© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated March 27, 2007)


  • Warkentin, Cornelius J., 1899-


    Retrieval numbers: Volume 2237, 2239-2242, 4193-4198

    Title: Cornelius J. Warkentin Fonds
    Dates: 1940-1965
    Extent: 83 cm of textual material
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    Cornelius J. Warkentin was born on January 28, 1899, to Jacob and Sara (Ginter) Warkentin in Nieder-Chortitza in South Russia. He attended the Zentralschule (secondary school) in Chortitza from 1912 to 1914, and then took a position working in a mill. In 1917, he became the village secretary for Nieder-Chortitza, a job he kept until emigration. He was baptized on May 11, 1919, by Isaak Dyck, and married on May 24, 1920, to Katherina Paetkau. They had eight children, four of whom died in childhood or infancy. The Warkentin family immigrated to Canada in 1923. Cornelius began his life in Canada as a farm labourer in Silberfeld, near Waldheim, Saskatchewan. In 1924, they settled on a farm at Herschel, Saskatchewan. The Ebenfeld Mennonite Church was founded on April 13, 1925. In addition to its congregation at Herschel, it also included congregations at Glidden-Kindersley, Superb and Fiske. At its inception, Cornelius was elected as a Sunday School Teacher, and was then called as a minister in 1926. He was ordained on January 23, 1927, by elder Jacob B. Wiens. After Elder Wiens died in 1939, the congregation elected Cornelius to be their leading minister, and he was elected to the position of Aeltester in 1943. The ordination ceremony took place on August 2, and was presided over by Elder J. J. Thiessen. Cornelius also served on the Committee of Foreign Missions of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada beginning in 1949.

    Scope and content note

    This fonds consists of correspondence and other documents that were created or received by Warkentin in his capacity of Aeltester (elder) of the Ebenfelder Mennonite Church. The letters were exchanged with, and the other materials received from, a variety of church leaders and Mennonite institutions, including: the Conference of Mennonites in Canada and its subcommittees; the General Conference Mennonite Church and its subcommittees; the Rosthern Junior College and the Rosthern Bible School; Mennonite Biblical Seminary; Bethel College; the Mennonite Publication Office and Bookstore; the Rosthern Bookstore; the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization; the British Foreign Bible Society and the Canadian Bible Society; the Canadian Mennonite, the Mennonite Central Committee; the Mennonite Youth Farm; Mennonite Disaster Services; the Swift Current Bible Institute; Freeman Junior College; and various mission programs and mission fields. Some of the materials are filed alphabetically (1943-1948), some by month (1948-1955; 1963-1965), and some by year (1955-1962).

    Index terms

    Subject terms

  • Warkentin, Cornelius J., 1899-

    Creators

  • Warkentin, Cornelius J., 1899-

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    Inventory file list available

    Notes

    Language

    German and English

    Arrangement

    Description completed by Joanne Moyer in March 2007.

