Preservings 11 (1997) - Plett Foundation

Preservings
Material Culture
Gerhard Kliewer (1836-96): Emigration Journal
Gerhard Kliewer (1836-96): Emigration Journal; by Nettie Neufeld, 1410-70 Plaz Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 5S1.
Gerhard Kliewer 1836-96.
Gerhard Kliewer was born May 11, 1836 in
Molotschna, Russia. His parents were Peter
Peter Kliewer (1786-1860) and Susanna
Kroeker (1811-62) of Rudnerweide (Wirtschaft
35, 1835 census).
Gerhard was Susana’s third child but Peter’s
eighth since this was his second marriage. Not
much information about Gerhard’s youth or
background is available. In 1861 Gerhard married
Helena Buhr from the Bergthal Colony,
Imperial Russia. They made their home in
Bergthal and were members of the Bergthal
Gemeinde where she had been baptised on June
1, 1859.
An interesting story has been related to me
regarding this couple. Apparently in 1869 in
Russia, their horse bolted and went over thea
railing into the Dnieper River dumping Helena
and her three children into the water.
Gerhard jumped in, not wanting to be the sole
survivor, but an observant gypsy rescued all five
of them. The children were 5, 4 and 2-years
old. I personally wonder whether this was really
the Dnieper River or what were they doing
in Chortitz, a sizable distance from Bergthal.
Just one of the many puzzles. Presumably they
were visiting relatives?
On June 21, 1875 Gerhard and Helena emigrated
to Manitoba with 5 children: Helen,
Susanna, Gerhard, Anna and Peter. Two children
had died in Russia. They had 4 more children
in Canada who also died in childhood.
Then 3 children were born and grew to adulthood:
Sarah, Cornelius and Katharina. In all,
Helena had borne 14 children of which 8 grew
to adulthood and further begat many descendants.
Manitoba 1875.
Gerhard Kliewer arrived in Niverville on
August 17, 1875, a year later than his parentsin-law
Peter and Helena Buhr. They settled in
the village of Schantzenberg, one mile south of
the present-day town of Niverville.
Schantzenberg was the viilage founded by
Kliwever’s in-laws in 1874: parents-in-law
Peter and Helena Buhr; brother-in-law
Cornelius (aged 22) and wife Sarah Buhr (22);
brother-in-law Abram Buhr (24) single, who
lived with Cornelius; and Abram and Aganetha
(30) Buhr Leppke with 3 children.
The records in the Archives of the Hanover
Municipality reveal that in 1881, Peter Buhr,
Cornelius Buhr and Gerhard Kliewer owned
Section 19-7-4E. Gerhard and Helena remained
in the East Reserve but the other Buhrs all
moved to the West Reserve circa 1881.
Franz Kliewer (1845-98).
Gerhard Kliewer had at least one brother in
Manitoba, Franz Kliewer (1845-98), who
moved to the Gretna area. His signature as town
clerk appears on Peter Buhr’s death certificate
dated May 6, 1887 who had moved to Grünthal,
Gerhard Kliewer (1836-96), first Reeve of Hanover.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Penner, Hanover 100 Years,
page 163.
West Reserve.
“Franz Kliewer came to Manitoba in 1878
and served as a teacher among the Chortitzer.
He then moved to Neuanlage on the West Reserve
and finally to Oregon. He together with
Erdmann Penner, Peter Abrams, David Peters
and Gerhard Rempel were the first elected
members of the committee of the Mennonite
Educational Society who were responsible for
building the “Fortbildungsschule” in Gretna
which opened in the fall of 1889"—Jakob
Doerksen, “Chortitzer School Teachers 1879-
81,” in Preservings, No. 8, June 1996, Part One,
page 4.
Reeve Gerhard Kliewer, 1880-82.
Gerhard Kliewer has become renowned for
his position as first Reeve of the R.M. of
Hanover, originally known as Hespeller, formed
in 1880. Only six meetings were held in 1881
and another six in 1882. Peter Klippenstein,
Chortitz, was the first Secretary. The tradition
became that the meetings were held at the
Secretary’s home, and therefore, it is assumed
that Gerhard Kliever travelled to Chortitz for
the council meetings.
Peter Toews, Bergthal, becoming the second
Reeve of the Municipality in 1883. In 1893
Gerhard Kliewer made another run for the office
of Reeve but was defeated in a three-way
92
race by the incumbent Peter Toews. The third
candidate was Jakob F. Peters who became the
third Reeve of the Municipality in 1894.
Gerhard Kliewer was also known as a community
leader and served on the school board.
The following incident illustrates his sense
of community and helping his fellow human
beings. Heinrich Rempel (1853-1926), later
resident of Steinbach, arrived in Niverville,
Manitoba, on June 2, 1886, having immigrated
from Russia. The Rempel family was poor and
without means to travel further to their destination.
In his journal Rempel described their
experience: “From here we went to Peter
Duecks, who lived only a 1/4 mile from the
station. After we had eaten faspa and spoken a
little, the aged Kliewer, who lived 1 and 1/2
miles from the station, brought us to his farm.
Here we received the best of hospitality and
A letter from the council of Hespeller and Hanover to
the village mayors, August 1882, illustrates the old
Gothic script used by the founding peoples of Hanover
Steinbach and the handwriting of the Reeve and his
council. The Peter Neufeld appears to be the centenarian
(1820-1921) from Ebenfeld (Kleefeld No. 1);
one of the Peter Toewses is probably from the Alt-
Barkfield Toewses and the other Peter Toews is likely
the Peter Toews, Bergthal, who became Reeve in 1883;
the Franz Dyck is probably the Franz Dÿck, Schönsee,
formerly Assistant-Aeltester of the Bergthal Gemeinde,
because he was one of the few to write his name with
the ÿ. Photo courtesy of Lydia Penner, Hanover 100
Years, page 8.