{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/h707w67x89/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Interview with Arthur Louis (Art) Baerg"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/128/original/UA_Logo_WHT_RGB_%281%29.png?1725471982","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003ca href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\"\u003eAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)\u003c/a\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Kule Folklore Centre (Creator)","Baerg, Arthur Louis (Art) (Interviewee)","Kampen, Christine (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2005-05-05 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["4 audio files; wav; 1:59:03","audio/x-wav"]}},{"label":{"en":["Identifier"]},"value":{"en":["sj139295x (avalonid)","LC148 (other)","2005-091-4761 (local)","2005-091-4762 (local)","2005-091-4763 (local)","2005-091-4764 (local)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["oral histories (topical)","photographs (topical)","war (aggression) (topical)","dwellings (topical)","education (topical)","poverty (topical)","Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada (spatial)","Hepburn, Saskatchewan, Canada (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Interview"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date First Ingested"]},"value":{"en":["2020-06-29"]}},{"label":{"en":["Note"]},"value":{"en":["Interviewee: Baerg, Arthur Louis (Art) (creation/production)","Interviewer: Kampen, Christine (creation/production)"]}}],"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003ca href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\"\u003eAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)\u003c/a\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["University of Alberta Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["University of Alberta Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/128/original/UA_Logo_WHT_RGB_%281%29.png?1725471982","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/132/864/small/audio-default.png?1640615543","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 4 - 2005-091-4761.wav"]},"duration":1922.98376,"width":640,"height":40,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/132/864/small/audio-default.png?1640615543","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-ualberta.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/132/864/original/2005-091-4761.wav?1660931791","type":"Audio","format":"audio/wav","duration":1922.98376,"width":640,"height":40},"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Interview 1.1 [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Introduction, family background","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=5.0,409.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg recalls that among Canadian Mennonites, his family history is different as his parents didn't come directly from Russia but were both born in the United States. His father was born in 1881 in Petersburg, Boone County, Nebraska, and his mother in 1886 near Windom, Minnesota.\nWhen his father was a teenager, his father's parents moved to what was then called the Northwest Territories (today's Saskatchewan) in 1899. His father joined them in 1903 after finished Bethel College in Newton, Kansas. His mother's parents also moved to Canada in 1899.\nBaerg recalls that his father finished grade 11 in the United States and later went to normal school in Regina, Saskatchewan, and became a teacher. His father's first teaching job was in Herbert, Saskatchewan. At that time, there were a lot of Prairie fires. The North-West Mounted Police recruited the older students to help them fight the Prairie fires, and the school was closed. Baerg recalls a story told by his father: There was a big slough, and they thought that the slough would stop the fire, but the fire jumped over. Later, he father worked in a school near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. His father married in 1906 his mother Elizabeth Neufeld at Brotherfield, Saskatchewan. Their wedding took place in a granary or machine shed. They went there for his parents' 60th wedding anniversary. \nBaerg was the youngest of six children, one girl and five boys. He gives the names of his siblings. He grew up in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, where his father had become the principle of a three-room-school. He was not only the principle but worked as a teacher as well.\nBaerg started school at the age of six, and his older sister was his first teacher as she was also teaching at their father's school. His sister worked there only from Easter to June 30, and then she got married. She was 20 at that time.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=5.0,409.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"education","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"family histories","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"grass fires","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"student teaching","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"wedding anniversaries","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"weddings","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=5.0,409.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Mennonites","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Normal school","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"North-West Mounted Police","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=5.0,409.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Language use","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=409.0,446.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg recalls that they spoke German at home. High German was dominant at that time, as it was used in church services. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=409.0,446.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"languages","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=409.0,446.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Germans","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Mennonites","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=409.0,446.