The Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical
Association (SMCHA) is a nonprofit organization comprising descendents of immigrant
Mennonites who came to the USA in the 1870s
from what is now the Ukraine. Their ancestors originated in Switzerland
passing through many countries in Europe including France, Germany, Austria
and Poland on their way to the Ukraine.
Major purposes of the SMCHA are to educate descendents of
the Swiss Mennonites on the origin and culture of this group through various
cultural events, research activities, maintenance of historic places, etc. There
are several thousand of such descendents, many of them located in central Kansas,
South Dakota, and other mid-western states.
The Swiss Mennonite home pages are considered
to be a work in progress. Improvements are always possible. New
materials may be added and factual errors will be corrected. Some
materials will be added and some may be removed Suggestions for changes
of this nature are most welcome and should be forwarded to a
web committee.
Swiss Heritage Tour 2013
SMCHA is planning a trip for July 22-August 6,
2013 to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors in Europe and Ukraine. Gary Waltner
who grew up in South Dakota and lives in Germany will lead the trip for approximately
35 people to visit villages and historical sites in the most inclusive tour
possible. Gary currently works with Mennonite Archives there and is very knowledgeable
about Mennonite history. Included will be Zurich, Montbeliard, Emmental, Kiev,
and the settlements of the Swiss Germans in Volhynia. Several others sites are
still being considered. If you have an interest in this trip, please contact
LaVern Stucky, 1962 E. 30, Peabody, KS 66866 lavern@powwwer.net or 620-983-2348
or Helen Nachtigal at 316-283-8077 for more details and the full itinerary.
Down payment of $500 will hold a spot on the trip. We are working hard to keep
the total cost to around $5000 per person.
Current Events and Announcements
- March Feature Story -
The Diary of John J.
Stucky
- February Feature Story -
Catlin Speeches
by James Juhnke and Alan Stucky
- Annual Meeting, Sunday afternoon, March 10, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. at the
First Mennonite Church of McPherson,1161 E. Avenue A (Maxwell at Avenue
A). Program by Maynard and Marlene Krehbiel sharing about life and experiences
of their great grandparents. Agenda includes election of officers, action
on several proposals dealing with annual dues and cemetery expenses and
short history of First Mennonite Church, McPherson. Refreshments will follow
the meeting.
- The January Feature, Rich Preheims's "The
Three Kingdoms: The origins of the missionary impulse among the Swiss-Volhynian
Mennonites" Also check out past
features from SMCHA.
- Minutes for January
22, 2013 SMCHA Board meeting
- The
Hoffnungsfeld Cemetery guidelines (12 Dec 2011)
COME BACK HOME TO HOFFNUNGSFELD (Hopefield) CEMETERY
The Hoffnungsfeld Cemetery located west of Moundridge, KS near the site
of the Hopefield Church, is the historical burial place for the Swiss Volhynian
Mennonites and others who migrated to the area in 1874 and later. It is
located on a tract in the NE corner of the SW quarter of section 19 in township
21 of McPherson County. The cemetery was the only Mennonite cemetery west
of Moundridge until the dedication of the new Eden Mennonite Church cemetery
in 1924. A large percentage of the original immigrants and pioneer families
are buried there. In 2001, the cemetery became the property of the Swiss
Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association (SMCHA) and it is being preserved
as a historical site as well as an active cemetery.
The cemetery provides a final resting place with pleasant rural surroundings.
The SMCHA Board would invite people who live in the area, as well as those
who have roots here but have lived their lives elsewhere, and those who
are contemplating a pleasant final resting-place to consider the Historical
Hoffnungsfeld Cemetery.
- Update the Centennial Recipe Book
At the banquet last year, a member reported that her Centennial Recipe Book—The
Centennial Treasury of Recipes--was falling apart and she suggested that
it be updated. Jeanette Wedel has agreed to lead the project. The goal is
to print 15-20 traditional favorite ethnic recipes (no brownies or recipes
that could be found in many cookbooks) with some variations. Then preparing
the Recipes would be demonstrated on a DVD that would be sold along with
the book. Hopefully the DVD could be helpful to passing on the traditions
to those who have interest in serving all those dishes that Grandma used
to make. Those interested in participating in the project or desiring to
pass on your ideas or recipes or demonstrating how to make the recipe, contact
Jeanette Wedel at P.O. Box 457, Hesston, KS 67062
djwedel@embarqmail.com
620-327-4166.
- Marker Dedicated to Remember the Swiss Volhynian children
buried at
Catlin Cemetery near Peabody.
Is your family one of those who realize that their relative was one of the
children who died at Peabody in 1847 when the Mennonite immigrants first
came to Kansas? When the men returned from scouting land to buy, they discovered
that “almost all the children became sick. Some children died. The town
had no cemetery at this time. A few miles north there was a place with a
few graves. Since there was no other way of transportation, the bodies were
carried there and buried” (A Short History of the Swiss Mennonites written
by P.P. Wedel). We know now from a correspondent’s report in Herald of Truth,
January 1875, that “Brother Stucky’s party buried 14 children on Brother
H. Hornberger’s farm” and we know now that this farm is today’s Catlin Cemetery
(north and west of Peabody). According to James W. Krehbiel (Swiss Russian
Mennonite Families Before 1874), as many as 17 children have been identified;
some may be in a cemetery north of Halstead. SMCHA honored these children
by placing a memorial stone 4’6” x 2’6” in the Catlin Cemetery. The writing
on the stone states: “Those believed to be buried here include the following”
followed by the names of the children. SMCHA honored these children by placing
a memorial stone 4’6” x 2’6” in the Catlin Cemetery. The writing on the
stone states: “Those believed to be buried here include the following” followed
by the names of the children.
Thank you to the Research Task Force: Brian Stucky, Vic Goering, Arnold
Wedel, James Juhnke.
