Wiens, Jakob (1767-1845)
Jakob Wiens: writer and pioneer; born 2 August 1767 as the son of Herman Wiens, in Danzig, Prussia. He grew up in Prussia as the second of five children. Jakob was baptized in 1786 in Czattkau, Prussia. On 14 February 1792, he married Sara Dick (1771-1795). The couple had one daughter, who died at the age of 22. The Wiens family migrated to Russia in 1792 and settled in the village of Schönhorst, Chortitza Colony. After Sara’s death, Jakob married Sarah Brandt (1772-1861). They had 12 children, seven of whom died young. By 1814, the family had moved from Schönhorst to the village of Neu Osterwick.
Jakob Wiens kept a journal of the family’s history, recording all the joys and sorrows of his life as well as his farming accounts and other business dealings. Later, his son continued the tradition of journal-writing. Jakob and his family had a fairly prosperous farm, with sheep, cattle, and other animals in addition to the crops they cultivated. Lending money to other farmers was a common practice for the Wiens family, and Jakob also provided a home for one of his sisters. Jakob died on 31 December 1845 at his home in Russia.
Jakob Wiens was a meticulous and generous man whose family record has helped preserve a part of Mennonite history. Through his writings and his life, he left a legacy for his descendants.
Bibliography
GRANDMA (The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) Database, 5.03 ed. Fresno, CA: California Mennonite Historical Society, 2007: #162459.
Plett, Delbert F. “Peter and Jakob Wiens, a Teaching Tradition.” Preservings No. 17 (December 2000): 20-21.
Wiens Family fonds (Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives)
| Author(s) | Susan Huebert |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2007 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Huebert, Susan. "Wiens, Jakob (1767-1845)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2007. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Wiens,_Jakob_(1767-1845)&oldid=136166.
APA style
Huebert, Susan. (December 2007). Wiens, Jakob (1767-1845). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Wiens,_Jakob_(1767-1845)&oldid=136166.
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