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Education, conscientious objection","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=446.0,669.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg finished grade 12 and thought that the would become a teacher also. He went to bible school for two years, and in 1941, he wanted to try normal school, much to the delight of his father. The principle of the normal school didn't want to accept new students and treated them with open contempt, so he left. In retrospect Baerg regrets that he didn't become a teacher.\nBaerg did the accounting for his father's insurance business, and so he went to a commerce school in 1942 for one year. He continued to work with his father in his insurance office since his father had already retired from the teaching profession. \nAs he was a conscientious objector, he had to pay a 25 dollar fee every month to the Red Cross. He earned about 60 dollars a month at that time.\n","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=446.0,669.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"accounting","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"commerce","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"conscientious objection","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"education","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=446.0,669.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Normal school","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=446.0,669.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Meeting his wife","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=669.0,739.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg met his wife, Rosalla, in 1943. He calls her the love of his life. They became engaged in late 1943, and on May 27, 1944, they got married and moved back to Saskatchewan. His wife lived in Manitoba at that time because her parents were in the ministry there.\nBaerg explains that he and his wife spent 60 years, eight months and 13 days together. His wife passed away in January 2005. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=669.0,739.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Childhood pictures, playing at a slough, clothing","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=739.0,1206.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg describes a childhood picture taken when he was two years old. His parents subsequently moved to Hepburn, Saskatchewan.\nHe describes another picture when he was five years of age, and he remembers that occasion very well because he got a new pair of rubber boots. He remembers walking through a slough and cleaning his rubber boots with a broom afterwards. During the summer, the slough was used as a street as there was no water in it. Later on, the slough became a big lake. His mother wasn't happy that he played there.\nBaerg thinks that it was his oldest brother Ed who took the picture with the rubber boots.\nThe third picture Baerg describes was taken when he was about seven years old. The slough was taken close to the school building where his sister and father taught in. Although there was snow, Baerg didn't wear a coat in this picture. He was wearing a so-called mini-suit made by his mother then.\nHe was also wearing some kind of scarf and a big collar.\nBaerg's mother would make all his clothes until he was about 14. He started to buy his clothes when he grew older. He and his brothers were known to be the best-dressed boys in town. His mother wasn't happy when he didn't want to wear home-made clothes anymore. His mother was a homemaker and sewed only for the family. She would re-sew used clothes. Baerg states that her mother saved a lot of money by doing that. The 1920s weren't too bad but in the 1930s, it got much worse. Baerg wouldn't get new clothes until he was 12 or 13 as clothing was handed down to him by his older brother.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=739.0,1206.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"black and white photographs","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"clothing","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"sewing","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=739.0,1206.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"hand-me-down clothing","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=739.0,1206.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Family life, a teacher's family during the Depression","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1206.0,1532.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg's oldest brother started to teach in 1928 at the age of 20. A teacher earned about 100 dollars a month. That was considered a pretty good salary even for a married person with a family. When the Depression set in, the teachers were underbidding one another. Baerg remembers hearing the news about the stock market crash in New York and other cities. The price of wheat went down in their area to about 25 cents a bushel. The farmers found it difficult to pay their taxes, so the municipalities had to cut down their expenditures, so the teachers' salaries were cut in half to 50 dollars a month, on a ten month-basis. His father had a side interest in the insurance business but could hardly meet ends.\nIn 1939, the salaries went up again. 1937 was a year that was very bad when the entire province (Saskatchewan) had a total crop failure. The teachers' salaries weren't cut but they were paid only 60 percent of their salary, so they earned 600 dollars a year. In 1937, received a note of 36 dollars and cash of 24 dollars a month. The note could be cashed only at the local merchants in order to purchase dry goods and groceries.\nIn 1938, it got better, and in 1939, when the war broke out, a lot of people started to work in ammunition factories, and things began to improve financially.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1206.0,1532.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"grocery stores","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"siblings","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"wheat","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Subjects"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1206.0,1532.