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Mennonite Heritage Archives

Portage Mennonite Church

  • CA_MHA-2020
  • Corporate body
  • 1977-2012

The Portage Mennonite Church traces its beginning to 1977 when three couples in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba longed for a church where they could express their Mennonite faith. They invited others to join them, and they began holding services in an unused Presbyterian facility. Initially the congregation grew quickly and reached a maximum of about 40 members. When the Presbyterian building was sold, they rented space from a Seventh Day Adventist group, and later purchased a former Christian and Missionary Alliance building. The congregation formally organized in 1980, and began a practice of annual membership renewal on "Commitment Sunday" that continued to 2011. The congregation became a member of the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba in 1983 (subsequently known as Mennonite Church Manitoba). They only had one paid minister in their history -- Karen Schellenberg from 2003 to 2010. Previously the pulpit was filled internally or by outside speakers. For several years Charleswood Mennonite Church sent speakers on a regular basis, followed by a series of part time pastors who commuted to Portage la Prairie from Winnipeg (a distance of about 90 km). Though small, Portage Mennonite Church, had an active ministry, including helping to start and manage the local Mennonite Central Committee thrift shop and the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. The congregation sponsored three refugee couples from Laos and Thailand during the 1980s. By 2012 the attendance had dropped significantly and it became difficult to maintain structure and program. The congregation held its last service on 1 July 2012.

Conference of Mennonites in Canada. Finance committee

  • CA0MHA-2020
  • Corporate body
  • 1956-1999

The first CMC finance committee was established after the delegates approved a new structure in July 1956. It was a five-member committee that was charged with amalgamating all the treasuries of the Conference, creating and administering a central office, monitoring expenditures and setting annual budgets. In 1954 the delegates at the annual sessions heard separate financial reports from:
-Board of Education
-Canadian Mennonite Bible College
-Armenkasse
-Foreign Missions
-Home Missions
-Church Building Fund
-Canadian Mennonite Youth Organization, plus
-"Statement of Receipts and Expenditures for the General Conference of Mennonites in Canada", which represented on a small portion of the total Conference expenditures.

In 1957 a full-time treasurer was hired by the Conference. Between 1957 and 1971 the Finance Committee had the status of a board, after 1971 it was part of the General Board. The treasurers were:
-Victor J. Schroeder (1957-1964)
-Frank J. Dyck (1965-1978)
-Eldon Krause (1979-1981)
-Edgar Rempel (1982-1989)

  • Gordon Epp-Fransen (1990-2000).

Loewen, Isaac, 1865-1918

  • CA-MHSS-2017
  • Person
  • 1865-1918

Isaac Loewen was born in Neuenberg, South Russia, on May 31, 1865, to Isaac and Susanna (Krahn) Loewen. The family immigrated to Canada in 1877, settling in Osterwick, Manitoba. Isaac began working for Peter Abrams at the Abrams and Esau store in Gretna. After Peter Abrams died, Isaac married his widow, Susanna (Rempel) Peters, on June 29, 1890. Susanna brought with her seven children. She and Isaac had six more children, but only one survived childhood, a daughter named Susanna. In 1890, Isaac also became Wilhelm Esau's partner in the Gretna store. This partnership only lasted for three years, after which Isaac opened his own store. In 1902, he moved to Osler, Saskatchewan and opened a general store there, transferring his membership to the Rosenort Mennonite Church. While living in Osler, Isaac also marketed grain and provided loans to farmers. In both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Isaac was influential as a community leader, serving in various capacities including as a member of the Bethel College Corporation (1893), on the Gretna Town Council (1899), as an auditor for the Mennonite Aid Plan (1901), on a committee to establish a ferry across the South Saskatchewan River near Osler, and on various boards for the German English Academy in Rosthern, Saskatchewan. Isaac died from a stroke on December 7, 1918, during the influenza epidemic.

Toews, David, 1870-1947

  • CA-MHSBC-2018
  • Person
  • 1870-1947

David Toews was born February 9, 1870 in Lysanderhoeh, Am Trakt colony, Russia to Mennonite minister Jacob Toews (1838-1922) and Marie Wiebe (1838-1924). In 1880 the family moved east to Turkestan to avoid military service and where leaders such as Klaas Epp predicted Christ would return. In 1884 the Toews family abandoned the trek and moved to Newton, Kansas. In the autumn of 1885 David Toews enrolled at Halstead Seminary in preparation to become a teacher. He began his teaching career in small Mennonite communities of Kansas in 1888. In 1891 he retuned to Halstead for more education.

