The Fall 2015 meeting of Michiana Anabaptist Historians will be held at First Mennonite Church in Middlebury, 203 E. Lawrence, on Saturday, October 24. Registration and coffee will begin at 8:30, followed by a business session at 9 a.m. and presentations at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Non-members are invited to this public meeting, which will emphasize local historical research.
Rachel Nafziger Hartzler, vice-president of MAH, will discuss local church history sources and their interesting stories that she used in writing the history of Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church in Middlebury, now merged with our host church, First Mennonite. The title of her presentation is “Searching for Stories and Strings: Uncovering the History of Mennonites in Middlebury.”
Wanda Kauffman Hoffman, in “Cemeteries: Though Silent, They Speak,” will recount interesting discoveries she has made while doing research in local cemeteries for the Elkhart County Genealogical Society. She says, “I’ve learned there’s more to cemeteries than just names and dates and will be sharing some examples through pictures and stories.”
An active member of the genealogy society, Wanda’s responsibility is to answer requests for information about deaths and burials in Elkhart County, which often requires her to visit cemetery grounds to establish facts. Wanda also volunteers for the Goshen Historical Society and the Elkhart County Historical Society and is past vice-president of Michiana Anabaptist Historians.
During the October 24 business meeting MAH members will elect president and treasurer. Both Ervin Beck, president, and Miriam Yutzy, treasurer, have served one of two allowed three-year terms in those offices. They have been nominated to serve second terms by a committee consisting of Wilmer Hollinger and Leonard Gross. Other nominations from the floor are welcome, if those nominees have agreed to serve.
Chester Weaver will report on a September 10 meeting that an ad hoc group from MAH participated in with Ervin Stutzman, Executive Secretary of MC-USA, regarding the future of the MC-USA Archives at Goshen College.