Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives

Chortitz is a village in Southern Manitoba that traces its beginnings back 150 years to the arrival of Mennonites on the 'East Reserve' in 1874. Host Dan Dyck sits down with local Abe Penner, whose family has roots there going back to 1903, and Jason Janzen, anniversary organizer, to discuss the Mennonite presence in the area and how they plan to celebrate their 150th anniversary. 

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Find out more by visiting the Mennonite Heritage Archives website - https://www.mharchives.ca/

Join host Dan Dyck as he sits down with Lyle Thiessen to learn more about the history of the Reinland - Rosengart area of southern Manitoba and their upcoming 150th anniversary celebration. 

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Find out more by visiting the Mennonite Heritage Archives website - https://www.mharchives.ca/

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 In 1926, Maria Kroeker Neufeld (1870-1950) and her husband Johann Neufeld (1869-1950), along with three of her seven children, were part of a group of Mennonites that moved from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to Paraguay. Prompted by a desire for greater autonomy from provincial education legislation and fears of integration, their story is one of a family divided by continents and conviction. In this episode, host Dan Dyck reviews the correspondence between Maria and her family members that is housed at the Mennonite Heritage Archives. The letters illustrate the challenges of creating a new life in Paraguay and the sense of l...

Host Dan Dyck sits down to discuss the research of PhD student Jonathan Hildebrand. Jonathan is exploring Indigenous-Mennonite relations through his research of land and waterways on the historical West Reserve in southern Manitoba. He is based at the University of Manitoba and is originally from Altona, Manitoba. Previously he worked for nearly a decade as an urban planner in the areas of land use, urban design, and Indigenous planning, before returning to school to learn more about the place he's from.

Using sources from the Mennonite Heritage Archives, as well as other archives, interviews, and the...

In this episode, host Dan Dyck continues his exploration of the folks that work at the Mennonite Heritage Archives (MHA). He previously spoke with Conrad and Sara about their work the the MHA, and today you’re going to hear from Isaiah, archival assistant at the MHA. 

Isaiah is in the business program at Canadian Mennonite University. Studying accounting while working at a historical archive might seem like an unlikely pairing, but Isaiah is fascinated by the relationships and inter-connectedness of the Mennonite community, and has come across some interesting names in his work, including Pamela Anderson and...

In our previous episode, host Dan Dyck tried to understand why Heinrich J. Toews would have committed the violent acts that ended in the death of a student and, ultimately, his own death months later. In this episode, Dan sits down with Ken Loewen, the grandson of shooting survivor Susanna Loewen (Rempel), and keeper of a grim memento that has been passed down in the family. Through the lives of the survivors, Dan tries to understand more about the tragic events of October 9, 1902, and its reverberations in the lives of the victims and wider community. 

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How does a teacher that professes to care for his students and profession become the perpetrator of a school shooting? In this episode, Dan Dyck presents the first of two episodes on the Altona school shooting of 1902 that ultimately claimed the life of one student and the perpetrator Heinrich J. Toews. In it, we learn about the shooting itself, as well as the life and state of mind of Heinrich J. Toews. Both in the lead up to the events of October 9, 1902, and in the aftermath of the tragic event.

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In this episode, host Dan Dyck gives us a glimpse at the incredible life and service of Helen Friesen Reimer (1905-1993). Helen started her professional life as a rural school teacher, where seeing the need, she was inspired to become a nurse. This was the start of an adventurous life that would see her take roles in nursing and medical administration around the world, working for the World Health Organization and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, among other organizations. She received the Order of Canada, the Queen's Jubilee Medal, and an honorary doctorate from the University of...

In this episode, host Dan Dyck continues a conversation with Sara Dyck that was started a few episodes back with the episode on Dr. Helen Martens, the first known Mennonite woman with a PhD. Sara discusses what pulled her to working at the archives, what she finds rewarding, and what the archives did when they became the unexpected recipients of 300 Amish romance novels.

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Mennonites don't dance, or do they? Can a dance by any other name still be as fun? In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores Mennonite "circle games" with the help of Werner Ens, someone who has devoted a lot of time to recording and researching these traditions, as well as ethnomusicologists Doreen Klassen and Judith Klassen. Circle games were once a popular social activity for young Mennonites in southern Manitoba, but today you would be hard-pressed to find a chance to play "The Old Dusty Millar" or "Bingo". 