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Depression","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}},{"type":"TextualBody","value":"WW II","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1206.0,1532.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Taking a picture of Queen Elizabeth, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1939","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1532.0,1834.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg talks about a photograph depicting Queen Elizabeth, taken by Baerg when he was 18. They were taken by a truck load on an open box, a high box so that they couldn't fall out. They would travel from Hepburn, Saskatchewan, to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In May 1939, king George V (in fact, George VI) and the queen came to visit Saskatoon. Baerg happened to be at the Victoria school yards then. Queen Elizabeth (later called The Queen Mother) did a walk about on her own, and he was able to take a snap shot of her. He will never forget this moment, it was very interesting. Later, when the Queen Mother was \"very well-liked\" by the whole world, Baerg felt fortunate that he snapped that picture. Baerg went to Saskatoon specifically to see the queen. It was a holiday declared by the town. Dozens of businesses closed down entirely. It was in late May 1939. It was a very nice warm day. There was a \"tremendous crowd\", people came from all over Saskatchewan (Baerg names a few places he was \"familiar with in those days\"). Most of the spectators were not fortunate enough to see the king and the queen. Baerg \"happened to be on the right spot\" but he still doesn't know how that happened. Asked about the colour of the queen's dress, Baerg recalls it was pale-blue. He thought that she was very beautiful at that time. The queen always wore hats, which she was very famous for. She had \"such a winsome smile\". Baerg recalls that the queen was \"very elegant\". Asked whether this was a stark contrast to what he had been used to in Saskatchewan, Baerg says \"yes, indeed\" (he laughs). Baerg recalls that they were \"very proud Canadians\", British subjects: \"We were still British subjects, you know\". Any British subject from the British Empire could come to Canada without any problems. Baerg thinks that under Diefenbaker, the constitution was changed: From that time on, Canada was part of the commonwealth but not of the empire. In 1982, the constitution was \"repatriated\" under Trudeau. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1532.0,1834.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg's parental home","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1834.0,1922.98376"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864/index/59324/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg talks about a picture of his parents' house, built in 1930. His father did not have the qualifications to carry on as principle of the school which had been turned into a forum school, so he had to step down and work again as a teacher. His father taught three grades (4, 5 and 6). His salary was cut but he had already planned to build a house. His father owned two quarter sections of land without any debts, and he took a mortgage on that land. Later, he sold one quarter section of land. It was already after the financial crash but they did not feel the ramifications until the end of 1930. The house was built in June 1930. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132864#t=1834.0,1922.98376"}]}]},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 2 of 4 - 2005-091-4762.wav"]},"duration":1848.67991,"width":640,"height":40,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/132/865/small/audio-default.png?1640615658","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/content/2/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-ualberta.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/132/865/original/2005-091-4762.wav?1660931814","type":"Audio","format":"audio/wav","duration":1848.67991,"width":640,"height":40},"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Interview 1.2 [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Building a house in 1930, a wealthy uncle","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=5.0,195.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg recalls that his parents house in the picture was built in 1930 by a contractor called Tom Wilker of Rosthern, Saskatchewan. He was a foreman, and they had hired help, like carpenters. His family thought it was a very beautiful place. Later on, it was considered one of the nicest homes in their town. Baerg's parents had to almost \"sweat blood and tears\" to finish the house. When his father retired, he sold one quarter section of land so that the house was clear of debts. That was in 1932. The quarter section of land was bought by Baerg's uncle who was very healthy. His father wanted to borrow money from him but the uncle wanted that land for his own children. Asked whether his father was resentful about that, Baerg recalls that there was \"a little bit of hurt\". His uncle was \"exceptionally wealthy, he was a very successful farmer\", throughout all the Depression years. His uncle had some land close to a river in Saskatchewan. That land gave \"fairly good crops\". His uncle was undoubtedly an \"excellent farmer\". ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=5.0,195.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Parental home, Mennonite bible school in Hepburn, Saskatchewan","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=195.0,440.