Fox Valley – Liebenthal – Richmound Communities of Southwestern Saskatchewan
Area Coordinator: Mervin Weiss
Homestead Years: 1908 - 1914
Background: Predominantly Catholic, Black Sea Germans from Bessarabia (particularly Krasna), Dobrudja, Beresan (particularly Rastadt and München), Crimea (noteably Rosental) and Kutschurgan. Many of the early G-R settlers re-located from North and South Dakota, having immigrated earlier.
Towns, villages, Churches, Schools and
Post-Offices, past and present:
Fox Valley,
village incorporated 1928. Post Office established 1911. Situated in the Rural
Municipality of Fox Valley # 171, initially called RM of Keebleville,
incorporated in 1913.
Liebenthal,
Post Office established in 1940. Situated in the RM of Happyland # 231,
incorporated in 1913.
Richmound, Post
Office established 1912. Located in the RM of Enterprise # 172, incorporated in
1913.
For a map of the Rural Municipalities of
South-western Saskatchewan:
http://www.saskgenealogy.com/researchtools/maps/sgs_rm_areas.htm
Early Post Offices:
Goldenrule, Haverhill, Ingebright, Krupp,
Linacre, Rastadt, Sturdee, Schulz, Elardee (Rosenthal), Gilnockie, Kuest,
Buffalo Head (later Horsham), Cliftonville, Surprise, Forres (Hatton).
Books:
Paradise on the Steppe. The Odyssey of a
Pioneering People. Joseph S. Height, 1973.
Be sure to read page 74 about "a side valley of the Beresan River called Lisitzkaja Balka, or Fox Valley, about 3 miles east of Landau". (in German,
Fuchstal.)
Memories of the Black Sea Germans.
Joseph S. Height, 1979. Chapter 13 is titled “From
the Kutschurgan to Saskatchewan”.
From Katherine to Khrushchev, The Story
of Russia’s Germans. Adam Giesinger, 1974. Chapter
XVIII is titled “Relatives Overseas”.
From the Steppes to the Prairies.
Msgr. George P. Aberle, 1993. Chapter XV is titled “The
German Russians in Canada”.
Community Histories:
|
Fox Valley/Liebenthal Remember When . . ., 2 volume set, published 2005. Copy in GRHS Library. |
|
Richmound’s Heritage. Published 1978 |
|
Our Heritage Recalled, Prelate, Saskatchewan, 1908-1990. This book is online at http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=6044 |
|
Historical Sketches of the Parishes of the Diocese of Gravelbourg,Sask., on the occasion of its silver jubilee, 1930-1955. Copy in GRHS Library. |
|
Emigrants from Krasna, Bessarabia / Family Lists / Heritage Review, # 29-1, 1999, pg. 7, Heritage Review, # 29-3, 1999, pg. 13, Heritage Review #29-4, 1999, pg. 28, Heritage Review, # 30-1, 2000, pg. 30 |
| The Germans in Western Canada. / History / Heritage Review, # 15, September 1976, pgs. 3-12. |
| Historical Sketch of St. Peters Parish, and the Founding of the Colonies of Rastadt, Katherinental and Speyer. / History, Cemetery List / Heritage Review, # 15, September 1976, pg. 31. |
|
Saga of Schuler Stalwarts, 1973. Schuler, Alberta |
|
Articles: Name |
Type |
Source |
|
Fox Valley |
Marriage |
Heritage Review #30-4, 2000, pg. 29 |
| Prelate, SK and Blumenfeld, SK | Marriage Register | Heritage Review #14-1, 1984, pg. 39 |
|
Fox |
Cemetery |
Heritage Review #14-1, 1984, pg. 47 |
Catholic Churches:
|
Josephstal - 1915, mission of Rosenthal, Mendham, Krassna, Liebenthal. |
|
Liebenthal – 1914, Sacred Heart Parish |
|
Rosenthal – 1913, initially St. Mary’s, moved and re-dedicated as St. John’s. |
|
Johnsborough – 1943, St. John’s, formerly St. Mary’s at Rosenthal. |
|
Blumenfeld – 1909, first Catholic Church in the area. 1914, Sts. Peter and Paul Church built, now a Municipal Heritage site. The mother church of the district of Prelate. |
|
Krasna – 1911, second Catholic Church in the area, followed by Speyer (Mendham). |
|
Fox Valley – 1929, St. Mary’s. |
|
Rastadt – 1916, Holy Trinity Church. |
|
Richmound – 1917, St. Mary’s originally built north-west of Richmound, and moved into town in 1928. First masses were held in the Joseph Brilz home in 1912, then Haverhill school. |
Other Churches:
|
Ingebright – Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1914 – 1954 |
|
Fox Valley – Martin Luther Church of the Ohio Synod, originally several miles NW of Fox Valley was moved into town in 1941, and named Peace Luthran church of the Missouri Synod. After it amalgamated with Christ Lutheran of Ingebright, it became Trinity Lutheran. |
|
Fox Valley – Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 1915, originally built southeast of Fox Valley, and moved into town in 1932. |
|
Kronsfeld Lutheran Church – 1915 – 1971. Became New Kronsfeld Church in 1947. (See Richmound’s Heritage, p. 100) |
|
Evangelical Free Church of Horsham – 1940 – 1965. |
|
Zion Lutheran Church – 1919 – 1950, two miles west and two miles south of Horsham. |
Former Rural School-Districts:
Richmound District: Chelsea SD 1306,
Dunbrody SD 3838, Etna SD, Grand Time SD 640, Green Corn SD, Haverhill SD 3852,
Neifeld School SD 144, Kellerville, New Kellerville SD 402, Newport SD 3996
(also served as Newport Lutheran Church), Olevean SD 3701, Peace Valley SD 1381,
Process SD 3876, Progress SD 2952, Prospect Valley SD 4121, Roch Hill SD 3131,
Surprise SD 3285, Oasis SD-Richmound.
