©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2006
Last updated 23 April 2007

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Retrieval numbers: Volume 835-839; 2773

Title: Rosenorter Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1907-1965
Extent: 65 cm of textual records
Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

Historical note

The Rosenorter Mennonite Church was established by Mennonite immigrants from Prussia and Russia centred in Rosthern, with several worship centres scattered in Saskatchewan. On July 2, 1894 Elder Peter Regier, who had come from the Rosenort church in West Prussia in 1893 helped the congregation organize. In 1896 the first Rosenorter church building was dedicated in Eigenheim. It was rebuilt in 1902. The next year a building at Rosthern was completed. In 1920 churches were built in Aberdeen (on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River), Laird and Tiefengrund. In 1911 Hague built a church. All belonged to the Rosenorter congregation.

In 1913 David Toews was elected as Elder. In 1929 Johannes Regier, son of Peter Regier, was elected as elder to assist David Toews. Toews was commonly referred to as a bishop by the government and daily newspapers.

Eigenheim became independent in 1929. First Mennonite church in Saskatoon was an affiliate member of the Rosenorter church from 1932 to 1937 and then became independent in 1938. Churches were also established at Hochfeld and Neuanlage. The Osler church joined the Rosenorter Church in 1931. Capasin built a church in 1933. Garthland and Horse Lake also became part of Rosenorter Church. In September 1946, Johann G. Rempel was elected as elder.

In 1954 the Rosenorter Church divided into two parts because of its unwieldy size. The groups were known as the Rosenorter Mennonite Church (Tiefengrund, Garthland, Capasin, Hague, Hochfeld, Neuanlage and Aberdeen) and the United Mennonite Church of Saskatchewan (Rosthern, Osler, Laird and Horse Lake.) Elders Arthur Regier and Jacob C. Schmidt were ordained in 1954 by John G. Rempel to serve these groups. These congregations eventually formed the Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan.

The Rosenorter Mennonite Church was significant as the senior General Conference Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan whose leadership had major roles in the broader efforts in immigration, education and conference formation.

Scope and content note

This fond includes church registers with information on member families and baptism (ca. 1900-1965); minute books of membership meetings (1917-1962), of minister' and deacons' meetings (1915-1962), and of sewing circle meetings (1955-1961); church records of the fellowship at Capasin, including minute books of its youth group (1933-1965) and the membership register of the group at Garthland; and Elder Peter Regier's guestbook (1907-1937). There are also records from the Tiefengrund district of the Church (1933-1956).

Index terms

Subject terms

Volume 835

 1.      Minutes of the Annual Brotherhood Meetings of the Rosenorter Gemeinde of Saskatchewan - 1917-1962.
2.      [Tiefengrund district] Brotherhood Meetings - 1933-1945.
3.      [Tiefengrund district] Brotherhood Meetings - 1946-1956.
4.      Minutes of the Minister Meetings of the Rosenorter Church of Rosthern and Laird, Saskatchewan - 1915-1925.
5.      Minutes of Ministers' and Deacons' Conferences of the Rosenorter Gemeinde of Saskatchewan - 1925-1936.
6.      Minutes of Ministers' Conferences of Rosenorter Gemeinde in Saskatchewan - 1936-1947.
7.      Minutes of the Ministers' and Deacons' Conferences of the Rosenorter Gemeinde of Saskatchewan - 1947-1954.
8.      Minutes of the Ministers' and Deacons' Conferences of the Rosenorter Gemeinde of Saskatchewan - 1955-1962.
9.      Minutes of the Women's Sewing Circle of Rosenorter Gemeinde and Expenses/Income figures - 1955-1962.
10.  Mennonite Rosenorter Church of Saskatchewan-Garthland District Register - 1934-1958.
11.  Rosenorter Gemeinde Buch IV - Family and Membership Register
12.  Rosenorter Gemeinde Buch VI – Family and Membership Register – 1954.
13.  Index for the Family Register of the Rosenorter Church Record (Books I-VI).
14.  Index for the Church Member Register that are found in the Rosenorter Church Record (Books I, II, III, and V)
15.  Guest Book of Rev. P. Regier 1907-1937 (Photocopy).
16. Gemeindeordnung der Ersten Mennoniten=Gemeinde zu Hepburn, Saskatchewan -- 1909. [A published constitution for a local affliate congregation of the Rosenorter Gemeinde.]

 
Volume 836 : Rosenorter Gemeinde Buch I - Family and Membership Register.
Volume 837 : Rosenorter Gemeinde Buch II - Family and Membership Register.
Volume 838 : Rosenorter Gemeinde Buch III - Family and Membership Register.
Volume 839 : Rosenorter Gemeinde Buch V - Family and Membership Register.

 Volume 2773 
1.      First Mennonite Church (Saskatoon) - 1932-1937; and Capasin congregation notebook - after 1938.
2.      Capasin Family and Membership Record. – 1935-1953.
3.      Capasin Financial ledger - 1933-1965.
4.      Capasin District Church Record Notebook - 1942-1944.
5.      Capasin Brotherhood Meeting Minutes - 1931-1962.
6.      Brotherhood Meeting Minutes (Blue Bird and Sand Beach) - 1928-1941.
7.      Christian Endeavour (Jugendverein) minutes #199-331 - 1942-1950.
8.      Christian Endeavour (Jugendverein) minutes #332 to #516 - 1950-1962.
9.      Record of Offering income (Sunday School, Christian Endeavour, etc.) - 1961-1963.