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"The house had hardwood floors downstairs (kitchen, living room, dining room and Baerg's parents' bedroom). They look at the picture: The house had also a bit of a porch. It was not enclosed (not heated) but it had windows. Baerg explains the arrangement of the rooms, looking at the picture. The boys had two rooms upstairs. In generally, the boys were all in one room but his oldest two brothers had already left. Three boys were left to occupy one room. In wintertime, young women who were attending bible school in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, stayed at their place. They boarded at Baerg's parents' place and occupied one room there because they hated the dormitory at the bible school. That was a way for his parents to get some extra-money. The bible school was run by the Mennonite Brethren Church. The school is still functioning, \"better than ever\". They have a student body close to 200 now. The town has only 400 or 500 inhabitants. The school prospered, the Alberta and Saskatchewan Mennonite Brethren Congress fully supported it. It is an accredited bible college (there are others that are not accredited). The Bethany Bible College is working with the religious department of the University of Saskatchewan. There were enough people with a doctoral degree to qualify them for accreditation as a bible college. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=195.0,440.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Boarders, students at the bible college","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=440.0,683.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Asked about the two girls (about 16 years old) that boarded with his family, Baerg recalls that one of them was his cousin, the other one his cousin's cousin. They would come down every evening from their room, and his mother invited them to a so-called midnight snack or late snack. The were sitting in the kitchen area and converse. They spent the evenings with their studies. Asked if he \"ever had a crash on any of them\", Baerg says no: \"That came later when  I was a little older\".\nThe reason why people attended bible school was that many of them were \"kids from the farm\". They wanted further education, and even with grade 8, they were able to go to bible school but they couldn't fully graduate until later. At the beginning, the bible college was mainly attended by students without high school training. That changed drastically by the mid.1930s, and students had to have at least grade 11. There are still today some bible schools in Saskatchewan that are \"sticking to the old principle: Whoever comes.\"\n","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=440.0,683.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Match making at the bible school, dress codes","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=683.0,909.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Asked if it was unusual to finish grade 12, Baerg replies: \"not for the town kids.\" \"It was unusual for the farm kids\". Baerg graduated from the bible school in 1940; \"the kids that came from the country didn't go through grade 12, they just dropped out\". That changed just a few years later: \"For a lot of them, it was an avenue to get away from their parents\". Sometimes, the parents didn't encourage that. Later on, the teachers would say: \"This is a match making school, you know, and to tell the truth, I think that's what it was. It happened so often.\" Baerg's brother went to Northwestern Schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There was a Dr. Rally (?) who mentioned: Hope you haven't come here to find you mate. The teachers weren't too restrictive, they allowed dating to a point. It was restrictive by today's terms but then it was quite liberal (not in the sense you would use the term today). It was more liberal than at other bible schools. They insisted on a dress code. Now, the bible schools are more open, with certain conditions. When Baerg attended his grandson's graduation from Millar Bible College, he was very pleasantly surprised, as they still dress up: Nowadays, you're seeing guys being dressed to work but when it comes to Sunday morning, anything goes. And I find that difficult. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=683.0,909.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Differences between town and country kids","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=909.0,1848.67991"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865/index/59329/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Asked about the difference between town and farm kids, Baerg replies that today, he does not see any difference. When he was young, most farm kids didn't go on through school, through high school. That was a disadvantage for a lot of those country kids. Well, I suppose we town kids looked kind of down on the country kids because they didn't go on through academic training. For country kids, grade 8 was still considered to be pretty good. So, we kind of frowned on them, on those kids. (He laughs.) Much to their chagrin, I guess. Baerg explains that when he was young, he didn't realize that the country kids didn't have the opportunities the town kids had. The town kids could get their high school education without driving many miles or board. There were some kids whose parents would fund their children's education but that was rare because farmers couldn't afford to send their children away from home.\nSocializing with country kids happened mostly at the churches: At their church, there were young people that couldn't go to high school. Town groups were entirely different, they were quite independent of the country kids. Country dwellers couldn't go to town any time in the evening, that came later. Then, they couldn't afford to drive to town. The farthest place to high school in the community (in Hepburn, Saskatchewan) was about 7 miles. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132865#t=909.0,1848.67991"}]}]},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 3 of 4 - 2005-091-4763.wav"]},"duration":1989.85723,"width":640,"height":40,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/132/866/small/audio-default.png?1640615785","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/content/3/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-ualberta.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/132/866/original/2005-091-4763.wav?1660931838","type":"Audio","format":"audio/wav","duration":1989.85723,"width":640,"height":40},"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Interview 1.3 [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"A trip to Chicago in August 1928","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=7.0,606.