Ancestry

November 11, 2013

Combatant or Alternative Service Work (ASW) in Canada Civilian Public Service (CPS) in the United States 

The Second World War in the United States and Canada came upon the Mennonite populations unexpectedly, as did conscription and the need defend our Pacifist beliefs. 

Many North American Mennonites had left Europe, Netherlands and Russia in search of a country where they would be exempt from military service.  WWII brought this dilemma back into the homes of Mennonites in North America.

Men between the ages of 15 and 35 had a choice, to make enlist in the war effort or become a Conscientious Objector (COs).

Mennonite Enlist Man J. Epp

Entering the war as a combatant while socially acceptable for none Mennonite society, enlistment meant rejection by the Mennonite community and family upon their returned home (Schmidt, 2013) from war.  It also meant that while in overseas  service they were without spiritual and family support (Muir, 2013). 

Muir (2013) writes that “as many as 4,500 Canadian Mennonites enlisted in this country’s military forces between 1939 and 1945 (p. 6).

Mennonite’s made up 63% of the 9,000 COs in Canada in March 1994 (Schmidt, 2013).   Becoming a CO came at a cost as they were ridiculed and treated with contempt by their none Mennonite friends and neighbours.  They were seen as cowards willing to hide behind the skirts of women and braver men: letting other risk death to ensure their freedom.  The Mennonite COs in Canada also were for the vast majority of German descent and this compounded the abuse that they suffered.  In Canada COs in Canada were sent to Alternative Service Work camp where,

“They [CO’s] are not allowed to sleep out of camp, except at infrequent intervals, and they work 8 hours per day for 50c, out of which they have to buy everything except food and lodging, and keep their families if they are married.” (Siemens, 2013)  COs were to service a four month term in the alternative service camps (Gingerich, 2009)

Mennonite men during WWII could either:

• Enlist in a just war against a dictator who was killing Mennonites in gas chambers as well as Jews and 
• While at war find their spiritual and familiar community conspicuously silent and unsupportive  
• Upon return from war face excommunication from the Mennonite Church

Or

• Become a CO and submit to either ASW in Canada or CPS in USA where 
• During their period of service they received support both emotionally and physically from their families and church communities while suffering abuse and mistrust from the none Mennonite community. 
• When released from service returning to a supportive Mennonite Community and the continued mistrust of the none Mennonite community.

As a Mennonite woman living in 2013 my children and grandchildren are not faced with having to make these same choices however this may not always be the case.  Where do I stand on the issue of pacifism?  I believe that wherever possible and at whatever cost we need to support peaceful solutions and stand witness to the cruelty of war giving aid to the oppressed.

And I am troubled by the challenge C.S. Lewis presents pacifism, that it supports the cause of the oppressor.  That through peaceful action and standing witness the tyrannical oppressor will move forward the agenda of war with impunity.  Is this not what the world saw in 1994  with the Rwanda Genocide of its Tutsi Population?

Today is Remembrance Day and I believe we as Mennonites need to continue to struggle with our pacifism and the impact it has on ourselves and the world for both good and evil.

Grandma Snyder

Gingerich, M. (2009, March). Alternative Service Work Camps (Canada). Retrieved November 10 2013, from Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online: http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Alternative_Service_Work_Camps_%28Canada%29

Muir, R. (2013). Let nobody judge them. Canadian Mennonite, 6-11.

Schmidt, M. (2013, November 10). Mennonite WWII Service Alternative Service. Retrieved from University Fraser Valley: http://app.ufv.ca/fvhistory/studentsites/wwII/mennonitewwIIservice/alternativeservice.html

Siemens, K. (2013, 11 10). WWII Mennonite Menace. Retrieved from University Fraser Valley: http://app.ufv.ca/fvhistory/studentsites/wwII/mennonitemenace/page3.html

Thursday, 31 October 2013

Delving into the past

In my last post "What's in a name" I mentioned a plate that I received from my Grandmother, Barbara Roth. She told me she wanted me to have the plate because she got it from her grandmother, who was also named Barbara. Being in my teens at the time I didn't ask further questions. And of course, now it is too late.

I work at First Mennonite Church in Kitchener and frequently have people coming into my office looking for the grave site of a relative. Our records are limited, but if someone is buried there I can usually find a location. I've also learned from these people about other on-line tools for finding ancestors.

