Preservings 11 (1997) - Plett Foundation

The “Brot Schult Registers” recently published
by Irene Kroeker in Preservings, No. 8, June 1996,
Part Two, pages 40-44, are the earliest record of
Bergthaler settlement in Manitoba available at this
time. These records reveal that the original settlement
plans of the Bergthaler were for fewer but
larger villages, a plan based on previous experience
in Russia but unsuitable to the realities of the
inhospitable wilderness of southern Manitoba. According
to these records the extended Abrams family—including
Peter Abrams Sr., Peter Abrams and
Heinrich Abrams, originally settled in a village
called Grossweide together with 12 other families,
indicating that they played a leading role in its early
development.
By the 1881 assessment of the Municipality of
Hanover, the Abrams families are listed in the village
of Schanzenberg, named after Jacob Y.
Schantz, an Ontario Mennonite, who helped the
immigrants during their beginnings in Manitoba.
This may indicate that the majority of the
Grossweide people had moved on to the West Reserve,
leaving too few for a functioning village,
with the result that they joined the Schanzenberg
village.
1875 was a difficult year for Heinrich Abrams
and the other immigrant families. On the one hand,
they were happy to be greeted by friends and relatives
who had come before them. On the other,
this was the year that grasshoppers had come to
destroy all the vegetation. The settlers were fortunate
enough to be able to harvest a crop of hay due
to the late summer rains. The settlers also had the
added pressure of getting ready for the harsh winter.
They were able to build semlins and other shelters
or move in with relatives.
The pioneers had brought their Brandordnung,
a fully functioning mutual fire insurance system,
along with them when they came to Manitoba. The
Brandordnung protected them from fire loss and
damage. The Bergthal Brandordnung records 1874-
85, show that Heinrich had placed insurance coverage
on his house, furniture, wagon, and plow—
Working Papers, page 142.
Heinrich and his family are listed in the 1881
Federal Census as living in the northern part of the
R.M. of Hanover in the village of Schanzenberg.
Father Jakob Abrams applied for a Homestead on
NE 30-7-4E July 17, 1875. Son Heinrich applied
for a Homestead, SE 30-7-4E on July 17, 1877.
These properties were located north of the
Schanzenberg village, the main street of which ran
north and south. Heinrich lived in Schanzenberg
until the spring of 1882. He cancelled his fire insurance
on April 21, 1882, when the family moved
on to the West Reserve settling in the Halbstadt
area.
Heinrich’s brother Peter.
After moving to the West Reserve, Heinrich
now lived closer to his brother, Peter (1823-1911)
who farmed with his wife Elisabeth, nee Loewen,
(born 1826) and their family.
After immigrating to Canada, Peter did not stay
on the East Reserve for very long. They moved to
Neuanlage on the West Reserve where they settled
on SE 4-1-1W. They had eight children, five of
whom survived to adulthood. Elisabeth (born 1848)
married Jacob Dyck. Justina (born 1854) married
Heinrich Kaethler. Peter (born 1850) married
Katharina Enz. Helena (born 1858) married Ber-
No. 11, December, 1997
nard Friesen. Maria (born 1862) married Heinrich
Wiebe. Peter’s son, Peter and his wife, Katharina
Enz, farmed the NE4-1-1W just north of his father’s
place. Like Heinrich’s family, these families were
members of the Bergthaler Gemeinde (later known
as the Chortitzer) on the E. Reserve and then the
Sommerfelder Church on the W. Reserve.
Heinrich Abrams, Educator.
Heinrich Abrams was a school teacher as well
as a farmer. The Molotschna 1861-1862 school
records list Heinrich Abrams as the teacher for
Wernersdorf in that school year. It has been established
that the Abrams family lived in Wernersdorf
at approximately this time and therefore he is assumed
to be the same person. This would also indicate
that Heinrich Abrams was a well-educated
individual with an interest in learning and teaching.
Heinrich continued his teaching career after he
came to Canada. He was one of the first groups of
Mennonite teachers to receive a Provincial teaching
certificate in 1879—Manitoba Legislative Journals
1879 & 1880. Since he lived in Schanzenberg
it is assumed that he served as the teacher for that
village until they moved to the West Reserve—
Jake Doerksen, “Chortitzer School Teachers 1879-
81,” in Preservings, No. 8, June 1996, Part One,
page 4.
The Family Heinrich and Maria (Heinrichs)
Abrams.