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg is asked why his mother went, apart from seeing her sister? Baerg explains that his brother-in-law offered her mother a free fare to Eureka. Baerg's oldest brother helped to pay some of the expenses. A year after his sister was married, they went to Chicago, Illinois. Baerg was only 7 years old at that time. Baerg asks the interviewers how the traveled to Steinbach: Via Regina, Lumsden, Saskatchewan, and the Qu'Appelle Valley, or the number 16 high way through Yorkton, Saskatchewan? The interviewer states that they went through the Qu'Appelle Valley. Baerg recalls that he traveled from Saskatoon to Mile Stone, Saskatchewan, at the age of 7. He memorized things \"quite a bit\". They started out about at 5 o'clock in the morning. His father had a Nash car. They went with older brother Sam, at the age of 17. The family consisted of his parents and four boys. Sam did the driving. His brother Reuben was 15, he couldn't drive yet. His brother Wilfried was younger. They got to the Lumsden area at about 2 pm. They had \"one flat tire after another\". Somebody had spread tags and nails on the gravel high way. They picked up about three or four flats within only 40 miles. In the evening, the got to Milestone, Saskatchewan. The next day (Tuesday), they traveled to Minot, North Dakota. Then, the tires had inner tubes. Wednesday, they got to Red Wing, Minnesota, still about 500 miles from Chicago where they would arrive only on Friday night. They stayed for a week at his brother-in-law and sister's place. They went to Lincoln Park and Garfield Park, and even to a baseball game. The Chicago Cubs were playing, and Baerg's brother-in-law was a great baseball fan. They also took a cruise through Lake Michigan, from Chicago to Michigan City, Indiana. There, they went on a roller coaster. It took the family almost five days to get back to Saskatoon or to Hepburn, Saskatchewan, 28 miles north of Saskatoon. They went back via Winnipeg, Manitoba, where they had some relatives.\nBaerg recalls that they stayed in a hotel only one night. They had a tent attached to the car where they boys would sleep. Baerg's parents slept in the car, they would lean the front seats back and have a bed. His brother Sam was very handy in putting up the tent every night. Baerg recalls that it was real fun, that was camping. In Milestone, they camped in a park near the high school. There was a political meeting, and Baerg remembers talking his father and brother Sam about the Liberals and Conservatives of that time, about Mackenzie King and R. B. Bennett. The speakers were candidates for that constituency. Baerg remembers the applauding and shouting but not the content of their speeches. It was in August. Baerg was always interested in politics. Baerg had never seen the mountains before that trip. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=7.0,606.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Nash (cars)","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=7.0,606.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg's brother-in-law, his sister, their wedding in 1927","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=606.0,1135.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Asked about how his sister met her husband, Baerg recalls that his brother-in-law was already about 30 years, whereas his sister was not even 20 when they met. He was a Californian, and had been educated in different seminaries. He already had his bachelor's degree in some religious studies from the Northern Baptist Seminary, and the Moody Bible Institute which was very famous in those years. He started to teach Bible studies in Hepburn, Saskatchewan. Bethany College was started through the efforts of Baerg's brother-in-law. Baerg's brother Sam was 16 then, his brother Reuben 14, and they attended the Bible classes. About 60 people attended these evening classes for the entire winter, from January through March. His future brother-in-law was invited to their house, Baerg was about 5 years old then (his sister married in 1927): But I knew something was going on. My sister was very sweet on this young man, you know. It was a very handsome fellow. (The interviewers laugh.)\nAlthough he was only 6 years old at that time, Baerg remembers his sister's wedding very distinctly. Baerg felt pertubed because a man took away his sister. Baerg didn't really know his sister. She went to normal school and taught for three years (at a very young age, she had grade 11) in three schools (he names these schools). The last year, his sister taught in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, and became a college of their father. Baerg's sister was 14 years his senior. After their wedding, his sister and brother-in-law went to California. They came back to Canada in 1930 and lived there until 1937 when they moved back to California where his brother-in-law wanted to continue his studies at Berkeley University (University of California).\nAt the wedding, Baerg felt very perturbed that his sister was leaving them. The wedding was conducted entirely in German. Mr. Nickel who later on became their neighbour was the minister. Both he and his sister (the oldest and the youngest in the family) were born on May 31. Baerg's father was also the choir director of their church in Hepburn, Saskatchewan. His sister had been a pianist as well but it was not considered to be used for church services then: An organ was allright but not a piano. A piano sounded too much like jazz. Baerg remembers his sister and brother playing together the piano and the violin. His father played the viola. \n\n","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=606.0,1135.