This got me to thinking about my own great-great grandmother, about whom I knew only a first name. Could I find more?

I started at with a marvellous source, The Eby Book, now kept at the Joseph Schneider Haus in Kitchener.  This is a book written by Ezra Eby about 1895, listing the Mennonite family in and around Waterloo Region. From there I discovered EzraEby.com, where Allan Detweiler has done an incredible job continuing the work Ezra started.

I did a search on this site and found my Grandma:

Then I searched both her parents, finding her mother Katie's mother, Barbara Erb:

So here is the original owner of my plate. I do wish I knew more about this woman who died in 1876, before my Grandma was even born! And about this plate, which doesn't seem very Amish to me. 

As Barbara Erb's parents were born in Europe (continuing my backward search), did they bring the plate to the New World? Or was it acquired here? This record doesn't say if Barbara was born in Wilmot Township, only that she died here. She was only in her forties when she died. With at least nine living children the youngest only two years old. How sad.

But as I clicked on various family members I discovered an interesting fact. Bishop John P Gascho remarried after his wife's death: to Barbara Erb - another one! 

Were the two Barbaras related? The second one didn't marry until her forties, never had children of her own, but took on a big family. And lived to be 96. Was this one the original owner of the plate?

Seems the more questions I get answered the more I have!

  Saturday, 26 October 2013

A Tour of Waterloo the Joseph B. Snyder Way

We started our tour at the Timeless Café and Bakery at 305 Northfield Dr. East, Waterloo Ontario.  This is the site of Joseph B. & Veronica (Weber) Snyder’s home farm.  

The Bakery is in what was Veronica’s chicken coop.  The owners of Timeless Café has capitalized on this.  The cutlery comes wrapped in a paper napkin held together with a chicken sticker and the on the restroom door is a sign designating Hens and Roosters.

Paul and I had a wonderful meal.  I had the daily quiche special, peach, mango salsa and sautéed onion it tastes much better that the description.  Paul had a sautéed onion, mushroom grilled cheese and again very tasty. 

The barn has been converted into The Timeless Material Company where historical building materials, furniture and other decorative artifacts and recycled are repurposed.

Paul drew my attention to the ramp that was built up to the barn and the passageway underneath where the Snyder’s would enter the lower level.

The house appears to be empty.  As we walked around the property I imagined Veronica sitting on the front porch snapping beans or podding peas.  Once lunch or supper was ready ringing the bell on the roof of the house to call her twelve children, husband and hired men to the house.

Joseph B. Snyder January 20, 1854 – March 25, 1938

Veronica Weber, January 19, 1857 – May 20, 1934

Married December 5, 1876

Children:

Simeon Snyder        January 13, 1878 – March 5, 1947

Susannah Snyder August 21, 1879 – March 7, 1882

Leah Snyder             February 19, 1882 – August 14, 1957

Lucinda Snyder      May 15, 1884 (the historical record that I was working from does not a date of death)

Lovina Snyder April 28, 1886 – April 19, 1944

Edwin Snyder October 31, 1887 – April 27, 1947

Joseph Snyder August 26, 1889 – March 18, 1935

Anna Snyder July 14, 1891 (the historical record that I was working from does not a date of death)

Ephriam Snyder July 7, 1894 (the historical record that I was working from does not a date of death)

Fanny Snyder July 22, 1898 (the historical record that I was working from does not a date of death)

Moses Snyder May 8, 1900 and died May 8, 1900

Noah Snyder December 29, 1904 – February 9, 1910

Leaving Joseph B. Snyder’s home farm we turned left onto Northfield Dr. East and then turned right onto Bridge St.  At approximately 827 -857 Bridge St. West there is a bush to your left stop the car and get out.  The piece of property on your left is the Schneider homestead, all that remains is the spring house which you can see in the bush.  

 

Your next stop is at the St. Jacob Farmers Market, where Quilted Heirlooms is housed at the onsite log cabin.  The cabin was originally built by Joseph E. Schneider on the spring house property.  

Paul is drawing your attention to the size of the logs used.

It appears that Joseph B. changed the family name from Schneider to Snyder at a time that coincided with WWII.

This brings to an end our day tour of historical Snyder family sites.

