Nancy-Lou PattersonGuest Curator

Hymn 153 of the Gemeinschaftliche Lieder-sammlung is a song of departure to be sungby one who leaves home for a far land :

Now Goodbye, we shall part!Dear Lord : be with us!Let the Angels accompany usUntil the dark night is over!And also tomorrow at that placeWhere one teaches God's Word,Where we shall hear in honour of GodUnknown brethren .

(Translation : Gisela Brude-Firnau)The long treks of Mennonites from their

two places of origin - Switzerland and theNetherlands - which took many to set-tlements in Pennsylvania and South Russia,and a few ultimately to Waterloo County, ac-cord with this vision of a people who hear andteach God's Word as sojourners in lands far

Where one teaches God's Word:Image and Text in Mennonite Folk ArtMay 10-30, 1990 - Conrad Grebel College Library

from their homeland . The Word of God read,heard, and sung is a central element in theperpetuation of this community (Ge-meinschaft) separated from the World. Thisforms a central theme in Mennonite thought.The Word in this sense means not only the

Gospel, the Good News of Salvation, but alsoJesus as the Word of God . "He became thatwhich he was not before, for the `Word wasmade flesh and dwelt among us,' " as an 18thcentury Mennonite catechism, ChristianSpiritual Conversation on Saying Faith,(English translation, Lancaster, Pennsylvania :John Baer and Sons, 1857) states, quoting fromSt . John's Gospel . Because Jesus, the Word ofGod, has taken on the flesh of a true humanbeing, a renewed dignity of humankind isavailable to all humans through the "newbirth" of baptism: "the Spirit of God willmake the Word of God new in yoursoul . . . in so far as Jesus, the true Word ofLife, becomes life and light to your soul ."

There is thus a direct relationship betweenthe Word as Gospel, the Word in the flesh,Jesus, and the Word in the soul of the baptiz-ed believer . Many works of folk art in theSwiss-German and Dutch-German Mennonitecommunities of Waterloo County (whethermade in Ontario or in previous homelands),often use names and texts in ways related tothis complex paradigm of the Word . Suchworks include those created to teach, to give,to display, to identify, and to record : variousintentions which are often combined in singleworks.

Central to this symbolic structure is theprinted book . The first book to be printed inEurope was the Gutenberg Bible, a Latin ver-sion produced in Mainz sometime before 1456 .Martin Luther's German translation of the Bi-ble is still used by many readers, including con-servative Mennonites . In nineteenth centuryWaterloo County the Bible was the Word, butMennonites, a literate community eager to

Wilhelm Klassen, woodburned and painted 11 - ill Plaque, 1917; a Corm intended to be displayed . (Photo: Robert McNair)

PAGE 2conduct their own schools, produced and us-ed many other books. These included not on-ly educational works like Bishop BenjaminEby's ABC (Berlin, Ontario: Heinrich Eby,1842), which expressed the idea that becom-ing educated is part of the process of living agood and holy life, but also devotional bookssteeped in Pietism, such as the Paradies-Gartlein (Philadelphia: George W. Menz andSon, 1832) of Johann Arndt (1555-1621), theGeistliches Blumen-Gartlein (Lancaster, Penn-sylvania : Johan Baer, 1823) of GerhardTersteegen (1697-1769), and hymnals such asthe Unpartheyisches Gesangbuch (Lancaster :J . Albrecht, 1804) and the Liedersammlung,which has been published in Waterloo Coun-ty since 1836 and is still used by Old OrderMennonites . These books are all used to teach,and it is likely that all folk art containingreligious, admonitory, and devotional quota-tions has teaching -of community values andmores -as a major (if not exclusively primary)intention.The phenomenon of printing has affected

not only the use of texts (words) in books, butin many other items, and there are workswhich, while lacking texts, clearly relate to theprinted tradition. The earliest items to beprinted in Europe, even before the book, wereplaying cards, greeting cards (for New Year's)and cards (like modern prayer cards or "Sun-day school cards") bearing religious pictures .The category of Fraktur includes works onpaper which have hand-lettered texts, workswith texts which also bear images (bothdecorative and illustrative) and works of thesame type which have images alone. The lat-ter are often called "tokens" and are explain-ed as having been prepared by schoolteachersand given as awards to their pupils . Certainlysome notable Fraktur artists were teachers, butothers were not. A number of image-onlyworks have been preserved from the Swiss-German Mennonite tradition, including somespecifically dedicated as gifts to give, createdby non-teachers as well .

