Village News

Recently our Curatorial department received a unique artifact donation. We have added to our collection the bassinet that was used in the birthing room of the Bethesda Hospital for years, beginning in the 1950’s and being taken out of service when electric equipment came into use.

Mrs. Tina Enns, the most recent owner of the bassinet and retired long-time nurse at Bethesda, donated the item to Mennonite Heritage Village. She indicates that for years it stood in the birthing room and received newborn babies. All of Mrs. Enns’ children occupied this bassinet in their first minutes of life.

We would be interested in learning more about when this bassinet first came into use at Bethesda and what preceded its use.

Staff Training

Many of the guests at Mennonite Heritage Village are either seniors or children. In an effort to be prepared to deal with health issues that our visitors may experience while at the museum, a large group of staff members spent a day last week brushing up on First Aid knowledge and skills.

Our facilitator, Jacqui Broesky, from TRIO First Aid Training, covered learning sessions on basic first aid, CPR, the operation of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), the use of Epipens, fainting, anaphylactic shock, and more. While some of our staff had received similar training in the past, this was a good refresher for them and good new training for the rest. We are now better equipped to help guests who may encounter a health concern during their visit to MHV.

On our Festival days, when we have hundreds of guests each day, we are fortunate to have the services of St. John Ambulance on site. They come well prepared and equipped to handle medical emergencies and irritants. It is important to us that MHV be a safe place for all who come to visit.

Personal

A few weeks ago I received a phone call from a relative who lives in Winnipeg. He informed me that he was in the process of writing a family history of the Dyck Family, beginning with my great Grandparents, Peter Dyck and Anna Peters. Both were born in South Russia and came to North America in some of the earlier migrations of Mennonites. He asked me to contribute information and photos from my family.

I have very little information about my Great Grandparents Dyck. Some time ago someone had suggested that some of the Dycks came to Canada through the USA. Recent information received would corroborate that claim. Evidently they lived in Fargo, North Dakota before moving to Nelsonville or Nelson, Manitoba. This community had its beginning about half way between Morden and Miami around 1875. According to the Manitoba Historical Society website, it was bypassed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883. As a result people left the community and by 1905 all the buildings were gone.

I would enjoy learning more about my family and others who migrated first to the USA and then to southern Manitoba. Please consider this an invitation to correspond with me on this topic at barryd@mhv.ca.