Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1847-1985 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
6 cm of textual records
2 pieces of art (processed as photographs in Coll. 662)
2 reels of microfilm
1 audio video recording
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
This Klaassen family centers on Michael Klaassen (1860-1934), church leader,teacher and farmer, born on August 26, 1860 in the village of Koeppenthal, Am Trakt Colony, South Russia and who died near Morden, Manitoba in 1934. Martin Klaassen (1820-1881) was Michael's father, and his mother was a Maria Hamm. Jakob Klaassen 1793-1879) was Michael's grandfather. Rev. Jacob Klaassen (1867-1948) was his younger brother. Jacob Klaassen is the father of Gustav Klaassen (1900-1988) and H.T. Klaassen (1898-1991), the father of Walter Klaassen (1926-) and Jacob Klaassen (1928-2009). Jacob Klaassen (1934-) is the son of Gustav -- cousin to Walter and Jacob.
Michael Klaassen was baptized by Aeltester David Hamm in 1877. Michael and his parents moved to Central Asia in 1880 where he married Margaretha Jantzen in 1883. Michael and Margaretha had eight children, two of whom died as infants. In 1885 they decided to emigrate to North America where they first settled near Beatrice, Nebraska, and then moved on to homestead in Bessie, Oklahoma in 1894. Margartha (Janzen) Klaassen died in 1910. Michael then married Katharina Dalke. Their marriage produced seven children, 2 of whom died in infancy.
Michael Klaassen's son, Johannes (1895-1918) from his wife marriage, died of the Spanish flu in prison during WWI. He had been sentenced to serve a 25-year sentence for being a conscientious objector. This event prompted the Klaassen family and a number of other families to leave the U.S.A. for Canada in 1918, where they settled near Morden, Manitoba.
Esther (Klaassen) Bergen (1921-2005) born at Morden, Manitoba, is a daughter Michael Klaassen and his 2nd wife.
Repository
Archival history
The materials in this fonds were passed on through various descendants of the family before being deposited at the Mennonite Heritage Centre. In 2009 Harold Paetkau of Winnipeg deposited two items. The two pieces of art work by Martin Klassen were passed down through the family. In regards to the sketch of the Johann Cornies Juschanlee estate, it is unknown when this copy was made as the original is to have hung in the Tsar's palace. This piece was owned by grandson Gustav Klaassen (1900-1988) who gave it to his son Jacob (1934- ) who gave it to his cousin Walter Klaassen (1926- ). The painting of Tiegenhagen, Prussia is a photographic copy of the original which, in 1941 was owned by H.T. Klaassen (1898-1991), grandson of the artist. Son Jacob (1928-2009) had the copy made and gave it to Gustav Klaassen who gave it to Walter Klaassen in 1985.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
-Esther Klaassen Bergen (translations and transcriptions).
-Walter Klaassen (art works)
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds contains some Klaassen family genealogy work, diaries and memoirs (1859-1922), and many letters from Johannes, a son of Michael Klaassen, about his lot as a conscientious objector in the United States during World War I. There is a diary of the trek to central Asia in 1880 and the years that followed. The letters relate to the family's decision to relocate to Manitoba in 1918. There are sermons and sermon notes, and a one-page school class schedule. Martin Klaassen sketched and painted two items -- one is the village of Tiegenhagen, Prussia and the other is the Johann Cornies estate of Juschanlee, Russia.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Archival Assistant Jim Suderman consolidated personal papers belonging to the same family in 1990 in order to reduce the number of manuscript groups and to quickly alert the researchers and archivists to other related collections (Manuscript group XX-29, XX-91)
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
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 (Volumes 608, 1663, 1664, 2113:2, 3477, 3800, 3625: 2, 3751:2, 4167; 4221:1-2, 4181:13-15)
Photograph collection 662, Microfilm nos. 69 & 180, Audio Video 80.
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Microfilms #69, 180
Related units of description
Publication note
See the Mennonite Historian September 1992.
Notes area
Note
Acc. no. #148, 88-201, 88-140, 88-141, 92-058, 93-066, 94-107, 95-113, 97-150, 05-106, 09-021, 09-032, 13-005.