Preservings #17 December 2000

-being the Magazine/Journal of the Hanover Steinbach Historical Society Inc. Preservings $10.00 No. 17, December, 2000 “A people who have not the pride to record their own history will not long have the virtues to make their history worth recording; and no people who are indifferent to their past need hope to make their future great.” — Jan Gleysteen 1874 Revisited The celebrations of the 125th anniversaries of the East and West Reserves, Manitoba, Canada, during 1999 and 2000 are now history. Hopefully, most of our readers, particularly those in Manitoba, were able to take part in at least some of the festivities. The most important thing of course is that these events have imparted many good memories and positive impressions to our youngsters, as this will ensure that they will remain proud of their heritage in years to come and therefore more ful- filled and wholesome human beings. All three of the founding groups of the Mennonite com- munities of southern Manitoba--the Kleine Gemeinde, the Bergthaler and Old Koloniers--had gone through the pioneering experi- ence in Imperial Russia within the preceding decades, making them experienced in the art of resettlement and thus excellent settlers to spearhead the open- ing and development of the Canadian west. The story of Erdmann Penner (1826-1907), a dynamic pioneer entrepreneur whose ac- tivities touched both East and West Reserves, provides a suit- able focus to this issue of Preservings. Erdmann Penner’s story illustrates the dramatic impact which the immigration of almost 7000 Mennonites from Imperial Russia had on Manitoba in 1874 to 1876, for a time doubling the population of the Province. The Editor, D. Plett Q.C. Inside This Issue Feature stories .............................. 3-52 Penner & Schulz, ca. 1880, Early Mennonite Entrepreneur recognized. President’s Report ............................ 56 The official Manitoba’s Diamond Jubilee of 1930 recognized the contributions of Erdmann Editorial ...................................... 57-63 Penner and Otto Schulz to the commercial development of Manitoba with a full page spread, including a photograph. Mr. Penner is seated in the buggy and Mr. Schulz is standing at his side at the corner of Letters ........................................ 64-69 Main Street and McDermot, Winnipeg, where the Toronto-Dominion Bank stood in 1930. The photo News ........................................ 70-85 dates from ca. 1880. Erdmann Penner (1826-1907), Tannenau, E.R., and later Gretna, W.R., was among the pioneer business leaders of Manitoba. Together with Otto Schulz he went into the flat boat Articles ..................................... 86-116 business, supplying Mennonites with the necessities until the railway arrived in 1878. They had the Material Culture ..................... 117-125 distinction of building the first line of stores in Manitoba, stretching from Gretna to Morden. Later that business was confined to Winnipeg. Their store in Niverville was established in 1878. “Penner & Books .................................... 126-140 Schulz” shipped the first 10 car loads of grain for international export from Winnipeg. See Preservings, No. 15, page 130. Photograph courtesy of Dr. John Warkentin, York University, Toronto, Canada. Preservings Introduction to Issue 17 Feature Story “1874 Revisited” We are proud to feature as the lead article got the better of me, resulting in the present a precursor to a book length study of this gifted “1874 Revisited” by John Warkentin, Profes- rather lengthy article. and productive community man, a study well sor emeritus, York University, Toronto, inter- In 1998 Professor Roy Loewen, Mennonite warranted by his enduring and lasting legacy. nationally renown geographer. Chair, University of Winnipeg, sent me a 1922 The Material Culture Section is anchored by Dr. Warkentin’s paper provides an intrigu- newspaper clipping originating in Minneapo- a major paper on Hutterian Education by Art ing look at the 1874 to 1876 Mennonite settle- lis, featuring an Abram Wolfe family en route to Rempel, Steinbach, Manitoba, until recently ments of southern Manitoba, focusing on how Mexico. Through this chance encounter I was Hutterian Education Liaison Officer for the De- the land changed the pioneers of the 1870s and introduced to Abram A. Wolfe, one of some partment of Education. He describes the how they in turn altered the landscape. In his 8,000 exiles from Manitoba and Saskatchewan Hutterian Educational tradition, the envy of evocative style, Dr. Warkentin reviews the evo- in 1922. I became intrigued and determined to Europe in the 17th century. lution of the settlements and the factors which write his story, only to learn that four of my Over the centuries education, and, particu- gave Mennonite culture