-being the Magazine/Journal of the Hanover Steinbach Historical Society Inc. Preservings $10.00 No. 15, December, 1999 “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 Happy Birthday - Hanover Steinbach - 1874-1999 125 Years Old The 1874 Trek The wagon train reenacting the trek of the Steinbach settlers September 10-12, 1999, leaves the landing site at the confluence of the Rat and Red River, turning east off P.R. 200 onto Crown Valley Road, as they start their two day journey. This photograph by Carillon reporter Tim Plett (Carillon News, Sept 13/99, page A9), is evocative of the spirit of the pioneers. For an entire weekend the wagon train captured the hearts and minds of adults and children alike as it made its way across the R. M. of Hanover, stopping for a lunch in Niverville, supper in New Bothwell, a worship service in Chortitz, lunch in Mitchell, and finally a parade down Steinbach’s Main Street escorted by Mounties, to be met and welcomed at the south end of Main Street, K. R. Barkman park (property once owned by the wealthy Franz Kroeker family), by a croud of over a 1000 people. Riding in the lead wagon are Henry and Trina Unrau, the second are Harold and Betty Unger, third is Jake Braun and fourth is Jake Spenst. Congratulations to Hanover Steinbach on the that “residents of Hanover Steinbach have good occasion of its 125th birthday, August 1, 1999, reason to step back and to celebrate....It would be orginally founded as the East Reserve in 1874. difficult to find another community in Western Inside This Issue The first ship load of settlers arrived in Winnipeg Canada which has achieved such prosperity and (Fort Garry) on July 31, 1874, with 10 Old comfort in such a short time.” Feature stories .............................. 2-34 Kolony (OK) and 55 Kleine Gemeinde (KG) Editor Dyck’s concluding words are a fitting President’s Report ............................ 36 families on board. Within several weeks they tribute to the pioneers: “The first settlers toiled Editorial ...................................... 37-48 were joined by a large Bergthaler contingent of stubbornly in a harsh enviroment, anchored by Letters ........................................ 49-56 165 families so that by the end of August, 1874, an abiding faith and the belief that the fruits of News ........................................ 57-89 all three founding denominations of the Menno- labour were there to be found. They laid the foun- nite community in Western Canada had arrived. dations well: a pause to reflect on this milestone Articles ..................................... 90-130 The Hanover Steinbach Historical Society and is in order.” Material Culture ..................... 131-153 Preservings is proud to have played a leading Let us join together to “celebrate our heri- Creative Writing ..................... 154-158 role in the celebration of the 125th anniversary of tage.” Book Reviews ........................ 159-168 our community. In his editorial of September 13, Editor D. Plett Q.C. 1999, Carillon News editor Peter Dyck wrote Preservings Introduction to Issue 15. Feature Story - The Pioneer Era The feature articles for this issue of ing program to provide balanced thumbnail ture similar endeavours. Preservings will again be the pioneer era of stetches of various aspects of Mennonite life The Material Culture Section features an our history in Manitoba commencing in 1874. and culture to combat the negative and one- article on our Mennonite Low German/Plaut- The feature story follows the theme of the 125th sided images often conveyed in our schools, Dietsch by Dr. Jack Thiessen, New Bothwell, anniversary celebrations of the settlement of churches and literature. a paper originally presented at Khortitza ‘99 in the East Reserve, Hanover Steinbach area. Unfortunately our art contest did not bring Zaporozhe, Ukraine in June, 1999. The lead article is a history of the establish- forth quite as much response as hoped. Never- We are also pleased to publish another in- ment the first Mennonite settlement in Impe- theless we appreciate the two submissions stalment of the translated Council minutes of rial Russia in 1789, by Johannes von der which were made: see page 145. the R. M. of Hanover covering the years 1885 Smissen. The article is considered by Dr. Adolf As our East Reserve historiography to ‘95, completing “Minute Book No. One”. Ens, C.M.B.C., Winnipeg, to be the best con- developes and more detailed information be- Hopefully the contents of Journals No. Two temporary account of the early years of the comes available, future artists may well be able and Three covering 1896 to 1917 can also be Chortitza Colony, the direct spiritual anteced- to take scenes from recent memory and/or pho- translated and published soon. In 1917 Anglo- ent of the Old Kolony (OK) and Bergthal tographs and recreate them within their origi- conformity