Dyck, Peter (1821-1885)
Peter Dyck was the first elder of the Zion Mennonite Church of Elbing, Kansas. He was born in Klein Montau, near Marienburg, West Prussia, on 3 April 1821. On 12 July 1849 he married Agathe Entz. They had five children, Catharine, Agathe, Peter, Johannes, and David. Peter Dyck served the Ladekopp Mennonite Church in West Prussia as minister until his emigration in 1876. In May 1869 he and four other men visited friends and relatives in Russia. In 1870 various interested families and churches commissioned him to visit Russia again, this time to determine the possibilities of settlement there. He was accompanied by Wilhelm Ewert of Thorn and Abraham Regier. Peter Dyck again visited the various settlements and went to much trouble to study the farming possibilities. He apparently preferred South Russia as a future location for the Prussian Mennonites, and he even entered into negotiations with government to this effect. It is of interest to note that Cornelius Jansen strongly urged him to investigate America before deciding in favor of Russia. In 1876 Peter Dyck and his family came to Kansas with many other Prussian Mennonites, and settled several miles south of Peabody, Kansas. He served the Emmaus church as minister until 1883, at which time he was instrumental in organizing the Zion Mennonite Church at Elbing. He was one of 14 charter members. In May 1881 he left Peabody for a visit to his former home in Prussia; in July he went on to Russia, returning to Kansas in September 1881.
The record clearly indicated that Dyck loved the ministry and worked hard to be a good shepherd. He had keen insight and good interest in many things. His records reveal minute descriptions of churches, farming methods, and spiritual conditions as he found them in Russia and elsewhere during his travels. He was respected and loved as a community and church leader.
| Author(s) | Cornelius J Dyck |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Dyck, Cornelius J. "Dyck, Peter (1821-1885)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Dyck,_Peter_(1821-1885)&oldid=118144.
APA style
Dyck, Cornelius J. (1956). Dyck, Peter (1821-1885). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Dyck,_Peter_(1821-1885)&oldid=118144.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, pp. 115-116. All rights reserved.
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