Fonds CMBS Personal papers collection (textual), Audiocassettes: NA-18-07, NA-16-5, NA-16-3. NA-16-4. NA-18-08,Photographs: NP10, NP52-01, and NP51-02 - Cornelius Franz (C.F.) Klassen fonds

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Cornelius Franz (C.F.) Klassen fonds

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CMBS CMBS Personal papers collection (textual), Audiocassettes: NA-18-07, NA-16-5, NA-16-3. NA-16-4. NA-18-08,Photographs: NP10, NP52-01, and NP51-02

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

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  • 1922-1964 (Creation)

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Physical description

43 cm of textual records
128 photographs
5 audio recordings

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Custodial history

The Cornelius F. Klassen fonds was donated to Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies at various times. Early in 1977, Catherine Klassen (wife to Cornelius' brother H.F. Klassen) donated two albums of photographs which were compiled by C.F. Klassen. In April 1981, Harold Klassen donated five wire recordings which have been put on to audio cassettes. In January 1987 Catherine Klassen (sister-in-law in Winnipeg) donated 42 photographs of the C.F. Klassen collection, mostly of MCC in Europe and World War II. In June 1993 Mrs. Catherine Klassen donated C.F. Klassen's personal papers, found in this fonds. Some files appear to have been the property of Klassen's son Herb Klassen, who we assume donated the material after the writing the book on Klassen Ambassador to His People. Some materials are dated well after C.F. Klassen's death and it is unclear how this came to be included with Klassen's papers. They may in fact be the papers of C.A. DeFehr and from G.H. Sukkau. Two files are photocopies from the P.H. Unruh Collection general correspondence MLA-MS-20 at Bethel College Historical Library Newton, Kansas.

Scope and content

The materials in this fonds consists of correspondence, reports, and minutes to and from Klassen in his role as an administrator and advocate for Mennonite refugees. There is lengthy correspondence with Cornelius A. DeFehr (C.A. DeFehr) and Benjamin H. Unruh (B.H. Unruh). Correspondence is with M.C.C. board members such as H.S. Bender and Orie O. Miller. The documents reflect Klassen's activities with relief organizations, settlement of Mennonites in Paraguay, Brazil, and Mexico, travel debt repayment, world conferences, and his involvement with such issues as non-resistance. Also included are documents to and from important organizations such as the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization, Mennonite Central Relief Committee Canada (MCRC), Canadian Mennonite Relief and Immigration Council (CMRIC), which later joined to form the Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCC) in 1963. This material shows the difficult situation the refugees in Russia faced and how Mennonites in Canada, the United States, and to a lesser extent in Germany and Holland tried to help them through financial and material as well as emigration to Canada and South America. Some of the material is dated well after Klassen's death and this material tends to be connected with C.A. DeFehr and to a lesser extent G.H. Sukkau. The fonds also contains some bibliographic material of a personal and family nature such as a fiftieth birthday celebration event, tributes, funeral, and articles "Er Kann" by H.F. Klassen, written about C.F. Klassen, Mennonitische Rundschau 27 September to 13 December 1972 The photographs are of churches that Russian Mennonite immigrants had erected or acquired in Canada after 1923 and of the occasion of Sir Edward Beatty's and Colonel J.S. Dennis's visit to the Mennonite settlement at Coaldale on September 19, 1937. (See Mennonite Brethren Herald 4 February 1977, p. 18). Other photos are of Klassen's work in Europe. Located in the CMBS tape collection is a tape that Klassen sent to his family in North America for Christmas, 1952. Another tape consists of reports from MCC workers in Germany. Reporting are Martha Thiessen, Helen Janz, Sigfried Janzen, Margaret Janzen, and C.F. Klassen, 1950. There are also cassettes in the form of tributes to Klassen.

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Arrangement

Described by Conrad Stoesz June 6, 2003. A detailed file and item inventory for files 1-17 was completed at an earlier date by [Herb Klassen?] which was used in this finding aid.

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Some restrictions apply to the audio recordings.

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Finding aids

Finding aid consists of a file list and some item lists

Online version of finding aid available at: http://mbconf.ca/mbstudies/guide/perspapers/klas_cf.htm

Associated materials

Related material: B.B. Janz fonds, C.A. DeFehr fonds, Heinrich F. Klassen and Catherine Thiessen Klassen fonds.

Associated material: Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization fonds at the Mennonite Heritage Centre. Mennonite Central Committee Canada (MCC) fonds at Mennonite Heritage Centre, A.A. Friesen fonds at Mennonite Heritage Centre, Mennonite Central Committee US (MCC) fonds at Mennonite Church USA Archives, Goshen, Indiana, P.H. Unruh fonds at Bethel College, Newton, Kansas.

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  • English

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