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Singing, song contests","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=1135.0,1989.85723"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866/index/59330/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg recalls that they sang a lot in their family. He took voice training for four years in Saskatoon in the 1940s, even after he had become engaged. His trainer was a Mrs. Morris (?), the choir director of the First Baptist Church. He remembers the first festival he attended and where he had to sing. He sang at the Music Festival in Saskatoon at the Third Avenue United Church. A choral director, Sir Hugh Roberton had come from England. His father had also a choir group from their school, and they won. Roberton was the director of the Orpheus Glasgow Choir in Scotland. He looked just like Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC. Baerg was singing with his father's school choir the song Nymphs and Shepherds. When they practiced the song, his brother Reuben who was a pianist reminded his father that he was taking it too slow. There was also the Kelvington School choir, and they thought that they would win because they had heard so many criticism of their song. Baerg sang Alt at that time, it was just before he changed voices. When the marks came out, they were ahead of Kelvington, and Baerg couldn't believe it. The Regina contest was already completed, so they won the contest for the whole Saskatchewan.\nLater, at the age of about 19, Baerg took part in other competetions and sang Danny Boy. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132866#t=1135.0,1989.85723"}]}]},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 4 of 4 - 2005-091-4764.wav"]},"duration":1387.02077,"width":640,"height":40,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/132/867/small/audio-default.png?1640615874","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/content/4/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-ualberta.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/132/867/original/2005-091-4764.wav?1660931857","type":"Audio","format":"audio/wav","duration":1387.02077,"width":640,"height":40},"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Interview 1.4 [Index]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Mennonite church and military service in WWII","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=9.0,243.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg is asked if anyone ever said anything to his brother about being German. in the army Baerg recalls that there was \"a lot of ridicule to us as German-speaking\" when he went to school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. People looked down at the Mennonites. Young Mennonites in Saskatchewan joined the army just like any other group during WWII. Manitoba was different, especially Steinbach, Manitoba: There was a strong Mennonite anabaptist persuasion, \"it was very very definite\".\nThe Mennonite church inHepburn, Saskatchewan, was divided, as stated by the interviewer, but it nevertheless took a position: It excommunicated Baerg's brother for joining the army. His brother never came back to the church. Other churches didn't take a stand and reacted differently, and those people came back.  It caused Baerg's parents an awful lot of pain. His father had pleaded his brother not to use any weapons. Baerg says he doesn't know to this day whether he has. His brother didn't want to talk about this, so he thinks that he probably did use weapons. It was against his parents' and also his brother's convictions; his brother had been 17 when he had joined the church.\nAsked why his brother decided to join the army, Baerg states that he doesn't know. He thinks that peer pressure played a role. Many young men in Waldheim, Saskatchewan, his brother he grew up with also joined the army. The general conference (of the Mennonites) was more lenient on that issues, and not all of these men were excommunicated. MB (Manitoba) in contrast was very strict. Baerg thinks that the Mennonite church today has not any stand on that issue anymore. Baerg states that war is different today anyhow.","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=9.0,243.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Mennonites","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Keywords"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=9.0,243.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Food rations during WWII","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=243.0,289.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg recalls that everybody was on rations during WWII. They had coupon rations for buying gasoline, butter and other things. When the US declares war today, nobody is on rations. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=243.0,289.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Career of father-in-law, Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church in Steinbach, Manitoba","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=289.0,544.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Asked how exactly Baerg met his wife, he recalls that it was a very interesting thing. They were introduced by a mutual friend, and she had asked for an introduction to him. Baerg had already known his future wife before because her father was also a teacher. She came from the area of Langham, Saskatchewan, and her father was a minister of the Bruderthaler Church. It was from the EMB (Evangelical Mennonite Brethren) conference which is no longer existent, it is now called Bible Churches, The Fellowship of Christian Bible Churches. They left the anabaptist stance entirely. His future wife's father was a teacher and a lay minister. When there was a breakup in Steinbach, Manitoba (Baerg's father-in-law had tried very hard to prevent the breakup), he took over a church there in 1942, and the final split took place in 1943. Baerg recalls that the Mennonites are like the Baptists, they are fighting amongst each other. There are groups that call themselves Baptists but there are as many groups as you can imagine. The breakaway group called itself Free Church.\nBaerg asks the interviewer if she is familiar with John Brown who was their pastor for 14 years. He was a great man. When someone told him that he belonged to the Free Church, Brown asked ironically: Free from what? (Baerg and the interviewer are laughing.)\n","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=289.0,544.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Meeting his wife, shopping","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=544.0,803.