© 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
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.
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.
Dyck, Abram, 1869-1919
Dyck, Abram, 1869-1919
Inventory file list
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.
Hand-written Gothic German (diary for 1894 and 1905 have a transcription)
File list created in May 1990 by Jim Suderman. Descriptive record created and updated by Alf Redekopp, 2002.
No restriction to access
Dr. James Urry was the immediate source of acquisition. Acc. No. 90-34
Diary and other materials of Abram Dyck (1869-1919) XX-294 (Accession 90-34) Listed by Jim Suderman by 17 May 1990
Volume 3717