Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta

Surnames: DNA tools

Yet another twist.  Tim Janzen indicates that he turns to the new resources of DNA analysis and hopes to learn things there.

He writes (appealing to my own interest in the surname Rempel): 

REMPEL

In recent months I have particularly been looking at probable areas of origin of the Mennonite surnames based on the Y chromosome marker data available (see www.Mennonitedna.com).  At this point we have the Y chromosome haplotype available for only one male Rempel, specifically a descendent of Bernhard Rempel (b. 1763, d. 1806)(Grandma #101361).  This person's Y chromosome haplotype is in Haplogroup R1a.  Haplogroup R1a is common in Poland, and in fact 56% of males of Polish ancestry have this haplogroup (see Wikipedia on R1a and Semino, et al., (2000). "The Genetic Legacy of Paleolithic Homo sapiens sapiens in Extant Europeans," Science, Vol. 290). 

Mennonites of Dutch ancestry frequently are of Haplogroup R1b or I.  Only 3.7% of a small sample of Dutch males (27 males), were R1a.  Thus, the Y chromosome results from the one male Rempel tested thus far are consistent with central European origin of the surname.  Hopefully, as more males in Europe have Y chromosome testing done it will become easier to pinpoint a probable area of origin for the Rempel surname. 

The closest matches I have been able to find thus far to the Rempel Y chromosome haplotype in the Sorenson database and in the Ysearch database are a Mr. MacDougall whose ancestors were from
Scotland and a Mr. Brandolino whose ancestors were from Italy, each matching 29 of 32 markers.

JANZEN

I have wondered exactly where my original Janzen ancestor was from for a long time.  The farthest that Glenn Penner and I have been able to trace my original Janzen lineage is back to a Jacob Janzen (b. ca
1730, GRANDMA #580914), whose father was a Franz Janzen and who was a member of the Orlofferfelde Mennonite Church in W. Prussia.  My Y chromosome haplogroup is J2a1k.  Haplogroup J2 is relatively rare in the Netherlands, and none were found in a relatively small sample size of 34 males from the Netherlands (Semino et al. (2004). "Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area," American Journal of Human Genetics, 74:1023-1034). 

The closest match I have been able to find in the SMGF and Y search databases is a Mr. Alexandratos whose ancestors were from Greece, matching 34 of 39 markers with my haplotype.  I wouldn't be surprised if my original Janzen progenitor never lived in the Netherlands and instead was from somewhere in central or southern Europe.

Hopefully, better sampling of European males will help provide some additional clues as to exactly where my Janzen progenitor was from.

In Kinship,
Judii

Surname: Hildebrand

Apart from Don Kauffman, Dave Hildebrand from Calgary also wrote - about his surname.  Dave recommends that we visit his website to get the full story, but let me tease and offer you his opening "dark and stormy night" sentence:

"Hildebrand is a name ancient in origin and steeped in legend, mystery and history."

Check it out!

In Kinship,
Judii

Swiss Mennonite Surnames

Don Kauffmann writes from Edmonton that his source for Swiss Mennonite names is by author Delbert L. Gratz, Was Isch Dini Nahme? What is Your Name? - A Collection of Swiss Family Names, 95 pp., index,  Masthof Press, Morgantown, PA., 1995, revised 1997 (catalog no. 1574 -- USD 8.95 + s&h.

Names are grouped in the following categories:
1. Family Names from First Names
2. Family Names from Place Names
3. Family Names from Characteristics
4. Family Names from Animal Names
5. Family Names from Occupations

Details of names generally are:
1. Name
2. Meaning of Name
3. Swiss Family Name
4. American Spelling(s)
5. Heimat (original location)

In Kinship,
Judii

Surname Meanings and Sources

I've been unusually fortunate in finding resources that speak to where my surname (Rempel) came from.  My first sources were the Mennonite Encyclopaedia and Mennonitische Namen/Mennonite Names (a bilingual book by Victor Peters & Jack thiessen published in 1987).  Both are in the MHSA library for anyone to consult.