Although records indicate there were many
deaths in the Heinrich and Maria Abrams family,
there were six children who lived to adulthood,
married and raised families of their own. Another
child died as a teenager. Children of Heinrich and
Maria (Heinrichs) Abrams:
1. Maria Abrams (1860-1925) married Johann
Friesen (1957-1944), son of Martin Friesen (1820-
59) and Susanna Suderman (1834-58). They originally
settled in Neuanlage on the West Reserve in
Manitoba and eventually moved to Herbert,
Saskatchewan. The Sommerfelder Church records
that they had 14 children. Their 11th child was my
“grosspappa”, Abraham A. Friesen (1894-1987)
who married Agatha Schultz (1898-1971)—see
“The Hochfeld Schulzs,” in Preservings, No. 9,
Dec 1996, Part Two, pages 25-27.
2. Anganetha Abrams (1863-1950) married
Peter Buhr (1862-1914), son of Peter Buhr and
Helena Friesen. 10 children were born to this union.
They lived in Blumenhof on the W. Reserve and
belonged to the Sommerfelder Church. Their granddaughter
Lenora Friesen married A. J. Thiessen,
Rosenfeld, founder of “Thiessen Bus Lines”—
Nettie Neufeld, Descendants of Peter Buhr 1816-
1887, pages 70-94.
3. Johann Abrams (1864-91) died at the age of
17.
4. Heinrich Abrams (b.1867) married Katharina
Martens (b.1867), daughter of Peter Martens. They
had 13 children. According to the Sommerfelder
Church records they moved to Mexico.
5. Jacob Abrams (1868-1932) married Justina
Harder (1866-1954), daughter of Abram Harder
and Anna Ens. They lived on the W.Reserve in the
Halbstadt area and are buried in the village cemetery.
The Sommerfelder church record that they
had three foster children: Peter Goertz (born 1899),
Elisabeth Schellenberg (born 1903) and Jakob
77
Schellenberg (1904).
6. Katarina Abrams (b.1872) married Jakob
Sawatzky (b.1869), son of Heinrich Sawatzky and
Anganetha Martens. They were members of the
Sommerfelder Church.
7. Anna Abrams (1881-1943) married David
Klassen (1876-1965), son of Martin Klassen and
Maria Schellenberg. They had 10 children and
made their home in the Halbstadt area. Irene
Klassen Rempel, Mrs. Wally Rempel, is a descendant
of this family—The Family History of David
and Ama Klassen 1773-1988 has extensive information
on this family.
The Retirement Years.
The February 24, 1909 issue of the Rundschau
(p. 15/col. 2) contains a letter written by Peter
Abrams who was surprisingly no relation. This
Peter Abrams was from the Reinlander Gemeinde,
who lived in Reinland on the West Reserve and
then moved on to Rosthern, Sask. He writes that
his past school chum, Kornelius Heinrichs, from
Chartsch, Terek, asks about his uncles in America.
Peter writes: “Now my old friend, your uncle
Heinrich Abrams and also the aunt from
Grossweide are both living with their children in
Halbstadt, Manitoba, Canada. Uncle is 77 years
old. I don’t know how old auntie is. They are suffering
from senility (old age diseases). 2 years [ago?]
I was there to look them up and they were fine. We
live about 600 miles from each other. Your second
uncle, Peter Abrams, is still living. He is almost
86 years old. For his age he is quite vigorous and
alert. But his eyesight is gone. The loving mother
died 2 years ago on the 10th of July... I am your
school chum, Peter Abrams from Grossweide.”
Conclusion.
Heinrich and Maria (Heinrichs) Abrams both
lived to see their children grow up and were able
to take pleasure from their many grandchildren.
The name, Abrahams appears in West Prussia
as early as 1609. Today the Abrahams (Abrams)
descendants are spread all over the world. The
name Abraham means “Father of multitude” (Genesis
17:5). As we look at the many descendants we
know this surname is a fitting legacy for their families.
Sources:
“Bergthal Gemeinde Buch” (church records,
ship lists and census records).
“Mennonite Historical Atlas” by William
Schroeder and Helmut T. Huebert.
The Emigration from Germany to Russia in the
Yews 1763 to 1862" by Karl Stumpp.
Article “Puchtin” by John Dyck - from “Documents
of the East Reserve 1874-1910” Volume 4
in the East Reserve Historical Series, publication
forthcoming.
1878, 1887 and 1907 Chortitzer Church Registers.
West Reserve Sommerfelder Church Registers
1861-1862 Molotschna School Records
“Atlas of original Mennonite Villages and
Homesteaders of the East Reserve, Manitoba,” by
John Rempel and Williams Harms
“Atlas of original Mennonite Villages and
Homesteaders and some burial plots of the Mennonite
West Reserve, Manitoba,” by John Rempel
and William Harms.