Week 35 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Back To School

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 35

Prompt - Back To School

Vivian and Jake Peters

My father is reading instructions on how to put together a new piece of furniture.  As simplistic as it seems, a picture like this has always told me a story of Jake Peters that many people did not know. My father was illiterate. On his attestation papers, it is written that Jake left his public school at the age of 16 in 1932 with a grade 4 level. In his post war papers he was assessed as a grade two level schooling. Jake had enough school to know how to  write his name and read the most basic of words and do arithmetic.

Part of Jake Peters Attestation Papers

Let's look into the history of Mennonites and Education that could possibly shed light on dad's education.

My great grandfather, David Peters & his wife, Katharina Mueller immigrated to Canada in 1874 along with about 4000 (some sources say 7000) other Mennonites. In 1870 Russia announced its plan for Russification by 1880. This included taking away their exemption from military service, but even a bigger issue was that their schools had to be taught in Russian. Mennonites tie their German language to their culture. This assimilation was not tolerated and thus they emigrated to Canada who promised them the privilege to teach their children in their German language and in their own schools.
David and Katharina settled in the West Reserve of Manitoba often considered to be “Old Colony”. Old Colony referred to the first settlers of Russia in 1789 and the settlement was called Chortitza Mennonite Colony.  In 1803 a new wave of Prussians emigrated to Russia and became known as the Molotschna Settlement. In these times the Old Colony was considered poorer, less educated and more conservative than the new settlement. The old colonists were concerned about preservation of their culture through language, education, self governance, mutual aid and the layout of their villages. Dealing with the world outside of their settlement was rarely allowed. Within 20 years land in their Manitoba settlement became scarcer and the old colony looked for land in the Hague – Osler Area where the government had just set aside land for the Mennonites. Once again the old colony was on the move to set up a conservative Mennonite Settlement. According to GRANDMA online David Peters helped organize the village of Blumenthal having arrived there in 1898. His son, my grandfather Franz Peters was 22 years old. Franz married Elisabeth Dueck in Blumenthal in 1902.

The conservative settlements set up its schools as soon as they were established. All boys from the ages of 6 to 13 and girls 6 to 12 were required to attend the school from October to seeding time in the spring. Their teachers were usually from the village and had no training other than attending school. The books that they were taught from was a primer, the catechism, the old and new testament. They were taught the basics of arithmetic, reading and writing in German.

 

 Some examples of the types of books used in the Old Colony Schools.
 Quite possible the type that my great grandfather, David Peters and his son Franz Peters (my grandfather) would have been schooled in.



 
 












There was however a small group of “progressive Mennonites” in the Hague / Osler area who wanted their children to attend the English public schools to get a better education. The Old Colony did not approve and as a result those who did send their children to the public schools were excommunicated and their business shunned by the Old Colony Mennonites. The progressive Mennonites requested the help of the Saskatchewan government which set up a Royal Commission on the matter and was held in Warman in December, 1908. Nothing really became of it and this disappointed the excommunicated who had hoped to force the old colony to stop with the excommunications and banning of their businesses.

Less than ten years later the subject of private school (Mennonite German Speaking instruction) vs public school (English instruction school) came up again due to the post WWI sentiment. The premier of Saskatchewan forced the issue by banning all German Schools and mandating compulsory enrollment in Provincial Schools. The Old Colony was unhappy and did what it did best and that was to emigrate to Mexico who once again gave the promise of right to educate their own children in their own schools in their own language.

This is the background to which my father, Jake Peters came upon his education. His family did not move to Mexico thus I think they were considered the progressive sect of Mennonites. Jake was able to attend the public school. Due to compulsory attendance he stayed until 16 years, but achieving only grade 4.

According to my sister dad was taken out of school to work on the farm. His father had injured his back and needed the help of his sons.

Dad did what he had to do to survive in an increasingly literate world. I recall the change from a cash based economy to the world of chequing accounts. It was one of the stumbling block of dad. I stood beside him at the grocery store and when it came time to write the cheque he had the cashier fill it in “ because he forgot his glasses at home”. Something that I came to recognize in one of my patients on a nursing ward who asked for help to fill out his menu selections. My co worker belittled him as lazy and I saw it for what I grew up with - literacy difficulty.

Post war dad got three job offers.  A farm start program, Bessborough Hotel Cook and Ham boner at Olympic Meat Packing House.  He decided to try out for a cook at the hotel.  It apparently only lasted one week because he couldn't read the recipes and he would not tell them that he couldn't read.  According to my brother it ended with the chef throwing knives at him because he got the recipe wrong.  Yikes!

Bessborough Hotel

Olympic Meat Plant

He moved on to the meat packing plant (Olympic) where he worked out the rest of his working life.  At one point, he wanted to take on another job within Olympics that required reading recipes.  Apparently he brought the recipes home so mom could read them to him and he could memorize them.   I don't know how that story ends.  By the way he was known as Jack Peters at Olympics. Dad didn't write his name clearly and they read his name as Jack.  Dad never corrected them.

Signature on Attestation Papers.  I can clearly read his name.

Dad did attempt to go back to school through at home lesson by a tutor. This was after I left home. He was embarrassed and told very few people of this. I'm not sure but I think that lasted only one year.

Maybe my family can help fill in the details of this.

In spite of all of these challenges, I am incredibly proud of my father and all that he did in his life time.

Wendy