©Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Last updated May 3, 2013)
David D. Klassen fonds. -- 1838-1985, predominantly 1950-1985. -- 2.05 m of textual records and two compact disks.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
David Klassen (1902-1985) was born in Halbstadt, Manitoba as the second child of David (1876-1965) and Anna Klassen (1880-1943). He attended the private school in the area and transferred to the public school in 1914 to complete grade four in the English language. He was married Susan Heinrichs (1902-), daughter of William and Maria Heinrichs on February 5, 1920. Fifteen children were born to this marriage.
David D. Klassen was ordained as a minister of the Bergthaler Mennonite Church of Manitoba in 1930 and served in Halbstadt from 1930-1938 and in Homewood, Manitoba from 1938-1964. In 1961 he was ordained as an elder (bishop) in the Bergthaler Mennonite Church of Manitoba. He served the church and the wider Mennonite community through various speaking engagements in Canada and in Mexico and on the Southern Manitoba radio station C.F.A.M. He wrote for church papers and was keenly interested in issues of peace, baptism, war, prophecy, and the charismatic movement. He served on the boards of the Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) in Gretna, Manitoba, Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) in Winnipeg and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada (CMC) Home Mission Board.
David D. Klassen and his wife retired to the Boyne Towers apartments in Carman, Manitoba where he died on September 4, 1985.
SCOPE AND CONTENT:
This fonds consists of correspondence, especially letters of condolences
and congratulations (ca. 1950-1973); topical files, especially on pacifism,
eschatology and the charismatic movement; sermons, poems and songs; religious
tracts and pamphlets. Of special interest are some historical documents collected
and passed on through the family. One of these files contains documents about
the Elder Heinrich Wiens of Gnadenheim, Molotschna who was deported back to
West Prussia in 1847. There is also a file of handwritten sermon notes by Heinrich
H. Ewert (1855-1934) of Gretna, Manitoba. Klassen was a long serving minister
and was deeply involved in the church issues of the day including growth of
the church, private Mennonite education, Waisenamt etc. The interview
with Mr. and Mrs. Klassen by his son touches on some of these and other issues.
The interview with Ken peacock of the National Archives of Canada is regarding
Low german nursery rhymes.
CUSTODIAL HISTORY
Most of the material in this collection was transferred to the Mennonite Heritage Centre by David D. Klassen in 1977 and 1984 and 1985. His daughter Kathy Martens also brought materials between 1984-1986 and in 1994 and 2004. Other documents were collected by David and Trudy Schellenberg of Winkler for the Christian Heritage Library. Klassen's son, John, donated a compact disk of an interwiew with Mr. and Mrs. Kalssen in 1979. The Low German recordings were deposited by Conrad Stoesz.
NOTES
Accession Numbers 77-01, 86-21, 94-017, 97-150, 03-003, 04-038, 05-095.
Location: textual records - Volumes 651, 2113-4, 3207-3234, 4742, 4786, 5241-2. Digital media #32.
Finding aid consists of an inventory file list.
Related Material: MHC Audio Cassettes 93, 141, 172, 173, 658, 659. See also Kathy Martens collection. Bergthaler Mennonite Church of Manitoba fonds, and Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba Collection; G.G. Epp fonds, Volume 575 file # 16; H.H. Ewert fonds; and Photographs collections 165:(78)9, 298:272.
Description last updated by Sharon Brown, December 2002, By Conrad Stoesz November 18, 2005; September 17, 2007; February 10, 2010; May 3, 2013.
Inventory file list for the David D. Klassen fonds
Volume 651
File 1
Sermons/Essays/Articles written by C. D. Klassen (undated).
- "The Origin of Church-Holidays, and the observing of them," 3p.
- "The Speaking of Tongues and the Holy Spirit," 16 p., 2 copies--one a printer's proof, one a typed copy.
- "Charismatic Renewal or Charismatic Confusion?" 23 p.
- "The revision of the Catechism with special emphasis on the doctrineof Eschatology," 9 p.
- "Centennial-Year Reminiscences concerning the Mennonites," 4 p.
- "Centennial-Year Reminiscences concerning the Mennonites, "23 p. 2 copies
- "The Bergthaler Mennonite Church of Manitoba," 13 p.
- "The Other Mennonites," 14 p.
- The Christian and War," 8 p.
File 2
Sermons/Essays/Articles written by D; D. Klassen (dated)
- "Woher? Wohin? Bergthaler Gemeinde!" Das Bergthaler Gemeinde Blatt, Vol. 3, 1961? 9 p.
- "Report of the Minister to the Brotherhood Meeting at the Homewood Bergthaler Church," February 10, 1964, 6 p.
- "Our Belief on the Infallibility of the Bible in Relation to Eschatology," March, 1964, 6 p.
