashkent,and Kazakhstan.Mexico 40,000 Chihuahua(Cuauhtemoc, Virginias,Buenos Aires, Capulín),Durango (Nuevo Ideal,Canatlán), Campeche(Chávez, Progreso, Yalnon),Zacatecas (La Honda,La Batea).Paraguay 38,000 Chaco & E Paraguay;towns of Filadelfia,Menno Colony, LomaPlata, Neuland.USA 11,974 Hillsboro, Kan.; Reedley,Calif.; Corn, Okla.TOTAL 360,399The Internet, with its lack of borders and rapidand fluid communications, may have a profoundfuture impact that is yet unknown. For example, theworld’s largest online encyclopedia is Wikipedia andmany people will be surprised that Wikipedia has14,094 articles (as of 10 March 2009) on many subjectsin what they call Plattdüütsch! However, mostof these articles are in North German Plattdüütsch,which is different from Mennonite Plautdietsch.

Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian23GAMEO — The Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineThe following article is from the GAMEO web site (seethe back page for the web address). GAMEO is a projectof the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada, MennoniteChurch USA Historical Committee, MennoniteBrethren Historical Commission, Mennonite CentralCommittee, and Mennonite World Conference. — Ed.Richard Thiessen recently reached an importantmilestone, but his celebration was muted. That’sbecause everyone was asleep.From his home in Abbotsford, B.C., on Feb. 20,2009, at 11:44 p.m., Thiessen posted the 14,160thand final article from the print version of the MennoniteEncyclopedia onto the website of the GlobalAnabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online(GAMEO). The URL is www.gameo.org.“You wish you could wake up everyone in the houseand say, ‘Guys, I’m finished’,” said Thiessen, who isalso GAMEO’s associate managing editor. Instead,he said, he just went to bed.His final post, an article about the Alsatian Amish-Mennonite community of Rauschenburg, concludes12 years of work by Canadian and American volunteers.They have now scanned, edited, and put on theGAMEO web site the entire five-volume MennoniteEncyclopedia — from Aachen (city in northwesternGermany) to Zwolse Vereniging (Dutch Mennonitecongregation) — so it can be accessed fromanywhere by anyone with an Internet connection.By day, Thiessen is library director at ColumbiaBible College in Abbotsford, but is a self-describednight owl. He would do his GAMEO work after 10p.m. and stay up as late as 2 a.m. “Our home is quiteactive with three growing boys in the family. By 10p.m. my wife and the boys have gone to sleep and Ihave a nice quiet house to work in for a few hourseach night. That’s when I find I am the most productive,”Thiessen said.GAMEO was started in 1996 by the MennoniteHistorical Society of Canada as a project to putCanadian Mennonite information online, includingpertinent Mennonite Encyclopedia articles. The MennoniteChurch USA Historical Committee and theMennonite Brethren Historical Commission soonjoined as the project expanded to make the entireencyclopedia available on the Internet.Now that it’s completed, GAMEO is moving into anew phase. The first four volumes of the MennoniteEncyclopedia were published in the 1950s, and a supplementcame out in 1990. So the push is to updateexisting articles and add new ones.To do that, GAMEO is working with regional organizationsto generate new biographical and congregationalhistory material about their particular areas.In Canada, that is being done through the five provincialMennonite historical societies. In the UnitedStates, the first participant is a group organizedthrough the Lancaster (PA) Mennonite HistoricalSociety. There also have been conversations withgroups in Indiana, Kansas, and Oregon.About 1,000 new articles have already been added.Another new initiative in process is to make theencyclopedia available on DVD, particularly forAmish, Mennonites, and Hutterites who use computersbut not the Internet. “We hadn’t particularlythought of them,” said Sam Steiner of Waterloo,Ont., who volunteers as GAMEO’s managing editor.“But when we started talking to a few groupsthey expressed interest in that.”Also under consideration is posting articles in otherlanguages. “We had assumed we’d just be an English-languagething for a number of years,” saidSteiner, retired librarian and archivist at ConradGrebel University College in Waterloo. But Mennonitesin Quebec expressed interest in French-languagecontent. So GAMEO is now exploring thetechnological and financial requirements to makethat happen.Overseeing GAMEO’s work is a management boardthat includes representatives from Mennonite CentralCommittee and Mennonite World Conferenceas well as from the Mennonite Historical Societyof Canada, Mennonite Church USA HistoricalCommittee, and Mennonite Brethren HistoricalCommission.June 2009

Saskatchewan Mennonite HistorianThe Back PageHonour ListPersons who have been recognized for making significant contributions towards preserving Mennonite history,heritage, or faith within our province. To add a name to the Honour List, nominate a person in writing. (Yearof death is given in brackets.)For information on the members of the Honour List, see the web site: http://mhss.sk.ca.Helen BahnmannAbram J. Buhler (1982)Helen Dyck (2007)Dick H. Epp (2009)Jacob H. Epp (1993)Margaret Epp (2008)Peter K. Epp (1985)George K. Fehr (2000)Jake FehrJacob E. Friesen (2007)Jacob G. GuenterGerhard Hiebert (1978)Katherine Hooge (2001)Abram G. JanzenJohn J. Janzen (2004)George Krahn (1999)Ingrid Janzen-LampJ.J. Neudorf (1988)J.C. Neufeld (1994)John P. NickelDavid Paetkau (1972)Esther PatkauJohn D. ReddekoppTed RegehrJohn G. Rempel (1963)Ed Roth (2008)Wilmer Roth (1982)Arnold Schroeder (2000)Jacob Schroeder (1993)Katherine Thiessen (1984)J.J. Thiessen (1977)David Toews (1947)Toby Unruh (1997)Albert Wiens (2002)George Zacharias (2000)Call for VolunteersVolunteers are needed for processing donatedmaterial at the Archives. Come join a group ofenthusiastic, friendly people who enjoy Mennonitehistory. Contact Victor Wiebe, Archivist, or KathyBoldt, Archives Committee.Web SitesMHSS web site: http://www.mhss.sk.caCemeteries web site:http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~skmhss/Mennonite Encyclopedia Online:GAMEO.org/news/mennonite-encyclopedia-online.Send Us Your StoriesReaders are invited to send in news items, stories,articles, photographs, church histories, etc. tomhss@sasktel.netor to the MHSS street address below.MHSS Office and Archives:110 La Ronge Road, Room 900Saskatoon, SK S7K 7H8June 2009Is Your Membership Due?If your membership has expired, the date on youraddress label will be highlighted. To ensure that youwill not miss the next issue of the Historian, pleasesend your membership fee promptly to:The Treasurer,Room 900-110 La Ronge Road,Saskatoon, SK S7K 7H8Please make cheques payable to: Mennonite HistoricalSociety of Saskatchewan or MHSS. Membershipsare $25 per year; $40 for a family membership.Gift subscriptions are available for friends and familymembers. All membership fees and donations tothe Society are eligible for tax-deductible receipts.Electronic Bulletin BoardUse this electronic bulletin board to post informationon upcoming events, programs, and activities,along with other information that will be useful toeveryone interested in Mennonite history, culture,or religion.