its tremendous staying cousins in Mexico had married his granddaugh- larly, secondary and higher education has often power. He noted how writers in recent years ters. been hijacked by predator religious cultures and have painted the Mennonite territorial enclaves Abram A. Wolfe (1876-1945) was another used as a strategy to subvert conservative Men- of Manitoba onto the literary landscape of man whose story flies in the face of the lies and nonites and Hutterites from the Gospel-centric Canada. mythologies propagated by the enemies of Gos- faith. As a result “higher” education came to There are numerous accounts of the Menno- pel-centric faith. In 1900, Abram A. Wolfe was have an unsavoury association for many con- nite settlements in southern Russia during the a printer in Gnadenfeld, W.R., printing litera- servatives. It is time that they took back and 19th century which describe in some detail their ture and books for the Reinländer Gemeinde. reclaimed this ground, so essential for the dwellings, farms, forms of governance and the- Having medical training, “Dr.” Wolfe practised wholesome development and evolution of any ology. But there are only precious few descrip- among both the Old Koloniers and native Indi- religious confession. tions of their personal lives, daily habits and ans in Mexico demonstrating a heart of com- Great things are happening in the educational apparel. passion for all. sphere, from the Kleine Gemeinde curriculum “A Sunday in 1840 on the Island of Chortitza” Pentecostalism, a sub-specie of the religious publishing venture in Jagueyes, Mexico(Centro by Cornelius Hildebrand Sr., grandson of del- culture known as Evangelicalism, is widely Escolar Evangelico), to the confessional schools egate Jakob Hoeppner, provides an evocative known for its aggressive and brassy posturing, of the Ontario Old Colony Mennonites. The look at a traditional worship service which devastating employment of modern psychologi- Hutterian Brethren have structured their own speaks for the piety and genuine spirituality of cal brain control techniques, and cheesy emo- teacher training program in partnership with these sturdy pioneers. This account stands in tion-inducing rites and rituals. Too often Men- Brandon University (see News Section) serv- sharp contrast to the combination of heathen nonites have stampeded to this religious culture ing as a stellar example for others. Such mea- practices and Hollywood dramatization which in ignorance, not only of their own superior sures will go a long way to stopping the passes as worship in many so-called Evangeli- faith and heritage, but without considering some haemorrhaging of members being seduced by cal churches of the modern-day. if its dangerous and less wholesome aspects. alien religious cultures, provided that they fo- Over the centuries Separatist-Pietists (and The editorial considers some of the under- cus on instilling a positive understanding of their later Darbyite-Scofieldians), have heartlessly side of a religious culture which takes itself very faith and culture. endeavoured to convince conservative Menno- seriously. In fact, many Pentecostals would con- The book review section has been renamed nites that their forebears were crude, illiterate sider all Mennonites and most other Christians simply “Books” reflecting its function of telling and unsaved savages as a strategy of religious to be unsaved heathen. readers about the marvellous breath and scope imperialism. Once people can be persuaded their No doubt these humble meanderings will of the ever burgeoning literature of the Menno- faith and culture are inferior, they are sure to infuriate some readers, as most individuals who nite people. feel worthless and likely to be hapless victims have converted to Protestant Fundamentalism In an academic journal readers are typically of predator religious cultures. prefer not to be confused by the facts and stark familiar with the contents of books being re- In reality nothing could be further from the lessons of history. Hopefully these comments viewed and are mainly looking for an expert truth. Conservative Mennonites have a proud will assist others, who still remember the genu- evaluation. The average Preservings reader has and sophisticated writing tradition and literary ine Gospel-centric faith of their ancestors to un- probably never heard of many of the books de- culture going back 500 years to the Netherlands derstand themselves better in today’s wild and scribed. Of necessity, therefore, our reviews are in Reformation times. crazy religious market place. both descriptive as well as evaluative. Hope- Jakob Wiens (1816-88) was one of the 1876 The news section is dominated by reports of fully they will familiarize our readership with pioneers

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