Mennonite Historian -- Volume XXII, No. 2, June 1996

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Getting Together : The Ontario Swiss and Russian Mennonites at First Glance / by Lorna Bergey
2. Genealogy and Family History / by Alf Redekopp
3. Early MB Membership Lists in St. Petersburg Archives / by John B. Toews
4. Mennonite and Lutheran records in Tiegenhof (Prussia) and Josephsthal (Russia) / by Hilda Matsuo
5. Book Reviews / by Hans Werner
6. Book Notes
   

Getting Together: The Ontario Swiss and Russian Mennonites At First Glance

by Lorna Bergey

The stories of Swiss and Russian Mennonites in Canada have intersected at significant points and occasions. This article is excerpted from a talk prepared for presentation at the George Street Mennonite congregation in Waterloo, Ontario. The occasion was a 50th anniversary service commemorating the 1924 arrival of Mennonites emigrating from the Soviet Union to Canada during that period.

Of great significance in both your history and mine is the fact that many of the acts of God which brought you and me to this time and place were performed through our Mennonite people. I refer specifically to the practice of mutual aid within our communities in the first 450 years of our history. Within the first 150 years of our fellowships story, Mennonites in Holland responded to the needs of their Swiss Brethren when they fled from Switzerland to the Palatinate in search of religious freedom. Some of my forefathers who joined this migration arrived at their destination destitute because all of their possessions had been confiscated by the Swiss authorities.

The historic event we are celebrating today became a reality partly because the Mennonites residing in Canada in the early 1920's promised the government of Canada to provide food, shelter, and clothing to Russian Mennonite refugees until they were able to become established economically. The refugees were to be billeted in Ontario for several weeks as they waited to move on to the Russian Mennonite settlements further west.

Waterloo County Mennonites were asked to furnish billets for approximately 600 people. Eight hundred and twenty-five arrived. To provide the necessary accommodation, each resident family in the county was contacted by a committee to ascertain available accommodation in the area. At that time most of our people lived on farms in large houses. In those days too farmers produced most of their family's food requirements so there was always plenty of food for a few extra months.

But were you ever asked to open your home to complete strangers? Can you imagine what fortitude it would require to host total strangers? At this point in history Mennonites in Ontario knew very little about their brothers and sisters in Europe. As someone said at one of the Board Meetings of the Mennonite Historical Society, "The Swiss German Mennonites in Ontario and the Mennonites from Russia of Dutch German descent were brought together under trying conditions. However in true Mennonite fashion they made the best of the situation and the melting together of two cultures was begun.

There are several reasons which might qualify me to attempt this assignment. As historian of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario I am deeply interested in the effect of past events on our contemporary church life. Also, the Jacob Y. Shantz who played a major role in the resettling of the 1874 migration of Mennonites from Russia to Manitoba was the youngest brother of my great-grandfather, Joseph Y. Shantz. What is more I witnessed the events as a child. My parents took a young couple with a child into our home at that time. Since childhood experiences are usually deeply ingrained it has not been difficult for me to recall this specific event.

Kindly allow me to reminisce about that day in August, back in 1924, when my parents were busily engaged in preparations to receive a Mennonite family from the Soviet Union. I was told that we were having company from Russia who would stay in our home for several weeks. Up to this point in my life I was accustomed to having guests from Pennsylvania stay in our home for a few days. Naturally then my next question was, "Why is the company from Russia going to stay with us for several weeks?" I was told about a revolution and a terrible famine which left people without the necessities of life and without hope for the future. This news stirred my childish sympathies deeply.

The day dawned when our expected guests from Russia arrived at our house. My curiosity was immediately aroused by the shirt worn by the father. It resembled the cut of my father's night shirt - and I thought if he was going to wear this article of clothing during the day, why didn't he tuck his shirt tail in? The woven basket trunks intrigued me. The kerchief worn by the woman was not unlike those worn by both of my grandmothers. Likewise the use of tobacco by the man did not disturb me as my grandfather was a moderate smoker.

The name Friesen added a new dimension to the Mennonite family names of Eby, Brubacher, Bowman, Martin, Webe, Shantz and Cressman with which I was familiar. The man's names was Johann and the little boy was called Hansli.

With the arrival came the news that our guests would stay with us for several months, not several weeks as previously planned. They would not proceed to the western provinces until spring.

Upon receiving that information my parents began to revamp our personal living quarters in order to provide our guest family with a separate living unit of three rooms, a kitchen, living room and bedroom. At this point our personal life was invaded, and we felt a bit displaced in our own home.

Our household now consisted of a Pennsylvania German Mennonite family - my father and mother, my younger sister and myself along with a Russian Mennonite family of three - a father and mother with their little son, plus our hired man who had just migrated from Ireland. My family spoke English and a Palatinate dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch. The family from Russia spoke German and Plautdeutsch, and the hired man spoke English with a heavy Irish brogue. It was quite an adventure to have such a cosmopolitan group living under one roof with no alternative but to try to work together and make the best of the situation. This was truly a feat in an era when all ethnic groups harboured strong biased feelings about each other and each group entertained a very high egoistical opinion of themselves.

Both the immigrants from Russia and the immigrant from Ireland spoke of not having enough food to eat in their homeland. Such a state of affairs was beyond the comprehension of a child born and raised in an Ontario German Mennonite home where there was always plenty of food available.

As already stated I had only a younger sister in my family at this time. We played together as harmoniously as is possible when a younger child finds herself dominated by an older sister. However, in this extended family situation we both for the first time became subjected to male domination and boisterousness in our play which was quite distasteful to both of us at times. This experience no doubt prepared my sister and me for the rigours of family life with our three brothers who appeared on the scene sometime later.

Even as a child I noted some differences and some similarities in the family life of our guests and in that of our own family. In both families, the father definitely was the head of the house. He ultimately made the final decisions. But the mother in the Pennsylvania German family seemed more free to voice her opinions pro and con on an issue (hoping, no doubt, to influence the father's decision), than did her counterpart in the Russian Mennonite family.

After our guest families were settled in their temporary homes throughout Waterloo County they bean to search for their friends and other members of their families who had joined the migration. When they were located it was quite common for the host families to arrange an opportunity for their guests to visit each other.

I can recall one of these experiences quite vividly. Our guest family and our own family were invited to come to another home for Sunday dinner. In this home a farmer and his family lived in the main part of the house and had a young couple with several small children as their guests. His elderly parents lived in the "Doddy" house and they had an elderly Russian Mennonite couple billeted with them. On this particular Sunday the elderly Russian Mennonite couple also had visitors. A large table was extended in the huge farm kitchen. At dinner time it was loaded with food and we all sat down together to partake of a typical Pennsylvania German Mennonite Sunday dinner. ⁽¹⁾ The outstanding event of the day for me was the returning of thanks audibly by one of the guests from Russia, after partaking of the meal. It was a totally new experience for me.

Another point of interest in this story is that it was after the Mennonites in Ontario received the Mennonites from Russia into their homes that they first realized that divisions had occurred in the Mennonite brotherhood in Russia very much like the divisions in the Mennonite brotherhood in America. Consequently some members in our congregation had a migrant family in their home who refused to regard another Russian Mennonite family billeted in the same congregation as a member of the family of Menno.

On Sunday morning the guests usually went along with their hosts to attend worship service. Perhaps this experience demanded a greater exercise of Christian understanding on the part of our guests than did the demands of adjusting to unfamiliar eating and working habits of the Pennsylvania German Mennonites.

Surprise was expressed at the small simple meeting houses used by the Pennsylvania German Mennonites for their place of worship. There was no ornamentation inside or outside, only functional simplicity. The services were conducted in a simple style by pastors with no theological training who supported themselves by farming. The congregational singing was unaccompanied. Traditional hymns and lighter gospel songs were sung. There were no choirs or singing ensembles as this was considered an expression of pride and classified as a performance rather than act of worship. Looking back from this point I am sure the services seemed very drab to our guests.

Our sisters usually were clad in rather conservative colours and clothing styles. All wore a white net cap on their heads while in church. The married ladies in the Russian Mennonite group wore large black bows in their hair and their dresses were somewhat more stylish than was encouraged by the Ontario Mennonite church at that time. To them stylish dress was an indication of pride and conformity to the world, two pitfalls the conference leaders continually admonished their members to avoid.

In the 1920's the Ontario Mennonite churches were still experiencing sensations of the Great Revival Movement which swept through the Mennonite churches in American at the turn of this century. In these meetings people responded to the invitation of the evangelist to turn from the world and to begin a new life in Christ, including a personal commitment to live a pure life, to abstain from the use of alcohol and tobacco, to refrain from involvement with worldly business associates, and to avoid worldly entertainment.