Grandma Snyder

Monday, 26 August 2013

Responses to Family Reunions

Our Stories

Yesterday’s blog has created a buzz and I want to share with you some of the stories and comments that readers have posted to my Facebook account and sent to me via email.

Carol Wagler Bauman wrote: 

So...I had a heart-warming experience yesterday. For me, there will always be a special part in my heart for the place where I was raised till age 6. That place is Wellesley. 

Ever since that time of moving from Wellesley, I have felt a disconnectedness from my roots. My heart always rushes when I connect with someone from that area and the "are you related to..?" questions start rushing out.

There was a new couple at church yesterday and I went and introduced myself and they told me their first names and told me they were visiting at the cottage with their son and daughter-in-law. I had just recently learned the surname if this couple and had been curious about their LEIS name. That name shouted Wellesley out to me! 

And suddenly, I'm presented with an opportunity to meet Eldon Leis and his wife. I learned that he grew up in my home church, I learned that he is a well-respected painter (google it), I learned that his cousin married Duane and I and I learned that indeed, it's a small world.

 Sometimes Mennonites are teased about playing the "name game". I don't think that's bad. And in light of a cousin's daughter, Marjorie Klassen, musing that our children are losing the family stories (and heritage, I would say) I will gladly ask these questions and tell anyone who will listen to me.  And, if I go back far enough I would wager that Eldon Leis and I have some common blood between us.

I Googled Eldon Leis and found this very interesting You Tube video he made.  In this video clip he tells us a story about his hobbies and in the telling he enriches our lives.

Elaine Swartz wrote:

Thanks for including us in your blog. We try to get together each Christmas.

I also know that Elaine comes to Ontario every summer to spend a week at Chesley Lake with her sisters and sister-in-law where they share their stories with each other.

M.R. wrote: 

We have an annual one! With 50 first cousins on one side of the family - we have become a renter of halls!

 Eunice Derowin wrote:

I've been enjoying your Grandma Snyder blog and wanted to share one of my (very few) memories of my Grandma Snyder.  She came to visit the new baby (Paul) shortly before she died at age 59.  What I remember best is that like other visitors she brought a gift for the baby, but unlike them, she also brought a pocketful of candy for the 4 older children.

Eunice is my sister-in-law and in her sharing this story she enriched my husband Paul's understanding of and experience with his Grandma Snyder.

This is just a sampling of what I received.  As human beings belonging is key to our survival.  We belong to many groups over a life time.  Today as I read and responded to readers I came to understand that through this blog we are forming a group and together we are shaping each other’s understanding of what it means to be children, parents, grandparents and great grandparents. 

If you have a story you would like share please send it to me and I will consider it for publication on this blog – there is room for many voices and all of our experiences. 

Grandma Snyder

 

Sunday, 22 September 2013

Angels

A Child learns to Sing

This morning at church we sang "Have Thine Own Way" #504 in the Mennonite song book Hymnal a Worship Book.  As the hymn started and voices were raised I was transported back 53 years attending church with Aunt Marjorie at her rural Brethren in Christ Church.

The sound of shoes on hardwood flooring as the congregation gets ready to stand and of wooden benches moving under the relief of people standing.

The smell of wood polish and stale air escaping through windows only opened on Sunday morning.  The hint of moth  balls on clothing only brought out for Sunday service, weddings and funerals.  The absence of the smell of human sweat and other body smells, all bodies washed and polished for this event.

The sound of a pitch pipe, a mass intake of breath and a sacred pause.  Then the sound of 20 to 50 voices raised in common praise and a spontaneous smile on a child's face.  I do the unthinkable I stand on the wooden bench, I want to be part of this.

The sound is not in adherence to the notes on the page rather the music is unique and created through the out pouring of love escaping the hearts of the singers.

I add my voice to this choir of human love.   

Z

Aunt Marjorie reaches down and takes my hand.  I look up into her face.  Wisps of her white blond hair have escaped her covering and are caught in the sunlight streaming through the church windows.  It creates a halo around her face.  In that moment I knew in my spirit that singing transforms us into human angels.  Aunt Marjorie smiles at me turns and continues to sing her love of her Creator.

I lift my head and confidently add my voice to this choir of human angels, I am 5 years old and this is my first conscious memory of singing in an adult service.

Thank you Lord for the gift of this memory forgotten until this morning.

Grandma Snyder