Mennonite Weekly Review

WINNIPEG, Man. — The Mennonite Heritage Centre is collaborating with Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba to assist Mennonites arriving from Latin and South America.

Tina Fehr Kehler, behind desk, talks with Maria Bergen of Oasis Colony, Chihuahua, Mexico, and her daughter. — Photo by Bud Kehler/MC Canada

Crossing borders can be challenging for newcomers, but a change in Canadian citizenship regulations this spring offers a new advantage for those who can prove their parents were born in Canada. They are now entitled to a Canadian passport, allowing for some a step toward citizenship.

Obtaining the proper paperwork can be a complex task. Tina Fehr Kehler of MCC is a lifelong resident of southern Manitoba. Fluent in English and Low German, she helps Mennonites arriving from the South to understand the process.

At times Fehr Kehler calls on the staff at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg. This interdenominational Mennonite archives — a ministry of Mennonite Church Canada — is a treasure trove of church and family records. Using various resources, MHC staff can usually find information to supplement the genealogical evidence that Fehr Kehler receives from newcomers.

“It is an example of how genealogy is more than a pastime of collecting names and dates. Genealogy can make a tangible difference,” said director Alf Redekopp.

The MHC serves Mennonite Church Canada’s 221 congregations and five area churches. It is also the official repository of archival records for organizations such as MCC Canada and the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference. It houses many family and community collections including the recently acquired large Mennonite Genealogy Inc. collection. Up to 200 people in search of historical records visit MHC each month.

Redekopp and Fehr Kehler say there is enormous satisfaction in helping a generation of Mennonites return to Canada.

“We’re helping Mennonite families increase knowledge of their own family history — a history that may have been lost to them but has now become essential in their repatriation process,” Redekopp said.