Redenzel, Maria Friesen (1844-1925)
Maria Friesen Redenzel, the first Mennonite teacher in Rosenort, Manitoba and the only female teacher licensed by the Protestant School Board of Manitoba in 1879, was born 21 February 1844 in Wernersdorf, Molotschna Colony in South Russia. Her parents were Cornelius Friesen (1810-1892) and Maria Rempel (1819-1897). Maria was baptized in the Kleine Gemeinde 12 May 1863. She immigrated with her parents to Manitoba, Canada in 1874. Ten years later, Maria married Julius Redenzel; a laborer of Lutheran background, who had emigrated from Prussia, settled in Borosenko, South Russia among Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites, and then come to Canada with them in 1875. They had no children.
Maria Friesen Redenzel probably began her teaching career in Neuanlage, South Russia. She then taught in Canada, first in Rosenort, and after 1880 in Blumenhof. When she married in 1884 Maria was teaching in Gruenfeld where she continued to teach as Mrs. Redenzel. Maria's husband died in 1919, at which time she moved to Altona. There she died in the old folk's home in 1925. Although somewhat eccentric, Maria Friesen Redenzel is remembered above all for her pioneering spirit, her intelligence, and her special gift with children.
Bibliography
Plett, D. "First Woman Teacher: Maria Friesen Redenzel 1844-1925." Preservings No. 8, Part I (June 1996): 9.
| Author(s) | Sharon H. H Brown |
|---|---|
| Date Published | April 2006 |
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MLA style
Brown, Sharon H. H. "Redenzel, Maria Friesen (1844-1925)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2006. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Redenzel,_Maria_Friesen_(1844-1925)&oldid=77138.
APA style
Brown, Sharon H. H. (April 2006). Redenzel, Maria Friesen (1844-1925). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Redenzel,_Maria_Friesen_(1844-1925)&oldid=77138.
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