Isaac S. Cressman family

Title: Isaac S. Cressman family fonds

Dates of creation:1926-2002; predominant 1970-1998

Physical Description: 8 cm of textual records; 2 paintings

Administrative History: Isaac Schneider Cressman (1830-1894) was born near Strasburg, Ontario, and lived on the Cressman family farm all of his life. In 1854, he married Barbara Schneider (1834-1864). The couple had 5 children. In 1865, he married again, this time to Elizabeth Schneider (1840-1910), a sister to Barbara. Together they had 8 children.

The first family reunion was held in 1920. In 1926, the descendants of Isaac Cressman met for a reunion at the Strasburg school house. They resolved to hold reunions every two years on the first of July. An executive was then elected to organize the reunions. Two genealogies of the family were published, the first in 1966 and the second in 1982.

Custodial history: Donations have come from the family at various times.

Scope and Content: From 1926 onwards, the executive kept minutes of their meetings. The fonds also contains reunion invitations, addresses and registration lists. The two published genealogies can be found in the CGUC library. Updated lists of births, deaths and marriages were often handed out at the reunions.

Note: For photographs related to the Cressman family search the Mennonite Archival Image Database.
Further materials related to the Cressman family may be found by searching the Archives and Library.
 

File list:

1. Painting and print of the Isaac S. Cressman homestead at Strasburg, Ontario by Alson S. Bauman (23x15 cm)
2. Minutes of the executive committee, 1926-2000
3. Invitations
4. Contact and address lists
5. Registrations of attendees
6. Updates of births, deaths and marriages, 1958, 1960, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, notes for updates in 1996 and 1998.
7. Correspondence and family register kept by Sybilla (Schweitzer) Bowman
   Custodial history: Donated to the Archives by Dorothy Bowman and received from Arlene Kehl 
   Note: Photograph of the Isaac Cressman homestead was removed from this folder and placed in Hist.Mss.10 2000-1 182 in the photograph database.
8. Cressman family tree / Alson S. Bauman [graphic material] [196-]. - 1 painting ; 96 x 117 cm (sight) in frame 100 x 121 cm. - Donated to the Archives by Dorothy Bowman and received from Arlene Kehl
9. Barbara (Cressman) Schweitzer (1864-1935) and Samuel Schweitzer (1859-1930) family register
   Custodial history: The Cressman-Schweitzer family Bible was passed from Barbara Schweitzer to her daughter Sybilla (Schweitzer) Bowman, and donated to the Archives by First Mennonite Church in 2019. Permission was granted to the Archives to remove the family register pages; the Bible was not kept.
   Scope and content: Includes Bible family register pages from the Samuel Schweitzer and Barbara (Cressman) Schweitzer family Bible. The pages list their descendants, Barbara Cressman's parents (Isaac S. and Elizabeth Cressman) and siblings, and Tobias Bowman's parents (Benjamin S. Bowman and Hannah (Shantz) Bowman) and their descendants. File also includes a separate family register sheet for Joseph Y. Shantz (Tobias Bowman's great grandfather).