Anna 1y eber, "ANNA 11",7BER HAT DASGFMACHT," 1879; a work ofart made as agift. (Photo : Fine Arts Archives, Universityof Waterloo)

Early nineteenth century examples includetwo striking works by an unknown Penn-sylvania artist (active circa 1820-1825), show-ing tropical subjects depicted with vivacity anda bold sense of colour, and two works resembl-ing the characteristic ornaments of Fraktur,attributed to Abraham Latschaw (1799-1870),a gifted cabinetmaker as well as frakturist ;these show paired birds perched upon a lily-bearing tree sprouting from a heart, and a pairof soul effigies (winged heads) between a dazzl-ing pair of astral rosettes suggesting the treesof the Sun and the Moon, both circa 1820 . Theworks of both artists contain strong referencesto textural sources : the Pennsylvania imagesresemble contemporary illustrated books andthe "Latschaw" images contain motifs foundin contemporary Fraktur.

An artist who began her career in 1866, An-na Weber (1814-1888) lived at home with herparents until about that year . Afterwards shewas shunted from the care of one householdto another, rewarding her hosting familieswith beautifully painted tokens showing birds,animals, and flowers, with the reiterated text,"Anna Weber Hat Das Gemacht" in Romanlettering, like the one she painted in 1878which its recipient gave to a girl-friend for herbirthday . Anna Weber was capable of longertexts, and even produced a little handboundbook memorializing an ancestor, but her pro-ud declaration of her own name as maker washer ubiquitous trademark, even if occasional-ly reduced to initials .

Judith Hoffman, coloured ink drawing, 1879;a young girl's vision ofParadise . (Photo : FineArts Archives, University of Waterloo)

In her households, Anna Weber influencedseveral disciples, and one of these produced ajuvenile masterpiece : Judith Hoffman(1868-1879) in the last year of her life createdan exquisite vision of Paradise replete withtrees of life and birds, based upon embroideredtowels ; wreaths based upon appliqué quilts ;tables set out of doors like those in the 23rdPsalm; and two mangificently apparelled ladiesin chequered costumes and flowerladen bon-nets . This breathtaking compendium ofparadisal symbolism is surpassed only in theexpertise developed over a mercifully longerlifetime, in the masterpiece of Isaac Hunsicker(1803-1870), a dazzling display of text and im-age combined, created in 1861 . The twenty let-ters of the dictum "Mensch Lebe Fromm Und

Gut" (People, live piously and well) areanimated to become an array of fancifullydressed people engaged in a wide range of an-tic activities .

Isaac Hunsicker, "MENSCHLEBFFROMMUND GUT," 1861, a form intended to bedisplayed. (Photo : Joseph Schneider Haus)

This last work may or may not have beena gift, but with it, as with certain works byAnna Weber which their recipients framed anddisplayed so long that their fugitive coloursfaded, one sees a clear intention to display . Ina culture which frowns on art which has nofunction except ornament, ornament is notshunned if a proper function can be found, andmoral edification - teaching - is a clear andendlessly reiterated function . Mrs. MichaelBowman's framed Fraktur poem, "The VacantChair," was probably made in the 1920s, andis clearly intended to be displayed upon a wallfor all to see .

Specifically intended as gifts are the pages ofthe Books of Remembrance, scrapbooks whichare given out, page by page, each to a differentperson to decorate with drawings, paintings,collage, and long texts including poems andBiblical quotations (and even jokes), assembl-ed, and given to elderly shut-ins in the con-servative Mennonite communities, like thatmade for Daniel Weber, circa 1979 . The im-agery usually includes flowers, animals, scenesof farming - ploughing and haying - anddepictions of the idealized Hutte or remotecottage where the nearness of God can berecognized and enjoyed, a common symbol ofGottseligkeit or godliness .

