From the inside out : the rural worlds of Mennonite diarists, 1863 to 1929

Historian Royden Loewen has brought together selections from diaries kept by 21 Mennonites in Canada between 1863 and 1929, some translated from German for the first time. By skillfully comparing and contrasting a wide cross-section of lives, Loewen shows how these diaries often turn the hidden contours of household and community "inside out." The writers featured were ordinary rural people: young women and grandmothers, rural preachers and landless householders. They include a teenaged boy who immigrated from Russia to Manitoba in 1875 as well as a successful merchant, a traveling evangelist, and a devout, conservative church elder. An elderly grandfather recounted the daily circuit of his children's homes, while 19-year-old Marie Schoeder wrote of her literary aspirations, her "secret hope" that some day she would "write things that have a real worth, things that are worth printing, and things that other folks would love to read and pay for." From the Inside Out also contrasts diaries from two distinct Mennonite communities in Canada. The Swiss-American Mennonites in Waterloo County, Ontario, faced rapid urbanization, while the Dutch-Russian Mennonites in southern Manitoba maintained their more rural environment. The diaries mirror their writers' preoccupations with work and weather, but they also reveal a communityís social structure and round of activities such as weddings, funerals, and worship services. In the process of diary-keeping, the writers sought to make sense of a dynamic and often unpredictable world. Reading what they chose to record is to learn much about their culture. Their writings provide glimpses of their lives, their collective mindset, and their history as a people. Cover Contents Preface Introduction I: Migrating Men 1 Cornelius W. Loewen, Gruenfeld, Manitoba, 1867–1877 2 Ezra R. Burkholder, Floradale, Ontario, 1876 II: Immigrant Women 3 Margaretha Jansen, Berlin, Ontario, 1874 4 Maria Stoesz Klassen, Ebenfeld, Manitoba, 1887 III: Old Men and Young Boys 5 Moses Weber, Lexington, Ontario, 1865 6 Heinrich Kornelsen, Lichtenau, Manitoba, 1875 7 Abraham F. Reimer, Blumenort, Manitoba, 1879 8 Moses S. Bowman, Mannheim, Ontario, 1890 IV: Merchant Fathers 9 Elias Eby, Bridgeport, Ontario, 1874 10 Klaas R. Reimer, Steinbach, Manitoba, 1885–1896 V: Married Men and their Work 11 Ephraim Cressman, Breslau, Ontario, 1890 12 Heinrich Friesen, Hochfeld, Manitoba, 1896–1898 VI: Bishops and Evangelists 13 Levi Jung, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, 1863 14 Peter R. Dueck, Steinbach, Manitoba, 1910–1913 VII: Farm Women 15 Margaretha Plett Kroeker, Steinbach, Manitoba, 1892 16 Laura Shantz, New Hamburg, Ontario, 1918 17 Maria Reimer Unger, Blumenhof, Manitoba, 1919 18 Judith Klassen Neufeld, Ebenfeld, Manitoba, 1922 VIII: Diverging Paths 19 Marie Schroeder, Morden, Manitoba, 1926 20 Cornelius T. Friesen, Osterwick, Manitoba, 1927 21 Ishmael Martin, St. Jacobs, Ontario, 1929 Notes Bibliography Selected Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y "Historian Royden Loewen has brought together selections from diaries kept by 21 Mennonites in Canada between 1863 and 1929, some translated from German for the first time. By skillfully comparing and contrasting a wide cross-section of lives, Loewen shows how these diaries often turn the hidden contours of household and community "inside out."". "In the process of diary - keeping, the writers sought to make sense of a dynamic and often unpredictable world. Reading what they chose to record is to learn much about their culture. Their writings provide glimpses of their lives, their collective mindset, and their history as a people." "Loewen's thoughtful introduction offers insight into the historical importance and social context of these diaries. He also provides background information and a brief biography for each writer."--BOOK JACKET. Edited And With An Introduction By Royden Loewen. Co-published By Manitoba Record Society. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [339]-344) And Index.