    Restrictions on access

    None to access

    Inventory File List

    Volume 2237
    1. Correspondence, minutes, reports, and publications from various Mennonite organizations including the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1955-1956.
    2. Correspondence, minutes, reports, and publications from various Mennonite organizations including the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1956-1957.
    Volume 2239
    1. Correspondence, minutes, reports, publications, questionnaires for baptismal candidates, and educational resources from various Mennonite organizations including the Ebenfeld Mennonite Church, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1957-1958.
    2. Correspondence, minutes, reports, publications, educational resources, preaching lists and building plans from various Mennonite organizations including the Ebenfeld Mennonite Church, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1958-1959.
    Volume 2240
    1. Correspondence, minutes, reports, publications, baptismal questionnaires and collection calendars from various Mennonite organizations including the Ebenfeld Mennonite Church, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1957-1961.
    Volume 2241
    1. Correspondence, minutes, reports, publications, baptismal questionnaires and educational resources from various Mennonite organizations including the Ebenfeld Mennonite Church, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1956-1961.
    2. Correspondence, minutes, reports, publications, baptismal questionnaires and educational resources from various Mennonite organizations including the Ebenfeld Mennonite Church, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1961-1963.
    Volume 2242
    1. Pamphlets containing church constitutions and tracts, in English and German, 1950-1962.
    2. Correspondence, minutes, reports, publications, church constitutions, tracts and educational resources from various Mennonite organizations including the Ebenfeld Mennonite Church, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the General Conference Mennonite Church and others, in English and German, 1960-1962.
    Volume 4193
    Acc. No. 92-136
    1. "A", "B" Correspondence "A", "B" [eg. Bethel College, British and Foreign Bible Society North Saskatchewan Auxiliary], 1943-1946.
    2. "C" Correspondence [eg. Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization], 1944-1946.
    3. "D" Correspondence, 1945-1946.
    4. "E" Correspondence [eg. Ebenfelder Mennonitengemeinde], 1925-1946.
    5. "G" Correspondence [eg. General Conference Mennonite Church, German English Academy], 1943-1946.
    6. "H", "I", "J" Correspondence [eg. John A. Hamm, Trail, B.C.], 1944-1946.
    7. "K", "L" Correspondence [eg. Konfernz der Mennoniten in Canada, Walter Lehn], 1944-1946.
    8. "M" Correspondence [eg. Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Publication Office], 1943-1946.
    9. "N", "O" Correspondence, 1940-1946.
    10. "P", "Q" Correspondence, 1943-1946.
    11. "R" Correspondence [eg. Johann G. Rempel], 1944-1946
    12. "S" Correspondence, 1944-1946.
    13. "T", "U", "V" Correspondence [eg. J. J. Thiessen], 1944-1946.
    14. "W" Correspondence [eg. P. A. Warkentin, Superb, SK], 1944-1946.
    15. "X", "Y", "Z" Correspondence [eg. Mennonite Youth Society Saskatchewan Division], 1944-1946.
    16. "B" Correspondence [eg. Der Bote, Bethel College, British and Foreign Bible Society], 1947-1948.
    17. "C" Correspondence [eg. Canadian Mennonite Bible College], 1947-1948.
    18. "D", "E", "F" Correspondence [eg. Ebenfelder Mennonitengemeinde], 1946-1950.
    19. "G" Correspondence [eg. General Conference Mennonite Church], 1947-1948.
    20. "H", "I", "J" Correspondence, 1947-1948.
    Volume 4194
    Acc. No. 92-136
    1. "K," "L" Correspondence [eg. Konferenz der Mennoniten der Canada], 1947-1948.
    2. "M" Correspondence [eg. Mennonite Youth Society Saskatchewan Division, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Publication Office], 1946-1948.
    3. "N," "O" Correspondence, 1947-1948.
    4. "P," "Q" Correspondence, [eg. Pioneer Gospel Mission], 1947-1948.
    5. "P," "Q" Correspondence. Note: file missing.
    6. "R" Correspondence [eg. Rosthern Junior College, Joh. G. Rempel], 1947-1948.
    7. "S" Correspondence, [eg. Province of Saskatchewan], 1945-1949.
    8. "T," "U," "V" Correspondence, 1946-1948.
    9. "W" Correspondence [eg. P. A. Warkentin, Superb, SK], 1947-1948.
    10. "X," "Y," "Z" Correspondence, 1947-1948.
    11. July - August Correspondence, 1948.
    12. September - October Correspondence, 1948.
    13. November - December Correspondence, 1948.
    14. January - February Correspondence, 1949.
    15. March - April Correspondence, 1949.
    16. May - June Correspondence, 1949.
    17. July - August Correspondence, 1949.
    18. September - October Correspondence, 1949.
    19. November - February Correspondence, 1949-1950.
    Volume 4195
    Acc. No. 92-136
    1. January - February Correspondence, 1950.
    2. March - April Correspondence, 1950.
    3. May - June Correspondence, 1950.
    4. July - August Correspondence, 1950.
    5. September - October Correspondence, 1950.
    6. November - January Correspondence, 1950-1951.
    7. January - March Correspondence, 1951.
    8. April - June Correspondence, 1951.
    9. July - September Correspondence, 1951.
    10. October - December Correspondence, 1951.
    11. January - February Correspondence, 1952.
    12. March - April Correspondence, 1952.
    13. May - June Correspondence, 1952.
    14. July - September Correspondence, 1952.
    15. October - December Correspondence, 1952.
    Volume 4196
    Acc. No. 92-136
    1. January - February Correspondence, 1953.
    2. March - April Correspondence, 1953.
    3. May - June Correspondence, 1953.
    4. July - September Correspondence, 1953.
    5. October - December Correspondence, 1953.
    6. January - March Correspondence, 1954.
    7. April - June Correspondence, 1954.
    8. July - October Correspondence, 1954.
    9. November - December Correspondence, 1954.
    10. January - February Correspondence, 1955.
    11. March - June Correspondence, 1955.
    12. Farm Credit Corporation: correspondence and other documents, 1948-1964.
    Volume 4197
    Acc. No. 92-136
    1. Missions Correspondence [Komitee fuer Aeussere Mission], 1952.
    2. Missions Correspondence [Komitee fuer Aeussere Mission], 1953.
    3. Missions Correspondence [Komitee fuer Aeussere Mission], 1954.
    4. Missions Correspondence and Minutes [Komitee fuer Aeussere Mission], 1955.
    5. Missions Correspondence and Minutes [Komitee fuer Aeussere Mission], 1956.
    6. Missions Correspondence and Minutes [Board of Missions], 1958.
    7. Missions Correspondence, Minutes and Constitutions [Board of Missions], 1959.
    8. Ebenfeld Mennonite Church: constitution and preaching list, ca. 1959-1961.
    9. May - June Correspondence and Minutes, 1963.
    10. July - August Correspondence and other documents, 1963.
    11. September - October Correspondence and other documents, 1963.
    12. November - December Correspondence and other documents, 1963.
    Volume 4198
    Acc. No. 92-136
    1. January - February Correspondence and other documents, 1964.
    2. March - April Correspondence and other documents, 1964.
    3. May - June Correspondence and other documents, 1964.
    4. November - December Correspondence and other documents, 1964.
    5. January - February Correspondence and other documents, 1965.
    6. March - April Correspondence and other documents, 1965.
    7. May - June Correspondence and other documents, 1965.
    8. July - August Correspondence and other documents, 1965.
    9. September - October Correspondence and other documents, 1965.
    10. November - January Correspondence and other documents, 1965.