In the Dutch-German Mennonite tradition,beautiful Handschriften or handwriting wasdisplayed in elaborate and painstaking NewYear's greetings penned by schoolchildren asgifts for their parents . Such a gift was inscrib-ed by Maria Klassen Toews (born 1898) as aschoolgirl in Russia, using a booklet provid-ed for the purpose . A work intended fordisplay is the "Wall Plaque" with a flower-decorated text, painted and lettered by IrmaVogt Letkemann (b . 1926) in 1949 . In botbthese works there is a pious text prepared withextreme care .

Paper works are not the only text-bearingitems made for wall display . Woodburned andpainted Wall Plaques were made by Dutch-German Mennonite men - including those byJacob Klassen (active circa 1921) and WilhelmKlassen (active circa 1917) - which bear pious

)k l1:z11

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texts and floral ornament, as does the textileWandschoner (literally "wall-beautifier" buttranslated by its maker as a "wall-saver"because it was hung on the wall next to ababy's crib) made by Maria Klassen Thiessen(b . 1895) for her children . A Wandschoner,like a wooden wall-plaque, is also displayed indining room or parlour.Other textile forms made for wall display

are those in Berlin Work, in which a patternhas been worked on paper through a piercedgrid, according to a commercial pattern, in col-oured wools. Three handsome examples of thistechnique were made by Maria Klassen Toews(born 1898) . One displays the Lord's Prayer,one the prayer "God Protect You," andanother the prayer "Lord, Stay With MeWhen the Night is Nigh." All these texts callupon God for protection and are thus versionsof the Haus-Segen or house blessing .Textile forms made for display in the Swiss-

German Mennonite community, show towels(so-called because of their German title,Paradenhantitiicher), are splendid objectspainstakingly embroidered on long strips ofhomespun linen by young girls in anticipationof marriage . Nearly always these items includethe maiden name or at least the initials of themaker, and as their title in the Pennsylvania

ccaa)~ ~Ja,U

Anonymous, album page in Book ofRemembrance for Daniel Weber, 1979; a gift made foran elderly, person . (Photo : Robert McNair, courtesy London Regional Art Gallery)

PAGE 3German dialect used by Old Order Mennonitehouseholds, Namentdcher or "name towels"suggests, the display of this name was a signifi-cant part of their function . The towels weretraditionally hung on the door of the weddedcouple's parlour, where they could be seen andadmired by guests . The ornament is intenselyparadisal, including astral rosettes, floralgarlands, trees of life, confronted birds in-cluding peacocks, and in two examples, oneby Sarah Hagey dated 1839 and one, undated,by Barbara Hoffman, the Well of Life .Here too text can contain more than the

name of the maker and the date : MariaSchneider (1822-1916) made a show towel in1841 which contains, inside a heart-shapedspace, an elaborate Haus-Segen . Again, anotherBarbara Hoffman created a show towel witha family register . One of the most intricateshow towels made in Waterloo County is thatby Maria Biehn with its seven rows of tassels .This display of virtuosity shows not only theskill of the maker but the clear purpose of thetowel. Such elaborate forms are intended toadorn, to enhance, to ornament, and to declarethe extreme value and significance of marriage,family, and household, where the values of thecommunity are taught and passed from genera-tion to generation .Another purpose beyond teaching, giving,

and displaying, has been broached by thenames on the show towels ; that purpose is toidentify . A form related to the show towel isthe Sampler; there are two forms of sampler,one arranged formally and hence symmetrical-ly, and one arranged informally and assym-metrically . Both teach because they are madeby beginners as compendia of lettering anddecorating techniques. The formal sampler issuperbly exemplified by that of VeronicaBricker (1815-1892) made in 1827 and declar-ing in the text that while Waterloo is her sta-

Barbara Hoffman, show towel, circa 18.50 (detail), made to be displayed on the parlour dooratier marriage . (Photo : Robert McNair, courtesy London Regional Regional Art Gallery)

