Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1874-1965 , predominant 1942-1975 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
11 cm of textual material
2 audio cassettes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Abraham D. Friesen was born on June 11, 1886, in Schönsee, East Reserve, Manitoba, to David and Anna (Klassen) Friesen. He married Anna Gerbrandt on December 30, 1906. Throughout his life, A. D. alternated between farming and various business ventures in Altona, including a saddlery and harness business, a dray and livery business, and an insurance and real estate business. Between 1925 and 1931, he was appointed by the church to manage the Bergthaler Waisenamt. He was active in both civic and church activities, serving as school trustee, town councilor, co-founder of Bethania Hospital, member of Rhineland Agricultural Society, and collecting agent for the Mennonite Aid Society. In the church, he was a song leader, chairman of the Young People's Endeavor, church statistician, and Sunday School teacher and superintendent. His wife, Anna, died in 1947, and he was married to Margaret Harder later that year. Margaret died in 1970 and he remarried again to Mrs. Anna (Braun) Schellenberg, who survived him. A. D. died on December 6, 1975.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
D. G. Friesen and Cornelius N. Friesen (sons of A.D.)
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds contains some personal correspondence, a record book of bread loans (Brotschuld) in 1874 and 1875, a document concerning Mennonites and the conscription law in Saskatchewan in 1918. There are also a number of scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings of Mennonite individuals and events from between 1924 and 1975. Two tapes contain an interview with A. D. Friesen in 1973 and his funeral service in 1975.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
German (some in Gothic script) and English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Inventory file list
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Subject access points
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Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Described by Jake Peters in "Resources for Canadian Mennonite studies: an inventory guide to archival holdings at the Mennonite Heritage Centre" (1988: 120). Edited by Joanne Moyer in February 2007.