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These images were scanned by Linda Huebert Hecht for the Molotschna Bicentennial Photo Project 2004, which provided the organizational structure of this CMBS collection. In the Fehderau series (no. 4), CMBS has many of the prints used by Linda to make the scans and are noted accordingly.

This photo is of The Mennonite Church (General Conference) choir in Kleefeld. Peter Peters, the leader of the choir and maternal grandfather of Marg Boldt may be the man seated in the middle of the middle row (4th from the right).

This photo is of Isaak Sawatsky and Anna Dick Gossen Sawatsky (she was married 2 times), paternal step-grandfather and grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck. Elfrieda remembers him fondly as a good grandfather.

The Mennonite Church (General Conference) choir in Kleefeld. Peter Peters, the leader of the choir and maternal grandfather of Marg Boldt may be the man seated in the middle of the middle row (4th from the right).

This photo is of three young women pose standing, outdoors. Left to right they are: Katja Rempel, Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck, Agatha (Rempel) Regehr. Katja and Agatha were step-sisters.

This photo is of Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck, poses, a book on her lap, surrounded by palm-leaf and myrtle plants. An exact date for this picture is not available. We do know that Anna was married at 18 years of age in 1901.

This photo is of seven of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s school mates from her grade 8 class at the school in Halbstadt who came to visit her in Ladekopp in the summer of 1943. Their names are, left to right standing: Astra Sparwirt, Irene Euteneier, Victor Bergen and Lilie Schatschneider. Left to right sitting are: Elfrieda Gossen, Frieda Schwitay, Mariechen Regehr, Lydia Geyer. Victor was the only boy in their class of 13 students. His mother was Ukrainian and his father a Mennonite.

This photo is of a group of women taken in Halbstadt in October 1942 includes Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck’s grandmother, Anna (Wiens) Rempel who is sitting in the middle. The family milked this goat because they couldn’t afford a cow. The photo was given to Anna by a person named H. Schirmacher. The other women on the photo are not identified. Perhaps they were kindergarten teachers with Anna. (See photo #12)

This photo is of Anna (Wiens) Rempel, grandmother of Elfrieda (Gossen) Dyck. She was a teacher and principal of a large kindergarten in Halbstadt. Anna’s husband Dietrich was taken away in 1941 with all the other men of the area. They were sent to Siberia where they died of hard labour and starvation. In 1941 to 1943 when the German army occupied the Ukraine, Anna continued her work as principal in the kindergarten. She was a very creative teacher and known for the plays she produced with young children, as illustrated here, where a number of the children are in costume. The children in the front row are in rabbit costumes. Another time she performed a play about the seven dwarfs with the kindergarten children (shown on another photo which Elfrieda also has). Anna also assisted the older students. Elfrieda remembers her grandmother helping her grade 8 class to perform shadow plays.

This photo is of the wedding of Gerhard Enns’ sister (paternal aunt to Olga Enns) to Abram Baerg. The bride wears a black dress and a white veil. Earlier it was the custom to wear black for weddings. The label of the photo is “Cabinet Portrait” indicating the photographer could have been Mennonite or German.
Note: The original has been donated (Acc. No. 2010-025).

This photo is of Ed Dyck as a young child. He is a cousin to Olga Enns. He went to Canada in 1928.
Note: The original has been donated (Acc. No. 2010-025).