Folders and Family Bibles

This morning found me making folders. Yes. Folders. I do that quite a bit, actually. Sometimes little leaflets need something to keep them safe, so I make some folders from archival cardboard, adhesive binding tape, and archival envelopes. The ones I made today for Peggy were slightly different. Instead of being made of two different pieces of cardboard, it was one piece, scored down the middle to create a book-type enclosure. These were used to assist some of the personal files that were getting slightly too large or needed some help.

Scoring down the middle

Putting in the folder

All done!

After this, Peggy had to run to Alco to get some black poster board for me to use to take pictures of white dishes (They wouldn't show up well on the white background I had been using). While she was gone, I did a little bit more research. This time, on Anna Rose Goertzen, a missionary in what was then the Belgian Congo.

She also wrote a couple of books about her time there.

Peggy got back with the black poster board and I took and edited the pictures. Tomorrow I will not be doing any of that, since Peggy is going to give a lecture on the Mennonite Brethren in Marion County, and I will be going with her. I am unsure if I will be able to write a blog entry tomorrow or Friday, since tomorrow I am going to see Katie Funk Wiebe, and Friday I will be seeing family, so three days may be smashed together in Saturday's blog.

After lunch, I got started on the John A. and Viola Wiebe file. I was excited to look at this, since their son, Paul, attend my church. Paul has a fantastic beard and a wonderful, deep voice. Those things that define him for me, and I find it hard to believe that he didn't have those at any point in my life. However, pictures are trying to prove me wrong.

Apparently he's one of the two young boys in the front (he is a twin). There's no beard, so I don't believe it.

Viola Bergthold Wiebe was born to missionary parents in India, and grew up there. When her parents went to the United States for furlough, she stayed behind and enrolled at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. There, she met John Wiebe. They got married and soon left to do service in India. While in India, they had seven children. The children eventually left India to acquire higher schooling.

Speaking of schooling, there were some interesting things in the first Wiebe box I opened. This box was not focused on their missionary service, but their life before their service. Specifically, their childhood.

Yes. 5th and 6th grade assignments

And a 7th grade spelling book. He was rather good at spelling. 

Fair awards

Grade reports (I didn't look) and Viola's Biology notebook (She triple majored in Chemistry, Biology, and Bible. I'm struggling to fit one major into four years, and she does three? Wow.)

Grade reports (again, I didn't look, but I'm sure I would have been impressed).

John's essay on "The Hen" 

Can you guess what this is about?

Yep. "History of Corn."

It's a mystery!

"The Horse"

John's 7th grade spelling book.

An essay on "Poultry" 

For which John won a "First Premium" award.

He won "Second Premium" for something else, probably tied to this rope.

One last essay on George Washington

These two led an amazing life in India, reaching thousands, but unfortunately, John got caught in an undertow of some sort and drowned in 1963. Viola continued to act as a missionary until 1970, when she retired from missionary service.

There was also a folder of photos. They didn't have many descriptions, and I think most of these were friends of the family, but here are some of my favorites.

Just hanging out. In India.

What's over there?

The missionary school, of which John was principal.

John and Viola(?)

A wedding picture. 

Another wedding picture (With a fantastic hat/veil)

Posing next to a pretty basket of flowers

I love how you can see the backdrop. 

And yes, it was a Christmas card. 

This is labeled "Agra." It has made it onto my "Places to see" list.

There were also a couple of books in the box.

A cookbook of economy recipes.

A little book in German. Seems like a devotional book.

Every German book I've found from this time period have this font. I have no idea why. It seems rather difficult to read to me.

I also got a chance to look at the Gerhard H. Bartel file. Gerhard is my great, great grandpa, so I wanted to get a look at what they had of his. There were a lot of pictures. Say hello to my family:

They like to line up in groups and take pictures. 

Really, it's their favorite. 

Absolute. Favorite.

Here's Gerhard, Anna, and baby Bena! 

Sisters 

I remember seeing this picture in my family history book. I love the girl in the front's necklace.

There was also a family Bible:

Pretty old and beat up.

With that same German font.

There were a million and a half "unidentified" pictures. Most of these seem to have come from my Great Aunt Ruth. I have no idea where she would have kept all of these. However, I'm going to put some here with some little comments or titles.

"One of us is going to have to change." 

"Honey, it's okay if the house burned down, I have enough fabric to make a tent."

Look at that hat! I love it.

2012 called. They want their hairstyle back.

Who is this? She's so pretty! 

Yeah, that's a veil. Apparently, that style was very popular with the Polish.

Yes, she won first prize. At the wedding fair.

I know. Bad jokes. I'm not apologizing.

Now for a special picture more related to modern times. Some of my friends from Bluffton may know this guy:

That's right.

Mark Suderman was the choir director at Tabor for a few years. Here, let's see how he's changed.

Apparently, not very much.

As a student currently under his (wonderful) direction, I can also tell you that his conducting style hasn't really changed much.

That's all for tonight. I'll see about a blog tomorrow, it depends on when I get back from my visit. Friday, I am getting to see some of my extended family, so there may be pictures of that that include me (You're welcome, Annette.) I am also excited for this weekend. I'm going to Fresno on Saturday, and on Sunday I may be going to a national park of some sort. I was told by my history professor (who is from California) that I have to go see the wonderful canyons and views surrounding Fresno. Again, there may be more pictures of me. Or at least, pictures of wonderful views.