Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1917-1976 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
70 cm of textual records
17 photographs (two collections)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Wilhelm H. Falk, Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference founding bishop and farmer, was born on October 23, 1892 in the village of Schoenthal, northwest of Altona, Manitoba. He was one of nine children born to Heinrich and Justina (nee Unrau) Falk. One of his siblings and his father died while he was still a young child. His mother then married Abram Bergen who was a widower with five children of his own and this marriage produced another half brother and sister for Falk. He attended private school in Schoenthal where G.G. Neufeld was one of his teachers. In 1912 Falk was baptized on May 27th. A year later her married Sarah Friesen on June 8th. He purchased a farm in Roseville school district and lived there until he retired. He and his first wife had eight children but two died as infants. Sarah then died in 1930. Two years later he married Elizabeth Schellenberg on June 30th. This second marriage also produced eight children, two of which died as infants. Falk was elected to the ministry in the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church and ordained on June 29, 1927 at Schoenthal. He later became one of four ministers who separated from this church in 1936 and became the first Aeltester of the newly formed Rudnerweide Church (later known as the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference or EMMC). He was ordained to this office by Aeltester David Schulz on February 4, 1937. Falk was a conscientious objector (CO) in the First World War and supported the young COs in the second world war (WWII). During his many years of service to the church, Falk performed 1000 baptisms, 50 funerals, 112 marriages, 14 church dedications, and ordained 48 ministers, 2 bishops and 5 deacons. Wilhelm H. Falk died on July 29, 1976. In 2008 his daughter Mary Neufeld published a biography of Wilhelm H. Falk entitled A Prairie Pilgrim.
Repository
Archival history
The first materials were deposited by daughters Magdalene Redekop and Mary Neufeld in 1981. Around these materials (housed in Volumes 3733-3738) were lent to Jack Heppner while writing the EMMC History (Search for Renewal..., 1987) and returned with additional materials from daugher Martha Voth (Volume 3739). Daugher Elizabeth Falk deposited some periodicals, sermons and a photo in June 1992; as well as some books and pamphlets in September 1997. A small file of sermons by Wilhelm Falk also came in 1997 through the Christian Heritage Library, a collection of David and Trudy Schellenberg of Winkler (now housed in Volume 2106:6). In 2008 from daughter Mary Neufeld who deposited some more sermons and photos of son Wilhelm's experience as a conscientious objector in the Second World War. Mary donated the photos in 2013.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds contains sermons and outlines, correspondence, minutes, lists of marriages, material related to conscientious objectors, agricultural records and several photographs. These records are the personal papers of Bishop Falk showing his work and interests as a servant of the church.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open for research
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Hand-written Gothic German
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Inventory file list
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Acc. No. 88-146, 93-16, 97-051, 97-150, 08-082, 03-102, 12-046, 13-020
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Description control area
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Created by by Sharon Brown December, 2002. Updated by Conrad Stoesz December 12, 2008, January 9, 2009, October 31, 2011. Updated by Alf Redekopp, 30 May 2012 and 7 June 2012 and Conrad Stoesz March 11, 2013