REMPEL
In addition, however, I located a German-language article published by W.J. Rempel of Goettingen in Ostdeutsche Familienkunde (1960), which Ann Rempel translated, and then I edited it and placed it online.  The article is particularly interesting because it delves into the root of the name as a given name and explictly lists many of the early "name-bearers".

What have you found out about your own Mennonite surname (or other Mennonite surnames that you are researching) and what have your sources been?  The methods you've used and the resources you've uncovered may well be of great help to others.

In Kinship,
Judii

Ethics of Archives

Ethics you say!  Many of you will not even be certain what precisely an archives does.  (And, yes, Virginia, archives is correct, "archive" is a verb; the noun form always has an "s" at the end.)

The News Story

A news story that surfaced at CBC today, said the provincial archives in Newfoundland/Labrador had commissioned 280 boxes of records (estate records and wills) to be destroyed - after they had been microfilmed, because the records were in such poor shape.  The crime, though was that two men had not complied with the contract to destroy the records.  The news story identified the men's ages, but no details regarding what constituted "poor shape".

The Response from Canadian Archivists

This story made it to archival discussion groups online today with fascinating and varied responses.  It demonstrates how useful varied points of view are, and that discussion assists with eliciting not just facts but insight. 

Stuart McLean of Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia Archives was horified that the records were destined to be destroyed, but applauded the microfilming effort.  He wondered why the poor-condition records were not being put into the market place for sale to generate revenue to benefit the archives.

Glenn Dingwall, of City of Vancouver Archives followed and indicated we should know more about the condition of the records before judging those who determined they should be destroyed [perhaps they had mould which would have contaminated other records].  He also said there may well have been a condition of donation that indicated they could NOT be sold for instance.  But he makes an even more important point:

This could set "a very bad precedent....Imagine the pressure that would come from those controlling the purse strings once they found out you can film damaged records and then sell the originals in order to recover costs and/or generate income. Why then would we not do the same with all of our holdings (and realizing lower storage costs too)? As soon as this becomes a possibility, it calls into question the motives behind any decision to deaccession records."

This caused Susan M. Hart , BC Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services Archives to agree and add: "and I for one would not appreciate my ancestor's will being flogged on the open market!"

She added, "It is common, accepted practice for government archives to [make the tough and yet appropriate decision to] microfilm valuable records and, for series that are homogeneous, to destroy all or most of the originals.... especially if the originals are in bad condition.... I'm impressed that somebody has been arrested for tampering with government records. This sends a strong message in support of treating them with respect."

A finally, Wallace J. Maclean notes: "But for an early 19th-century document, you are hardly that person's only descendent. What if another descendant would jump at the chance to buy it?"

How this affects the MHSA

At the MHSA we are actually in the midst of trying to determine the appropriate location for a small collection of records for a national Mennonite organization that were donated to us.  We thought that the records might best be "repatriated" to join other records from that organization in another archives. 

However, we have determined that there is no Mennonite archival repository in Canada that has been collecting the records.  Yet the organization still exists and now is interested in acquiring the records and simply storing them in their own administrative offices. 

Our decision?  Thank goodness for such discussions online and the fact that we now have an archival mentor at the MHSA (Jim Bowman, archivist with the Glenbow Museum and Archives). 

Jim's suggestion is that when we accept donated records, there is associated "a certain amount of moral responsibility to care for them, and to make sure that they're kept intact, and available for consultation." 

Further he says, individuals "do a lot of soul-searching before they decide to donate them to an archives.  Their personal papers, after all, may be the only documentation of the meaningful aspects of their lives.  They wonder whether their archives will be cared for, and whether they will be a source of information and inspiration for future generations."

As a result, the MHSA will be keeping the records to ensure that they are preserved according to the wishes of the family, in an environmentally-safe setting, and are not inadvertently destroyed by a staff person in the administrative body who is just "cleaning house" one day.

Interestingly, the organization has replied that they are going to use this opportunity to start thinking about establishing an archives.  Their chief officer has written, "Our original founders, movers and shakers ... are starting to disappear, and their records, notes and stories with them. Some of those records ... are more part of the story of the individual than of the organization, and need to be kept as such. But even in those circumstances, it is extremely helpful ... to know where those records are located, so that anyone who is looking up ... [organization name's] history has access to the fullest possible spectrum of information."

