© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Last updated January 31, 2003)

Dyck, Abram, 1869-1919

Retrieval numbers: Volume 3717

Title: Abram Dyck fonds
Dates: 1894, 1897-1919
Extent: 10 cm of textual records

Historical note

Abram Dyck (1867 or 1869 - 1919) was born in Schoenwiese, part of the Chortitza Colony situated close to the Russian city of Alexandrovsk, in South Russia. Dyck was a miller. In business he was closely associated with the rich Niebuhr miling family. He was an alderman of the city of Alexandrovsk but maintained close links with family and friends in the Chortitza Colony. His first wife was Susanna Toews whose parents owned a store in the city of Ekaterinoslav. They had one daugher, Katharina, born 1901. In 1916 he married Helena Thiessen who was born in Chortitza. From this marriage one daughter was born, Helen, in 1918. During the terror of 1918-1919 Abram Dyck's life was threatened by those who wanted to hold him for ransom and even to kill him. He was forced to flee to Berdiansk. He contracted typhus and died in 1919. His second wife and daughters emigrated to Canada in 1926.

 

Scope and content note

This fonds consists of diaries and other materials which provide details on everyday life, current events and business dealings. Tucked into some of the diaries are advertisements, notices, lottery tickets and other day-to-day notes. The diaries for 1907 and 1918 are missing. The diary for 1919 is incomplete and obviously written under difficult conditions on different notepads and scraps of paper. There is also a small notebook with calculations written in pencil.

 

Index terms

 

Subject terms

Dyck, Abram, 1869-1919

Creators

Dyck, Abram, 1869-1919

Adjunct descriptive data

Finding aids

Inventory file list

 

Notes

Custodial history

The diaries were presented by the daughters, Katherine Thiessen of Sardis, BC and Helen Klassen of Vancouver, BC to Dr. James Urry in September 1989.

 

Language

Hand-written Gothic German (diary for 1894 and 1905 have a transcription)

 

Arrangement

File list created in May 1990 by Jim Suderman. Descriptive record created and updated by Alf Redekopp, 2002.

 

Restrictions on access

No restriction to access

 

Other notes

Dr. James Urry was the immediate source of acquisition. Acc. No. 90-34
 

File inventory list for Abram Dyck fonds

Diary and other materials of Abram Dyck (1869-1919) XX-294 (Accession 90-34) Listed by Jim Suderman by 17 May 1990

Volume 3717

  1. "Bloc-Notes" - notes in Russian (and some in German) detailing financial transactions.
  2. 1894 diary - note and newspaper clipping inside back cover
  3. 1897 diary
  4. 1898 diary
  5. diary
  6. diary
  7. diary - receipt inside back cover
  8. diary
  9. diary
  10. diary
  11. diary
  12. diary
  13. diary - lottery ticket(?) and note inside back cover
  14. diary - two tickets, a receipt(?) and a blank slip of paper inside back cover
  15. diary - two slips (#81,82) paper, note/poem(?) from "Margarethell
  16. diary - two lottery tickets (red) , three cardboard tickets, 1 slip (#93), 1 newspaper clipping, 1 notice (#14) 1 note (from J. Niebuhr?)
  17. diary - "Musik Programm - Silberhochzeit J. & K. Niebuhr," 1 letter, page with notes, addresses, etc.
  18. diary
  19. diary - 1 slip of paper, 1 list, business card ("Julius Kermus"), "Annie Voigtll calling card, [Russian] calling card, ledger paper
  20. diary - list of birthdates (no surname), slip (#141)
  21. diary - three blank slips of paper
  22. diary [some pages in very poor shape - have pressure sensitive tape over brittle, crumbling paper]
  23. three booklets: 1 black, 1 yellow, 1 gray, and five loose pages (pp. 1-20)