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In this episode, host Dan Dyck is taken on a tour through the Mennonite Heritage Archives with archivist Conrad Stoesz to learn more about the day to day operations at the archives. Conrad also share some stories about the materials at the archives, how they came to be there, and some of the interesting ways that they have been accessed over time. 

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Find out more by visiting the Mennonite Heritage Archives website - https://www.mharchives.ca/

Today, host Dan Dyck shines the Tales spotlight on Jacob Klaassen and his journals about life on the Canadian prairies from 1919 to 1947. Jake took a circuitous route to Saskatchewan, travelling via Central Asia and the United States, before arriving in Canada in 1918 from Oklahoma. Dan talked with two of Klaassen's great granddaughters, sisters Carole and Marjorie Jantzen, for this episode. They have been key to publishing Klassen's journals and preserving the family record.

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In this episode, Dan sits down with Sara, a history student and archives employee, to discuss Dr. Helen Martens, the first known Mennonite woman to achieve a PhD in Music.  Sara spent considerable time organizing the Helen Martens collection and is well acquainted with Dr. Martens through her materials at the archives. Helen Martens was born in 1928, in Russia and travelled with her family from the Soviet Union to Canada in 1929. Helen dedicated her life to music, teaching and studying around the world, particularly on Hutterite music and composer Felix Mendelssohn. 
 

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In our previous episode, host Dan Dyck shared the story of the Mennonite trek to Central Asia that took place in the early 1880s. Researching and writing that for story raised many questions. In today's episode, Dan sits down with a Mennonite historian John Sharp. John has spent a lot of time in Central Asia exploring the Mennonite presence there, and he helps dig deeper into the story of the trek and the lingering influence of it on people in the region.

Learn more about John's upcoming tour:

2025 Silk Road Odyssey: The Trek to Central...

In the early 1880s, hundreds of Mennonites trekked from Russia to Central Asia. It was a grueling, 3000-kilometre journey. Until recently, the spotlight of this story focused on Claas Epp Jr. as the leader of the quest. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores history of Claas Epp Jr., the colourful and complicated motivations for the migration, and what happened in the aftermath of this dramatic adventure.

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In Episode 17 we learned about the actions against Katharina Thiessen by the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons. Today's subject was another recipient of those fines. Abraham B. Hiebert was a man who practiced medicine by correspondence. Through letters and packages, Abraham diagnosed, and offered treatments to his patients. In today's episode, host Dan Dyck explores the life and work of a man that practiced medicine by correspondence.

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Johannes Klaassen, or John as we’ll call him in today’s story, firmly stood with his conscience and he paid for that decision with his life. In this episode, host Dan Dyck tells the story of John, a conscientious objector from Oklahoma that died in prison after refusing to don a military uniform. Here is his story, as told through the diary of his father, Michael Klaassen. 

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'Big Bill' was born Wilhelm Enns in 1894 in the village of Einlage in Imperial Russia. He was a jack of all trades whose work life included jobs as a teacher, farm laborer, dragline operator, salesman, and shoe repairman, among others. He was also an avid writer. With host Dan Dyck, today we will be exploring the colourful life and storytelling of 'Big Bill' Enns, largely through letters written by Bill and compiled and translated by Edward Enns, a relative.

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Katharina Thiessen was a Mennonite midwife whose practice started in Ukraine, and continued in the United States and eventually southern Manitoba, where she settled with her family in 1885. As a midwife and lay doctor, she held a role in the Mennonite community that was not always understood by the official medical establishment. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the medical career of Katharina Thiessen and the role that women like her had in the Mennonite community, as well as the challenges to legitimacy as medical professionals that they faced from the wider society.

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Traditionally, faspa was a portable meal taken out to farmers on the field in the late afternoon. Faspa provided much needed sustenance for the hard workers who would typically labour until dark and then come home for supper. In this episode, host Dan Dyck sits down with Josh Penner, a Winnipeg business owner who is taking this traditional meal and giving it a contemporary twist. To start, he wanted to learn more about the tradition and explore the philosophy behind it. Where better to start that research than with a visit to the archives?

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Many small communities have a person that everyone knows, who doesn't quite fit the standard mold, but has become a part of the fabric of the place. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the story of 'Flower Annie' of Winkler, Manitoba. 'Flower Annie' was born Anna Neufeld in 1909 and earned her nickname and living by selling paper flowers around town. Despite being a well-known part of the community up to her death in 1980, most people did not know much about who she was. This is the story of 'Flower Annie'.

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In our last episode, we learned about the work of Olga Penner, better known to many as 'Aunt Olly', the host of the radio program Children’s Party. In today's episode, host Dan Dyck talks with her sons Steven and David about being the children of a local celebrity, and the woman behind the show.