Fox Valley District: Berghanson, Bern SD 3771, Bowdon SD 3626, Haverhill SD 3852, Ingebright SD 2896, Keebleville SD 3410, Majestic SD 4442, Oadas SD 3477, Linacre SD 1381, Pontoville SD 3283, Roseflat SD 3596, Seattle SD 3468, Snowdown SD 3909, Strassfeld (Schtrasfeldt) SD 3344, Tigh SD 3149, Wienrevew SD 2904.
Other Villages and Towns in SW
Saskatchewan
Prelate, Leader (Prussia), Mendham (Speyer),
Westerham, Lancer, Lemsford, Sceptre, Burstall, Golden Prairie, Hatton, Maple
Creek. Schuler and Hilda, although in Alberta, were closely
associated to these communities.
Early settlers:
I have developed a database of G-R settlers to the Fox
Valley-Liebenthal district, and their first-generation descendants born in
North America. This information has been extracted mostly from the 2005
Community History book of the Fox Valley-Liebenthal area, supplemented by my own
area research.
Liebenthal – some settlers as early as 1906,
but most coming 1910 and later – Peter Schmaltz, John Fenrich, John Tumbach, Joe
Tumach.
Blumenfeld – Hoffart, Guckert, Deuchscherer,
Drescher, Ziebart, Riffel, Kosolofski, Dirk, Becker, Bonogofski, Fetsch.
Fox Valley – Yeast, Millie, Miner, Mutschler,
Schneider, Werner, Myrol, Ibach. Richmound – Stodolka, Wilde, Stein, Brilz,
Kuntz.
Cemeteries: (Index)
|
St. John’s Cemetery (Johnsborough District), RM of Happyland |
|
Rosenthal Cemetery, RM of Happyland |
|
Liebenthal Sacred Heart Cemetery, RM of Happyland |
|
Josephstal Cemetery, RM of Happyland |
|
Fox Valley Village Cemetery |
|
Seventh Day Adventist Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Haverhill (Neu Landau) Catholic Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Parkhill Municipal Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Martin Luther Linacre Lutheran Cemetery (no longer identifiable) |
|
Schneider/Biford Private Cemetery (no longer identifiable) |
|
Ingebright Christ Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Blumhagen/Roth Private Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Rastadt Holy Trinity Catholic Church Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Fox Valley Luthern Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Haven Hutterie Brethern Colony Cemetery, RM of Fox Valley |
|
Horsham Catholic Cemetery, RM of Enterprise |
|
Horsham Evangelical Cemetery, RM of Enterprise |
|
Horsham Baptist Cemetery, RM of Enterprise |
|
Horsham Zion Lutheran Cemetery, RM of Enterprise |
|
Richmound St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery |
Genealogy Database:
Includes
photos, headstone photos and other resources.
Map: Area Highway Map, Fox Valley, Saskatchewan
Photo: Fox Valley school built 1928. A Municipal Heritage Site
Other Saskatchewan areas of German-Russian Settlement:
|
Tramping Lake district |
|
Holfast |
|
St. Joseph’s colony, Balgonie |
|
St. Peter’s Parish colonies of Rastadt, Katharinental, Speyer. |
|
Prelate-Leader-Blumenfeld-Mendham-Bustall. |
|
Allan |
|
Langenburg |
|
Lampman-Estevan-Bienfait-Oxbow |
|
Schuler-Hilda-Medicine Hat, Alberta. |
Source: “German Settlements in Saskatchewan”, Alan B. Anderson, Saskatchewan German Council, 2005.
Internet Help:
1. Search the homestead records at http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/02011102_e.html
2. Mary’s Genealogical Treasures at http://www.telusplanet.net/public/mtoll/sask.htm
3. Saskatchewan Genealogical Society at http://www.saskgenealogy.com/
4. Specifically about Fox Valley at http://www.southwestreda.ca/documents/profile_fox_valley.pdf
5. Search the 1911 Canada census at http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/1911/006003-100.01-e.html Search in Moose Jaw District # 211, sub-districts 110 and 111. The RM of Fox Valley is made up of nine townships: 16, 17, 18 lying in ranges 25, 26, 27.
6.
Search the GRHS Letters Archives
7. Search the GRHS Online Obituaries Index
8. Rootsweb Canadian pages at http://www.rootsweb.com/~websites/international/canada.html