Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1867-1991 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
8.30 Cubic Feet
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Cornelius B. Friesen was an ordained Minister in eight Mennonite Churches of Kansas, Minnesota and Oklahoma between 1943 and 1976. Originally a public school teacher, he taught in the 1920s, 30s, 50s, and at intermittent times during his tenures at the churches. His teaching comprised 26 years in the public schools of Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Despite this long record of teaching, the bulk of his legacy lies with his ministry. He was an outspoken and conservative religious fundamentalist, who shared his opinions through his sermons and large amounts of correspondence with individuals and organizations, usually about religious and moral matters. C. B. Friesen was born in 1903 in Buhler, Kansas. A graduate of Buhler High School, he married Anna Stoesz in 1927; they had three children: Karl, Ronald, and Luanna. In the 1930s he became involved in the Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake Minnesota, where he received his ordination as a minister in 1943. From there he went on to ministerial service in Kansas and Oklahoma. Most of the following years he spent at the Walton Mennonite Church in Walton, Kansas, the Herold Mennonite Church in Bessie, Oklahoma and the Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Moundridge, Kansas. He also served in the Mennonite churches of Butterfield, Minnesota, Greenfield, Oklahoma, and Greensburg, Kansas. After his retirement (presumably 1976) he was active as guest minister in area churches of south central Kansas, while living in Newton. He also continued his “gadfly” correspondence expressing his opinions in newspaper editorials and letters to persons and institutions, with whom he intensely agreed and disagreed on particular issues. This includes many letters to columnist Ann Landers. After Anna’s death in 1978, he married Marie Janzen Nath in 1980. They lived in Newton and Goessel until his own death in 1994. Important persons who appear in the collection: C.H. and Helena Friesen — Parents Anna Stoesz Friesen — Wife Karl, Ronald, Luanna — Children Pauline Friesen (Mrs. J.K. Froese) — Sister H.C. Friesen — Brother Pete Friesen — Brother Karl Friesen — Brother Peter Stoesz — Anna’s Father Marie Nath Janzen — Second Wife
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The papers were processed by Eleonore Aarsen in the Spring of 1998. Much of the content was in no discernible order, so I rearranged those items. This includes mostly the church records and sermons. They are now organized by church employment eras (time periods spent pastoring a certain church), meaning that all items from any given church are together. The whole collection is divided mainly into personal and professional. That is why pastoral correspondence and personal correspondence are in their respective categories and not together. Anything that was in folders, envelopes and bundles upon arrival has been kept together. The result is that some things seem out of place. This is especially true in the genealogy collection. Many sermons were used several times. As a general MLA rule, miscellaneous materials are filed according to last place used (or most recent date). This means that many sermons written in the 1940s are actually filed in the Emmanuel Mennonite Church era. Items without numbers are not in folders, but filed loosely in the order as listed.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
open for research use
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- German