Historical note

Jacob J. Dyck (1875-1921) was born in Osterwick, Chortitza South Russia. On June 23, 1896 he married Maria Klassen (1877-1976) daughter of David Klassen and Lena Penner from Osterwick, Chortitza. Shortly after their marriage they traveled to Tiegenhagen, Molotschna to become members of the Alliance Mennonite church in Lichtefelde. Jacob owned a mill in Osterwick until 1908 when they moved to the city of Nikopol where Jacob bought another mill with his father-in-law. Before October 18, 1920 (when the diary was started) Jacob Dyck was elected minister and preached many Sundays. Jacob and Maria adopted three daughters. The first daughter died at the age of four while the other two, Agatha and Lydia, married and eventually immigrated to Canada. In 1936 Maria married minister Johann Rempel from Einlage but he was taken away by the secret police and never heard from again. In 1943 Maria with daughter Lydia and grandson Arthur fled to Germany with the retreating German army and stayed in a refugee camp. On August 26, 1948 they immigrated to Canada and settled in Ontario. Here they were reunited with Agatha Dyck (-1972) who had immigrated in 1929 with her husband Diedrich Klassen (1901-1986).