PAGE 4tion, heaven is her destination. The touch ofmortality in her reference to rotten bones iscountered by her aniticipation of a joyous en-counter with Jesus . In contrast, the "EbersoleSampler," characteristic in its assymmetry ofthe Amish-Mennonite community of southernWaterloo County, shows a series of alphabetsand an elaborate display of floral and other or-namental devices .The carefully embroidered initials of the

bride on the textile items of her trousseau -matched by similar items provided for her hus-band's trousseau - are characteristic of Dutch-German Mennonite culture . Maria Reimer I(active 1860) made a Sunday Towel with herinitials "M.R ;" Annie Thiessen (active 1880)made a towel with "A .T ." embroidered uponit ; and Maria Klassen (born 1894) made a towelwith "M.K;" and a set of serviettes were ex-quisitely embroidered with "E.K." for ElenaZecharias Klassen, circa 1894, the year of hermarriage . The same custom is seen in Swiss-German Mennonite towels like the one with"E.B ." and another with the name "BAER,"both made in Waterloo County . These,though showing a few motifs on the upperborder, are towels intended for use - that is,to dry the hands .

Anna Weber, inscribed flyleaf of her Gesang-Buch, 1866 ; to identify the book as her own .(Photo : Michael Bird)

A wooden artifact with identifying initialsis the whimsy made by the youthful EphraimMartin, which he carefully dated 1941 . Whittl-ed works with chipcarved borders, intricate-ly painted, enjoyed a vogue in the early twen-tieth century, and in Waterloo County manywere made by young disciples of the well-known local tramp artist, Fred Hoffman(1845-1926) . In this as in all the above works,a sense of pleasure in having made or possess-

ing the items is expressed in the use of thename of initials, but there is also the genuine-ly practical element of specific identification .

At item in which that element is dominantis the nineteenth century grain sack stencilledwith the name "I . BETZNER," which couldbe used again and again and always be capableof being identified .

Elena Zacharias Klassen, a serviette em-broidered with "E.K." to identify the item aspart of her trousseau . (Photo : Michael Bird)

Books are, as we have seen, very importantin Mennonite life, and the hymnal and devo-tional volume become intensely personalpossessions . As such, books often have not on-ly handwritten inscriptions, but also elaborateflyleaf decorations which not only identify theowner but indicate the value and importanceof the book to that owner . Anna Weber madetwo flyleaves for herself . One is apparently herfirst effort, in her Gesang-Buch, showing a ten-tative little bird . Another, in herParadiesgirtlein, painted in 1872, is a magnifi-cent display of her virtuosity, with two super-nal blossoms or astral rosettes, again suggestingthe trees of the Sun and the Moon, with a veryhandsome and colourful bird . In the firstwork, she essayed the Gothic alphabet, but inthe later, she used a shaky Roman alphabet in-stead . A much more sophisticated and restrain-ed work, still with a clear decorative intention,is the flyleaf penned by Irma Vogt Letkemannfor the hymnal she gave to Johann Letkemann(her future husband) in 1948 . It is notable thatwe see here again similarities of intention oractivity in the two Mennonite communities,despite very clear differences of style .

A final purpose of text is to record. As cen-tral to a household as its linens was the fami-ly Bible, and in a special portion, the FamilyRegister, in which the names of husband andwife, those born to them, and those of thefamily who died, were carefully recorded . Ahandsome Fraktur family register was colour-fully inscribed in the Family Bible of Josephand Maria (Bauman) Schneider, circa 1860 .Three generations are recorded here in red andblue inside a carefully painted red and blueborder .

Individual pages were often used to recordbirths - the Geburtschein - and baptisms -the Taulsrheirn - which in the Mennonitecommunity were events separated by many

Anonymous, Birth Record for Veronica Eby,made circa 1845, to record this life event .(Photo : Fine Arts Archives, University ofWaterloo)

years . An especially elegant birth record inFraktur was created for Veronica Eby (born1815) about 1845 . It is framed by a superbpapercutting of vines and angels, surroundedby a latticed border with astral rosettes at thefour corners . It would be hard to imagine aclearer indication of the importance of therecorded information . A Dutch-German Men-nonite certificate, gorgeously printed with gilt,bears a carefully hand-written record of thegolden wedding of Anna and Jakob Boschman,circa 1917 . Here again the adornment indicatesthe value and significance of the occasion .

