Amish Mennonite Experience in Ontario Oral History Project

Title: Amish Mennonite Experience in Ontario oral history project

Dates of creation: 1999-2000

Physical description: 41 cassette tapes

Administrative history: In 1999 the Institute of Anabaptist Mennonite Studies approved an oral history project on the Amish Mennonite Experience in Ontario, as a means to seek and preserve stories, recollections and descriptions of their experience in Southwestern Ontario. In addition of recollections of significant events, persons and anecdotes, the project wanted to record changes in the piety and worship style of those persons who were part of the Ontario Amish Mennonite Conference, which became the Western Ontario Mennonite Conference, which merged into the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada in 1988.

Orland Gingerich, former bishop in the Western Ontario Conference, conducted the interviews in fall 1999 through 2000. Gingerich prepared brief summaries of the interviews. C. Arnold Snyder and Sam Steiner provided direction to the project. In later 2000 Orland Gingerich himself was interviewed by C. Arnold Snyder, not long before Gingerich's death in January 2002.

Scope and content: A binder contains background documents to project, summaries of interviews and signed deposit forms.

Custodial history: Deposited in the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by Orland Gingerich throughout the project.

Notes: Description created by Sam Steiner in January 2001
As of 2023, all files have been digitized in .wav and .mp3 format

File list:

Interviews

1. Schwartzentruber, Elmer (1909-2006), Nov. 23, 1999 (1 tape, 60 min)
2. Roth, Lorraine (1930-2013), Dec. 10, 1999 (1 tape, 59 min)
3. Erb, Erwin (1917-2002), Dec. 14, 1999 (1 tape, 43 min)
4. Helmuth, Norman (1920-2004) and Vera (Nafziger, 1921-2018), Dec. 14, 1999 (1 tape, 63 min)
5. Gerber, Steve (1918-2017) and Edna (Albrecht,1917-2012), Dec. 17, 1999 (1 tape, 31 min)
6. Erb, Elmer G. (1911-2006), Dec. 28, 1999 (1 tape, 31 min)
7. Steinman, Walter, Jan. 25, 2000 (1 tape, 30 min, poor quality)
8. Litwiller, Earl & Mary, Jan. 26, 2000 (1 tape)
9. Wagler, Lorne & Dora, Jan. 27, 2000 (1 tape)
10. Steinman, Arthur and Florence, Feb. 2, 2000 (1 tape, 58 min, .mp3 only)
11. Kennel, Anson and Esther, Jan. 27, 2000 (1 tape, 62 min)
12. Schwartzentruber, Laverne and Marjorie, Feb. 2, 2000 (1 tape, 62 min)
13. Zehr, Austin (1916-2008) and Helena (Gingerich, 1914-2015), Feb. 10, 2000 (1 tape, 63 min)
14. Leis, Harold and Ruth, Feb. 11, 2000 (1 tape, 31 min)
15. Bender, Urie, Feb. 15, 2000 (1 tape)
16. Schlegel, Earl & Florence, Feb. 22, 2000 (1 tape, 63 min)
17. Roth, Alvin & Madeline Roth, Feb. 23, 2000 (2 tapes)
18. Jantzi, Lavina, Mar. 8, 2000 (1 tape)
19. Zehr, Glenn & Mary Ellen, Mar. 8, 2000 (1 tape)
20. Steckle, Oliver, Mar. 9, 2000 (1 tape)
21. Gingerich, Ephraim, Mar. 9, 2000 (1 tape)
22. Erb, Carl & Fern, Mar. 14, 2000 (1 tape)*
23. Steinmann, Ervin & Erma, Mar. 21, 2000 (1 tape)
24. Schwartzentruber, Ken & Grace, Mar. 28, 2000 (1 tape)
25. Dorsch, Victor & Viola, Mar. 29, 2000 (1 tape)
26. Lebold, Ralph (1934-2017); Schultz, Herb, Lichti, Fred, Apr. 25, 2000 (2 tapes)
27. Roes, Florence, May 17, 2000 (1 tape)
28. Ruby, Ken & Margaret, May 24, 2000 (1 tape)
29. Bender, Harold & Marie, June 8, 2000 (1 tape)
30. Schwartzentruber, Glenn, June 8, 2000 (1 tape)
31. Schumm, Glen & Lydia, June 13, 2000 (1 tape)
32. Bender, Audrey & Harold, June 21, 2000 (2 tapes)
33. Wagler, Wilmer & Katie, June 27, 2000 (1 tape)
34. Yantzi, Ken & Alma, June 29, 2000 (1 tape)
35. Wagler, Leander, July 11, 2000 (1 tape)
36. Ruby, Raymond & Norma, Aug. 21, 2000 (1 tape)
37. Roth, Wilfred & Jean, Sept. 7, 2000 (1 tape)
38. Jantzi, Clare & Marie; Zehr, Grace & Del, Sept. 28, 2000 (1 tape)
39. Gingerich, Orland (by Arnold Snyder), Nov. 1, 2000 (3 tapes)