Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
John Holdeman Papers
Date(s)
- 1860 - 1900 (Creation)
Extent
.75 cu. ft.
Name of creator
Biographical history
1832 Born, January 31, Wayne County, Ohio
1852 Married Elizabeth Ritter, November 18
1853 Daughter Lavina born, April 1 (died 1 March 1859)
1853 Deep spiritual struggles and visions
1853 Baptized by Bishop Rohrer, October
Felt called to the ministry
1855 Son Isaiah born, October 22 (died 3 January 1863)
1858 First meeting in his home, January 24
1858 Daughter Anna born, February 21
1859 Organization of “new congregation” in his father’s home, April
1860 Daughter Catherine born, November 6 (died 29 July 1863)
1862 Frank Seidner, brother-in-law, baptized and ordained
1863 Son Alpha born, April 21
1863 Mark Seiler, Amish minister, converted, baptized, and ordained (second congregation begun in Pettisvile)
1866 Son Samuel born, June 30
1878 Joseph Liechty court case versus Holdeman and others
1881 Manitoba meetings, Peter Toews ordained, November-December
1883 Moved to Jasper County, Missouri, February 24-25
1897 Began editing and publishing Botschafter der Wahrheit
1897 Moved to Lone Tree congregation, McPherson County, Kansas
1900 Died, March 10
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Much of the correspondence in this collection consists of letters written by Johann Holdeman to Peter Toews and his wife, 1882-1898, found in the J. I. Penner (JIP) collection from Kleefeld, Manitoba. These letters are all in German. There is also some correspondence to Peter Toews from other people. Much of the material came from collections owned by J. J. Unruh (JJU), Isaac Toews (IT), and some from Lizzie Benson (LB) and from Harry Wenger (HW).
The documents (folders 24-25) of the IT collection are of significance in the pre-migration and immigration to Canada period. They are related to Peter Toews and the Kleine Gemeinde.
In addition to the correspondence, there are also xeroxed copies of three account books: (1) Holdeman’s personal account book (1884ff.) with some record of his animal breeding and trade, planting crops and trees, weather conditions, home remedies, etc.; (2) his Botschafter der Wahrheit record book with subscriber lists, as well as a few miscellaneous items; and (3) his resume of debts, 1899-1900, indicating how he planned to deal with these or, in the event of his death, how they were to be settled. The first two are owned by Lizzie Benson, a granddaughter, and the third by F. H. Wenger.
No originals of these materials are in the MLA. As of 3 October 2000, the locations of all originals is unknown.
The method used in filing the Holdeman material proceeds from the personal to the more general in alphabetical and chronological order as much as possible; and from the material which is directly related to John Holdeman to that related to others. The various sources (LB, JIP, IT, JJU, FHW, and HW), unless the material has been filed under a specific category (e.g., account books, etc.) are filed in alphabetical order: Benson, Penner, Toews, Unruh, Wenger. (The material in ledger 3 of the J. J. Unruh collection, folders 29-33, precedes that of ledger 2.)
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
open for research
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Languages of the material
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Clarence Hiebert ca. 1970
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Subject)