To teach, to give, to display, to identify, andto record : all these intentions are summed upin the Friendship Quilt made by students ofa Mennonite Bible School in Ohio for one oftheir number, Judy Martin (born 1952) of St .Jacobs, Ontario, circa 1976 . Here, as in theBook of Remembrance, each participant wasgiven a block of cloth, and then proceeded toembroider it with images, quotations, dedica-tions, names, and dates ; all the blocks werethen assembled to create the collaborativework .Works of Mennonite folk art associated with

texts suggest the complex interplay of the in-dividual and the community . God is knownin the Word, and God's Word is present bothin the community of gathered believers andin the soul of the individual believer whomGod, through the Incarnate Word, calls byname . Even in the most conservative andconformity-enforcing Mennonite community,the individual is expected to come to a per-sonal belief, to be baptized only when convinc-ed, to enjoy a personal communion with God,to read God's Word when alone as well as tohear or sing it in the group . As the Wordbecame flesh, so the words of scripture and thenames of individuals are concretized on paper,textile, and wood .

'these silent forms still speak God's Word,after their makers have departed, to us, theunknown brethren of a day the makers (lid notlive to see .

See a listing of items in the exhibiton pages 7-8 0l this issue .

At the cookhouse at Thayendanega

Men-O-Lan, extablished in 1938, was the firstMennonite camp for young people in NorthAmerica. In Ontario, Stirling Ave. MennoniteChurch, with the encouragement of pastorAndrew R. Shelly, conducted a youth campduring the final week-end in June, 1943 atCamp Thayendanega, near Paris, Ontario. Itwas so successful that they repeated the experi-ment in 1944, adding a children's camp of fivedays' duration . The Indian name Thayen-danega means "buried treasure". Today it iscalled Five Oaks and belongs to the UnitedChurch of Canada . Young people went toParis on the CPR trolley (Grand TrunkRailway) that ran between Kitchener and PortDover. They were then shuttled to the campby church members. It was wartime and gaswas rationed . On Sunday afternoon formerpastor Urias K. Weber and other oldermembers of the congregation came to see whatcamping was all about.Church members provided all of the staff for

these camps and the women of the WMA,who arranged for the kitchen staff, found thecooking facilities rather primitive at Thayen-danega so in 1945 Stirling rented Braeside, alsonear Paris. For Stirling, camping was becom-ing a tradition . Nearly 100 children and youngpeople enrolled and the camp had Paul Shel-ly, professor at Bluffton College and MarthaBurkholder, missionary to India, as instructors .More people enrolled in 1946 and in 1947registration included 38 guests from Penn-sylvania . In 1948 some Stirling young peoplewent to Men-O-Lan, as well as attending theirown camp .In those years instructors at camp included ourown missionary on furlough, Alice Bachert,as well as Donovan Smucker, J. Herbert Fretz,Olin Krehbiel and J. J. Enz. The camp motherscontinued to do the cooking. They also look-ed after the homesick ones . Campers were re-quired to assist the cooks by doing "KP"

Stirling Avenue Mennonite Campby Anne Millar

the Juniors are 3 !thered.

PAGE 5

Some mothers brought along their pre-schoolchildren, who played near the cookhouse doorwhile their mothers worked . Four-year-oldJanet Schrag was given the privilege of ring-ing the dinner bell every day. The campersoften lifted little Diane Rohr to the table topat the close of a meal, persuading her to singfor them .Sine the youth camp was conducted on a

week-end, an issue came up at Thayendanegawhen campers were forbidden to swim on theSabbath. One legalistically minded young mansuggested to his friends that it would no longerbe Sunday after midnight . At two minutesafter 12 there were about 30 to 40 young swim-mers in the water, playing happily at the smallwaterfall afforded by the Grand River. Anx-ious leaders trained their car lights on the wateruntil all of the young people were finished hav-ing their night's fun. Some of these young boysand girls had been to Y camps and consideredswimming to be an integral part of camping.Similar difficulties arose at Braeside when theboys wanted to play ball one Sunday afternoonafter sitting still all morning through quiettime, church and Sunday School . There weresingularly unenthusiastic about playing "Bi-ble Baseball" .

