-being the Magazine/Journal of the Hanover Steinbach Historical Society Inc. Preservings $10.00 No. 16, June, 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 Happy Birthday - West Reserve - 1875-2000 125 Years Old Congratulations to our neighbours in the West descendants of the Old Kolony (OK) congrega- Gemeinde by Aeltester Johann Wiebe (1837- Reserve, Altona Winkler area, as they are cel- tions of Manitoba, and indeed across Canada, 1905), Rosengart, W. R., Manitoba, in 1875. By ebrating their 125th anniversary this summer. the U. S.A., and Latin American, on the occasion 1900 the OK community in Altona Winkler was We particularly congratulate the members and of the 125th anniversary of the founding of their considered one of the wealthiest in Manitoba. We wish them well and anticipate that many residents of Hanover Steinbach will want to “cross the river” to take part in various of the anniversary events planned for the West Reserve over the summer. We welcome the readers to another feast of historical writing. Editor D. Plett Q.C. Inside This Issue Feature stories .............................. 3-48 President’s Report ............................ 49 Editorial ...................................... 50-57 Letters ........................................ 58-62 Sketch of the central Old Kolony (OK) village of Reinland, West Reserve, founded in 1875. The drawing by W. T. Smedley dates to the early 1880s and was published in Picturesque Canada. The windmill News ........................................ 63-78 matches that of the photograph of the windmill in Reinland, verifying the identification of the Village. Articles ..................................... 79-119 The Hollander-style windmill has become one of the icons of Mennonite culture. One of the villagers is off to market with ox team and wagon loaded with wheat. See Jake Doerksen, “Wood engravings, East Material Culture ..................... 120-132 Reserve 1877,” in Preservings, No. 12, page 37, for the explanation of these drawings. The post, front Book Reviews ........................ 133-144 centre in the sketch, also points to the identity of the village as Reinland, it being located along the “Post Road”. Preservings Introduction to Issue 16 Feature Story - The Old Kolony Church, 1875-2000 In honour of the settlement of the West Re- young Old Colony lad who maintained a journal is proud to be able to share this excellent piece of serve in 1875 by the Old Kolony (OK) people describing the ocean journey in 1875. He was historical writing with the readers. and the formation of the Reinländer Gemeinde educated in the “Central Schule” in the “Old It is necessary to start publishing biographies by Aeltester Johann Wiebe, we feature this com- Kolony”. He married the daughter of Bergthaler and historical writings for the more contempo- munity as our contribution to the 125 anniver- Aeltester Johann Funk, who departed from the rary period commencing in the 1920s. Other- sary celebrations taking place this year in the Gospel-centric teachings of his faith to adopt wise we will be in the same gird-lock in 20 years Altona Winkler area. American Revivalist religious culture. as we were when we started the process of docu- The OK Gemeinde is one of the largest de- Bernhard Toews remained true to the faith menting our first pioneers. Every detail had to be nominations in Canada tracing its roots to the once received and served as a school teacher dur- painfully extracted from archival or oral sources. 1870s Mennonite immigration to Manitoba. ing the turbulent years after 1900 when Anglo- It is important that we write these stories while As a special tribute to the Old Kolony (OK) conformity hysteria swept across Manitoba and people are still alive to provide the information. church and the wonderful testimony it has been Saskatchewan. He was imprisoned for his faith It is especially important to document the story to genuine Christianity, we offer a series of ar- and his conviction that the Dominion Govern- of those amongst us who were cultural preserv- ticles featuring this community, which has often ment should abide by the rights it had granted the ers, working to improve and benefit their com- been misunderstood and denigrated by Ameri- 1874 immigrants to induce them to come to munities. Preservings has carried several articles can Revivalist and so-called Evangelical Canada. Bernhard Toews’ journal is the only first of this nature including the stories of Eugene missioners. hand account I am aware of to date, describing Derksen, Gerhard F. Wiebe, Rev. Peter F. Wiebe, The lead article by Dr. Adolf Ens, Professor the prison experience of those suffering for their Abram P. Dueck, and others. In this issue we of History and Theology, Winnipeg, “A Second faith. proudly present the story of John C. Reimer, Look at the Rejected Conservative”, surveys the Rev. Abram