History of Landmark, Manitoba by Peter A. Plett

Mennonite Genealogy with Michael Penner

History of Landmark, Manitoba

A Short History of Prairie Rose

As the Mennonites immigrated to Canada in 1874, the largest part of the Kleine Gemeinde settled on the east side the Red River in four villages: Gruenfeld, Steinbach, Blumenort and Blumenhoff. Blumenhoff was established in 1875 and after about 15 years had already dissolved. Blumenort was established 1874 and dissolved in 1910; in this same year, the farmers in the village of Steinbach, which had been established 1874, divided their estates into farms and some also moved on their farm. Gruenfeld (now named Kleefeld) had proceeded already some years earlier in this fashion.

Agriculture now went courageously forward. The years 1915-1918 were quite fruitful years and the prices for farm products were good. The young adults saw good prospects in farming. Thus more farmland had to be created.

At that time, a large open prairie lay northeast of Blumenort. It was named the Brittennsteppe. Unfortunately this prairie lay too low for growing grain and was instead used as hay fields. In many places there were swamps; this country was often flooded either by strong rain or the spring melt. Large canals were created through the swamps and the country drained. It now started to grow into bush, and the country took on the appearance of farmland.

Now our fathers became interested in this area and in 1917 it was examined. Soon one plot after another was acquired on the market; people moved there; houses were constructed; fences erected; meadows broken. A name was missing, however, for the new settlement. Reverend H. R. Reimer was particularly mindful on the fact that the name of this settlement of the Germans be appropriate also for the English language. People agreed on the name "Prairie Rose".

In the first years of the settlement, the experience was often bad and there were only a few drainage canals. As a result, significant damage to our farmers was caused by floods and heavy rains and progress was only slow. But courage and continued industriousness brought it to the way that we have it now with beautiful farms and good experiences.

Presently, farming is not the only trade. Businessmen were found and so the village Landmark was established, and lively trade blossomed. Two large new schools were also constructed.

The old school was brought in 1920 from Blumenort to Prairie Rose; it served initially as a school and simultaneously also as a church. A new church was constructed in 1946. The schools multiplied so that we were now educating in five elementary schools and had a high school with four classrooms.

The population only slowly climbed because some families and young adult moved on to new settlements. In the last 13 years, our population of 230 increased to 281.

Our Sunday school was organized in 1938 and the student number the same at 337. Out of Prairie Rose, the following Sunday schools were served: Prairie Grove; Meadow Valley; Rosewood; Navin and Oak Hammock.

Summer Bible schools were begun in 1956 and in the last year 535 children in schools from 38 communities were instructed.

Our singers do their service by going out in groups and serving with song in hospitals, old folks homes, and also in private dwellings.

Reverend Heinrich R. Reimer of Blumenort was one of the first to be established in Prairie Rose. He operated a large farm with his family and he served at the same time as a preacher and also as a school teacher up to the year 1925. Then Peter J. B. Reimer came there as a teacher and began the Singstunde (singing hour) and Jugendverein (youth group).

Soon Isaak W. Reimers also moved to Prairie Rose where he then served as a deacon. After three years, they returned to Steinbach; so Heinrich R. Reimer was without assistance until 1941.

Until this time, all districts on the East Reserve had been more or less connected and everyone together had one Aeltester who served baptism and communion and led the brotherhood.

In 1941, in Prairie Rose Reverend Ben D. Reimer and Deacon Peter A. Plett were selected. After about five or six years, all districts were made autonomous; and in Prairie Rose the direction of preacher. H. R. Reimer was supported. He remained leader until in 1955 his son Franz Reimer was selected as leader and became ordained. Franz Reimer and Abe P. Unger were in the meantime selected as preachers. In his last years, Reverend H. R. Reimer spent some winters in the forest in the saw mill where he served with the Word and did other work as well.

Reverend H. R. Reimer, one of the first settlers in Prairie Rose, was also for long time the single preacher there. He was selected as a deacon on January 23, 1916; and already by February 1, 1918 he was call to be a preacher.

In entirely later times, Harvey Plett and Peter Guenther were selected as preachers.

Peter A. Plett

Heinrich R. Reimer and his second wife, deceased pastor of the Prairie Rose Church. Source: The Sesquicentennial Jubilee, p.88

This article was published in German in The Sesquicentennial Jubilee: Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 1812-1962. It was written by an early settler of Landmark, Peter A. Plett and provides a brief history of the village of Landmark and the Prairie Rose Evangelical Mennonite Church.

Note: the establishment and dissolution of the villages mentioned below refers to how when the Mennonites first arrived, they lived villages for safety, removed from their farms. This followed their practice in Russia. As safety concerns diminished, the villages were dissolved as the villagers dispersed to live on their farms.

Prairie Rose Church and Sunday School bungalow, c. 1960., Source: The Sesquicentennial Jubilee, p.82

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