Early in our encounter certain strained relationships developed and the Russian Mennonites and their Canadian hosts. This was probably magnified by the language barriers. Also, the accounts of survival tactics resorted to by the Mennonites in Russia, which smacked of outright violence, simply left the Mennonites in Ontario aghast. The Mennonites in Ontario were eight generations removed from the scene of famine and harassment. They could not empathize easily with their Mennonite brothers and sisters from Russia.

Most of the immigrants arrived at the time of our annual fall communion service. The communion service is always followed by a foot-washing service. Some of our guests were highly amused at this ritual and spoke lightly of the ceremony amongst themselves in German, unfortunately within ear shot of a host who also happened to be conversant in the German language. This incident further corroborated the Ontario Mennonite's earlier impression of the Mennonites from Russia, i.e., that they were inclined to pride. The foot-washing ceremony was to serve as a reminder that within the brotherhood we are to be servants of each other.

Longing to hear a sermon in the German language, many guest families asked their hosts to take them to the local Lutheran church when a German service was held. Only recently did I learn that they not only longed for a sermon in good German but that they also longed for the sound of a good pipe organ and a church choir both taboo to the Ontario Mennonites at that time.

The enthusiasm with which the Mennonites from Russia observed religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter, with special programs and decorations was a matter of great concern to the Swiss Mennonites because they considered such observances to be paganist.

However I do recall hearing the observation made in later years that our brothers from Russia showed evidence of possessing some of the truth.

The time was not ripe for an inter-Mennonite exchange as we are experiencing today. Each group preferred to establish and protect its own identity. The language problem and cultural differences provided a barrier insurmountable at that time so we went our separate ways.

Occasional interchange among the leaders through the NRRO, forerunner of MCC Ontario, was the extent of our interchange until World War II loomed on the horizon. Then once again the sense of belonging together pervaded the entire Mennonite family, as we joined hands to reinforce our peace witness. Alternative Service Work Camps were established to enable our young men of conscription age to make a positive contribution rather than negative. Perhaps the greatest benefit derived from this experience was that it brought the leaders together and the young men from all branches of the church learned to live and worship together for the duration of their camp term.

The establishment of the MCC clothing depot in Kitchener to facilitate the overseas relief program in Ontario brought the laity of all Mennonite groups together as they prepared bales of bedding, clothing, and food for shipment to be distributed to and war sufferer in need, regardless of faith and creed.

An active inter-Mennonite program has evolved from this experience. It has led to the formation of an inter-Mennonite Ontario Executive Council in Ontario, this past year.

No doubt the intermarriage of some of our young people in recent years will be instrumental in breaking down a few remaining barriers. Personally I have learned to know some of you quite well and have experienced true Christian fellowship with the Penners, the Enns, the Epps, the Dicks, the Reimers and the Koops.

You have enriched my life and I consider it a great privilege to participate in your celebrations of a historic event. They have come to pass because, back in the 1920's when some of you and your parents were in need of help, my parents and others in their generation, took the Scripture literally. They bid the Christian brotherhood "to do good unto all men, as opportunity offers, especially to those who belong to the Christian household".

My hope and prayer is that we look to the God of history to continue to guide and direct our lives so that His Grace and Power will be revealed to the people of our time.

1. This article stopped at this point in the Mennonite Historian Vol.XXII, No.2, June 1996 issue.

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by Alf Redekopp

Queries

Bergen - I am seeking information on the family of David Bergen b. 9 June 1880 and died at Maidstone SK. David Bergen m. Maria Dyck (1881 -1947). Maria Dyck was the daughter of Heinrich Dyck and Anna Wall. The Bergens had 12 children: Maria b. 1900, m. to Mr. Dinter (?); Anna b.d. 1901; Agatha b. 1903; Anna b. 1905; Helena b. 1907; David b. 1909; Justina b. 1910; Aganetha b. 1913; Minnie b. 1914; Katharina b.d. 1917; Martha b. 1920; Elizabeth b. 1923. Maria Dyck Bergen, I believe, has died in Saskatoon. Contact: Martha Martens, Box 101, Horndean, MB ROG OZO, ph. 204-829-3584.

