Neufeldt, Harvey George (1936-2021)
Harvey George Neufeldt: teacher and scholar; born 27 August 1936 in Yarrow, British Columbia to Peter P. Neufeldt (1 August 1911, Rosenwald, Barnaul, Asiatic Russia – June 1961, Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA) and Helena Enns Neufeldt (14 December 1911, Lichtfelde, Barnaul, Asiatic Russia – 18 April 1999, Abbotsford, British Columbia), the third of four children. On 30 August 1958, Harvey married Anne Wiens, daughter of Nikolai N. (1898-1979) and Anna Reimer Wiens (1901-2003). They had three daughters: Beverly, Sharon, and Ellen. Harvey died in League City, Texas on 28 December 2021.
Harvey grew up in the village of Yarrow, British Columbia. From age eleven, Harvey suffered from pneumonia and lung infections which led to countless health issues throughout his life. Convinced that he would not live a long life, Harvey was driven to be a life-long scholar and educator with tremendous faith, integrity, kindness, friendship, principle, and family values.
In 1956, Neufeldt graduated from Sharon Mennonite Collegiate in a class of 13 students. After high school, Harvey enrolled in Mennonite Brethren Bible College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, giving him the opportunity to explore religious topics and meet the love of his life, Anne Wiens.
Married in 1958, Harvey and Anne were a true partnership, and in 1959 Anne offered to give up her studies and go to work to help finance Harvey’s education. Following Bible College, Anne and Harvey moved to Ontario, where he enrolled at Waterloo Lutheran University and earned his BA degree. Harvey began his career as a high school teacher. Their first daughter, Beverly, was born in 1960, and Sharon followed in 1964.
In 1965, Harvey and Anne packed up their small family and moved to East Lansing, Michigan, where Harvey attended Michigan State University. There he received his MA and PhD in history, and Ellen was born there in 1968. In 1970, the family moved to Tennessee where Harvey served as a professor in Tennessee Technological University’s (TTU) College of Education for almost 40 years. During his lifetime, Harvey wrote numerous articles, book reviews, papers, etc., spending most weekend afternoons at the office.
Passionate about the transformative power of education, Harvey and Anne mentored and supported thousands of students and took pride in seeing them thrive in their chosen careers; this support extended to their three daughters. Harvey was also instrumental in establishing the PhD program at TTU. One of his students said, "Harvey Neufeldt challenged and inspired his students to examine what real teaching is and how, ultimately, education can influence a society."
One of his colleagues said, "Dr. Neufeldt provided students with important insights, particularly from critical theory on race, class, and gender. He had strong family values and was connected to his faith throughout his life. He was a principled human being who was a very fine scholar and colleague."
In 1986, after attending Cookeville’s First United Church for several years, Harvey agreed to become the minister for two small rural Methodist churches. These churches could not support a full-time pastor, so Harvey preached, and Anne was the pianist.
Harvey believed in diversity, equity, and inclusion at a time when these topics weren’t discussed in the classroom. Harvey co-authored books on TTU’s history and education: Education of the Black Adult in the United States: An Historical Bibliography and The Search for Identity: A History of Tennessee Technological University, 1915-1985.
In the early 2000s, Harvey’s uncle Jacob A. Loewen had been in discussions about a new project, a history of early Yarrow, British Columbia, a hamlet of Dutch-German Mennonite refugees from the Soviet Union. Under Harvey’s supervision as coordinator, the Yarrow Research Committee produced five volumes from 2002 to 2009. Harvey not only oversaw the writing of all five volumes but also served as editor of the third and fourth volumes, contributed chapters to the first four volumes, and the introduction to the fifth.
In 2015, Harvey and Anne moved to an assisted living facility in League City, Texas to be closer to their daughter Sharon. It took very little time for Harvey to help form a "breakfast club" that met before 7 am every morning where many, many topics were debated.
Harvey Neufeldt was an intrepid conversationalist, a fighter for the underdog, a friend to the hurting, a historian who focused in later life on the Mennonite story, and a keen advocate for justice and acceptance.
Bibliography
GRanDMA (The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) Database, GM24-06n. Fresno, CA: Mennonite Genealogy Inc., 6 June 2024: #343713.
Neufeldt, Harvey. "Harvey Neufeldt: My Story." Undated.
Neufeldt, Leonard. Emails.
Obituary. Harvey Neufeldt. James Crowder Funeral Homes. 30 Dec. 2021. https://www.crowderfuneralhome.com/obituaries/dr-harvey-neufeldt/.
| Author(s) | Sharon Neufeldt Carter |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Carter, Sharon Neufeldt. "Neufeldt, Harvey George (1936-2021)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Neufeldt,_Harvey_George_(1936-2021)&oldid=179101.
APA style
Carter, Sharon Neufeldt. (June 2024). Neufeldt, Harvey George (1936-2021). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Neufeldt,_Harvey_George_(1936-2021)&oldid=179101.
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