E. Rempel, Winkler, Manitoba, founder of the Steinbach Mennonite Heritage story of the Old Kolony people, their settlement has written a short survey of the Old Kolony Museum. Son Arnold Reimer has done a mag- in Manitoba, their faith and practice, and the ex- church inManitoba, and its struggle to reorga- nificent job of giving us a sense of the determina- pulsion of the majority of this group by the pro- nize in the aftermath of the “exile” of two-thirds tion and enduring faith of his father. vincial governments in Manitoba and of its membership from Canada in 1922-26. Jake Peters’ fascinating account of the wind- Saskatchewan in 1922. Dr. Ens evaluates the Dr. Wes Berg, Professor of Music, Univer- mill tradition of conservative Mennonites is the view which many reformed and/or assimilated sity of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, has written lead article in the material culture section. Mennonites hold of their conservative co-reli- an evocative exposition of the Old Kolony (OK) William Schroeder’s account of portrait artist gionists, suggesting that “conservatives” are singing tradition. Certain alien religious cultures Balthasar Denner (1685-1749), is the sequel to worth a second look. The article was originally which are seeking to deprecate and tear apart his earlier article on Balthasar’s father, Rev. Jakob published as part of a special centennial issue of conservative Mennonite communities in particu- Denner, conservative Mennonite writer and Bible the Mennonite Reporter in 1974, but the topic lar disparage the Old Kolony singing tradition. expositor. remains as cogent today as it was a quarter cen- The analysis of Dr. Berg reveals that Old Kolony Of interest to this special anniversary issue is tury ago. singing is a genuine form of music “which pro- the article about the table built by Aeltester Johann Jakob Fehr (1859-1952) was a 16 year-old vides important insight into the way human be- Wiebe (1837-1905), founder of the Reinländer youth when his family departed from Kronsthal, ings make music.” Gemeinde in 1875. It is amazing that in addition “Old” Chortitza Colony, Imperial Russia, for Every community is entitled as a basic human to his pastoral and farming work, he had an ex- Manitoba, America. Young Jakob’s letters and right to have its history told from its own per- pertise in the Mennonite furniture making tradi- other writings describe the heartbreaking fare- spective. Hopefully these articles will serve as an tion which hails from Reformation times. Like wells, the ocean journey and the early days in encouragement to the many writers among the Joseph in Bible times, Johann Wiebe found so- Manitoba, and speaks for a religious culture which Old Kolony people themselves--and there are lace and quietude in creating a work of utility and was literate to its very core. many, to advance the monumental task of docu- simple beauty with his hands, presumably a way Three articles continue the story of Aeltester menting and writing their own exciting history. of resting from the stress of his office. Johann Wiebe (1838-1905), Rosengart, W. R., The lead piece in our articles section is an- Articles such as this make it more difficult for Manitoba, already begun with the biography of other valuable piece of research by expert gene- so-called Evangelical missioners to disparage the Johann Wiebe, by Peter D. Zacharias, published alogist Henry Schapansky, New Westminster, man and his denomination. How can you write- in Preservings, No. 14, pages 3-8, and six docu- B. C. The significance of such family sketches is off someone completely who is capable of such ments written by Johann Wiebe and published in again proven as the article reveals for example, precision craftsmanship? The article affirms the Preservings, No. 15, pages 17-24. that between his wife’s family and his own, importance of material culture artifacts in under- “Wrestling Satan” is the heart wrenching ac- Bergthaler Aeltester Gerhard Wiebe (1827-1900), standing conservative Mennonite faith and cul- count of how Johann Wiebe was empowered by Chortitz, E.R., was closely related on three sides ture. Hopefully it will encourage others to seek the Holy Spirit to withstand the might of Satan to to some of the more prominent Chortitzer/Old out and document such treasures. subvert the Gemeinde and to lead it from its Gos- Kolony families in Imperial Russia--Oberschulz, During the printing of the last issue, we were pel-centric moorings. The Reinland village book, Aeltesten, and industrialist. This is directly con- informed that because of the physical limitations 1889, demonstrates that the OK Gemeinde had a trary to the picture of conservative Mennonites of our format, Preservings would henceforth be clear vision of the New Testament teachings as it which their enemies have sometimes tried to paint, capped at a maximum 140 pages.