Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1969-1994 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
12 cm of textual records
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Jack Block was born on October 5, 1923 in Arkadak Colony, Russia. His parents were John H. Block and Helen Sawatzky. The family came to Canada in 1925, first to Rosthern, Saskatchewan and then to Mullingar on their own homestead. In 1937 they moved to BC and settled in Yarrow.
Jack went to the Yarrow public school and later attended Yarrow Bible School for three years beginning 1939. He was baptized in 1939 and joined the Yarrow MB Church. From 1943 to 1946 he served in the Medical Corps and saw some overseas service. After the war Jack attended Sharon High School in Yarrow where he graduated in 1948. After that he attended the University of BC where he graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor in Arts and Science and later qualified for the M.Ed degree.. In the meantime he had married Lena Janzen in 1947 and in the ensuing years they had 3 children.
In 1959 Jack began his teaching career in the lower mainland. He served on a variety of church related boards including Columbia Bible Institute and Mennonite Central Committee. The following is his mother's genealogy.
Jacob Sawatzky and Anna van Eitzen Sawatzky
Anna van Eitzen was born July 27, 1875 in Schoenwiese, Chortitza. Her parents were Daniel Eitzen and Helena Neufeld. She moved with her parents to Nikolajevka #5. September 21, 1897 she married Jacob Sawatzky in Kronstadt, Nikolajevka. Jacob was born 1867 in Schoenfeld, Russia. His parents were Jacob J. Sawatzky and Maria Hiebert. In 1912 Jacob and Anna moved to Arkadak. In 1926 they settle in Borden Saskatchewan and later to Mulligar, Saskatchewan where Jacob died December 29, 1936. Anna moved to Yarrow BC in 1937 with her two youngest children. Jacob and Anna had 9 children, two died. Anna died in Vancouver December 30 1961 and was buried in Yarrow January 2, 1937.
Information from GRANDMA database.
Archival history
donated by Jack Block
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds is arranged in the following series:
1) Diaries - 1981 - (3 files) Box 182
2) Personal Writings - 1971-1981, 2012 - (4 files) Box 182
3) Correspondence - 1969 - (1 file) Box 182
4) Genealogy complied by Henry J Block in 1994 entitled "The Block Family Journal". - (4 files) Box 182
5) Family Records - (2 files) Box 182
6) Publications - 1945 - (31 file) Box 182
7) Obituaries - (2 files) Box 182
8) Miscellaneous documents & map - (1 file) Box 182
9) Photographs
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Some records are in German.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title is based on contents of the fonds
Note
Series consists of dairies, personal writings and obituaries of Anna van Eitzen Sawatsky and Helen Sawatsky Block.
Alternative identifier(s)
InMagic Description ID
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Sawatzky, Jacob, 1867-1936 (Subject)
- Sawatzky, Anna (Eitzen), 1875-1961 (Subject)
- Block, Helena (Sawatsky), 1903-1982 (Subject)
- Block, John Henry, 1899-1969 (Subject)
- Block, Jacob, 1923-2016 (Subject)
- Block, Henry John, 1926-2015 (Subject)
- Block, Daniel, 1943- (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Record created December 30, 2008
Record modified June 20, 2016