© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated March 27, 2007)
Retrieval numbers:
Volume 647, 3240, Cassette tape 29-30
Title: Abraham D. ("A.D.")
Friesen Fonds
Dates: 1874-1965 , predominant
1942-1975
Extent: 11 cm of textual material
Extent:
2 audio cassettes
Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre
ArchivesHistorical note
Abraham D. Friesen was born on June 11, 1886, in Schönsee, East
Reserve, Manitoba, to David and Anna (Klassen) Friesen. He married Anna
Gerbrandt on December 30, 1906. Throughout his life, A. D. alternated between
farming and various business ventures in Altona, including a saddlery and
harness business, a dray and livery business, and an insurance and real estate
business. Between 1925 and 1931, he was appointed by the church to manage the
Bergthaler Waisenamt. He was active in both civic and church activities,
serving as school trustee, town councilor, co-founder of Bethania Hospital,
member of Rhineland Agricultural Society, and collecting agent for the
Mennonite Aid Society. In the church, he was a song leader, chairman of the
Young People's Endeavor, church statistician, and Sunday School teacher and
superintendent. His wife, Anna, died in 1947, and he was married to Margaret
Harder later that year. Margaret died in 1970 and he remarried again to Mrs.
Anna (Braun) Schellenberg, who survived him. A. D. died on December 6,
1975.
Scope and content note
This fonds contains some personal correspondence, a record book of
bread loans (Brotschuld) in 1874 and 1875, a document concerning Mennonites
and the conscription law in Saskatchewan in 1918. There are also a number of
scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings of Mennonite individuals and events
from between 1924 and 1975. Two tapes contain an interview with A. D. Friesen
in 1973 and his funeral service in 1975.
Index terms
Subject terms
Creators
Adjunct descriptive data
Finding aids
Inventory file list available
Notes
Language
German (some in Gothic script) and English
Arrangement
Description completed by Joanne Moyer in February
2007.
Restrictions on access
None to access
Immediate source of acquisition
donated by sons D. G. Friesen and Cornelius N.
Friesen