© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated Oct. 24, 2006)

  • Edenburg Sewing Circle


    Retrieval numbers: Volume 4705-4707, photo collection 498

    Title: Edenburg Sewing Circle fonds
    Dates: 1943-1994
    Extent: 14.5 cm of textual records
    Extent: 9 photographs
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    The Edenburg Sewing Circle began on February 4, 1943, when Mrs. Dietrich Klassen of NeuAnlage, near Gretna, Manitoba, Met with some women in her home with the hope of starting a Nähverein (Sewing Circle). On February 11, at the first official meeting, it was agreed that the group of women would meet on the second Thursday of every month at the home of one of their members. The purpose of the sewing circle was to meet for fellowship and to support mission work. The Edenburg Sewing Circle, which became an official charity in 1967, worked with many different organizations. They collected money, supplies and made many different things to give to organizations such as Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)and the Children's Aid Gospel Missions. With strong ties to other religious women's groups, the Edenburg Sewing Circle was involved with the Women in Missions Association (WMA), a Mennonite women's organization, on a provincial, national and international level. In addition to supporting WMA programs and charities, the Sewing Circle also took part in many WMA conferences, exploring not only their concerns for the needy, but also the role of women in mission work. The chief executive positions for the group were decided by elections that were held once a year. These positions included: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Lunch Committee and Buying Committee. At first referred to just as a Nähverein, the group became officially known as the Edenburg Sewing Circle in April 1963. On August 31, 1991, the Edenburg Sewing Circle officially unregistered as a charity. Because of illness and old age, the formal group was dissolved and the last official meeting was held on September 28, 1995.

    Scope and content note

    This fonds consists of minutes, correspondence, and financial and legal documents. The records record the issued discussed, decisions made about the distribution of funds raised, report from programs or projects that their funds supported. The records record the financial transactions required for standard accounting and for functioning as a registered charity. The correspondence documents the breadth of the contacts that this women's group maintained including such organizations as Mennonite Central Commitee, Canadian Association for the Mentally Retarded, Faith and Life Communications and General Conference Mennonite Church Women in Mission. The photographs includes some from the mission fields that were recipients of funds from their organization.

    Index terms

    Creators

  • Edenburg Sewing Circle

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    Inventory file list available.

    Notes

    Custodial history

    Marlene Plett, the last treasurer of the Edenburg Sewing Circle, donated this collection to the Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives on November 21, 1994.

    Arrangement

    Arranged and described by Aileen Dyck in May 1999. Reviewed and updated by Alf Redekopp, Oct. 2006.

    Restrictions on access

    none

    Other notes

    Accession no.: 94-226

    Edenburg Sewing Circle fonds inventory file list:

    Volume 4705
    Minutes
    1. Minutes from Edenburg Sewing Circle meetings- 1943, 1949, 1950, 1952-1964.
    2. Minutes from Edenburg Sewing Circle meetings- 1965-1975.
    3. Minutes from Edenburg Sewing Circle meetings- 1976-1994 (some material undated).
    Volume 4706
    Financial records and legal documents
    1. Financial records-1963, 1966-1977, 1979-1985, 1987-1992.
    2. Financial records and bank account information-1965-1994.
    3. Revenue Canada taxation forms- 1972-1990.
    4. Revenue Canada correspondence including charity registration and constitution-1967-1991.
      Artifact: Edenburg Sewing Circle stamp.
    Volume 4707
    Correspondence and Contacts
    1. Letters and contacts- 1953, 1959, 1961, 1966, 1970-1976.
    2. Letters and contacts- 1977-1983, 1989-1991, 1993, 1994 (some material undated).
    3. Poster- [199-?]
    4. 29 Greeting cards- 1968, 1972, 1973,1984,1991,1993 (23 cards are undated).
    5. Letters from Women in Missions-1963, 1966, 1967, 1970-1972, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1991.
    6. Women in Missions conference programs and constitution- 1963, 1966 1970-1972, 1974, 1979, 1985, 1991 (some material undated).
    7. Annual report by Edenburg Sewing Circle for Women in Missions- 1964-1975, 1977-1989, 1994.

    Photograph Collecion 498
    Edenburg Sewing Circle photo collection (Acc. # 94-226)
    498:1 Oh, Hwa Joh, 196?
    498:2 Oh Hwa Jah with a group participating in a MCC sewing project, 196?
    498:3 Choo, Boon Nam and her family, participating with MCC sewing project, 196?
    498:4 Y Kao with the Mennonite Christian Hospital learning to become a nurse
    498:5 Y Kao with some of her classmates
    498:6 Y Kao's graduation, Sept 3 1974
    498:7 Y Kao with her classmates at their graduation
    498:8 Y Kao and her classmates with Susan Martins
    498:9 Alten Heim staff in Mexico