This fonds consists of a diary written by Peter Hamm describing the life of his parents and grandparents and documents births, marriages, and deaths of family members. Portions of this diary related to the journey from Bergthal Russia to the East Reserve, Manitoba were copied by his son Bernhard Hamm. Bernhard’s journal is in Mennonite Heritage Archives Volume 2047.2. Another family member whose materials are also at the Mennonite Heritage Archives (Volume 1748) is Peter’s first cousin, Andreas Hamm (1863-1936).
This collection consists of correspondence received by Peter Hoeppner (1825-1907) after he immigrated to Canada. Writers from Russia include Isaac Dyck, Joahann Hildebrand, Kornelius Hildebrand, Bernhard Hoeppner, Peter Klassen, and Heinrich Penner. Letters from people in Canada include Aganetha Heppner, Cornelius Sawatzki, Peter Sawatzki, and Ludwig Witte. A few land assessment records are also included.
This fonds contains an 1884 exercise booklet of Jacob B. Peters from the Reichenbach school on the Manitoba East Reserve, a ledger with mathematical problems from [191-]. The exercise booklet gives an insight into writings exercises as practised in the Mennonite schools in Manitoba, whereas the mathematical problem book gives examples of mathematical problems as taught in Mennonite private schools.
This fonds consists of correspondence and store records. A portion of the correspondence contains letters received from Russia (1895-1898) and the rest concerns various personal and community matters. The store records include ledgers (1891-1903) and account books (1894-1902) from the stores in both Gretna and Osler. Most of the material is handwritten.
This fonds contains documents pertaining to the life of William Hespeler, such as confirmation of attending the Polytechnic Institute in Karlsruhe (1847-1849), of deferment from military service in 1850, of immigration to Canada, and of naturalization as a British subject. The fonds includes the items taken to Russia in 1872 (i.e. responses from Ottawa to the Russian Mennonite inquiries about priveledges been sought such as exemption from military service). The fonds also contains various items with the autographs of individuals such as Otto von Bismark, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia, and the British monarch, Queen Victoria. The documents pertain to Hespeler's service to Canada or Germany.
This fonds were includes a diary by Jacob Esau detailing the formation and challenges of the Alexanderkrone Zentralschule, and a hair wreath made to commemorate Esau's deceased family members. The materials are central to the understanding the early history of the Zentralschule. Portions of the diary were transcribed by Katharina Janzen and published in the newspaper Der Bote in October and November 1971. This together with the reports written by Esau in the periodical Friedensstimme were central to Ted Regehr's book For Everything a Season: A history of the Alexanderkrone Zentralschule. The hair wreath is a unique item that must be rare in Mennonite circles.
The last will and testament of Jakob Niebuhr (1847-1913), Russian Mennonite industrialist (factory owner) from Olgafeld, Fuerstenland Mennonite Settlement, South Russia. German translation by Elisabeth Braun de Wiens, Asuncion, Paraguay. It outlines how his property was to be inherited by his three sons.
