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Hist.Mss.15 - Letter Collections (Correspondence)

Dates of creation: 1824-1972

The Letter collection series is used for miscellaneous letter collections not included in manuscript collections. In many cases these are photoreproductions obtained from other archival centers, or from individuals.

  1. Jacob B. Mensch letters. (See Hist.Mss.11.9) for the microfilm collection
  2. Christian Eby letters about charming and practice of folk medicine, 1904-1920 (Typescript of letters transcribed by Anne Eby Miller)
    - 44 p. of typescript. See Hist.Mss. 1.21 for the original letters and description of Eby.
  3. Erma Opperthauser to family, June 2, 1935; April 28, 1933. Erma Opperthauser was a teacher in the Reesor, Ontario community for four years in the 1930s. Her father and sister lived in Hanover, Ontario. The 1935 letter describes a Silver Wedding anniversary for  the Berg family; the 1933 letter describes the death of Neta Berg, and the funeral following. Also in the folder is a school publication, "Our birthday journal" including writings by a number of the pupils in Erma's class. The collection was donated to the Archives in 1988 by Robert Enns.
  4. Not used
  5. Catherine Clemens in Hay, Ontario to Jacob Clemens (a cousin living in Breslau), Jan. 12, 1868.
  6. David Rensberger letter from prison, Aug. 12, 1972. Rensberger was a Mennonite draft resistor during the Vietnam war who wrote this letter for wider circulation from prison.
  7. A.C. Bowman to Mr. & Mrs. Wilhelm Dick, Mar. 2, 1925. Photocopy of original; translations of original; background material to the letter by Annie Konrad. Donated to the Archives by Anne Millar in 1980.
  8. David Musselman (Wellington District, Ontario) to Christian Musselman (New Holland, Pa.), May 7, 1843; David and Esther Musselman (Woolwich) to Henry and Maria Musselman Steiner (West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pa.), Apr. 3, 1868; Maria Musselman Stoner (Lancaster, Pa.) to David and Esther Musselman, Sept. 29, 1868. Photocopies, translations and commentary provided to Archives by Clarke E. Hess, Lancaster, Pa., 1980.
  9. Anna Weber to Henry and Lovina Godshall, Lansdale, Montgomery County, Pa., Feb. 28, 1886. Photocopy of transcription by Isaac G. Martin. Also translation into English.
  10. Jacob Hallman to Samuel Hallman, Sept. 1, 1845; Sept. 30, 1845. Photoreproductions of originals.
  11. Samuel and Dilman Moyer letters to Jacob Groff, 1850-1861. Photocopies of originals and translations. See originals and fuller description in L.J. Burkholder collection (Hist.Mss. 1.4)
  12. Abram Clemens (Waterloo, Ont.) to Jacob Clemens, Apr. 16, 1836. Photocopy of translation. Mentions cholera epidemic of 1835.
  13. Jacob Burkholder/L.J. Burkholder letter collection, 1824-1884; photocopied in 1998. Originals at Mennonite Historical Association of the Cumberland Valley, Chamersburg, VA. Most are letters received by Jacob Burkholder from relatives who did not immigrate to Canada. The photocopies were provided to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by MHACV in 1998, ca. 50 p.
  14. Barbara Ebersole to Lydia Brenneman, [between 1892 and 1900]. Fragment of original letter, plus typed transcription, translation and notes by Lorraine Roth. Barbara Ebersole was the Amish folk artist (see David Luthy, Amish folk artist, Barbara Ebersol, her life, fraktur and death record book (Lancaster, 1995). Fragment donated by Doris Litwiller in 1998.
  15. Nicolaus Nafziger, Johanes Albrecht, Joseph Nafziger, Jacob Wagler, Jakob Lichti, Johannes Gascho, John R. Gerber, David Wagler and Joseph R. Gerber to Amischen Mennoniten Gemein in Wilmot, Aug. 24, 1917. Fragment of original letter, plus typed transcription, translation and notes by Lorraine Roth. The letter is from the Amish-Mennonite pastors in Mornington and Wellesley Townships to the Wilmot congregation about the issuing of church letters (membership letters) to persons who are not at peace with the local congregation. These pastors say the letters will not be issued in such circumstances. Donated to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by Alvin Steinman.
  16. Peter Holly to Christian Steinman, 1851. This letter from Bulter County, Ohio concerns the "Eier" estate. A translation is found in The family history and genealogy of Christian Steinman(n) and Veronica Eyer, 372. Donated to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by Carol Steinmann in 1998 via Lorraine Roth.  

Last modified 28-Feb-2007 by Sam Steiner