The cooks at Braeside were mothers of thecampers and members of the WMA . LittleDiane Rohr came along with her mother andsang solos for the campers.

The GrandRiver at Thavandane-a was a goodswimming place with a waterfall too!

Notice that the girls all wear skirts, even when playing ball - Tha, indanc 1 .

PAGE 6

Handicapped awareness - Doug Millar andBob Cressman were recruited to carry OliverBauman (Salome Bauman's brother) up VesperHill every evening. Oliver had a bone disease .

At Braeside there was no swimming pooland many children were disappointed . My hus-band, Doug Millar and I were counsellors atthe time and we took the children swimmingto nearby Blue Lake and to Paris public swim-ming pool . We attached an open trailer to ourcar and loaded the children into it . We droveright into town with a trailer full of childrenand no one questioned our method oftransportation!But this informal method of camping was

coming to an end. In 1949 some children fromStirling Ave. had an overnight outing atChesley Lake . For the next 13 years ChesleyLake was the location for Stirling's camp. In1950 there was a Senior Camp directed byPearl Eby but after 1952 there was juniorCamp only, with the young people helping.Florence Cressman was a very capable campdirector . The mothers no longer did the cook-ing. Government regulations concerninghealth and safety were not as strict as they aretoday. One of Stirling's mothers was the campnurse and one year I found myself elected aslifeguard although I had never passed anylifeguard exams. My charges were energeticyoung 12 year olds who frequently swambeyond the prescribed limits and I breatheda sigh of relief when we came to the end ofthe week without a mishap .During the 1950's there were young guests

at Stirling's camp . Sponsored by variouschurch groups and organizations, they camefrom the Children's Aid Society and AilsaCraig Boys' Farm . By 1960 arrangements alsowere being made for children from First Men-nonite Church (Kitchener) and Waterloo Kit-chener United Mennonite Church to enjoy acamping experience together with the Stirlingchildren . In these years the men from Stirlingstill provided transportation to and fromcamp . Each year special Sunday School offer-ings helped to defray camp costs. In 1953 achurch bulletin described camp as "a vital ac-tivity of the Sunday School ."

On March 13 and 14, 1964 a meeting of theMennonite Camp Association (EasternRegion) and Inter-Church Camp Conferenceof Ontario was held at Stirling . That year Stirl-ing children went to Silver Lake Camp . SoonStirling was a member of Silver Lake Men-nonite Camp Assoc. Stirling children who at-tended Siler Lake were subsidized by thechurch . Stirling provided handymen, nurses,cooks and counsellors . In 1966 Stirling erectedthe infirmary as a project . In 1968 fire levell-ed the dining hall and called forth special ef-forts from the supporting churches .In the winter of 1969 Reuben Musselman

dug out a pond for swimming and Doug Millarsupervised the building of a road to the fami-ly camp grounds. Some other Stirling memberswho have been strong supporters of SilverLake Camp are Les and Cliff Zehr, Vi and IrvManske, Clare Maltby, Doris & WillardBechtel, Clayton Moss, Elmer Shantz, BobShantz and Ron & Jean Gimbel .

In June 1969, some Stirling members werepresent for the dedication of the new dininghall at Silver Lake . Camp director Ron Rempelgave a brief history of the camp . Rev. H. P.Epp spoke about camping Is specialsignificance .

Stirling had a number of congregationalretreats in the early '70's . The first was in 1971with Rev. Bob Duthie, a United Churchpastor, as visiting minister . A second retreatm1972 also took place at Silver Lake . In 1973,1974 and 1975 the retreat was combined with

Reuben Mussselman took heavy equipmentacross the lake in the winter of '69 and cutdown trees and dug out a swimming pond forSilver Lake.

the annual church picnic and took place atHidden Acres Camp near New Hamburg. Ac-tivities included a drama put on by thecongregation .

