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mennoniteheritagevillage · 7 years ago

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Thank you to The Winnipeg Jets, a silent auction prize donor in our 2017 Heritage Classic Golf Tournament. https://www.nhl.com/jets

#MennoniteHeritageVillage #HeritageClassicGolfTournament #NoMennoniteStoryUntold #museumsdomore

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mennoniteheritagevillage · 7 years ago

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Village News (July 27, 2017)

By Alexandra Kroeger, Assistant Curator

At Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV), we collect and exhibit objects that help us tell the story of Russian-descendant Mennonites. I am very used to accepting family heirlooms into our collection, but I never imagined that MHV would accept a piece of my own family's history during my tenure here.

For years I had been hearing about the Wieler Family Bible, which was in my grandparents' possession, but somehow I always managed to forget about it when I was at my grandparents' home (no doubt distracted by family and food). Finally, at the Easter gathering before last, my Grandpa Wieler decided it was time to bring out that bible. I thought it would be the size of a modern bible, maybe a hundred years old, so imagine my surprise when my grandfather walked into the kitchen carrying a book that was almost 18" tall, 10" wide, 4" thick, and printed in 1716. He said that he and his surviving siblings were concerned about its future and asked me if a museum would want it.

The Wieler Family Bible was printed by Johann Detleffsen in Prussia (now Poland). The scriptures are Martin Luther's German translation, with commentary by 17th century German theologian Paul Tossanus. Its black leather cover, embossed with the initials "F.A.W." and the year 1734, is in remarkably good condition. Although stained in some spots with age and use, the rag paper the bible was printed on has ensured that the type and woodcuts are as crisp as the day they were printed.

The Wieler genealogy has been traced back to Peter Wieler (ca. 1737-1786), but he was born a generation after the bible was printed. Could "F.A.W." be the initials of his father or grandfather? Could this really have been in the family for three hundred years? There are several inscriptions that may, when translated, shed some light on the matter. But they also complicate things, as one of the inscriptions on the title page seems to have been written by Peter Hildebrand (1754-1849), who wrote the first history of the Mennonite immigration to Russia. How did he get a hold of this bible?

The trail of ownership only picks up when the bible was already old. As far as I can tell, it came to Canada with my great-great-grandparents, Cornelius (1850-1924) and Margaretha (Klassen) Wieler (1846-1942), in 1875. They settled on the West Reserve, around what is now Winkler, in either Gnadenthal or Ebenfeld. They were excommunicated from their Old Colony congregation when they moved on to their own homestead shortly thereafter. They moved back and forth between North Dakota and Haskett, Manitoba, before settling in Walhalla, North Dakota. My great-grandparents, Jacob C. (1885-1967) and Katherina (Suderman) Wieler (1896-1973) moved back to Haskett for good in the mid-1920s.

The bible stayed in Walhalla until Cornelius, son of Cornelius and Margaretha, passed away in 1961. A friend of his gave the bible to my great-grandfather, Jacob C. Wieler. After his and Katherina's deaths, the bible passed to their son, also Cornelius. After his death, it passed to his brother, my grandfather, Henry.

My grandfather passed away before he could sort out the bible's future with his surviving siblings. But just last week my great-uncles Frank, Peter, and John Wieler and my great-aunt Jane (Wieler) Braun completed the donation paperwork. The Wieler Family Bible will now make its home at MHV, where its history will be documented and kept for future generations.

Calendar of Events

August 4-7: Pioneer Days - 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily

August 14-18: Pioneer Day Camps for children ages 8-10

August 16: Heritage Classic Golf Tournament at Quarry Oaks

PHOTO: VN 2017-07-27 Bible.jpg

CAPTION: The Wieler Family Bible title page, with an inscription by Peter Hildebrand (1754-1789).

#MennoniteHeritageVillage #villagenews #NoMennoniteStoryUntold #museumsdomore

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mennoniteheritagevillage · 7 years ago

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Village News (July 20, 2017)

By Barry Dyck

Volunteerism

When I started my job at Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) in 2009 I was introduced to five women who volunteered as our receptionists, each taking on that role one day a week. They would answer the phone, greet guests who came to visit the museum, and help anyone who wanted to make a purchase in the gift shop. This was a valuable and essential service to MHV, and still is today.

Over time, these five women have chosen to gradually reduce their involvement in this role for a variety of reasons, none of which involves less love for MHV. We are grateful that several new volunteers have stepped up to serve MHV and our community in this capacity. However, we currently do not have enough volunteers to keep the reception desk staffed during all open hours. To fill this need we’ve turned some of the reception work over to paid staff. Our paid staff are talented people and good to have on our team. At the same time, having to replace volunteers with paid staff places a financial burden on our organization.

