Preserving the past: Neubergthal project captures village memories

The Neubergthal Heritage Foundation (NHF) has completed a remarkable project to preserve the stories and memories of past residents from the village.

This initiative aimed to record the recollections of individuals who lived in the community from the 1930s to the 1980s, some of whom are now nearing 90 years old.

University of Manitoba Department of History Phd. student Jonathan Hildebrand was chosen for the task, which offered a unique glimpse into the past.

Born and raised in Altona, Hildebrand said the project gave him a new perspective on village life. “There really is a sense of the village street as an important orienting principle,” he explained. “Something that you don’t think about, it’s just there. But it tied everything together.”

During a presentation in Neubergthal, Hildebrand highlighted some recurring themes from his individual conversations with the participants. He discovered that while there were the usual pioneer stories of church picnics, sports events and hard work, there were also unique and deeply personal memories that stood out.

Many participants recalled the freedom and sense of security of their childhood, with walking routes to school and the ability to roam freely. “Going to visit other kids a few houses down, they’d just walk across each other’s yards. In some cases, through their barns,” Hildebrand noted.

Important places such as schoolyards, gardens, and barns were frequently mentioned. “They remembered how clean the barns were kept, and how the well was used to keep food cool in the summer. One person said this was the reason they quit drinking milk at an early age,” Hildebrand shared.

Other memorable locations included the blacksmith shop, the school, the church, and the skating rink, which migrated to different yards over the years. The local store was a popular hangout where you could drink pop, smoke, and maybe play cards. Teens often gathered at a spot known as ‘The Log’ which was literally, a log.

Social interactions played a significant role in village life. Sports events, Christmas programs, and auction sales for charity or missions were popular. “There were lots of childhood memories of playing in the truck, making treehouses, climbing trees, having bonfires in the bush around their yards, and rafting around the dugout,” Hildebrand recounted.

Baseball and hockey were big highlights, with fierce inter-village rivalries. Pig slaughtering bees were also remembered fondly as great times for socializing. “Each village seemed to have their own style of butchering.”

Saturdays were dedicated to baking, cleaning, and preparing for faspa guests the next day. Many interviewees discussed the etiquette of visiting. “There were rules about taking turns in your visiting and keeping track of who you visited last and the obligation to host the next visit,” Hildebrand explained.

Dances were a significant part of village life, often held outdoors on a wooden dance floor or in a granary or barn. “Some had musical instruments. One person remembers his parents cleaning out the barn for the dances. These dances were how many met their future spouses.”

The sense of community and togetherness was a recurring theme.

“It was about cooperation and sharing the work. People were always there to help one another during hard times and celebrate the good times. And so much visiting and communication across those fences. It was a self-sufficient community where you felt looked after and had everything you needed.”

As he transcribed the interviews, Hildebrand was fascinated by the idea of a village having its own distinct character, and unique stories.

“The further back the memories go, the less they become memories, and the more they become like stories with so many layers,” he said.

Despite not being raised in a rural context, Hildebrand was struck by the diversity of experiences. “Growing up in a street village was really different than growing up in a small town, even though it seems like those are both rural, which they are, they’re actually very different.”

He also feels the time frame covered in the oral histories is also unique.

“It’s a bit of a later period than, say, when the first Mennonites settled in the area, but it’s important to have that period. All of these memorable events happened in the same place, in the same era, but every story is different. This generation of people experienced huge shifts – an increase in modernization, people moving away and going to school, the coming of electricity, phones, and TV.”

Hildebrand expressed his honor at being part of the project. “This type of historical work and oral history is important; you’ll hear stories that might never get written down. It was an excellent project, and it was fun to be a part of it.”