Friesen/Dyck - I am seeking information on my great-grandparents (first name unknown) Friesen and Aganetha Dyck. They lived in Hamburg N. 3, Plujew, Gouvernment Ekaterinoslav, Russia in 1872, moved to Fürstenland about 1877, and then to Michaelsburg. They came to Schoenfeld, MB, in 1892 with children Henry H. (m. Katrina Hildebrand), Susie (m. Abram Neufeld), Annie (m. Peter Epp), Tina (m. John Andres), Agatha (unknown Peters), Agnes (m. George Wiebe) and Elizabeth (my grandmother, m. John Heppner, b. 18 July, 1893) at Schoenfeld, MB. The Friesen family moved to Waldheim, SK in 1894. Friesen died July, 1891. In 1900 Aganetha Friesen moved back to Manitoba. My grandparents Elizabeth Friesen and John Heppner had children Henry, Lizzie, Agnes (Nettie) my mother, and Annie. Then they moved to Waldheim where these children were born: Justina, Peter, George, Helen and Mary. Contact: Grace St. Jean, RR # Eleven, Peterborough, ON K9J 6Y3.

Kroeker - I am seeking information on Peter Kroeker who married Anganeta Bergen. Peter is thought to have been born in Schoenau in the Molotschna Colony and Anganeta in Kronsweide, Chortitza Colony. They had a son named Peter Kroeker, born in Schoenau on 1 January 1857, and married to Maria Penner born 14 December 1853, birthplace unknown, but may have been Gnadenfeld, Molotschna. They came to Canada in 1924 and originally settled in Reesor, ON where Maria died in 1932. Peter moved to Black Creek, BC where he died in 1938. They had eight children, only four of whom married: Maria Kroeker m. Heinrich Wiebe, Peter Kroeker m. Maria Wilims, Franz Kroeker m. Anna Mandtler and Heinrich Kroeker m. Elisabeth Bergen. Johann and Anganeta Kroeker never married and the other two did not survive infancy. Contact: Mary Loewen, 6405 Prince Albert St., Vancouver, BC V5W 3E7 or by E-mail 72163.401@compuserve.com.

Mandtler - I am seeking information on Gerhard Mandtler b. 15 September 1855, in Lindenau, Molotschna. He married Katharine Isaak b. 11 August 1860, in Lindenau and had a daughter, Anna Mandtler who married Franz Kroeker. Gerhard was a famous clockmaker in the Molotschna colony. Any information about ancestors, siblings or other offspring would be appreciated. Contact: Mary Loewen, 6405 Prince Albert St, Vancouver, BC V5W 3E7 or E-mail 72163.401@compuserve. com.

Wiebe - I am seeking information about the ancestors of Gerhard Wiebe m. to Aganetha Frienguth. Their son Gerhard Wiebe (1781- 1848) m. Elizabeth Kroeker (1783-1844). Contact: Elsie Wiebe, #306-333 Garry Cres. NE, Calgary AB T2K 5W9.

Recent Books

Marianne Heinrichs Janzen. Heinrichs Family Tree 1876-1994. (Winnipeg, MB: Private publication, 1994) pb., 290 pp.

This book is about the children of Heinrich K. Heinrichs (1876-1919). These children lost their father on 19 October 1919, when he at the age of 42 became the first fatality at the hands of the Machnovze bandits in the village of Eichenfeld. Their mother died a few months later of typhus, and the children were taken in by relatives and friends. This book combines an essay on Eichenfeld that the author wrote for a university course, with a collection of personal recollections from various writers, and articles about the Selbstschutz, famine and emigration, to give the reader a sense of what Russia was like between 1919 and 1923. Contact: Marianne Janzen, 308-2130 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB R2V 3E8.

Elsie Wiebe. Wall Family Tree: The Descendants of Gerhard Wall (1840-1919) and Maria Dueckmann (1844-1914) (Calgary, AB: Private publication, 1996) pb. 75 pp.

This book traces the history of the descendants of Gerhard Wall (1868-1931) and his siblings. The title refers to his parents, but very little information is included about them. Gerhard Wiebe (1868-1931) married Elizabeth Siemens (1868-1944) and lived in the Ufa region near Davlekanova. Some descendants came to Canada during the 1920s migration, others emigrated to Germany much later. The books includes numerous genealogical charts as well as the recollections of various family members. Contact: Elsie Wiebe, 306-333 Garry Cres. NE., Calgary, AB T2K 5W9.

Paul Peter Reimer. The Life and Times of My Grand Children's Ancestors (Vancouver, BC: Private publication, 1995) pb., 710 pp.