Stirling's experience with camping grewfrom a successful, independent effort to a satis-fying experience in cooperation . Our childrenand young people continue to attend campevery year and the congregation enjoys %vat-ching them grow as they take part in a numberof different endeavours, including music campat Conrad Grebel College .

This sextet was always clowning around butthey also found time to practise singing -Braeside.

At Silver 1 akc ( aroline W illiams front St.Catharines was counsellor for these Stirlinggirls . In the '60's all campers slept in tents.

Mennogresprach is published semi-annuallly bythe Mennonie Historical Society of Ontario,Conrad Grebel College Waterloo, OntarioN2L 3G6 .Editor : Sam SteinerI ditorial CommitteeHerb Enns

Alfred HechtReg Good

Mcnnogespr5ch is received by all members ofhte Society See membership form fur currentrates . All correspondence should be directed tothe editor .Assistance received from the Ontario Ministrypf Culture & Citizenship is gratefully,111 ow edged

ISSN 0824-5673

FRAKTUR AND HANDSCHRIFTEN

AnonymousPennsylvaniaFraktur Painting, "Tiger in the Jungle"Circa 1820-25Conrad Grebel College Archives

AnonymousPennsylvaniaFraktur Painting, "Parrot and Tropical City"circa 1820-25

Attributed to Abraham Latschaw (1799-1870)Waterloo CountyFraktur Painting, "Distelfinken andLily/Tulips"circa 1820Conrad Grebe] College Archives

Attributed to Abraham Latschaw (1799-1870)Waterloo CountyFraktur Painting, "Soul Effigies andAstral Rosettes"circa 1820Conrad Grebe] College Archives

Anna Weber (1814-1888)Waterloo CountvFraktur Painting with Inscription1878Collection of Dr. and Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

Judith Hoffman (1868-1879)Waterloo CountvFraktur drawing, "Paradise"1879Private Collection

Isaac Hunsicker (1803-1870)Waterloo CountvFraktur drawing and painting,"Mensch Lebe Fromm Und Gut"1861Joseph Schneider Haus

Mrs . Michael BowmanWaterloo CountyFramed Fraktur poem, "The Vacant Chair"circa 1925Collection of Dr . and Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

Maria Klassen Toews (b . 1898)RussiaNew Year's Greeting in HandschritienPrivate Collection

Where one teaches God's Word:Image and Text in Mennonite Folk Art

May 10-30, 1990 - Conrad Grebel College Library

Irma V. Letkemann (b. 1926)Waterloo, OntarioFraktur "Wall-Plaque" painting1949Private Collection

AnonymousWaterloo CountyFraktur and cut paper Birth Recordfor Veronica Ebycirca 1845Kitchener Public Library

AnonvinousFamily Register, Bible of Joseph and Maria(Bauman) Schneidercirca 1860Conrad Grebe] College Archives

AnonvinousRosenort, UkraineGolden Wedding Certificate for Anna andJacob Boschmancirca 1917Private Collection

Anna Weber- (1814-1888)Waterloo CountyFraktur FlyleafInscription in Gesang-Buch1366Joseph Schneider Haus

Anna Weber (1814-1888)Waterloo CountyFraktur FlvleaOnscription in Paradiesgartlein1872 .Joseph Schneider Haul

lunar V. Letkemann (b . 1926)Waterloo OntarioFraktur Flyleaf Inscription in JohannLetkenrann's HYmnal1948Private Collection

AnonymousWaterloo CountyBook of Remembrance for Daniel Webercirca 1979Collection of Dr. and Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

THE PRINTED WORD

Gerhard Tersteegen (1555-1621), Blumen-Gartlein inniger Seelen(Lancaster, Pennsv/vania : Johan Baer, 1823)Collection of Dr . rnd Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

Gesang-Buch (Lancaster, Pennsvlvania:Johann Baer, 1829)Collection of Dr . and Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

Johann Arndt, Paradiesgartlein(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania :George W. Munz and Sohn, 1832) .Collection of Dr . and Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

