Elven Shantz

Title: Elven Shantz fonds

Dates of creation: 1956-1973

Physical description: 12 cm of textual records

Biographical sketch: Elven Shantz (7 Apr 1893-13 Sept 1984) was the son of Menno Shantz and Susannah Bowman. On 4 Mar 1920 he married Mabel Weber; she died in 1973. Elven Shantz was a lay leader in the Ontario Mennonie community. He helped to establish Mennonite Disaster Service and the Mennonite Relief Sale in Ontario, and spoke for the Old Order Mennonites in conversations with the government. Shantz was also secretary of the Military Problems Committee during the latter portion of World War II, and served in the Conference of Historic Peace Churches, predecessor to Mennonite Central Committee (Ontario). In later years he served on the Executive of Mennonite Central Committee (Ontario) and on the board of the Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario.

He was also active in the community, and was inducted into the Waterloo County Hall of Fame in 1977. He has a business as a monument manufacturer.

Custodial history: Donated by the Elven Shantz family, 1985

Scope and content: Contains minutes and correspondence from his various involvements.

Notes: For further information see the article on Shantz in the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. See also the obituary in Mennonite Reporter, Oct. 1, 1984 and in the Gospel Herald, Oct. 9, 1984.

File list:

1. Correspondence, minutes, re: Waters Mennonite Church (near Sudbury), 1956-1965
2. Course notes from university study, 1963-1968
3. Correspondence related to Henry Buchenauer efforts to immigrate to Canada from Hungary, 1964-65
4. Misc. correspondence, including materials related to Old Order Mennonite negotiations with government, 1963-1968
5. Financial records related to work for Old Order Mennonites, 1967-1973.
6. Rockhaven Half-way House correspon dence, minutes, 1967-1969
7. Data related to work with Waterloo County Hall of Fame, 1969-73
8. Questionnaires on Mennonite belief for each Mennonite denomination in Ontario, n.d.
9. Missions and Service Board correspondence, minutes, misc. 1965-1970
10. MCC, Peace and Social Concerns Committee -- misc. minutes, 1969-1972
11. Peace and Nonresistance -- misc. 1964
12. 1960 - Leaders - Elven Shantz
    Custodial history: File was created for the Mennonites in Canada history project. In 2010, copies of archival materials from that file were transferred to Hist.Mss.1.111/12.