©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2002
Last updated April 17, 2002

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Title: Herold Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1918-1945, 1974
Extent: 16 cm of textual records

Historical note

The Herold Mennonite Church began in 1918. It resulted from a group of families from Oklahoma decided to emigrate to avoid conscription of their sons into the US army during WWI. They settled just north of Morden, Manitoba and built their meeting house there in 1920. They were an active congregation with a 'Jugendverein' (youth society) which attracted a faithful following. In 1934 the membership stood at 34. The diphtheria epidemic of 1934 affected many of the families including the death of Michael Klaassen, their leader from 1918 to 1934. They had several vicinity leaders serve in the following years including Bishop Benjamin Ewert of the Bergthaler Gemeinde. In 1939 it was decided to dissolve the congregation and many families decided to join the Morden Bergthaler Church. Some families continued to meet in the Herold meeting house until 1942.

Scope and content note

This fonds consists of a membership register (1918-1942), a congregational meeting minute book (1920-1939), and a series of 10 notebooks of the Jugendverein (youth society) activities (1919-1945) which record the organization and activities of the participants of this congregation from its inception up to its dissolution. A brief congregational history and reunion programme (1974) are included.

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Language

Much German.

Restrictions on access

No restrictions on access.

Other notes

The Jugendverein material was donated by Ester Bergen, Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1993. Accession no. 93-111.

Herold Mennonite Church (Morden) fonds file list:

Volume 4382

Herold Mennonite Church Jugendverein Records. – 1919, 1928-1945. – 6 cm of textual records (10 notebooks). Notebooks:

  1. Programm für den Jugendverein. – 1919, 1928-1930. – 1 notebook.
  2. Programm für den Jugendverein. – 1930-1932. – 1 notebook.
  3. Programm für den Jugendverein. – 1932-1933. – 1 notebook.
  4. Protokoll für die Sitzung [u.] Programm für den Jugendverein. – 1936-1938. – 1 notebook.
  5. Protokoll für die Sitzung [u.] Programm für den Jugendverein. – 1938, 1940-1941. – 1 notebook.
  6. Die Konsitution des Jugendvereins. – 1939.
  7. Programm für den Christlichen Jugendverein [u.] Protokoll für die Sitzung. – 1945.
  8. [Abram H. Voth Notebook related to Jugendverein programmes]. – 1933-1934.
  9. Jugendvereins Programm. – 1933.
  10. [Jugendverein notebook]. – 1936-1945.

Volume 1063

  1. Herold Menonite Church congregational meeting minutes (1920), annual congregational meeting minutes (1922, 1924-1939). – 1920-1939.
  2. Herold Mennonite Church reunion programme and brief congregational history. – 1974.

Volume 2303

  1. Herold Mennonite Church membership and family register, and a brief congregational history. – 1918-1942.