Akt 17 - Ursachen und Geschichte der Auswanderung

Gerhard Wiebe, church leader and farmer, was born in Chortitza Colony, South Russia on July 25, 1827. He was the oldest of six children born to Gerhard and Agatha (nee Dyck) Wiebe. One sister died as an infant. At the age of 12 his parents moved to the new Bergthal settlement which had been founded in 1836. Here he completed his elementary education and was baptized on May 26, 1846 by Aeltester Jacob Braun. Wiebe married Elizabeth Dyck on June 12, 1847 and together they had ten children, two of which died as infants. Wiebe began serving the church as a Deacon, a calling for which he was ordained on November 25, 1854. On November 23, 1861 he was ordained to the ministry and on March 27, 1866 he was ordained to the position of Aeltester. Wiebe will be remembered most for the part he played in the emigration of the Bergthal Colony to Canada. Although initially Wiebe was not in favour of emigration, after some persuation he became the colonies leading advocate. Emigration was undertaken as a result of changing Russian laws which the Bergthal Colony perceived to threaten the churches control of education and their exemption from military service. Emigration was already begun when the village of Bergthal was almost entirely burned. Soon after this Wiebe came with his family to Canada arriving in Quebec in the summer of 1875. His first three years in Canada where marred by the tragic deaths of his wife and three children. In spite of his personal losses, Wiebe continued to serve the church. He worked to maintain control of private schools; negotiate a loan and repayment with Ontario churches; and even helped organize churches in the United States. Wiebe will also be remembered for his sudden and unexplained resignation as Aeltester in 1882. Many have speculated on the reason for his resignation but we have yet to find any record explaining why after a routine visit to the West Reserve, Wiebe resigned as Aeltester and never preached another sermon. In his later years Wiebe married his second wife, Elizabeth Defehr, the widow of Peter Loewen. Gerhard Wiebe died on May 3, 1900.