- Zum fuenfundsiebzigsten Jubilaemsfest der Mennonitischen Lehranstalt M.C.I. zu Gretna, Manitoba," May 23, 1965, 11 p. With 2 page addendum "Ansprache fuer das 25 Jubilaeum der Mennonitischen Lehranstalt, 1916, d. 1. Juni," (H. H. Ewert)
-"Words of farewell, and a look into the future, at the Brotherhood Meeting of the Central Bergthaler Church held at Homewood Mennonite Church," March 13, 1972, 5 p.
- "Message of the thanksgiving and farewell at the official closing of the Mennonite Church at Kane Manitoba," April 29, 1973, 4 p.
- "How could The Peace-teaching (nonresistance) be lost?" February, 1974, 26 p., 2 copies-- a printer's proof and a regular typed one.
- "General Interview Questions Re: My Involvement with the Mennonite Collegiate Institute at Gretna, Manitoba," January 1977, 27 p.
- "The first Mennonite Songfestival (Saengerfest) in Winkler Manitoba in the year 1911, the 17th of April ,: January, 1977, 2 p.
- "First song festival in Manitoba April 17th, 1911," 1 p.
- "Message for the out-door service at Kings Park, Carman Fair Grounds in conjunction
with the Centennial celebration of the Dufferin Agricultural fair," July 15, 1979, 9 p.
- 2 Letters to the Editor of The Mennonite, August 21, 1979, September 4, 1979.
- "Personal remarks at the 50th celebration of the Elim Bible Institute," October 13, 1979, and correspondence with Allan Siebert of Mennonite Reporter re: Elim celebration, November 1979, 3 p.
File 3
Heinrich Wiens papers. - 1847-1864. - 4 items.
File 4
Illustrated letter from Anna (?) to parents, 1838.
File 5
Correspondence and Minutes re: MCI, 1940-1959.
File 6
Miscellaneous documents, e.g. newspaper clippings.
Volumes 3207-3217
Topical files and messages of condolence or congratuation
Volumes 3218-3220
Financial records, notebooks and various church documents
3218 (See J. Suderman letter to K. Martens, Sept. 28, 1987 in Collection File)
3219
3220
Volumes 3221-3222
General correspondence in chronological order (1940-1973)
(See inventory list in "D.D. Klassen Collection File"
Volumes 3223-3224
Unsorted correspondence and papers
Volumes 3226-3229
Family correspondence
Volumes 3230-3234
Pamphlets, tracts and radio messages (unlisted and unsorted)
Volume 3234
1. Unsorted correspondence to and from David D. Klassen to family and friends. Collected by Klassen's daughter Katherine Martens. -- 1942-1985. (2004-038)
2. Religious tracs by B. Charles Hostetter and Ella May Miller, produced by the The Mennonite Hour, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Volume 4742:
Volume 4786 (Acc. No. 97-017)
1. Israel. - [195-?].
2. CMBC re: David Janzen. - 1957, 1958.
3. The other Mennonites Baptism. - [195-?].
4. D.D. Klassen Travel Notes. - 1963.
5. Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. - 1979, 1980.
6. Satan. - [198-?].
7. Eschatology and the end times. - [198-?].
8. Peace. - 1958.
9. Resource Notes. - 1958, 1961, 1975, 1980, 1984.
10. Homewood church notes and reports. - 1966, 1970, 1979, 1980.
11. Correspondence. - 1904, 1911, 1921, 1922, [192-], 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1938-1943, 1946, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1967, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1978-1980, 1984.
12. Radio sermons. - 1977, 1981.
13. Carman, Manitoba. - 1974, 1977, 1979, 1981.
14. Bergthaler Mennonite church. - 1961, [196-?], 1973.
15. Private School. - [ca. 1975].
16. Sermons and reports. - 1955, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1984.
17. Special functions. - 1975, 1980.
18. Templer Mennonites. - [ca. 1975].
19. Family correspondence. - 1955, 1958, 1963, 1966, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1984-1986, 1988.
20. Family information. - 1965, 1970, 1980, 1983-1985, 1986.
21. Miscellaneous loose pages. - 1978, 1981.
Volume 5241 (2003-003)
2. - transcript of interview with David D. Klassen, Homewood, MB regarding Low German and Low German Nursery Rhymes. -- See digital media collection #32 for audio recording. -- 1962. -- Note: May relate to 4742:5.
Digital media (2003-003)
32. - Interview with David D. Klassen, Homewood, MB regarding Low German and Low German Nursery Rhymes. -- Compact Disk. -- audio format (cda). -- 12:06 minutes. -- For transcript see vol. 5241 file 2. -- 1962. -- Note: May relate to 4742:5. original at National archives of Canada.