Preservings 11 (1997) - Plett Foundation

grandmothers. On the 10th worship service was
held here. None of us went. In the evening Klaas
Friesens were here. On the 11th I had gone
along with father to the sister Wohlgemuths.
On the 12th father went to the sister
Wohlgemuths. I was at David Siemens. The
girls are washing.
On the 13th Father had gone to Steinbach
for flour......
My beloved wife has kept this book until
now. As she is no longer able to do so I will try
to continue this record in her place.
On the 14th Gertruda and Elizabeth drove
to K. Friesens to wash and found that Maria
was sick. On the 16th they returned and they
both were also sick. However as Friesens were
in great need of help mother and Anna drove
there on the 17th. By the 18th Anna was also
sick already. However as things had not improved
with Maria, mother and I again went to
Friesens and brought the little Gret home with
us. We had the hope that things were improving
with Maria. By the 19th Corn., Margaretha,
Aganetha, and mother were also sick.
However as matters had again become more
serious with Maria they phoned and we drove
over and also had to return Gret to them. Maria
did not expect to become well again. As mother
already felt too sick to drive over, I and Mrs.
Corn. Siemens went there and stayed overnight.
During this night Maria was very troubled
regarding her salvation. On the 20th I drove
home. (Katharina stayed there another night).
When I came home Jakob was also sick so that
only I and Minna were not yet confined to a
sick bed. Although Minna and I became sick it
was not that serious. Gertruda was now somewhat
better so that she could help us a little.
(Later she was again completely confined to
bed.) On the 21st Katharina also returned home
and Margaretha Fast stayed there (at Friesens)
for night. On the 22nd David Siemens drove
there and stayed for night. Maria again had great
concern over her salvation. During the night
Margaretha was also in great anguish over her
salvation. Corn. Siemens were here. Then also
Joh. R. Toews, Klaas F. Penner, Cor. F. Unger
and Jakob T. Wiebe were here.
On [Friday] the 23rd the wives of Cor. Siemens
and Martin Friesen drove to K. K.
Friesens and as Maria’s condition was very
serious, Cor. Siemens also went there for the
night. During this night Maria died at 3 a.m. in
the morning [of Sunday the 24th]. Joh. K.
Klassens and Ab. L. Pletts were here for night.
Sunday, the 25th, David L. Pletts also came
here for dinner and also stayed overnight.
During the night, mother was seriously ill for a
time. I do not know what occurred on the 26th.
On Tuesday, the 27th, they, namely, Martin K.
Friesen and David L. Plett brought Maria [to
the window] in her coffin for viewing and she
was buried after a small funeral. Margaretha
Fast [who had been nursing Maria in her home]
came and stayed for night on the 28th and [the
next day] did the wash and cleaned the floors.
Comments.
Mrs. Jakob L. Plett (nee Maria B. Koop)
No. 11, December, 1997
The Klaas K. Friesen house on SW31-6-7E where they lived after the first house burned down on June 29,
1920: see Preservings, No. 9, Dec 1996, Part Two, pages 62-63. View to the west across the present-day Herschfeld
Road towards Steinbach. Son Jakob is on his bicycle in front of the door, with sister Maria standing in the
doorway together with one of her Friesen aunts. Photo courtesy of Maria Friesen Peters, Steinbach, Manitoba.
Photo taken at Jakob L. Plett farm in Ekron in 1915. Maria P. Friesen (Mrs. Henry B. Peters), Aganetha J. K.
Plett (Mrs. John F. Warkentin), Aganetha Unger (Mrs. Henry T. Wiens) and Minna J. K Plett (Mrs. Henry M.
Toews). Photo courtesy of Mrs. Maria Friesen Peters and Plett Picture Book, page 145.
died on the 13th day of December, 1918. It is
recalled that the whole family had come to a
momentous spiritual peace during this time of
affliction. Jakob L. Plett made his last entry in
Maria’s journal on November 27, 1918, the day
of daughter Maria’s funeral. Jakob L. Plett was
49
completely devastated by his wife’s death and
was unable to continue the journal entries for a
time.
Son Jakob J. K. Plett later described the situation
as follows: “Sometime later, Father went
to a funeral in the Morris area [presumably