Preservings 11 (1997) - Plett Foundation

Preservings
Book Reviews
Please forward review copies of books of relevance to the history and culture of the Hanover Steinbach area to the Editor, Box
1960, Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, R0A 2A0, phone Steinbach 1(204)-326-06454 or Winnipeg 1(204) 474-5031.
Ernie P. Toews, chair, Ernest A. Friesen,
Wendi Friesen, Margaret Magnusson and Doris
Penner - Volunteer committee, Steinbach 1946-
1996: So Much to Celebrate (Box 1090, Steinbach,
1997), 156 pages, $10.00 softcover.
Presumably the Town Council’s objective
in the production of this book was to have available
a brief but broadly based synopsis of Steinbach,
suitable to be handed out by the Chamber
of Commerce to people interested in investing
or relocating to the community. As such
one would expect the book to be self-congratulatory
and laudatory as opposed to analytical
and detailed. If this was the purpose, the objective
has been met.
Steinbach 1946-1996: So Much to Celebrate
is well suited for this purpose. The 8" by 11"
format is attractively packaged with a pleasing
cover design. It provides a listing of all the
Councillors and Mayors since incorporation,
short blurbs on each church, various social organizations,
arts groups, health services, service
clubs, protective services, recreational facilities,
with appropriate photographs, of
course, many of which are uncaptioned.
The book closes with a time-chart listing
important events in the town (from Council’s
perspective) since incorporation, and a pictorial
of celebration events which took place in
the 50th year. Ironically the fact that the incorporation
of the Town was effective January 1,
1947, which would make 1997 the 50th year
since incorporation, is never explained.
Frankly, one of the best parts of the book is
the commerce section which contains brief histories
of each of the 21 local businesses who
were willing to shell out $1,000 a page for the
privilege. It goes without saying that these histories
are self-serving and uncritical, and yet, a
number of them provide some of the historical
nitty-gritty, of origins and vision, so woefully
lacking in the book overall. In fact, several of
these articles are quite elegant with colourful
artwork, graphics and company logos.
A slightly wider readers committee would
have avoided some errors as well as the perpetuation
of certain old myths and the creation
of a few new ones. In the introduction (pages
2-3), called “Humble Beginnings” mention is
made that the “settlers...wanted no part of....”
the Province’s capital city to the north. This
statement overlooks current scholarship which
indicates that the East Reserve site was chosen
specifically because the settlers’ experience in
Imperial Russia made them cognizant of the
importance of being close to a commericial centre.
Although they borrowed “from those around
them the methods and skills that could make
their lives easier” this was within the context
of settlers with extensive experience in resettlement
and commercial agriculture, perhaps the
most sophisticated in all of western Canada.
In fact, the biggest lesson the new settlers
had to learn was how to downscale their farming
strategies for the much more primitive
Manitoba economy.
The section on health services traces the
beginnings to Maria Vogt’s Krankenhaus (page
56), not mentioning the first medical doctor to
practice in Steinbach, Dr. Graham, who opened
his offices on Main Street in 1895 where the P.
B. Reimer store was later located. This statement
also overlooks the fact that the first health
care facility in Steinbach was operated by the
Kleine Gemeinde church in 1916 in the former
Franz M. Kroeker housebarn, followed by the
hospital operated in the Kornelsen school during
the 1918 flu epidemic.
On page 137 reference is made to Mr.
Beauchamin, a Metis, who took Jakob M.
Barkman’s body back to Steinbach for burial
in 1875, but what is not mentioned is that
Beauchamin was hired for the job and fully paid
for his services.
The editorial committee’s decision not to
put their bylines on individual articles does not
relieve them of responsibility for such statements.
Overall this is not a book very many people
will pay for and those that do will not learn
much new about their community. This is unfortunate
as our Town is full of exciting women,
entrepreneurs and community leaders whose
stories have not yet been told and which could
have made this book a best seller. And all this
is said with due respect to the volunteers who
no doubt worked extremely hard on this project.
It is a perspective of our current civic leadership
that professionals are retained to advise
the City on all matters great and small, e.g. prior
Attractive and artistically designed cover of the new
Steinbach history book.
100
to building a gravel road in Steinbach one must
first hire an engineer to design it and then supervise
its construction. And yet, when it comes
to a history book, which could and should define
the very soul of the community, as opposed
to being a Chamber of Commerce handout, the
task is left in the hands of a volunteer committee.
In any case the Town of Steinbach (City)
has already shown a profit on the book, even
without any sales. Let’s hope the money is put
to good use. Anybody building any gravel roads?
Reviewed by Delbert F. Plett
______
Melvin J. Loewen, The Descendants of
Klaas I. Friesen (1868-1927) And Katharina
Penner (1871-1952) (Box 20,839, Steinbach,
Manitoba, 1997), 165 pages.
As the title indicates this family book provides
a listing of the descendants of Klaas I.
Friesen and Katharina Penner who lived at various
times in the communities of Blumenort,
Steinbach and Landmark: see article by Mary
Anne Loewen, “Katharina Penner Friesen
1871-1952,” in Preservings, No. 10, June 1997,
Part Two, pages 55-56. As such it continues
the genealogical listing found in the 1966 Von
Riesen Friesen Genealogy, but only with respect
to Klaas I. Friesen, named after his grandfather
Klaas Friesen (1793-1870), of Rosenort,
Molotschna, a minister of the Kleine Gemeinde.
By listing the family to the present day and
by providing places of residences, occupations,
etc. the work fulfils an important role in documenting
the continuing story of this gifted and
significant family clan.
Unfortunately a number of criticism of this
work do appear. The limited historical background
given amounts to little more than a
piecemeal excerpting from sources such as the
Kleine Gemeinde Historical Series and Royden
Loewen’s book on Blumenort. The material is
not always quoted correctly nor are quotations
indicated or reference sources properly cited.
This makes it difficult for readers to be discerning
as to which is reliable information, etc.
The 8" by 11" format of the book would have
been ideal for featuring numerous photographs
which are found in rich numbers amongst this
family but only one photograph is included, a
poor reproduction at that. Space in the book is
used very inefficiently and the layout is crude
and unprofessional.
The editor and publisher Melvin Loewen is
a capable and educated man and it is unfortunate
that he did not use some of his immense
energy to gather the rich folk lore and family
history of Klaas I. and Katherina Penner
Friesen, who together with their children and
in-laws have made a lasting and beneficial im-