Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1893-1979 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
21 cm of textual records
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
David Heidebrecht was born on January 13, 1893 in Rosenort, Molotschna. His parents were Peter Heidebrecht and Katherina Schellenberg. He attended elementary school in Rosenort and then went to Orloff for his high school classes where he graduated in 1910. In 1914 he began his teaching career on the Samojlowka estate. He had already been baptized in 1913 joining the Lichtenau Mennonite Church.
At the beginning of the war in 1914 he was exiled to Orenburg and was able to do some teaching in Kamenka. However he fled to Germany in 1918 but didn’t find work and so returned to his home village of Rosenort in 1919 and after some more training taught in that village from 1921 to 1924.
In 1924 David married Anna Fast and soon after they left for Canada. In Manitoba he attended Mennonite Collegiate Institute, obtained his teaching certificate and moved to Reesor, Northern Ontario where he taught for 4 years. They moved back to Manitoba where he attended Normal School and the taught for 12 years in Gruenthal and another 3 years in Gnadenthal. Due to some health problems the David Heidebrechts moved to BC in 1946 and settled in Greendale where he did some farming and some teaching.
After retirement David became involved in producing the book “Onsi Tjedils” (Our Men) in 1966. The book records the experiences of Mennonite men in alternative service in Russia. In 1968 his wife died and later he married Katie Fast. David Heidebrecht died on September 27, 1988 in Abbotsford, BC.
Source: Der Bote obituary, (Oct.19, 1988 – p.6)
Archival history
Donated by G I Peters
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds is arranged in the following series:
1) Autobiography - 1893-1915 - (1 file) - Box 197
2) Correspondence - 1966-1971 - (1 file) - Box 197
3) Financial Records - 1966 - (1 file) - Box 197
4) Personal writing - 1966, "Vorwort" & "Historische Daten ueber den Ersatzdienst" by G. I. Peters, includes photocopied photos of Forestry President David J. Dyck and Forester Chliwitsky-Asow, 1889-1909. Includes 16 pages of photos, most of which are also in Series 5 below. - (1 file) - Box 197
5) Collection of personal experiences of Mennonites in military or alternate service in Russia during World War 1 (14 files in alphabetical order) - Box 197
6) Research essays by Victor Peters - 1976-1979- (1 file) - Box 197
7) Lectures and Sermons - 1940- (1 file) - Box 197
8) Publications - 1939 (Acta Nostra)- (1 file) - Box 197
9) Programs- (1 file) - Box 197
10) Collection of songs- (1 file) - Box 197
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
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Language and script notes
Many records are in German.
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Notes area
Note
Title is based on contents of the fonds
Note
Collection of letters of personal experiences of Mennonites in military or alternate service from 1905-1918. Many of the letters have been translated in to English.
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Record created December 31, 2008
Record modified June 20, 2016
Record modified August 2, 2018, LJK
Record modified February 24, 2022, LJK