In Kinship,
Judii

Mennonites in the Cities of Imperial Russia, Vol. 1

A new book by Helmut T. Huebert (author of the well-thumbed Mennonite Historial Atlases) has recently been published, entitled Mennonites in the Cities of Imperial Russia.  It's a hefty book - 8 1/2" x 11" and 450 pp long.  It covers seven Russian cities where Mennonites lived, featuring long lists and at least cursory description of those residents, businesses, Institutions, and Schools operated by Mennonites, and biographical essays on some of the more notable residents. 

to give you an idea of the content, I'll list the headings from the lists of people and indication of how many people are in the lists as indicated by Huebert.  beneath each list I'll identify the number of Rempels who appear in the list.  This may only be interesting to other Rempel researchers, but it will give you an idea of the scope of the book and whether it belongs on your reference shelf. 

Huebert's book is available for purchase from the MHSA (see link on upper right corner of this webpage)

List of people who at one time lived in Barvenkovo (184)

1. no Rempels

List of people who at one time lived in Berdyansk (978)

1. Gustav Johann Rempel - in 1922
2. Isbrand Peter Rempel b 27 Aug 1841 Sparrau, Molotschna
3. Jacob Rempel, guest in 1877
4. Johann Rempel b ca 1797
5. Johann b 11 Jul 1831
6. Johann Johann, son of windmill owner
7. Johann Peter b 258 Feb 1832 Sparrau
8. Mr. Rempel (dau = Justina b 14 May 1893)
9. Nikolai Isbrand Rempel b 18 Jan 1867 Berdyansk
10. Peter rempel, guest 1877
11. Peter G. Rempel b 10 Feb 1866 Nieder Chortitza
12. Peter Peter Rempel b 1803 Marienburg, W Prussia
13. Wilhelm Jakob Rempel b 11 Dec 1866 Elisabetthal,  Molotschna

List of people who at one time lived in Melitopol (or area) (189)

1. Georg Nikolai Rempel (s of Nikali Isbrandt Rempel and Katharina Martens; d 17 Sep Welland, ON)
2. Heinrich Nikolai Rempel (b to GNR)
3. Johann Heinrich Rempel
4. Nikolai Isbrand Rempel (also listed in Berdyansk) b 18 Jan 1867 Berdyansk
5. Nikolai Nikolai Rempel (b to GNR)

List of people who at one time lived in Millerovo (400)

1. Abram Rempel
2. Abram Dietrich Rempel (immig to Can 1924, settled in Herbert, SK

List of people who at one time lived in Melitopol (189)

1. Johann Gerhard Rempel b 8 Sep 1878 Rosenthal, Chortitza
2. Kornelius Gerhard Rempel b 11 Aug 1882 Rosenthal
3. Widow Peter Rempel
4. Susanna Rempel b ca 1892

List of people who at one time lived in Orechov (138)

1. Mr. Rempel b ca 1870

List of people who at one time lived in Pologi (68)

1. no Rempels

List of people who at one time lived in Sevastopol (28)

1. no Rempels

List of people who at one time lived in Simferopol (85)

1. Agatha Rempel from Gnadenfeld
2. Maria Rempel from Gnadenfeld

In Kinship,
Judii

Photo Ops

Normally Photo Ops is a shorthand way of referring to Photographic Opportunities for politicians to show that they're just everyday folks or that they are powerful folks yet benevolent in assuring a particular project or program gets underway.

Today, though, I have in mind a pretty rich resource of photographs that most folks don't consider:  school yearbooks.  Whether highschool, college or university - most smaller schools produce these annually.  What a great way to see what a relative, parent, or teacher looked like years ago.

At the MHSA we have a lot of yearbooks - probably over 100 - on the shelves for lots of prairie and west-coast schools.  Mennonite Educational Institute, Bethany Bible Institute, Prairie Bible Institute, Swift Current Bible Institute, Mennonite Brethren Bible College, Columbia Bible College, Canadian Mennonite Bible College and more. 

Some in our collection go back to the 1930s and earlier.  And, they're on our library shelves, so it's an easy matter to bring along a digital camera or borrow our scanner to capture an image for your research purposes.