As the overall workload at MHV continues to grow and some of our long-serving volunteers in many areas are moving into well-deserved retirement, we wonder why we’re not finding enough new volunteers to fill their roles. Maybe it’s been caused by gradual changes in our western society. During the time that I lived in my parent’s home in my childhood and youth, my mother was a full-time “employee” of our farm, and her job was to manage the home. Apart from two weeks of substitute teaching in our one-room country school when the regular teacher was ill, she never had a job outside of our home after she became a mother. And that’s how it was in many homes at that time.

The picture can look quite different in today’s households. My wife and I have two adult married offspring. They and their partners all have careers. In many such households, parents are working all week, spending their evenings feeding the children, putting them to bed, and getting lunches ready for the next morning. That leaves laundry, yard work, taking the kids to lessons, cleaning the house and shopping for the weekend. Finding time for community volunteering as well is just not easy in that scenario.

It seems today’s society also places higher value on leisure activities than in earlier times, and no doubt this is important, given the busy schedule of many families. Once an investment has been made in a cottage, a boat, a pair of skis, or a full set of hockey equipment, it’s important to utilize that investment for the purpose for which it’s intended. If there is any remaining time for volunteering, that time is limited.

We in Steinbach are blessed to live in a community that has so many good volunteer opportunities. From churches to recreational sports to arts and cultural activities, there is no end of opportunities. In fact, it feels at times that the demand for volunteers is increasing while the supply is dwindling.

My intent is certainly not to make anyone feel guilty for not volunteering or for not spending more time volunteering, or for leaving a long-held volunteer post. There are still large numbers of active volunteers in this community, and we appreciate each one. My purpose is simply to raise this subject for thought and consideration, and maybe to suggest an alternate solution.

When I was a child, my parents often used the phrase “We have more time than money,” usually to punctuate the need for hard work. Considering our lifestyles today, many of us would be more likely to say that we have more money than time. How many of us hire someone to clean our house or paint our house or complete a landscaping project on our yard? How many of us spend $10 on the way to work to wash our vehicle because we didn’t have time to do it ourselves on the driveway the night before?

So here is my suggestion: For those of us who have more money than time and who don’t have time to volunteer, how about paying for a volunteer? A volunteer who puts in one day per week will work about 400 hours per year. Place whatever value you feel is appropriate on the work of that volunteer and make donations in that amount to the charity of your choice. This will not create more volunteers but will help to pay for some of the staff who must be hired to replace departing volunteers.

Right now MHV is recruiting volunteers for various responsibilities at Pioneer Days on the August long-weekend. We look forward to finding people who will take one or more shifts during this weekend, when many people will be coming to enjoy our museum and our community. If we miss calling to invite your participation, please call us at 204-326-9661.

Calendar of Events

August 4-7: Pioneer Days - 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. daily

August 14-18: Pioneer Day Camps for children ages 8-10

August 16: Heritage Classic Golf Tournament at Quarry Oaks

#MennoniteHeritageVillage #museumsdomore #NoMennoniteStoryUntold #villagenews

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mennoniteheritagevillage · 8 years ago

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Village News (March 23, 2017)

By Barry Dyck

The Last Objectors

Usually once a year the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) Auxiliary stages a Film Night as a fundraising event for our museum. These films typically cover a particular aspect of Russian Mennonite history. The next such event will take place on Thursday, April 6, at 7:00 p.m. in the MHV Auditorium.

The Last Objectors is a 45-minute documentary film written and produced by Andrew Wall, with input by Conrad Stoesz and Korey Dyck from the Mennonite Heritage Centre. This venture was a collaboration between Refuge 31 Films, the CBC, MTS Stories from Home, and the Mennonite Heritage Archives, with financial support ($36,000 grant) from Heritage Canada through the World Wars Commemoration Fund. It has won numerous awards, including Best Feature Film Documentary at the 2017 Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival and Best Documentary at the 2016 Views of the World Music and Film Festival in Montreal.

This film tells the story of more than 11,000 conscientious objectors who resisted engaging in armed combat during World War II and rather chose to perform alternative service for their country. Many of these men spent several years working in hospitals, asylums, forestry camps and various other service locations. They were required to donate much of their pay to the Red Cross.

Angeline Schellenberg provides further information in an MB Herald article: “Since October 2015, Wall has interviewed more than 15 COs from Ontario to B.C. During WWII, these men did everything from working in mental hospitals to building roads. A few are Hutterite and United Church members; most are Mennonites. [. . .] Some interviews were highly personal: about how CO service affected them and their families. Other segments contained deep theological reflection.”

In a column on the Mennonite Church Canada website, writer Deborah Froese quotes Korey Dyck, Director of MHC Archives and Gallery, as stating, “The Last Objectors acknowledges these men’s experiences as both important and valid. [. . .] For some, this is their only chance to tell their story about serving Canada in a peaceful way during the Second World War.”

