Plett, Maria Koop (1868-1918)
Maria Koop Plett, Mennonite pioneer and diarist, was born on 10 June 1864 in the village of Muntau, Molotschna Colony, South Russia. She was the seventh of ten children born to Johann M. Koop (1831-1897) and Katharina K. Barkman (1832-1923). As a young woman Maria was baptized into the membership of the Kleine Gemeinde. She then followed the example of three older sisters and married one of the sons of Cornelius S. Plett (1820-1900). Maria and Jakob L. Plett (1864-1931) were married on 14 November 1885. They had 15 children together of which 12 survived to adulthood --two sons and ten daughters. Maria died of the Spanish Flu on 13 September 1918 in Blumenhof, Manitoba.
Maria came to Canada from Russia in 1874 with her parents as a ten year old child. At first they lived in Blumenort, Manitoba but later moved to Neuanlage. After marrying, Maria and her husband Jakob L. Plett moved onto a 160-acre farm in the village of Blumenhof which he owned jointly with his brother David L. Plett (1863-1953). Here they raised their family and over the years developed a large prosperous farm operation. Maria was a hard working, organized, practical person, well loved by her husband and children. She was also one of the very few Mennonite women during this time who kept a journal. Started in 1905 and continued until her tragic death in 1918, Maria kept a journal which she entitled "noteworthy events." Although her journal tells little about Maria’s own character, it does provide an unusually detailed account of life in a Mennonite farm community during the early years of the 20th century in rural Manitoba. As such it is historically significant.
Bibliography
Plett, Delbert F. "Maria Koop Plett 1868-1918 Journal." Preservings No. 10 Part II (June 1997): 33-35.
| Author(s) | Sharon H. H Brown |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2006 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Brown, Sharon H. H. "Plett, Maria Koop (1868-1918)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2006. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Plett,_Maria_Koop_(1868-1918)&oldid=60246.
APA style
Brown, Sharon H. H. (June 2006). Plett, Maria Koop (1868-1918). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Plett,_Maria_Koop_(1868-1918)&oldid=60246.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.