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In this episode, we explore the work of Olly Penner, better known to many as Aunt Olly, the host of the radio program Children’s Party. From 1959 to 1987, thousands of children tuned in daily to listen to the program. When Olly became a radio host in 1959, it was uncommon for married women to work outside the home, but she made it work while raising a young family. 

In this episode, we learn about Aunt Olly's process, her path to the career she had, and hear as listeners to Children's Party recount the impact it had on them.

In today's episode, we learn about Peter P. Dyck. He was a familiar sight around Carman from the 1940's to his death in 1970 - a man that refused to stay still despite the loss of his mobility after a tragic accident. While he spent much of his life in the hospital in Carman, Manitoba, his resilience and ingenuity were an inspiration to many. 

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Host Dan Dyck interviews Ernie Hildebrand, a former pastor turned protestor. In the late 1970's, Ernie was a new pastor as Osler Mennonite Church when he became involved in efforts to oppose a planned uranium refinery in the region. After five long years, the community's efforts resulted in cancellation of the project in 1981.

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In this episode, join host Dan as he takes us on an exploration of the song “Der Friedensfurst” (The Prince of Peace). This song was special for Mennonites who survived the violence and turmoil of the Russian Revolution. The Mennonites who emigrated to Canada in the 1920s brought the song with them, prompting some to think the song originated in Europe, but this isn't the case.

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In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the Mennonite holiday tradition called brommtopp, named for the strange musical instrument used, which can be translated as "rumbling top". This tradition was brought to Imperial Russia from Prussia, and continued in Manitoba into the 1950's. 

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This week we’re featuring radio personality Gerhard Ens’ Christmas story, inspired by his love of Mennonite history. Gerhard was a broadcaster and storyteller that combined his love of the Low German language with his radio program.

In “The First Christmas in Canada 1875,” Gerhard paints a picture of his fictional character, 13-year-old Obraum, the struggles and joys of Obraum’s family, and his childhood anticipation of Christmas celebrations.

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Kornelius Herman Neufeld, or K.H. as he became known, was born in 1892 in south Imperial Russia. An immigrant to Canada in 1923, he became known as “the wandering conductor” in a career that lasted until his death in 1957 from cancer. K.H. was known for his organizing ability, his gregarious personality, and story telling. He had a profound impact on Mennonite choral singing in Manitoba and across Canada.

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In this week’s episode of Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives, we take a look at the letters of Anganetha Wiebe. From 1930-1939, Anganetha wrote letters from the Soviet Union to her daughter, Helena, in Canada. Her letters paint a picture of what life was like for Anganetha and many other Mennonites living in the Soviet Union during a turbulent time.

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Dale Hildebrand, an award-winning filmmaker whose work spans genres of documentary, action, drama, and comedy, discusses his latest film. Where the Cottonwoods Grow is a documentary about the 1874 Mennonite migration from Imperial Russia to Manitoba, and the hardships the newcomers endured as they settled in a new land.

Learn more about Dale at his website: https://dalehildebrand.com/

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Find out more by visiting the Mennonite Heritage Archives website - https://www.mharchives.ca/

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In the previous episode, we learned about the accomplishments of Klaas W. Brandt on the Shoal Lake engineering project. In this episode, we are looking at how Brandt helped two budding entrepreneurs and pilots build Steinbach’s first airplane in the early 1930s.

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Klaas W. Brandt was a teenage runaway who didn’t want to follow in the farming footsteps of his parents and family. Instead, he studied engineering and had a hand in building the 156 kilometre-long Shoal Lake aqueduct, a huge pipeline that continues to bring safe drinking water to Winnipeg over 100 years later.

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Author Ralph Friesen sits down with Dan Dyck to discuss his recently published book Prosperity Ever – Depression Never: Steinbach in the 1930s. Published by the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, this book looks at the history of this community, primarily Mennonite, and how it weathered the Great Depression better than other communities in Manitoba at the time.

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In today's episode, host Dan Dyck sits down with archivist of the Mennonite Heritage Archives Conrad Stoesz to discuss their mutual love of Mennonite history, where the Mennonite Heritage Archives originated, and what archives can offer us today.

Your donations help preserve and share stories like this one! Make a gift here or call 204.560.1998.

Find out more by visiting the Mennonite Heritage Archives website - https://www.mharchives.ca/

Follow the Mennonite Heritage Archives on Instagram and Facebook.