The materials in this fonds consists of materials related to the life of Jacob Hoemsen and to the Heidebrecht family. The Homsen materials included letters to and from family members in Russia after WWI, documents, diary, and photos related to Hoemsen's experiences during various wars including the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, and a book of memoirs edited by his daughter Margaret Silver. This fonds is unique as gives details of the various conflicts of the early 20th Century in Russia and how a Mennonite moved from doing alternative service to serving the Russian and German war efforts and actively participating in the Mennonite Selbstschutz (self defense unit).
The Heidebrecht family materials consists of a manuscript by Margaret Silver that, with the help of old letters, reconstructs the life of the Heidebecht family as it struggled to survive in Russia under Stalin and the Soviet governments. Also included are photos and documents to his wife Maria Heidebrecht's experience as a student in Russia. This material is helpful in understanding the experiences of the Mennonites after World War one, the collectivization of the farms, Stalin's purges, labour camps, famine, deportation and exile, great trek to Germany, repatriation to the U.S.S.R., and life in Russia up to the modern era.
