Benjamin Goertzen was the vorsteher (secular administrator) for the Hague-Osler Reserve in Saskatchewan from 1916-27 and a member of many Reinländer land-seeking delegations from 1920-21.

As part of his administrative role, Goertzen was in charge of the church money collections and together with his wife, Justina, he exhibited much concern for provision for the poor in their community. One of Justina’s enduring legacies was a successful scheme to procure land for Mennonites who were living on the road allowances.

Much of Goertzen’s time as vorsteher was spent dealing with the Saskatchewan government’s attempt to impose secular, English language public schools upon the Mennonites. Goertzen then became a leader in the migration to Mexico when the church decided to emigrate in response to the loss of their autonomy over their children’s education. Goertzen was a member of many of the most important delegations that found a new homeland for the church in Durango, Mexico.

During the emigration process Goertzen was also, together with minister Johann P. Wall, in charge of a disastrous land-sale scheme that significantly impacted enthusiasm for the migration and was partially responsible for the fact that only a quarter of the church ended up leaving Canada. The church wanted to sell all of their members’ land in a single block sale. To facilitate this, it had all church members sign over their titles to Wall and Goertzen. A sale failed to materialize and many found it difficult to reclaim title to their land, which caused confusion, impoverishment, and resentment.

Benjamin Goertzen was born in Fürstenland Colony in Russia (present day Ukraine) to Gerhard Goertzen and Helena Redekop in 1873. His family moved to Canada in 1875 and settled in the West Reserve. He married Justina Teichroeb in 1893. They moved to the Hague-Osler Reserve in 1899 and to Durango, Mexico in 1927. In the spring of 1929, while living in Mexico, Goertzen and his family were robbed by bandits at gunpoint. Goertzen died a few months later of illness. After his death, Justina returned to Canada along with her six unmarried children.

Bibliography

Braun, Dick. “Justina Teichroeb Goertzen (1876-1957).” Flight and Resilience: Mennonites of Saskatchewan (1895-Present). Diefenbaker Centre of Canada at the University of Saskatchewan, 2021. Link.

Doell, Leonard and Annie (Goertzen) Braun. “Gruenfeldt Village.” In Hague-Osler Mennonite Reserve, 1895-1995, edited by Jacob G. Guenter et al. Hague-Osler Reserve Book Committee, 1995. Pp. 81-85.

Goertzen, Peter. “Benjamin Goertzen (1873-1929), Delegate.” In Old Colony Mennonite in Canada: 1875-2000, edited by Delbert F. Plett. Steinbach: Crossway, 2001. Pp. 122-124.

Goertzen, Peter. Goertzen: Northbound ‘93 Edition. Self-Published, 1993. Pp. 113-144.

Guenter, Jacob G. Et al. “Village Administration.” In Hague-Osler Mennonite Reserve, 1895-1995, edited by Jacob G. Guenter et al. Hague-Osler Reserve Book Committee, 1995. Pp. 34-35.

Janzen, Abram G. Altester Johan M. Loeppky, 1882-1950: As I Remember Him. Hague: self-published, 2003. Pp. 4-6.

Janzen, William. "Stories from the Life of Abram Janzen of Blumenheim." Saskatchewan Mennonite Historian 27, no. 2 (2022): 29-37.

Loeppky, Johann. “Journal on a Trip to Mexico, 1921.” Preservings 26 (2006): 37-44.

Werner, Hans. "Old Colony and Russlaender Land Transactions." Preservings 45 (Fall 2022): 23-28.

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MLA style

Ens, Gerald. "Goertzen, Benjamin (1873-1929)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 2025. Web. 17 Apr 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Goertzen,_Benjamin_(1873-1929)&oldid=180424.

APA style

Ens, Gerald. (2025). Goertzen, Benjamin (1873-1929). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 17 April 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Goertzen,_Benjamin_(1873-1929)&oldid=180424.


Author(s)	Gerald Ens

Date Published	2025

Goertzen, Benjamin (1873-1929)

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