This book is the story of Paul Peter Reimer, born 1916 in Altona, Manitoba, and married to Isabelle Irene Raine (1920-1991) in 1944. This book contains the family history of the Reimer ancestors who migrated to Canada from Russia in 1874 and the Neufeld ancestors who came in 1891. It also recounts the Anglo-Saxon origin of Isabelle Raine, and the French Canadian ancestry of Paul's daughter-in-laws. The appendix includes numerous charts showing ancestors and descendants of the people discussed in the family history. Contact: Paul Reimer, 205 Earl Street, Tarpon Springs, FL USA 34689.

Regina H. Neufeld. Descendants of Jacob S. and Katharina Hiebert (Steinbach, MB: Private publication, 1993) pb., 208 pp.

This book contains a history of Jacob S. Hiebert (1833-1906) who was married first to Aganetha Dueck (1836-1874) and then to Katharina Hiebert (1855-1916). This family came to Canada in 1875 from the Bergthal Colony in Russia and settled near Niverville, Manitoba. The book includes many photographs, family registers with the vital statistics, and narration by various family members. Contact: Regina Neufeld, Box 60, Tourond, MB R0A 2G0.

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Gleanings from Lutheran records in Tiegenhof (former West Prussia) and Josephsthal (Russia)

by Hilda Matsuo

Many genealogists are aware that Mennonites and Lutherans sometimes lived in close proximity in some areas of the world. This was true in Prussia-Poland, for example. This article will make readers more aware of sources where information on Mennonites is available in Lutheran records. We thank Hilda for making this item available. - The editors.

Lutheran records of baptisms in Tiegenhof, West Prussia (1784-1793) yield a total of 40 typically Mennonite names out of a total of 273 names. Out of the 571 birth/baptisms recorded during this period, just over 14% of the surnames are names which we in North America see as typical for Mennonites coming to this continent from Eastern Europe since the late 19th century. Similarly, in the Luthern records of deaths in Tiegenhof, West Prussia (1784-1793), just under 17% of the surnames (37 out of 224 from a total of 440 entries) consist of "typical Mennonite names". For the next period (1794-1803) the incidence of these names goes up to 19%. It should be noted that these statistics include only Lutheran entries.

After 1793 it becomes more common for the Lutheran death records to indicate Mennonite entries. The name "Claasen", for instance, has five Mennonite death entries and four Lutheran entries between 1794 and 1803. In other words, some Mennonite vital statistics were kept by the Tiegenhof Lutheran Church. There would appear to have been an arrangement between the two religious groups. For example, certain funds from Mennonites are noted at the time of the erection of a new Lutheran sanctuary in 1831-32. The funds for the building came from a number of sources such as 4000 taler from the government, 536 taler from Mennonites, 151.5 taler from other Lutherans from the towns of Platenhof, Tiegenhof and Petershagen, and the list continues.

Leaving West Prussia and going to Josephsthal, Jekaterinslav, Russia, there are other surprises. Parish records for 1876 in Josephthal show a fairly large number of Lutheran baptisms taking place in Chortitz on the first, second and third day of June, 76 persons in total. Except for a 19 year old girl with the surname of "Schwarz", coming from a Baptist family; and two children from a Swedish family with surname "M�ller", age 16 and 6, the rest of the baptismal candidates are infants. Among the infants baptized is Peter Martens whose father Peter is named as a Mennonite from Chortitz, but he and his wife are at the same time declared as both being Lutherans.

Hilda Schwartz Matsuo is a genealogist who resides in Victoria, BC. Her address is available at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg.

Rempel, John D. The Lord's Supper in Anabaptism (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 1993), hdc., 271 pp., $38.95. Klaassen, Walter, ed., Anabaptism Revisited (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1992), pb., 209 pp., $22.75. Goossen, Walfried. Anabaptism: A Dying Candle (Winnipeg, MB: Henderson Books, 1994) pb., 80 pp., $5.00.

Reviewed by Hans P. Werner

The above works represent three very different approaches to the question of the meaning of Anabaptism today. John Rempel is preoccupied with how one's view of Christ relates to celebration of the Lord's Supper. He chooses three Anabaptists as representative of the theological positions of the 16th century - Balthasar Hubmaier, Pilgrim Marpeck, and Dirk Philips. The depth and detail of Rempel's theological examination of the writings of these men makes reading the book a somewhat daunting project. Rempel examines the written legacy of the three church leaders and compares their views of Christ with those of their Anabaptist and Protestant opponents. For the student of history the rich historical background included in the study justifies the time required to plough through the more theoretical portions of the work.

