Genealogy
Getting Started
GRanDMA Online
The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry (GRanDMA) is an extensive genealogical resource focused on the ancestry of Mennonite and Hutterite communities. Available through a paid subscription, GRanDMA offers users access to a vast collection of records and data that traces the lineage of these communities, particularly those originating from Prussia (now modern-day Poland) and South Russia (now Ukraine).
Whether you’re tracing your family history, studying Mennonite or Hutterite communities, or interested in the historical migration patterns of these people, GRanDMA provides a robust tool to uncover and connect with the past.
Guides
Manitoba Mennonite Sources: 1874-1921
This guide, developed by Glenn Penner, is an essential resource if you’re exploring Manitoba Mennonite ancestry, outlining a variety of records available between the 1870s and 1920s. It’s particularly helpful if you’ve already identified early Manitoba ancestors through family records or databases like GRanDMA. With a focus on digital records, the guide provides instructions on how to access or order these files and locate them in local archives and offices.
Emigration to Canada Sources: 1920s
This page offers a growing collection of translated documents related to the emigration of Mennonites from the Soviet Union in the 1920s, primarily to Canada and Latin America. It also provides access to a valuable series of guides developed by Glenn Penner. These guides cover pre-emigration genealogical sources, emigration applications, ship and immigration lists, and post-immigration records.
Sources
Mennonite Archival Information Database
The Mennonite Archival Information Database (MAID) is a discovery platform for searching Mennonite archives across multiple institutions. With contributions from fifteen archival partners, MAID offers a centralized collection of records and images, enhancing the ability to conduct comprehensive research on Mennonite history. This database is an vital tool if you’re searching for archival materials, photographs, and detailed descriptions from a wide array of Mennonite archives.
Manitoba Mennonite Church Records
If you’re researching the Mennonite settlers who emigrated to Canada between 1874 and 1880, church records are an invaluable resource. A composite index of heads of household is available for the Bergthal, Chortitzer, Reinlaender, Sommerfelder, and Kleine Gemeinde. These records offer detailed insights into early Mennonite communities in Manitoba, helping you trace family lineages while understanding the religious and social structures that shaped these communities.
Manitoba Mennonite Homestead Files
The homestead files of Mennonite settlers from 1874 to 1880 are essential for understanding the early years of settlement in Manitoba. Each head of household who arrived during this period applied for a homestead, and these records can include application forms, correspondence, naturalization papers, and extensive details about the people, buildings, land cultivation, and harvests.
Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization Registration Forms
The Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization (CMBoC) facilitated the migration of over 20,000 Mennonites from Ukraine to Canada between 1923 and 1930. The registration forms created by the CMBoC are an essential genealogical resource, documenting all household members (including maiden names), birthdates, birthplaces, and details of their journey from Russia to Canada. The forms also list their last residence in Russia, dates of departure and arrival, the ship’s name, and their intended first residence in Canada.
Mennonite Obituary Indexes
Description TBD.
About the Society
We seek to foster an understanding of and respect for the history and beliefs of the Mennonite people in the past and present, and to challenge them to give new expression to this heritage in the future.