©Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Last updated 27 August 2019)

Johannes Dyck family fonds. -- 1851, 1871-[198?]. -- 31 cm of textual records and two artifacts.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Johannes Dietrich Dyck (1826-1898) was born in Poppau, West Prussia to Dietrich Dyck and Aganetha Janzen. In 1848 he left for America where he learned English working at first as a bar tender in Chicago. In 1850 he went to work in the gold mines of California, returning to Prussia in 1858 with his wealth. In 1859 he married, Helene Jantzen. That same year they migrated to Russia and settled in Lysanderhoech in the Am Trakt settlement. Johannes D. Dyck established a farming operation which included a flourmill and 129 acres of land. He also served the community as fire marshal for 30 years and as mayor for 18 years.

Johannes J. Dyck (1860-1920) was the oldest child out of six children born to Johannes and Aganetha Dyck. He married Elisabeth Froese (1858-1908) in 1884. Johannes and Elisabeth lived in Lysanderhoeh, Am Trakt. Johannes J. Dyck served the community as a justice of the peace.

Johannes J. Dyck (1885-1948) was the oldest child out of ten children born to Johannes J. and Elisabeth Dyck. He married Renate Mathies (1885-1963) in 1909. During the famine of 1920 this family received food from America via the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). This made a profound impact on the family as can be seen in the lives of their children especially their son Peter J. Dyck who served with MCC in Europe after World War II. Johannes J. and Renate Dyck left Russia with their family in 1927 and settled on a farm in Saskatchewan near Haywarden. In 1933 they moved to Laird. The expanded story of these three Dyck generations can be found in the two-volume  A Pilgrim People, published in 1987 and 1994 and deposited in the Mennonite Historical Library of Canadian Mennonite University (Winnipeg).

 
SCOPE AND CONTENT

This fonds consists of 1) diaries, 2) correspondence, 3) poetry collection, 4) A Pilgrim People research files and 5) several artifacts. The fonds includes the diary of Johannes D. Dyck (1826-1898) kept from 1871-1898, the diary of Johannes J. Dyck ( 1860-1920) kept from 1907-1908, the diary of Renate Dyck (1885-1963) kept from 1909-1927, and the diary Johannes J. Dyck (1885-1948) kept from 1922, 1937-1938. The correspondence is primarily letters from the friends and family of Johannes and Renate Dyck from the United States, Russia, and Canada as well as correspondence with the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization. The collection does include one letter written by Helene Janzen in 1851 to Johannes D. Dyck, the gold miner in California. The poetry is a collection of newspaper clippings and hand copied poems which were used to include in correspondence to give encouragement to family members left in the USSR who were living under very difficult circumstances. This fonds also includes the files created while preparing the family history books published in 1987 and 1994 entitled, A Pilgrim People and, A Pilgrim People Volume II.

CUSTODIAL HISTORY

The material in this collection was passed down through the generations and eventually pooled together and used in the publishing of two books on the family in 1987 and 1994. Rena (Dyck) Kroeker of Winnipeg, Manitoba deposited this material at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in 1999 and 2000.

NOTES

The material is in German, English, and Russian.

Described by Conrad Stoesz March 3, 2000. Updated by Alf Redekopp 19 Oct 2010, Selenna Wolfe 27 August 2019.

Accession nos. 1999-032, 2000-031

Location: Volumes 4817a-4818; Artifacts 1-2.

SERIES DESCRIPTION

1) Diaries. -- 1871-1931, [198?]. -- 12 cm of textual records.

This series consists of diaries and biographies, by the Johannes Dyck's and Renate Dyck. There is also one financial record book in this series. For book publication some of the diaries were translated or transcribed which can also be found in this series. The material is mostly in German and Russian.

Location: 4817a13; 4817b:2-8; 4818:1-5.

2) Correspondence. -- 1851,1918-1962. -- 11 cm of textual records.

This series consists of letters from family and friends in the United States, Russia and Canada, as well as correspondence with the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization. The material is mostly in German.

Location: 4817a:1-12,14-15.

3) Poetry. -- [19-]. -- 7 cm of textual records.

This series consists of prayers and poetry, used by Renate Dyck in her correspondence with friends and family. The material is mostly in German.

Location: 4817a:16-17.

4) A Pilgrim People Research Files. -- 1959-1969,1978,1983-1987. -- 1 cm of textual records.

This series consists of genealogies, correspondence and draft material for the publications "A Pilgrim People" and, "A Pilgrim People II".

Location: 4818:6-12.

5) Artifacts. -- [1908, 1927].

This series consists of two artifacts. The first is a doll that was purchased in 1927 to help bring American currency from Russia to Canada. The second is a box containing a black and a white female head covering used in Russia by Renata Dyck since her marriage.

Location: Artifacts: 3-4.

