The Adventures of ‘Big Bill’
Ed Enns was a faithful volunteer at the Mennonite Heritage Archives for many years. He compiled and translated Big Bill’s letters and reports. Ed past away in 2019. The MHA is indebted to the many volunteers, past and present, who make possible the stories told on Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives.
‘Big Bill’ was born Wilhelm Enns in 1894 in the village of Einlage in Imperial Russia. He was a jack of all trades whose work life included jobs as a teacher, farm laborer, dragline operator, salesman, and shoe repairman, among others. He was also an avid writer. With host Dan Dyck, today we will be exploring the colourful life and storytelling of ‘Big Bill’ Enns, largely through letters written by Bill and compiled and translated by Archive’s volunteer Edward Enns, a relative.
View a published letter written by Bill, and test your ability to read gothic script, here.
If you enjoy our work, please consider supporting us here.
Podcast Series: Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives
Episode 18: The Adventures of ‘Big Bill’
Date: March 2, 2025
Host: Dan Dyck
Published by The Mennonite Heritage Archives
Now available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify