© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated June 13, 2007)

  • Thiessen, Janis


    Retrieval numbers: MHC Cassettes No. 2608 to 2650; Volume 5135

    Title: Janis Thiessen fonds
    Dates: 1996-2005
    Extent: 43 audio cassettes
    Extent: 3 cm of textual records
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    Janis Lee Thiessen was born in 1971 to Frank Thiessen (1925-2005) and Margret Loewen (1933-) of Winnipeg, Manitoba. She completed her B.Sc. in 1992 and her education degree in 1994 and became a teacher at Westgate Mennonite Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba where she has taught chemistry, social studies and Mennonite history. She received her M.A. from the Universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba in 1997, during which time she worked on the Metropolis project, Winnipeg's Immigration History Research Group. She took two years leave from Westgate to work on Ph.D. studies at the University of New Brunswick, which she successfully completed with the defense of her thesis entitled "Faith and Factory: Russian Mennonite Workers in Twentieth Century Manitoba" on November 9, 2005.
    Her research focused on three factories in Manitoba owned by Mennonites, namely Friesens Corporation of Altona, Loewen Windows of Steinbach, and Palliser Furniture of Winnipeg. Each of these businesses had primarily a Mennonite workforce at their founding and they each became one of the largest employers in their communities.
    The interviews and thesis explored themes such as immigration, unions, assimilation, urbanization, class differences, worker – employer relationships, and religious values.
    Since 1994 some of her research on Canadian Mennonite labour history has been appeared in publications such as Studies in Religion, Journal of the Canadian Historical Association, Mennonite Quarterly Review and Journal of Mennonite Studies. She has also given several presentations on the same topic since 1995.

    Scope and content note

    This fonds contains the information gathered on the subject of labour history in Mennonite family owned businesses in Manitoba. The fonds contains the audio recordings of interviews with owners and employees conducted between 1997 and 2003. The workers were selected from different gender and social classes. The content formed the basis for Thiessen's thesis on labour history of Russian Mennonites.

    Index terms

    Creators

  • Thiessen, Janis

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    Inventory file list available

    Related material in this repository

    Janis Thiessen, "Faith and Factory: Russian Mennonite Workers in Twentieth Century Manitoba", Ph.D. dissertation, University of New Brunswick, 2005. (CMU library)

    Notes

    Custodial history

    This material was created by Janis Thiessen and deposited at the archives in 2006.

    Arrangement

    Described by Conrad Stoesz February 7, 2007.

    Restrictions on access

    Some restrictions to use.

    Other notes

    Accession no. 2006-088.

    • VOLUME 5135
    Janis Thiessen fonds inventory list
    1. Sample blank copy of consent form and sample questions. – [1997?].
    2. Transcripts of interviews by Janis Thiessen of 8 Palliser Furniture employees. – 1997-1998.
    3. Transcripts of interviews by Janis Thiessen of 24 Loewen Windows employees. – 1998-2003.
    4. Transcripts of interviews by Janis Thiessen of 10 Friesens Corporation employees. – 1999.
    5. Transcripts of interviews by Janis Thiessen of 5 people working in various factories. – 1997-1998.

    LIST OF CASSETTES (interview recordings)
    1. Janis Thiessen interview with David G. Friesen of Altona,side A and Elizabeth Bergen side B regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers, side A. -- March 27, 1996.
    2. Janis Thiessen interview with Dave De Fehr of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- July 18, 1997.
    3. Janis Thiessen interview with A.A. De Fehr of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 1, 1997.
    4. Janis Thiessen interview with Bruce MacDonald of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 1, 1997.
    5. Janis Thiessen interview with Hans Wiens and Susie Wiens of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 17, 1998.
    6. Janis Thiessen interview with Henry Kroeker of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 18, 1998.
    7. Janis Thiessen interview with Henry Wallman of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 24, 1998.
    8. Janis Thiessen interview with Conrad Stoesz of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 24, 1998.
    9. Janis Thiessen interview with Jake Pries of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 25, 1998.
    10. Janis Thiessen interview with Gordon Bueckert of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 26, 1998.
    11. Janis Thiessen interview with Peter Reimer of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- September 7, 1998.
    12. Janis Thiessen interview with Harry Giesbrecht of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- November 19, 1998.
    13. Janis Thiessen interview with Jake Ginter of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. - - January 7, 1999.
    14. Janis Thiessen interview with John Geddert of Winnipeg regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- January 11, 1999.
    15. Janis Thiessen interview with Ernie Dyck of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- March 29, 1999.
    16. Janis Thiessen interview with Henry Froese of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- June 24, 1999.
    17. Janis Thiessen interview with Nettie Wall of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- June 25, 1999.
    18. Janis Thiessen interview with Ernie Klassen of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- July 13, 1999.
    19. Janis Thiessen interview with Dan Klassen of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- July 20, 1999.
    20. Janis Thiessen interview with Jake Remple of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- July 20, 1999.
    21. Janis Thiessen interview with Henry Thiessen of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- July 21, 1999.
    22. Janis Thiessen interview with Eugene Letkeman of Altona regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- July 21, 1999.
    23. Janis Thiessen interview with Ben Funk of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 24, 1999.
    24. Janis Thiessen interview with Anonymous of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- August 24, 1999.
    25. Janis Thiessen interview with Ken Friesen of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 17, 2003.
    26. Janis Thiessen interview with John Ferris of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. - - December 17, 2003.
    27. Janis Thiessen interview with Clyde Loewen of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 17, 2003.
    28. Janis Thiessen interview with Ben Unrau of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 18, 2003.
    29. Janis Thiessen interview with Charles Loewen of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 18, 2003.
    30. Janis Thiessen interview with Henry Unrau of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 18, 2003.
    31. Janis Thiessen interview with Dave Funk of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. - - December 18, 2003.
    32. Janis Thiessen interview with Anne Hiebert of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 18, 2003.
    33. Janis Thiessen interview with Mitch Toews of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 19, 2003.
    34. Janis Thiessen interview with Dave Hiebert of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 19, 2003.
    35. Janis Thiessen interview with Mallory Corbett of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 22, 2003.
    36. Janis Thiessen interview with Gord Hancox of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 22, 2003.
    37. Janis Thiessen interview with Hardy Rahn of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 22, 2003.
    38. Janis Thiessen interview with Anonymous of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 22, 2003.
    39. Janis Thiessen interview with Richard Dutchak of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 22, 2003.
    40. Janis Thiessen interview with Peter Friesen of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 22, 2003.
    41. Janis Thiessen interview with Ben Funk of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 29, 2003.
    42. Janis Thiessen interview with John Loewen of Steinbach regarding Russian Mennonite factory workers. -- December 30, 2003.