In kinship
Judii

Asking for Help

From time to time I get very general queries that are impossible to answer or would take hours to answer well.  And, too often, when I reply with details, the person never writes again.  Have they found it helpful?  Are they willing to make a donation to the organization I am volunteering with?  Hard to tell.

The queries are sent pretty innocently, but they generate a LOT of work. It sometimes takes an hour to answer properly.  Or more. 

So, in the interests of putting this down in writing once - and hopefully being able to refer inquirers to it - here's my suggestion list.

1. Enter what you already know (including citing sources) into a genealogy database (I recommend Brothers Keeper; but Legacy, The Master Genealogist and Reunion are also very good ones).
2. Print our a report known as a Pedigree Chart so you have a clear accounting of vital dates and places that are known.
3. Use it to determine which branch/person you want to pursue information on
4. Buy a copy of GRANDMA 5 (it has a shareware copy of a genealogy software on it, so you may want to do this first) and see how it can extend what you know/want to know
   - Canadians will want to buy it from the MHSA bookstore (link at upper link of this page
   - Use the category links at the right for more info about GRANDMA
5. Meanwhile, interview/consult all known elderly relatives - they'll have a ton of knowledge that's likely not written down anywhere else than in their diaries, letters and books - and which may get destroyed when they pass (you can save the content this way at least; even better, try to preserve the documents in an environmentally responsible location such as an archives as well)
6. Consult Tim Janzen's website or the Mennonite Genealogy Data Index for possible sources of information that fit the timeframe and geography of the person/branch that you are pursuing
7. Join a local genealogy society or a Mennonite history society and use the local resources that are likely to tie into your family that they have
8. Start writing for government or church record copies that may help you document events (the links to Tim Janzen and the MGDI will be very helpful here; and don't forget to donate for the time they spend on your request)
9. Join a Mennonite discussion group like the CAN-MHSA, or Menno-Rec-Roots to learn the language of genealogy, how others ask and answer questions, and then introduce yourself and your specific questions about brick walls that you've encountered

And, if you want to learn more and faster ... get out and volunteer at your local genealogy or Mennonite history society.  You'll get some dedicated training in responding to queries, get regular access and depth of knowledge regarding their in house resources and paying for the access through fair, sweat equity.

And, if you want to read what a professional genealogist has to say about getting started - with hints/tips, please see Brian Hutchison's Getting Started (16 easy chapters online).

In Kinship,
Judii

GAMEO

Whether you are new to doing reading Mennonite history or have been interested for a long time, GAMEO has a lot to offer to you.

GAMEO stands for the Global Anabaptist-Mennonite Encyclopaedia Online and is the substantial project initiated by the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada (an umbrella body of Mennonite history organizations in Canada), now with two additional partners:  Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee, and Mennonite Brethren Historial Commission. 

This week I found myself blank about detailed knowledge of land ownership practices among Mennonites in South Russia. GAMEO is where I turned and found an entry written by James Urry (Search:  Land Distribution).

It's where you might go to learn which Mennonite leaders share your surname or may otherwise be among your direct line ancestors.  Here's the beginning of the entry for Rempel, "A widely ramified family name among the Mennonites in. West Prussia. and America, Rempel is derived from Raganbald or Raganbold, which means "a brave council. It is thought that this family name is not of Dutch origin...".  That's followed by eight biographical entries for individual Rempels written by Alexander Rempel (Search:  Rempel).

This is where you can learn more about the work of the CPR with the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization to settle Mennonites in western Canada written by Jacob Gerbrand (search: Board of Colonization).

This is the eventual location of the five volume Mennonite Encyclopaedia that was begun in the 1950s in Kansas (and which replaced the even earlier, German-language Mennonitische Lexicon).

Why not visit GAMEO, do a few intuitive searches and learn something about the context of your genealogical work.  There is a What's New page so you can dive in weekly and develop your acquaintaince with this formal authority on Mennonite history.

And, if you know of a Mennonite person, organization, congregation or other entity that isn't portrayed in GAMEO, make a comment.  We'll make sure that the Alberta representative for new entries, retired Professor of History Peter Penner, gets your suggestion.

In kinship,
Judii