Rempel's goals are theological rather than purely historical. His brief summary of how the theological positions of Hubmaier, Marpeck, and Philips worked themselves out in subsequent Mennonite church life leaves the historical reader wishing for some of the depth that pervades the theological discussion. Rempel comes to conclude that the depth of thought and reflections represented by the three theologians was largely ignored in subsequent church thought. Persecution and the general lack of explicit theology among Mennonites are cited as primary reasons for this omission until well into the 20th century.

The Festschrift edited by Walter Klaassen is also designed to rediscover the meaning of Anabaptism for the end of the 20th century. The eleven essays in the book are supplemented with a biographical sketch of Dr. C.J. Dyck in whose honour the work was published. The overall objective of the essays is to enrich and fill in the gaps in the origins of Anabaptist practices of baptism, the sacraments, conversion and others. Individual contributions in the volume admirably supplement earlier discussions of neglected issues and periods in Anabaptist history. Most noteworthy in this regard is the article by Sjouke Voolstra on the conversion controversy among the Waterlanders in Amsterdam. On the whole, however the collection lacks an identifiable connecting thread to engage the reader in revisiting Anabaptism of the 16th century, and relating it to modern Mennonite thought.

Walfried Goosen's discussion on returning to Anabaptist origins is a thoughtful critique of trends in modern Mennonitism. Goosen's historical treatment is somewhat broad in its scope and exhibits inconsistencies in its interpretation. In spite of the emotional tone of his arguments, an unmistakable yearning for the intensity of early Anabaptist confessions pervades his thoughts.

The three books reviewed here illustrate the continuing struggle to redefine the meaning of the 16th century experience for Mennonites of today.

Hans Werner is a businessman and recent MA graduate from the University of Manitoba. He resides in Shanzenfeld south of Winkler, MB.

Family history continues to be a vital area of research and writing. Most readers will not yet have seen Peter and Therese Lohrenz's Erinnerungen, giving us a glimpse of their life in Russian tsarist times, the Soviet Union, and then later Germany (1995, private publication, pb., 160 pp). Order from the authors at Am Wulwer Esch 5a, D 49809 Lingen (Ems), Germany. Sarah's Prairie (1995, pb., 350 pp., $14.99) is a novel based on a Mennonite family's experiences in coming to Manitoba from Ukraine. It is written by Delbert Plett of Steinbach, MB, and published by Windflower Communications of Winnipeg, MB.

Rev. Arnie Neufeld of Winkler has written the story of his family, the Neufelds, in Prairie Roots and Branches (1995, Heritage Valley Publications, pb., 160 pp). It has a number of photographs. Order from: Heritage Valley Publications, Box 224, Winkler, MB R6W 4A5. Norman Fehr's autobiography is entitled Homeward Bound and Family Bound (1994, private publication, pb., 246 pp.) and is available from the author at RR1, C-2, PV Hgts., Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0. Some months ago the family of the late Dr. John G Doerksen of Winnipeg released his autobiography As I Remember: The Story of My Life (1995, pb., 209 pp., $12.00). Inquiries about the volume may be directed to Centre for MB Studies, l- l69 Riverton Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2L 2E5.

Turnstone Press has announced publication of several new volumes by writers of Mennonite background. One is Lois Braun's book The Montreal Cats (1995, pb., 226 pp., $16.95), coming after her earlier books, A Stone Watermelon (1986), and The Pumpkin Eater (1990). The other volume is Patrick Friesen's Blasphemer's Wheel (1994, pb., 150 pp., $12.95). All can be ordered from 607-100 Arthur St., Winnipeg, MB R3B 1H3.

Collected papers of the late Dr. Reuben Goertz, published as Princes, Potentates, and Plain People: The Saga of Germans from Russia, was done by the Center for Western Studies at Augustana College of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1994, pb., 232 pp., hdc. $23.95, pb., $13.95).

Some time ago the Heritage Centre received a copy of Eden Mennonite Church : Chilliwack, British Columbia, 1945-1995 (1995, hdc., 208 pp, and well illustrated). The 50th anniversary volume is offered in thanksgiving for God's grace in sustaining the life and work of this congregation. Henry Wiehler served as chairman of the Publication Committee. One of our current MHC Heritage Committee members, Henry Rempel, is a member of this congregation.