Village News

“Our histories cling to us. We are shaped by where we come from.” ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

It is interesting to think about origins and the impacts the decisions made by our ancestors have on our lives today. Why they settled in place they did? Who they married? What profession they chose? All of these decisions echo through time and influence everything from the way we live, to our socio-economic status, to the types of friends and family we share. For my own part, my family embodies 3 separate immigrations from Russia to Canada. On my mother’s side, we are 1874 migrants to Gruenfeld (now Kleefeld) and then Steinbach in 1877 when my widowed Great-Great-Great Grandfather remarried the widow Katharina Thiessen Barkman. My maternal grandmother was a Russländer, arriving in Canada in 1927 at the age of 5, first in Amazon, Sask. before relocating to Steinbach. My father’s side embodies a much later migration, a slow journey out of Europe post-WWII, via Paraguay where my father was born in Filadelfia, Fernheim Colony. They relocated to southwestern Manitoba in the early 1950s before finally settling in North Kildonan. Through exploring these family stories I have come to see the different influences, fortunes and struggles that forged their indelible marks on Mennonites as they searched for a new homeland throughout the decades.

With the summer season rapidly approaching and the recent opening of the heritage buildings here at MHV, we are turning our focus to the significant anniversaries being marked this year. MHV was established 60 years ago, June 25th, 1964, which began the multi-year process of building up our 40-acre village site. A press release from May 8, 1964 detailed the goals of the project:

As planned and blueprinted by the [Man. Mennonite Historical Society], the Mennonite Village Museum will consist of a reconstructed Mennonite pioneer village as these were built following the 1874 settlement here and they had been built before that in the steppes of Russia. Outside of the modern museum building and the cairn which will carry the names of the 18 families who were the first to set foot on Manitoba soil and stake out the first village in the East Reserve, the entire village museum will center around the pioneer farm home.

While the museum has expanded to highlight the village street and historic trade and industry, the focus on the village life and its inhabitants permeates the experience of MHV.

With this also being the 150th anniversary of Mennonite arrival in Manitoba and the establishment of the community of Steinbach, we want to focus our attention on these 18 pioneering families and share a few stories of the people who set our community on its path to the present. A wealth of texts and resources exists to follow the stories of these families, and if this exploration piques your interest in genealogy, don’t hesitate to visit MHV during our event days! Two invaluable resources on early Steinbach history, Between Earth and Sky: Steinbach, the First 50 Years, by Ralph Friesen, and Reflections on Our Heritage: A History of Steinbach and the R.M. of Hanover from 1874, by Abe Warkentin (ed.), are available for purchase at Village Books and Gifts, and we highly recommend them for anyone interested in local history.

Over the next 16 weeks, we want to dive into the interesting history of these original Steinbach inhabitants and bring some perspective on the trials, triumphs and tribulations of the people who founded our city. We hope you find connection and inspiration as you join us on the journey.