Village News

Jacob T. Barkman and his wife Aganetha voyaged to Canada with his parents, Peter K. and Anna Barkman, arriving earlier than most other families in July of 1874. Aganetha had a half-brother, Gerhard Giesbrecht, who settled on Wirtschaft 8, and a brother Wilhem (Wirtschaft 18 in 1878), and sister Margaretha (Wirtschaft 14). Along with Jacob’s close family and other relations, he and Aganetha were closely related to many of the early Steinbach settlers. With them was their infant son Jacob, who died just after his first birthday on Oct. 26, 1874 – likely the first death in the newly founded village.

Jacob was industrious, and historian G.G. Kornelsen defended the idea that he was the first shopkeeper in the village, selling a variety of household goods and later farm tools, wire and machinery. While the honour of opening the first store in Steinbach goes to Klaas R. Reimer, Jacob sold John Deere plows and Maxwell farm machines alongside of his other wares. He became part-owner in his father’s flour mill, where he also worked, but in 1884 had one of the lowest tax assessments in the village, farming only eight acres of land. In 1890, Jacob and Aganetha sold their property to Abram W. Reimer and moved to Heuboden (near Kleefeld) and ran a small store and farm.

Aganetha was remembered for her dedication to her family, not only raising her own children but her grandchildren after two of her daughters-in-law died within months of each other. She passed away in 1918, a victim of the Spanish Flu. Jacob was remarried to Maria Fast, originally of Wirtschaft 3. Jacob died in 1935 and was remembered as a fun-loving tease, and a tough man who drove a team of fiery broncos while wearing only thin gloves, even late in life.

One of Jacob and Aganetha’s sons, Johann G. Barkman, moved to Blumenort after marrying Helena R. Reimer. He was the last cheesemaker working in the old Blumenort cheese factory. In 1925, he moved to Santata, Kansas and became a school teacher and preacher in the local Kleine Gemeinde church. He and his second wife, Sara P. Reimer, returned to Blumenort in 1937 where he operated a small shoe store. Daughter Margaretha married Jacob R. Reimer of Blumenort, but they moved to the Quellen colony in Mexico. She was the only one of the six surviving children to move away permanently from the East Reserve.