Murder in Old Altona: Part 1 – Mennonite Heritage Archives

Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives: Episode 29

Heinrich J. Toews with student Justine Klassen in this undated photo from Altona: A Pictorial History, page 33.
Annie (8) and Helena Kehler (10) in an undated photo from the Red River Valley Echo, December 20, 1967. Annie did not survive the shooting.
A map of the events that originally appeared in Der Nordwestern, Vol. 14, No. 23, and was reprinted in the December 2003 issue of Preservings, page 111.

How does a teacher that professes to care for his students and profession become the perpetrator of a school shooting? In this episode, Dan Dyck presents the first of two episodes on the Altona school shooting of 1902 that ultimately claimed the life of one student and the perpetrator Heinrich J. Toews. In it, we learn about the shooting itself, as well as the life and state of mind of Heinrich J. Toews. Both in the lead up to the events of October 9, 1902, and in the aftermath of the tragic event.

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Podcast Series: Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives
Episode 29: Murder in Old Altona: Part 1
Date: May 18, 2025
Host: Dan Dyck
Published by The Mennonite Heritage Archives

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