Lieder-Sammlung (Berlin, Ontario :Doedecker and Stuebing, 1857)Collection of Dr. and Mrs.F Palmer Patterson

Martin D. Wenger, compiler-,Die Philharmonia (Elkhart, Indiana :;Mennonite Publishing Company, 1875)Collec tion of Dr. and Mrs.F Palmer r - Patterson

AnonymousWaterloo CountyStencilled Grainsack for- "1. Betzner'19th centuryJoseph Schneider Haus

WORKS IN WOOD

JacobKlassenR ussiaWoodburned Panel1921Private Collection

WiilhelmSpat, Crimeacirca 1917Private Collection

Ephraim MartinHaw ksville, OntarioChipwork Whimsy1941Collection of Dr . and Mrs .E Palmer Patterson

PAGE 7

NAME

ADDRESS

SPECIAL INTERESTS

CITY

POSTAL CODE

Memberships :

PHONE

Maria Klassen Thiessen (b . 1895)RussiaIK~andschijner tot- Annie Thiessen Bergenor David Thiessenearly 20th centuryPrivate Collection

Maria Klassen Toews (b. 1898)Waterloo, OntarioBerlin Work Panel with "God Protect You"20th centuryPrivate Collection

Maria Klassen Toews (b . 1898)Berlin Work Panel with "God Protesct You"20th centuyPrivate Collection

Maria Klassen Toews (b. 1898)Waterloo, OntarioBerlin Work Panel with "Lord Stay with Us"20th century-Private Collection

Students of Mennonite Bible SchoolOhioFriendship Quilt made for Judv Martin(b . 1952)Circa 1976Private Collection

Grateful thanks are offered to the Lenders,including Conrad Grebe] Archives, MatthiasMartin, Joseph Schneider Haus, Irma V .Letkemann, Mary Reimer, Kitchener PublicLibrary, Jacob Willms, Elvera Thiessen, An-nie Thiessen Bergen, and Mary and HenryMartin . Thanks are also offered to Sam Steinerand Hildi Tiessen of Conrad Grebel Collegefor their gracious assistance and permission inmaking this exhibition possible .

I would like to become a member of the Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario . I will be informedof all Society events, will be eligible to serve on the various committees of the Society, and will receiveMennogesprach as part of my membership .

PAGE 8

TEXTILES AnonymousWaterloo CountyTowel with "BAER"

Veronica Bricker (1815-1892) circa 1850Waterloo County Collection of Dr . and Mrs .Sampler E Palmer Patterson1827Private Collection Sarah Hagey

Waterloo CountyShow Towel Segment with Tree of Life

Attributed to "Ebersole Family" 1839Milverton, Ontario Collection of Dr. and Mrs.Sampler E Palmer Patterson19th centuryJoseph Schneider Haus Maria Schneider (1822-1916)

Waterloo CountvShow Towel with Haus Segen

Maria Reimer I (active 1860) 1841Russia Joseph Schneider Haus

Sunday Towel with "M.R."1860 Barbara HoffmanPrivate Collection Waterloo County

Show Towel with Tree of Lifecirca 1850Collection of Dr . and Mrs .

Annie Thiessen (active 1880) E Palmer PattersonRussiaTowel with "A.T."1880 Barbara HoffmanPrivate Collection Waterloo Countv

Show Towel with Family Registercirca 1850Joseph Schneider HaUS

Maria Klassen Thiessen (b . 1894)RussiaTowel with "M.K." Maria Biehn1860 Waterloo CountvPrivate Collection Show Towel with Seven Rows of Tassels

circa 1850Collection of Dr. and Mrs.E Palmer Patterson

AnonymousWaterloo CountyTowel with "E.B." Elena Zacharias Klassen (married 1894)Circa 1850 RussiaCollection of Dr. and Mrs. Serviettes with "E.K."E Palmer Patterson Private Collection

Student - $ 5 .00 Mail to: Secretary, Mennonite Historical Society of OntarioRegular - $10 .00 c/o Conrad Grebe] CollegeAdditional memberships Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G6at same address(one mailing) - $5 .00Sustaining - $ 15 .00