hysteria forced Municipal leaders Gemeinden, two of the founding denomina- nal village context full of people and life, ex- to cease the use of German for Council min- tions of the Mennonite community in Western uding the vibrancy, excitement and constant utes thus effectively revoking the rights granted Canada. The article reveals how under often social activity of Strassendorf village life. Such by the Dominion Government in 1873 to trying and difficult conditions the Mennonite work could follow along the lines of what H. enduce Mennonites to come to Manitoba. Church in Prussia stood by it co-religionists in P. Pauls has done for various village scenes This issue also initiates a creative writing Imperial Russia, focusing on several leaders from the Chortitza Colony, Imperial Russia, section with the first article “Suaruh Suschkje who made great personal sacrifices. see material culture section for the reproduc- Learns to Laugh” contributed by premier The Krahn letters dating from 1870 to 1891 tion of two of his works. Kanadier writer, Armin Wiebe, with roots in are among the oldest extant writings by women It is unfortunate that we cannot publish the village of Eigenfeld, East Reserve. The sec- in the Chortitza/Old Colony tradition. Not only works like these or the beautiful Fraktur art of ond piece for the June 2000 issue will be by do these letters prove that women within con- our ancestors in colour. Perhaps this will be John Janzen Kooistra, author of Shoo-fly Dyck. servative Mennonite culture were literate and possible if a more extensive history of the Anyone interested in submitting a short story articulate, they demonstrate that Low Hanover Steinbach community is done at some for this section should contact the editor. The German\Plaut-Dietsch was commonly written future time. articles should be evocative of traditional/con- in the 1870s, contrary to the allegations of some The editorial comments of this issue will servative Mennonite values and spiritual tradi- that it was not a written language. again enthuse some readers, speak for others, tion. The article “Poor and Simple” examines the and enrage a few. Hopefully these humble The Book Review Section informs the read- economic circumstances of the 1874 emigrants meanderings will be stimulating, encouraging ers regarding a crop of new books relating to and challenges the view held among people to give some thought to their particular Hanover Steinbach. Molotschna Pietist Triumphalist historians that religious culture and its historical origins and With lots of shorter articles and storeys, the migration consisted of the “poor and land- evolution. Issue No. 15, represents another feast of his- less”. It seems that when one culture seeks to The Letters Section is again huge giving tory and culture. Enjoy! exercise domination over another these types readers opportunity to dialogue with of myths are propagated in pursuit of such Preservings. The News stories are dominated strategies. by reports of 125 activities during 1999 and a Attention: The Johann Wiebe (1837-1906) Old tribute to the late John Dyck, our beloved Re- Libraries and Researchers. Kolony (OK) documents collected by Elaine search Director who devoted a good part of Do you need back copies of Wiebe, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, illustrate the the last ten years of his life to building the ethos of New Testament community and love historiography of the Hanover Steinbach com- Preservings? practiced by conservative Mennonites. It is ap- munity. We now have available a CD-ROM propriate that we focus on the life and work of The Articles Sections is led off by another with Issue No.s 8 to 15 of Preservings this great Christian leader as we approach July astounding piece of research and historical writ- and 125th Anniversary Booklet (Note: 27, 2000, the 125th anniversary of the arrival ing by board member Ernest Braun, Part Two No pictures included for Issue 8, only of Ohm Johann at Fort Dufferin on the Red of the story of Gnadenfeld, a pioneer River with his group of immigrants. Strassendorf village just west of modern-day the script). Each issue is saved as Acro- A Tale of Two Journals, the story of the Grunthal. This work serves as a model of fu- bat PDF file for easy viewing on screen account books of two prominent leaders of the and the ability to do text searching. East Reserve, Reeve Gerhard Kliewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows 3.1 Schantzenburg, and Deacon Abraham R. Coming in the Next Issue: and Windows 95/98 is included on the Reimer, Blumenort, provides insight into the Aeltester Johann Wiebe (1837-1906), CD-ROM. workings of 19th century rural agri-business Rosengard, W.R., Manitoba, wrestles in southern Manitoba. Cost is $50.00 plus $10.00 for ship- The article on the Mennonite music tradi- Satan to the ground, fighting off Ameri- ping and handling.