Jacob S. Friesen family fonds

· Friesen, Jacob S. (1862-1931)

Retrieval numbers: Volumes 4836, 4905

Title: Jacob S. Friesen family fonds
Dates: 1993-1999
Extent: 10 cm of textual records
Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

Historical note

Jacob S. Friesen (1862-1931) was born to Heinrich Friesen (1827-1877) and Katharina Schellenberg (1824-1901) at Landskrone, South Russia. He immigrated to Canada with the family and settled in the Manitoba Mennonite East Reserve in 1876. He married Katharina Toews (1863-1933) in 1884. Jacob farmed the first few years in Manitoba and through his mechanical knowledge got a job at the local mill as an engineer. The family moved to the Unites States in 1889 and back to Manitoba in 1897 where Jacob took up cheese making and watch repair. In 1908 he founded a printing business. His first newspaper was the Giroux Advocate (Volks Bote) in 1912. Other papers he printed include the Steinbach Post. He retired from printing in 1924. Until his death he remained a member of the Holdeman church. Jacob's only son was Peter Friesen (1893-1983). He attended the Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) in Gretna, Manitoba where he became more interested in music. He gained experience in the art of printing from his father. In 1919 he left home and began work at the Gazette in Saskatchewan and at a plant in Calgary, Alberta. In 1921 he moved to Winkler Manitoba and where he rented printing machinery from H.H. Neufeld and established a printing, book, and supply store. When Peter's son Harvey returned from the war, Peter took him in as a partner of the business. In 1950 they began to publish the Winkler Progress, later called the Pembina Triangle Progress and in 1959 The Morden Times. Peter retired in 1967 when Harvey took control of Pembina Printing. Later Harvey's son Glen would join the business. By 1994 the establishment printed The Carman Times, The Morden Times, The Winkler Times, The Agri-Times, and The Times Real Estate Guide. In 1994 Quebecor bought the business. The Friesen printing tradition continues in Morden, Manitoba with Les J. Loewen and his company Morden Commercial Printers.

Scope and content note

This fonds covers the printing and family experiences of the Jacob S. Friesen, Peter T, Friesen, Harvey Friesen, and Les J. Loewen families. Included are stories, photographs, original documents and photocopies.

Index terms

Creators

· Friesen, Jacob S. (1862-1931)

Adjunct descriptive data

Finding aids

Finding aid consists of a file list.

Notes

Custodial history

Katherine H. Loewen inherited and accumulated the material and donated it to the archives.

Physical description details

Described by Conrad Stoesz October 25, 2000

Arrangement

Material arranged by Katherine H. Loewen

Other notes

Accession numbers: 95-172, 00-141

Jacob S. Friesen fonds inventory file list

Volume 4836:4
Generations of Printers: 1911-1995 compiled by Katherine H. Loewen. -- 1994. -- Note: This follows the careers of Jacob S. Friesen, Peter T. Friesen, Harvey P. Friesen, and Leslie J. Loewen. (Acc. No. 95-172.)

Volume 4905

1.       Jacob S. Friesen (1862-1931) m. Katharina Toews (1863-1933) Steinbach, Manitoba/ by Katherine H. Loewen. -- 1999. Note: this item includes original documents and photographs. (Acc. No.   2000-141)

2.       Peter T. Friesen 'In Remembrance'/ Florence A. Edwards. -- 1986. -- Note: this item includes some original photographs. (Acc. No.2000-141)

3.      Photocopies from Preservings No. 2, July 1993 and No. 9 part II, December 1996 relating to Jacob S. Friesen.