Mennonite Genealogy with Michael Penner

Steinbach Estate and Its Owners

The story of the Steinbach estate and its owners is told by descendant Jacob Dick, recorded on pages 286-7 of the book Cornelius Willms 1730-1972, compiled by Katie Peters. My editorial comments are within square brackets.

Our great-grandfather Daniel Schmidt moved with his family to Russia in 1809. Our grandfather Peter Schmidt was 20 years old.

Great-grandfather Schmidt owned a lovely place, called Stausterhof, in Pfalz, Germany, in the vicinity of Zweibruecken. Earlier in life he had lived in Waschbronnen, where he had owned a watermill. I visited both places in 1873. The mill was still working, and Stausterhof was still the same as grandfather had left it. Above the entrance was the year 1762 chiseled into the stone.

Great-grandfather had left this place during the night as he fled Napoleon, who occupied the Pfalz in 1809 and enlisted all young men into the army. Great-grandfather left all his belongings, only took the cash along, that he had on hand, but lost this all on his journey. As they were crossing the Rhine River on a ferry, a Corporal with 6 soldiers arrived at the river bank and called out to the ferry operator to return. This one insisted that great-grandfather gave him all the money or he would return. As they noticed that the ferry did not return, the soldiers started to shoot, but did not get them. So Daniel Schmidt arrived on the other side of the river penniless and walked as far as Lemberg. Here they were able to lodge with a family Kintzki over winter, helping with the threshing and other work to pay for their keep.

In the spring of 1810 they continued their journey to Russia and landed in the Mennonite settlement in Taurida, in the village of Rueckenau, where great-grandfather later died.

His second son Peter Schmidt was hired by Claas Wiens of Steinbach. Claas Wiens had come from Prussia in 1804 with many other Mennonites. They founded the village of Altonau. Claas Wiens was “Oberschulze” (chief mayor). For nine years the people had lived in one spot in their mud huts without doing much work, leading a bad life, drinking “Branntwein” cts. It seems as if the first settlers were the scum of society.

Claas Wiens, one of the most clever and energetic, made a plan to settle nine villages along the Molotschna River. He brought this plan before the people at a business meeting in 1813. But they had had to much out of the bottle again and argued against it, even thrashed him so hard, that his wife had to come and get him. After he recuperated he packed all his belongings and his family on a wagon and drove off saying: “I much rather live amongst the ‘Kalmuecken’ and ‘Nogaier’ than amongst my people.” (These were nomads roaming from pasture to pasture with their large herds of sheep and cattle).

Claas Wiens came to the spot where the small Kaikulak [should say Tschokrak] creek enters the Yushanlee River. Here he stopped his wagon and said to his wife: “Mother, here we want to settle.” On the next day he started to make earth bricks for the house. So Claas Wiens became the founder of the later beautiful village of Steinbach.

Now Claas Wiens had two daughters and one son, who died at the age of 23. The hired man, the young Peter Schmidt, fell in love with Anna, the oldest daughter, of which her father did not approve. He liked the young man and was satisfied with his work, but Peter Schmidt was not able to understand the Low German dialect. So he said to his daughter: “Waut welist du, Aunke, met so enem Kolnistijunge, de kaun je nich reden?” Love conquered, and on August 18th, 1814 was their wedding day.

Czar Alexander I visited our colonies and small settlements in 1825. Everything looked beautiful over night and next day’s noon meal. His courier and cook had arrived earlier.

As the house was not able to accommodate all his staff, the latter spent the night in the hayloft. The Czar presented my grandfather with 500 dessiatines land besides a number of dessiatines in rent for all times. He also called my grandmother and asked her how she liked Russia, if she had any complaints, and finally – she should make a wish. But oh, our dear grandmother had no wish. So the Czar gave her 1000 Ruble in gratitude for the night lodging.

Those glasses and cups, which the Czar had used, were treasured highly for many years. Even the table at which the Czar had sat, stayed in the family till we left for Canada.

The time came when we not only lost most of the glasses and cups (one cup is still supposed to be existing) the Czar drank from, but also had to leave our homeland, house, yard, and graves of our loved ones, and are able to thank the Lord daily that we were able to come to Canada.

 

Home

Penner

Reimer

Friesen

Bergmann / Wiens

Regehr

Bergen

Landmark, Manitoba

Kleine Gemeinde

Periodicals & Obits

Genealogy

Forstei List of 1908

Ukraine Trip 2007

Related Links