In 1893 his former teacher, Heinrich H. Ewert, invited Toews moved to Gretna, Manitoba to teach in the Mennonite village schools. From 1895-1897 Toews studied at Wesley College (now University of Winnipeg) for his teacher's certificate. He taught in Burwalde, Manitoba and later in Tiefengrund, Saskatchewan. Here he met and married Margarete Friesen (1881-1941) in 1900. Together they had 9 children. The youngest, Irene died in 1926 in a house fire. This had a deep impact on Toews who received many cards and condolences during this time.
David Toews was ordained as minister in the Rosenorter Gemeinde (conference) on August 18, 1901 in Tiefengrund. He was ordained as bishop in September 14, 1913. Toews went on to a life of service to the church and the Mennonite people. He was one of the 9 men who founded the Conference of Mennonites in Canada (now Mennonite Church Canada) in 1902 serving on the executive committee in various roles from 1904-1940. In 1906 he moved to Rosthern to become principal of the German-English Academy (now Rosthern Junior College). He gave up his teaching duties in 1917 so he would have more time for church work.

In 1922 Toews invited church leaders to discuss the growing distress of their co-religionists in southern Russia. A new organization was struck which became known as the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization and Toews was elected chairman. This board was seen to speak for the Canadian Mennonites who had immigrated from Russia. Toews was dubbed "The Mennonite Moses" for helping bring 21,000 Mennonites out of Russia in the 1920s. To do this Toews personally signed a gentlemen's agreement with Col. Dennis of the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) for an amount of 1.5 million dollars. This debt was repaid in November 1946, a short time before his death.
During the Second World War Toews was one of the leaders who negotiated with the Canadian government for an alternative service program for conscientious objectors. Toews and many other ministers advocated on behalf of their people during these difficult times. Bishop Toews became one of the most influential Canadian Mennonite leaders which grew out of his love for his Mennonite people. Toews died February 25, 1947.

Hoemsen, Jacob H., 1879-1969

  • CA-MHSBC-2018
  • Person
  • 1879-1969

Jacob Hoemsen (1879-1969) was born in the village of Hierschau, Molotschna to Heinrich Hoemsen and Agatha Friesen. In 1885 the family moved to the Memrik colony. After his father's death around 1886 or 1887, at least 3 of the children were sent to live with other families as orphans. His mother married J. Fast. Jacob was moved around from family to family year after year. In 1900 Jacob studied at a technical school in Dippoldiswalde, Germany, taking courses in bookkeeping and German. In 1901 he served his country in the forestry service (Forstei) as a conscientious objector as an alternative to military service. In 1905 he volunteered to serve with the Red Cross in the Russo-Japanese war and was stationed at Urulga. Here he visited the nearby areas of Nerschish, Manchuria, and Vladivostok on the eastern coast. He was responsible for commissary supplies as opposed to attending to the sick and wounded. After serving for less than a year he moved to Halbstadt, Molotschna where he worked as the treasurer and bookkeeper of the local Co-op store. On May 1, 1910 he joined the firm of Franz and Schroeder in Halbstadt and later Tsaritsyn. During WWI he served as a medic (Sanitaeter) on board a medical train as the Russians fought the Germans. In 1915 he volunteered for a post at the front to be known as the "Flying Column". Now he wore a uniform and was the only non-Russian in the whole command working with the wounded. One night in May 1915 the unit came under heavy fire but he continued to work at serving the wounded. For this he and his unit received the St. George's medal 4th grade for bravery. In 1916 he was appointed "Officer in Time of War" with the rank of Lieutenant. He was responsible for record keeping and had others under his command.
Hoemsen was wounded in 1918 and returned to Halbstadt where he became an interpreter for the German occupying forces. With the rise of anarchy in the area while living in Waldheim he joined the Gnadenfeld Selbstschutz or self defense unit under the command of German officers. The German forces left in the fall of 1918 and the Machno forces and other bandits took over the area.
In September 1919 Jacob Hoemsen married Maria Heidebrecht (1895-). She was the daughter of Peter Heidebrecht and Maria Driedger. They lived in Ufa, Snamenka, Gnadental, the Caucasus and lastly in Kazahkstan. Peter was exiled twice. Peter and Maria had seven daughters and one son. Daughters Maria Hoemsen and Elizabeth Mathies immigrated to Canada with their families in the 1920s. The rest of the family suffered a great deal under Stalin and the Soviet governments.

In 1919 Jacob Hoesmen was still employed with the Franz and Schroeder firm. His employment ended in 1923 when the factory closed. A new position was found with the newly formed German Raion in Halbstadt in 1924 where he worked as a bookkeeper. In 1925 he, his wife and 2 daughters immigrated to Canada. They lived in Saskatchewan for 2 years, in Ontario for another 2 years and finally settled in Alexander, Manitoba near Brandon. In total he and his wife had 6 children: Margarita, Kay, Betty, Peter, Hugo, and Verner. Jacob Hoemsen died on October 10, 1969 in Alexander, Manitoba.

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