© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated September 21, 2010)

  • Klassen, Henry (H.T.), 1912-2003


    Retrieval numbers: Textual: Volume 5158; Photograph 629-K-56; Map 1243; Digital Media 144.

    Title: Henry (H.T.) & Clara (Epp) Klassen fonds
    Dates: 1938-1995
    Extent: 40 cm of textual records
    Extent: 1 photograph
    Extent: 1 sound recording : CD ROM ; 1:20 hours
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    Henry (H.T.) Klassen was born on 11 June 1912 in Kronsgarten, South Russia to Theodore Klassen and Katharina Bergen. He immigrated to Canada with his family in 1923 and eventually settled at Rabbit Lake, Saskatchewan where he was ordained as a Mennonite minister in 1938. In 1939 he married Clara Epp, daughter of Peter P. & Margaretha (Bahnman) Epp. He received some of his early theological training at Winkler Bible School (1943-44) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (1944-45). He taught at Rosthern Bible School from 1946 to 1957. From 1957 to 1977 H.T. and his family lived in Winnipeg. During this time he studied at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, he became pastor of the Sterling Avenue Mennonite Church in St. Vital, worked as a hospital chaplain and was executive secretary of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada Board of Education for 5 years. Earlier he had been a member of the General Conference Mennonite Church Editorial Committee responsible for producing new Sunday School curriculum. He was also involved in radio ministry as a speaker on the program Wings of the Morning (later called Wings of Peace).
    Henry and Clara Klassen retired to Abbotsford, B.C. in 1977, where H.T. continued to service the church in various short term assignments such as pastoring (Yarrow church, Olivet church), speaking at the Menno Home, leading Bible studies in the Fraser Valley and also in other countries like Mexico where he travelled to in 1980.
    Henry T. Klassen died at age 91 on July 9, 2003. His wife Clara died Oct 16, 2009 in Abbotsford, BC.

    Scope and content note

    This fonds contains writings of H.T. and Clara his wife, including an extensive well-organized sermon collection. There is a photograph of a reunion of former Kronsgartner, Wiesefelder and Prijuter from 1973, as well as a map of Wiesenfeld as remembered from 1923. There is also one sound recording of H.T. Klassen speaking about his childhood memories of Russia.

    Index terms

    Creators

  • Klassen, Henry (H.T.), 1912-2003
  • Klassen, Clara (Epp), 1918-2009

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    Inventory file list. Sermon collection is organized by year and place of residence at the time of delivery.

    Notes

    Language

    English

    Arrangement

    Arranged and described by Alf Redekopp, September 21, 2010

    Restrictions on access

    None to access

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Daughter Margaret Schapansky-Martens of Surrey, BC

    • Volume 5458
    1. Summary of the life of Henry (H.T.) Klassen / Margaret Schapanky-Martens. -2010. – 2 pp.
    2. Our Journey by Henry T. & Clara Klassen (Part I – Reflections of My Life by Henry, 88 pp.; Part II – Memories by Clara, 44 pp. – Christmas 1995 [typescript].
    3. Recollections of my life / Theodor J. Klassen. – after 1949. – 69 pages [typescript] .This manuscript was written by the Theodor Klassen (1886-1957), the father of Henry T. Klassen.
    4. Radio messages by Rev. H.T. Klassen. – 1950-1977 [typed and bound in duo tang folder].
    5. Missionary Biographies / prepared by Bethel Mennonite Church Women’s Missionary Society, Winnipeg, Manitoba. – 1966. This typewritten copy contains biographies of Canadians working in Mennonite Pioneer Mission, American Indians, Mexico, South America, Colombia, India, Japan, Zaire (Congo), Taiwan, Indonesia. Handwritten note by Clara reads: “Helen Neufeld (Mrs. D.P. Neufeld) did all the typing after I had hand written it.”
    6. Henry (H.T.) Klassen Sermons. – 1938-1995 [one envelop per year].