David Martens and part of his family at their homestead in Neuhoffnung, Northwest Territories (now Saskatchewan). The photo was taken in 1898. David is pictured holding his infant son Cornelius, who died of diphtheria less than a year later. His wife, Helena Falk, holds their youngest at the time, baby Helena, while their daughter Katherina stands beside her. The boys are believed to be, from left to right, Jacob, Isaac, Frank, and Abraham.
The Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan’s website has a page dedicated to David Martens which can be found here.
Some details of David’s story are drawn from his GrandmaOnline record (GMOL #183726).
Details about David’s journey to North America and the overland journey to Manitoba were drawn from the journals of David’s second cousin, Jakob Fehr. Jakob was part of the same migration group as David. His writings were printed in the June 2000 edition of Preservings (page 12):
Other details of David’s life come from audio clips of Frank Martens, David’s son, recorded in the 1970s by Richard J. Friesen for the Mennonite Oral History Project:
1) Their move from Manitoba to the Northwest Territories (now Saskatchewan) in 1898:
2) Wanting to go school, but the Old Colony church ministers stopped that:
3) Being judged for his moustache and expressing anger over having his opportunity to go to school taken away:
David Martens, his third wife, Helena Falk, and part of their family (Hague-Osler Mennonite Reserve: 1895-1995)
S.S. Sarmatian, which carried David across the ocean to Quebec City
