Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives

How does a teacher that professes to care for his students and profession become the perpetrator of a school shooting? In this episode, Dan Dyck presents the first of two episodes on the Altona school shooting of 1902 that ultimately claimed the life of one student and the perpetrator Heinrich J. Toews. In it, we learn about the shooting itself, as well as the life and state of mind of Heinrich J. Toews. Both in the lead up to the ...

In this episode, host Dan Dyck gives us a glimpse at the incredible life and service of Helen Friesen Reimer (1905-1993). Helen started her professional life as a rural school teacher, where seeing the need, she was inspired to become a nurse. This was the start of an adventurous life that would see her take roles in nursing and medical administration around the world, working for the World Health Organization and the United Nation...

In this episode, host Dan Dyck continues a conversation with Sara Dyck that was started a few episodes back with the episode on Dr. Helen Martens, the first known Mennonite woman with a PhD. Sara discusses what pulled her to working at the archives, what she finds rewarding, and what the archives did when they became the unexpected recipients of 300 Amish romance novels.

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Mennonites don't dance, or do they? Can a dance by any other name still be as fun? In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores Mennonite "circle games" with the help of Werner Ens, someone who has devoted a lot of time to recording and researching these traditions, as well as ethnomusicologists Doreen Klassen and Judith Klassen. Circle games were once a popular social activity for young Mennonites in southern Manitoba, b...

In this episode, host Dan Dyck is taken on a tour through the Mennonite Heritage Archives with archivist Conrad Stoesz to learn more about the day to day operations at the archives. Conrad also share some stories about the materials at the archives, how they came to be there, and some of the interesting ways that they have been accessed over time. 

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Today, host Dan Dyck shines the Tales spotlight on Jacob Klaassen and his journals about life on the Canadian prairies from 1919 to 1947. Jake took a circuitous route to Saskatchewan, travelling via Central Asia and the United States, before arriving in Canada in 1918 from Oklahoma. Dan talked with two of Klaassen's great granddaughters, sisters Carole and Marjorie Jantzen, for this episode. They have been key to publishing Kl...

In this episode, Dan sits down with Sara, a history student and archives employee, to discuss Dr. Helen Martens, the first known Mennonite woman to achieve a PhD in Music.  Sara spent considerable time organizing the Helen Martens collection and is well acquainted with Dr. Martens through her materials at the archives. Helen Martens was born in 1928, in Russia and travelled with her family from the Soviet Union to Canada in 1929. H...

In our previous episode, host Dan Dyck shared the story of the Mennonite trek to Central Asia that took place in the early 1880s. Researching and writing that for story raised many questions. In today's episode, Dan sits down with a Mennonite historian John Sharp. John has spent a lot of time in Central Asia exploring the Mennonite presence there, and he helps dig deeper into the story of the trek and the lingering influence o...

In the early 1880s, hundreds of Mennonites trekked from Russia to Central Asia. It was a grueling, 3000-kilometre journey. Until recently, the spotlight of this story focused on Claas Epp Jr. as the leader of the quest. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores history of Claas Epp Jr., the colourful and complicated motivations for the migration, and what happened in the aftermath of this dramatic adventure.

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In Episode 17 we learned about the actions against Katharina Thiessen by the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons. Today's subject was another recipient of those fines. Abraham B. Hiebert was a man who practiced medicine by correspondence. Through letters and packages, Abraham diagnosed, and offered treatments to his patients. In today's episode, host Dan Dyck explores the life and work of a man that practiced medi...

Johannes Klaassen, or John as we’ll call him in today’s story, firmly stood with his conscience and he paid for that decision with his life. In this episode, host Dan Dyck tells the story of John, a conscientious objector from Oklahoma that died in prison after refusing to don a military uniform. Here is his story, as told through the diary of his father, Michael Klaassen. 

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'Big Bill' was born Wilhelm Enns in 1894 in the village of Einlage in Imperial Russia. He was a jack of all trades whose work life included jobs as a teacher, farm laborer, dragline operator, salesman, and shoe repairman, among others. He was also an avid writer. With host Dan Dyck, today we will be exploring the colourful life and storytelling of 'Big Bill' Enns, largely through letters written by Bill and comp...

Katharina Thiessen was a Mennonite midwife whose practice started in Ukraine, and continued in the United States and eventually southern Manitoba, where she settled with her family in 1885. As a midwife and lay doctor, she held a role in the Mennonite community that was not always understood by the official medical establishment. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the medical career of Katharina Thiessen and the role that wome...

Traditionally, faspa was a portable meal taken out to farmers on the field in the late afternoon. Faspa provided much needed sustenance for the hard workers who would typically labour until dark and then come home for supper. In this episode, host Dan Dyck sits down with Josh Penner, a Winnipeg business owner who is taking this traditional meal and giving it a contemporary twist. To start, he wanted to learn more about the traditio...

Many small communities have a person that everyone knows, who doesn't quite fit the standard mold, but has become a part of the fabric of the place. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the story of 'Flower Annie' of Winkler, Manitoba. 'Flower Annie' was born Anna Neufeld in 1909 and earned her nickname and living by selling paper flowers around town. Despite being a well-known part of the community up t...

In our last episode, we learned about the work of Olga Penner, better known to many as 'Aunt Olly', the host of the radio program Children’s Party. In today's episode, host Dan Dyck talks with her sons Steven and David about being the children of a local celebrity, and the woman behind the show.

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In this episode, we explore the work of Olly Penner, better known to many as Aunt Olly, the host of the radio program Children’s Party. From 1959 to 1987, thousands of children tuned in daily to listen to the program. When Olly became a radio host in 1959, it was uncommon for married women to work outside the home, but she made it work while raising a young family. 

In this episode, we learn about Aunt Olly's process,...

In today's episode, we learn about Peter P. Dyck. He was a familiar sight around Carman from the 1940's to his death in 1970 - a man that refused to stay still despite the loss of his mobility after a tragic accident. While he spent much of his life in the hospital in Carman, Manitoba, his resilience and ingenuity were an inspiration to many. 

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Host Dan Dyck interviews Ernie Hildebrand, a former pastor turned protestor. In the late 1970's, Ernie was a new pastor as Osler Mennonite Church when he became involved in efforts to oppose a planned uranium refinery in the region. After five long years, the community's efforts resulted in cancellation of the project in 1981.

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