 

FILE LIST

VOLUME 4817a (Acc. No. 1999-032)

  1. Letter from Helene Janzen to [Johannes] th 49er in CA. -- December 23, 1851. (scanned pdf)
  2. Letters from Johannes and Helene Penner, Meta Penner, and Heinrich Penner. -- 1918,1927-1936,1943. (scanned images in pdf) (work in progress)
  3. Letters from Otto Toevs, Paso Robles, California to Johannes Dyck, Laird Saskatchewan. -- 1938,1939,1944-1949,1955.
  4. Letter from Peter Penner, Wasco, California to J. J. Dyck, Laird, Saskatchewan. -- 1933-1939, 1941,1944,1945. (scanned images in pdf)
  5. Letters from John and Selma Rahn, Upland, California and Marscha Dyck Percy, Tucson, Arizona, to Johannes Dyck. -- 1938,1940,1994,1945,1947,1962.
  6. Letters from H.A. Wiebe, Paso Robles, California, J.A. Bergman, and E.H. Schroeder to Johannes Dyck. -- 1938-1940.
  7. Letters from F.F. Jantzen, Paso Robles, California to J.J. Dyck, Laird, Saskatchewan. -- 1934,1937-1939,1943.
  8. Letters from Penners in Russia to Johannes Dyck. -- 1932,1936.  (scanned images in pdf)
  9. Letters from Albert Claassen, Clinton, Oklahoma and Freeman, South Dakota to Johannes Dyck. -- 1939-1941,1944,1945.
  10. Letters from Henry H. Penner, Yarrow, BC to Johannes Dyck. -- 1944,1946,1954,1956,1962. (scanned images in pdf)
  11. Letters from Heinrich Wall, Beiershorst, Danzig and Danmark [Demark?] to Johannes Dyck. -- 1933,1945-1948,1954,1960.
  12. Letters from Lena Andres and family, Germany to Johannes Dyck. -- 1949-1961. -- Note: the is a picture with this file that is unidentified, possibly taken at their silver wedding anniversary.
  13. J.J. Dyck (early) will. -- February 8, 1931.
  14. Johannes J. and Renate Dyck silver wedding address, letter from J.G. Rempel, and letter from Hans Wiebe in a newspaper. -- 1934,1948.
  15. Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization correspondence. -- 1929-1933.
  16. Renate Dyck's poetry collection. -- [19-].
  17. Christliche Morgen und Abendgebete auf alle Tage der Woche. -- [18?].

VOLUME 4817b

  1. Letters from Jacob J. and Anna Wiebe, Beatrice, Nebraska to Johannes Dyck. -- 1907,1925-1949, 1951,1956,1961. -- Note: there are also post cards in this file from other people than the Wiebes.
  2. Four small diaries of Johannes Dyck. -- 1907-1908. -- In Russian. -- Note: These diaries were translated into English and published in, "A Pilgrim People, Volume II", 1994, p.1-14.
  3. Diary of Johannes J. Dyck translated from the 4 Russian diaries into German/ J.P. Dyck. -- [198?]. -- Note: Somewhat condensed.
  4. Autobiography of Johannes J. Dyck, transcribed. -- [19?]. -- Note: This has been translated into English and published in, "A Pilgrim People, Volume II", 1994, p.20-53.
  5. Erinnerungen aus meiner kindheit/ Maria Quiring Dyck. -- [between 1921 - 1942].
  6. Selbsthilfe Kasse. -- 1933-1934.
  7. Biographical sketckes of Johannes J. Dyck (2 versions). -- [19?]. -- Note: parts of it have been translated and published in "A Pilgrim People, Volume II", 1994.
  8. Tagebuch vom 1 März 1922 bis Dec. 31, 1922. -- Note: Abbreviated translations is in "A Pilgrim People, Volume II", 1994, p.14-17.

 

VOLUME 4818

  1. Johannes Dyck diary #1. -- 1871-1874, 1878-1879, 1883-1888.
  2. Johannes Dyck diary #2. -- 1889-1898.
  3. Johannes Dyck diary, California Experience, #1. -- November 1937 - March 1938.
  4. Johannes Dyck diary, California Experience, #2. -- November 1937 - March 1938.
  5. Renate Dyck diary. -- January 19, 1909-February 1927. -- Note: This was a gift from her father, Peter Mathies, at the time of her marriage.
  6. Genealogy of Herbert Dyck, son of Jacob Dyck. -- 1959,1960,1965,1968.
  7. Johann Donner Genealogy. -- 1978.
  8. Genealogy charts of the families Dyck, Isaac, Quiring, Wiebe. -- 1987. -- Note: found in "A Pilgrim People", 1987, p. 6-15.
  9. Dyck clan correspondence before and during writing, "A Pilgrim People". -- 1983-1987.
  10. Wiebe Reunion. -- 1984
  11. Dyck biographies. -- 1984-1986.
  12. Dyck genealogy and correspondence. -- 1969.

Artifacts:

  1. 1 child's doll, wooden legs and arms, with accessory clothing and bedding. The family hid money in the doll on the trip from Russia to Canada. -- [1927]. -- 15 x 56 cm.
  2. 1 dark green hinged box with [brass?] decoration. Inside is bright green with a mirror inside the lid. Inside the box are two Hauben (Female head coverings) brought from Am Trakt to Canada in 1927. One is white with small flowers, and is ca. 15 cm in diameter. The other is black and also ca. 15 cm in diameter. -- [1908]. -- 22w x 12h x 16d cm.