August 1, 2024
By Nathan Dyck
Join us this weekend for Pioneer Days at Mennonite Heritage Village! Celebrate 150 years of Mennonites in Manitoba with the new exhibit “Mennonite Reflections: Arriving in Manitoba 150 Years Ago,” and with the premiere of a new film, “Where the Cottonwoods Grow.” Visit www.mhv.ca for more information. There will be a special showing of the film on Friday, August 2nd at 7PM. Entry by donation.
Wirtschaft 14 changed hands several times in the first few years of Steinbach settlement. In 1874, Jacob and Helena Defehr settled in the village, the only family who were not members of the Kleine Gemeinde Mennonite. They chose Steinbach to be close to their daughter Helena, who was married to Cornelius Fast of Wirtschaft 19. By August of the next year, the Defehrs moved to Reinland in the West Reserve, accompanied by another daughter Catherine and her husband Bernhardt Bergen.
By 1875, Dietrich S. and Katharina Friesen came into possession of the property but didn’t appear to move in until 1877. Dietrich was the first schoolteacher hired in Gruenfeld (Kleefeld)in 1875, following in his father-in-law’s footsteps. Katharina’s father had taught in Annafeld, Borosenko in Russia. They only lived in Steinbach for two years before transferring the property to Dietrich’s brother Jacob in 1879 and moving to Blumenfeld. They returned to Steinbach in the 1880s and Dietrich was a school teacher in Steinbach intermittently until he passed away in 1901. Dietrich and Katharina’s son Cornelius was a machinist in Steinbach and Winnipeg and lived to be 104, a longevity not often seen in this era. He retired from his work as a lead recaster with Derksen Printers at the age of 89.
Jacob S. and Margaretha (Giesbrecht) Friesen took over the Wirtschaft in 1879 and have often been listed as original Steinbach settlers due to occupying the property for 16 years. They first settled in Blumenfeld along with Jacob’s parents, but looked to relocate after his father drowned alongside Reverend Jacob M. Barkman in 1875. Jacob and Margaretha joined the Holdeman church, along with other members of the Friesen family in 1882. They farmed their property in Steinbach until selling it for $1200 to Cornelius Ratzlaff in 1895 and moving to the John Peterson farm north of Steinbach. Jacob may have been part owner of a cheese factory built in Steinbach in 1908.
Upcoming Events:
Pioneer Days, August 3rd-5th. Celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mennonites arriving in Manitoba this August Long Weekend. Experience the life of the early Mennonites in Manitoba at our Pioneer Days festival! Witness pioneer demonstrations, steam-powered threshing, live music, and lots of good food as we share the stories of Manitoba Mennonite beginnings. Experience the grand opening of the new exhibit: Mennonite Reflections – Arriving in Manitoba 150 Years Ago
Peace Trek, August 17th. Join the MHV for our annual cyclathon fundraiser along the Peace Trail. We being at the Mennonite Landing at the Red & Rat Rivers and cycle past important historic locations before arriving at the MHV for lunch at the LBR. Stay tuned at www.mhv.ca to register and for more information.
Celebrating 150 Years: A Tapestry of Pioneering Women, August 18th. Tickets for purchase at MHV reception, or from Auxiliary members – $25. Enjoy personal stories of pioneering women as told by: Marylou Driedger, Eleanore Chornoboy, and many members of the MHV Auxiliary. Stories and demonstrations of pioneer women, with Faspa served in the at 5pm. For more information, call: 204-326-9661