© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated June 26, 2009)


  • Friesen, Heinrich Jacob, 1900-1985

  • Retrieval numbers: Volume 5424

    Title: Heinrich J. Friesen fonds
    Dates: 1974-1979
    Extent: 4 cm of textual records
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    Heinrich Jacob Friesen was born 2 September 1900 in the village of Rudnerweide, Gnadenfeld Volost, Berdjansk Bezirk, Taurida Guberniia in South Russia to Jakob and Elisabeth (Flaming) Friesen. He received elementary education in the village school and secondary education in Gnadenfeld. He was baptized in the Mennonite Church on the 1 June 1921 upon the confession of his faith. He married Justina Warkentin on 21 May 1924. They emigrated from Russia in 1926 and settled in Manitoba where they lived and mainly farmed. Places of residence included Meadows, Elm Creek, Pigeon Lake, Marquette, Winnipeg and Rosser. They had 6 children. Heinrich died in Winnipeg on 25 June 1985. The funeral service was held in the Schoenfelder Mennonite Church at Pigeon Lake, Manitoba.

    Scope and content note

    This fonds contains the memoirs that Heinrich J. Friesen wrote between 1974 and 1979. The first part covers life in Russia, childhood memories, political awareness surrounding the 1917 Russian Revolution, marriage and emigration from Russia to Canada. In the second part, Friesen recounts his memories of life in Canada. This part is organized by chronologically by year (and by month toward the end of the manuscript). There are also about ten pages of background and family genealogical data in a separate folder.

    Index terms

    Creators

  • Friesen, Heinrich Jacob, 1900-1985

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    Fonds level description only.

    Notes

    Language

    German

    Arrangement

    Described by Alf Redekopp, June 2009.

    Restrictions on access

    None to access

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Rudy Friesen, Winnipeg (son)

    Related Materials

    Memories of my life by Heinrich .J. Friesen was published by his family  in 1995 and a copy is in the Mennonite Historical Library.

    Other notes

    Acc. No. 2009-035

    Inventory File list

    Volume 5424
    1. Introduction and background papers including family data. – 10 leaves.
    2. Erinerungen aus meinem Leben. – 97 pp.
    3. Erinerungen aus meinem Leben. II. Teil. 1926-1979. – 239 pp.