Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1961-2011 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
1.6 m of textual records
391 photographs
698 cassette sound recordings
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Peter B. Paetkau was born 29 March 1940 to Abram Paetkau and Lena Schmidt in the Sperling area, east of Carman, Manitoba. He joined the Lowe Farm Bergthaler Mennonite Church in his early 20s and farmed with his father. In 1967 he married Mary Anne Dyck and they had five children between 1969 and 1977. In 1988 the couple separated and Peter moved to Winnipeg where he opened a small gift shop on Pembina Highway called "Nice Things and Gifts." The business did not exist very long.
Peter was an active writer, reporter and recorder. His favourite topics were Mennonite, Canadian, Manitoba and Ukrainian histories and poetry. He attended my public events with his tape recorder in hand, producing a permanent record of the event. Between 1977 and 1984 he wrote 28 articles for the Mennonite Mirror, three for Der Bote and eight for the Mennnoite Historian. Peter B. Paetkau died unexpectedly in Winnipeg on 18 August 2011 and was buried in Lowe Farm, Manitoba.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The estate of Peter Paetkau.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds contains Peter Paetkau's personal journals, other writings and subject and event files. The audio cassettes contain sound recordings which Peter Paetkau made at events that he attended. This includes concerts, conferences and other public events related to Mennonite community life and history in Manitoba. Similarly, the photograph were often taken at public events, but they also include some personal and family items.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Intitial cataloguing by Matthew Peters-Fransen, Spring 2012. Final description completed by Alf Redekopp, December 2012. Update 7 April 2020.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Inventory file list available for textual records in Volumes 5572-5575 and sound records list for items 3638-3701, 3703-4016, 4117-4418, 4436-4453.
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Acc. No. 2011-067