As reported in an earlier column, eight Southern Manitoba COs attended the unveiling of a new cairn commemorating conscientious objectors here at MHV in November 2016. While none of them spoke publicly at that event, this film records segments of interviews with these men and reveals the sentiments behind their profoundly difficult decisions many years ago. Hearing the perspectives of these and other COs can lead to reflection on one’s own values.

Admission to view The Last Objector on April 6 is just $12. The evening will also include stories from the perspectives of women who had to manage at home in the absence of husbands, sons, and brothers; a music segment; and refreshments and conversation to close the event. Opportunity will also be given to make donations. Come for an evening of thought-provoking stories from a portion of our Mennonite history.

Calendar of Events:

March 28: 7:30 PM – Annual General Meeting

April 2: 7:00 PM – Vespers Service

April 6: 7:00 PM - Auxiliary Film Night, The Last Objectors

April 27: 7:00 PM – Volunteer Orientation

May 6: Mini Conference, Food, Family and Spirituality

#MennoniteHeritageVillage #villagenews #NoMennoniteStoryUntold #museumsdomore

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mennoniteheritagevillage · 8 years ago

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Village News (February 2, 2017)

By Barry Dyck

MHSC Meets in Winnipeg

“This feels just like our weather in southern Ontario,” stated one of the Executive Committee members of the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada (MHSC). Winnipeg’s weather was mild and rainy, not what MHSC members have learned to expect when they come to Manitoba for their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in late January. Approximately 20 people representing organizations from British Columbia to Quebec gathered there from January 19–21, 2017, for various committee sessions, a board of directors meeting and the AGM.

The MHSC is made up of member organizations including six provincial Mennonite historical societies, five Mennonite church conferences and their respective archival bodies, and various other Mennonite institutions, such as Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCCC), Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV) and others. This year the Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford, BC, and the Humanitas Anabaptist Mennonite Centre at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, were formally accepted as members of the MHSC. Member organizations combine efforts to research, preserve and interpret Mennonite history in Canada, including the Dutch/Russian and the Swiss Mennonite experiences.

One of the Society’s projects is the support of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO), a repository of Mennonite information from around the world. MHSC members are encouraged to submit articles to the site and also participate in an editorial role.

Under the leadership of the Chair of Mennonite Studies at the University of Winnipeg, the MHSC supports the work of the Divergent Voices of Canadian Mennonites, a group that plans conferences on a variety of topics of interest to Mennonites. Conferences have addressed The History of Aboriginal-Mennonite Relations; The Return of the Kanadier Mennonites: A History of Accomplishments and Challenges; War and the Conscientious Objector; and most recently, Mennonites, Land and the Environment. The theme for the 2017 conference, taking place October 19-21, is Mennonite Writing/s VII: Uprootings and Dislocations. This conference will feature papers addressing the Russlaender Migration in one way or another.

Another project of the MHSC is the Mennonite Archival Image Database (MAID). This is an electronic collection of historical photos available for research and publication projects. The committee overseeing this project is contemplating expanding the database to include archival documents which are not necessarily photos and renaming it the Mennonite Archival Information Database (still MAID).

This year’s MHSC Awards of Excellence were given to Dr. Lawrence Klippenstein and the late Dr. Helmut Huebert (1935-2016). Dr. Klippenstein is well known in Canadian Mennonite historical circles for his work with historical committees and societies, his work with the Mennonite Heritage Centre (1974-1997), his writings in various publications, and his other significant roles in the field. He is currently on the Board of Directors of MHV.

Dr. Helmut Huebert of Winnipeg was an orthopedic surgeon by profession and an avid Mennonite historian. He did extensive research and writing in the area of maps, working together at times with the late William Schroeder, also an avid Mennonite mapmaker and researcher. Ten books and atlases have been credited to Dr. Huebert, including Molotschna Historical Atlas (2003) and Mennonite Medicine in Russia: 1800-1930 (2012). It is a privilege to honour the work of these individuals with Awards of Excellence.

Projected dates for next year’s MHSC meetings, to be held in Alberta, are January 19-20, 2018.

Calendar of Events:

- February 5 – Vespers Service 7:00 PM

#MennoniteHeritageVillage #villagenews #NoMennoniteStoryUntold

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mennoniteheritagevillage · 7 years ago

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Today's Lunch Special: Fish, Potato Wedges & Pie

Soups of the Day: Komst Borscht & Cream of Carrot

#MennoniteHeritageVillage #LiveryBarnRestaurant #dailylunchspecial #soupsoftheday #NoMennoniteStoryUntold #museumsdomore

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mennoniteheritagevillage · 7 years ago