A set of personal papers documenting Alan Hochstetler's voluntary service work in Vietnam and Korea under the auspices of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). The papers consist primarily of correspondence from Hochstetler to his family in Nappanee, Indiana. The letters provide a lot of detail about the daily work and activities of Hochstetler and other MCC volunteers. In his correspondence, Hochstetler also discusses the weather, major political events, and his relationships with his fellow voluntary service workers.
Other materials in this collection include correspondence from MCC and the selective service, slides and photographs taken during his service work, photographs taken during a 1997 trip to Vietnam, clippings, a Vietnam diary, a hand drawn map of the Leprosarium, the Tidings of the Banmethouoat Leprosarium, a service certificate from MCC, and a nine-page manuscript containing personal reflections and recollections of his service work and his return trips to Vietnam.
Slides and one large photogographic print depicting Mennonite mission and service worksites in Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Nepal, and Vietnam. Many of the images are artistic shots and therefore not well-labeled. However, as Kaufman was a volunteer photographer for Mennonite mission and service organizations, the photos can be identified through comparison to other holdings in the archives.
These papers document the ministry of Glenn W. Whitaker and are divided into four series:
Series 1: Early Ministry and Service, 1936-1981 Series 2: Photographs, 1936-1951 Series 3: Sermon Ministry, 1950-1972 Series 4: Phonograph Records, 1943-1950
The collection consists of the records of the PAX Reunion Committee and primary source documents contributed by former PAX workers. The collection is divided into series by name of the creator or contributor of the materials. When contributors are unknown, the series are named for the PAX program they document.
The papers of Vernon and Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander primarily document relief and service work to Russian Mennonite refugees after World War II. Materials include correspondence, poems, testimonies, and songs by Russian Mennonite refugees, reports and correspondence pertaining to Mennonite Central Committee relief work in the Netherlands and Paraguay, a diary kept by Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander during her Europen relief work, correspondence between Vernon and Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander, and a well-labeled photograph album documenting Evangeline Matthies Neuschwander's relief and service work. Other materials include records of Vernon Neuschwander's Civilian Public Service work, family and genealogical materials, Evangeline's writing and reminiscences, and miscellaneous materials.
Information regarding the World War II experiences of Henry C. Penner, a Mennonite from Wrickler, Manitoba who was arrested for resisting the draft in 1944. Tapes and transcripts of interviews conducted by Leonard Gross with Henry and his son Leonard Penner are included, as is correspondence between the army and Henry’s uncle George Penner concerning the arrest and subsequent court martial. The records of the court martial, some miscellaneous notes and pamphlets, and slides of documents are also included.
Personal papers of a Mennonite missionary to Puerto Rico and advocate for Hispanic Mennonite Congregations in the United States. The papers are divided into four series:
(1) Biographical Information and Family Papers, 1909-2006
A small, fragmented set of personal papers primarily documenting Bennett's early career. Materials include correspondence, speeches and presentations, photographs / slides (most poorly labeled) and miscellaneous materials. Photographs and slides primarily depict Bennett's life in Akron as an MCC worker, as well as his relief work in France and Spain.
Papers of a Mennonite missionary couple stationed in India and Ghana, with interest in the mission field in Nigeria. Divided into the following series:
(1) Correspondence, Subject Files, and Miscellaneous, 1944-1977
These personal papers include autobiographical writing, photographs, slides, and ephemera pertaining to Nafziger's work as a Mennonite medical missionary in India. They also contain some Nafziger family records, specifically a farm journal created by Christian Nafziger II.
The papers contain a hodgepodge of information pertaining to Ruth and Rhoda Resslers' various stints in Japan as mission and relief workers. Materials include correspondence, activity reports, the newsletter of the Hokkaido Mennonite Fellowship, miscellaneous materials relating to Mennonite mission work in Japan, and financial records. The Resslers' papers also contain a number of photographs, scrapbooks, and a handful of slides. Researchers should be aware, however, that many of the images are not labeled. The collection holds a several audiocassettes as well: recorded lectures presented by the Resslers in Japan, an oral history interview with Rhoda and Ruth Ressler, and a multi-tape oral history with Rhoda Ressler. Also included is an 1889 statement on dress and prayer coverings, unrelated to Mennonite mission work in Japan.