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg comes back to how he met his future wife through a mutual friend. It was at a wedding in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where his future wife was working at Arthur Rose's dry cleaners. She wanted this introduction through their mutual friend. Baerg already knew that she had a brother who was very brilliant, he was in grade 12 at the age of 16. He went to Bible school for two years because he was too young for university, and then he got his degree, and later on, he became a principle of a school in Steinbach, Manitoba.\nRosa, Baerg's future wife, was introduced to him at that wedding. Both of them knew the bride and the groom. Later on, Rosa became the love of his life, there was no doubt about that. They met in 1942, and in 1943, they were engaged, and they married on May 27, 1944. Baerg recalls and this wife was a very smart lady and repeats that she was the love of his life. He recalls that his wife was a model for other young women. She loved clothes and shopping, and she was a good shopper. Baerg's wife would go to Eaton's and spend an entire Saturday there. She looked at the clothes but didn't buy immediately but would wait for next week when they would be cheaper. His wife had her own money and could buy what she wanted. There were several clerks that would phone her when an item was at sale (shoes or dresses). \nBaerg recalls that after his first meeting with his future wife, they would go for walks at the beautiful river banks in Saskatoon. Later on, in fall, Baerg went to Converse School in Saskatoon for one year. \n","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=544.0,803.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Conscientious objection, moving to Steinbach, Manitoba","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=803.0,934.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Asked why he moved to Steinbach, Manitoba, Baerg recalls that he was a conscientious objector during WWII. At the age of 9, he had had polio but there was no medical examination for military service. He was just confirmed as conscientious objector, and as such he had to pay money to the Red Cross (25 dollars a month). He earned some money (60 dollars) through his father but it was nevertheless hard. Then, it was decided that he would have to go to a camp. However, he had the opportunity to work in a garage in Steinbach, Manitoba, as an accountant. The garage could apply to the board where they established the status of the conscientious objectors. Baerg's wife already was in Manitoba, she stayed with her parents and had a job in Steinbach. Baerg and his wife decided to get married, they went back to Saskatoon for about 3 months and then settled down in Steinbach. \n","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=803.0,934.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Wife's family, changing the church","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=934.0,1018.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg's father-in-law was a minister in the EMB Church, his father-in-law's brother J. S. Rempel was a choir director. He passed away, and then Baerg's brother-in-law took over. He left for further education to Iowa City, Iowa, USA, to get his doctor's degree in education. After that, Baerg himself became the choir director of the EMB choir for about 12 years. until Baerg and his family joined another church, the Grace Mennonite Church in 1961.\nBaerg recalls that other powers decided that he got to Manitoba. He would have stayed in Saskatchewan. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=934.0,1018.0"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Identity, life of parents, language use, recent Mennonite immigration","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Title"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=1018.0,1387.02077"},{"id":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867/index/59331/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"supplementing","body":[{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Baerg is asked about his identity. Baerg recalls that he didn't have a distinct Mennonite-German background that other have had. That's because of his American parents: My father was a die-hard yankee when he came across. He remembers his father talking about the preamble of the American constitution (his father had had to memorize it). His mother had only got to grade 4 which was common for Mennonite girls then (unlike for Anglo-Saxons in Ontario). Baerg's father grew up in a completely Anglo-Saxon community until the age of 15 or 16. Mr. Courtright was his father's teacher in Petersburg, Boone County, Nebraska. His father's mother was very much German, she came from Mountain Lake, Minnesota. She was born in Windom, Minnesota. That was the Mennonite high point in the United States. He other one was Henderson, Nebraska. His father went to Bethel College in Newton, Kansas.\nBaerg recalls that he would define himself as mixed with American background more than the Russian background. Asked if his wife also spoke German, Baerg replies that in fact, that was our first language. He knows German very well, he can read it but not German script. He had to learn it before the war broke out, and later, he forgot it. Saskatchewan schools had to discontinue the teaching of German. It was a kind of animosity to the German ethnicity. When Baerg was 16, their church changed over to the English totally. It was hard for elderly people: When I think about it now, it was kind of cruel. It still touches Baerg's heart when he hears singing or a sermon in German. Today, Baerg is tongue-tied very quickly when he has to speak German. Steinbach has become quite Cosmopolitan compared to Winkler, Manitoba, which is still very Mennonite. Baerg notices that now a new German population is coming in there. There are some of them in Steinbach too but they are already starting their own churches because they want German. They are not integrating with the Steinbach Mennonites. Baerg is amazed: They are already building their own church five years after their arrival. A lot of the newcomers live in the countryside, not in town.\nBaerg repeats that his ethnicity is a mixture of American and Canadian-Mennonite, that's about it. ","format":"text/plain","label":{"en":["Synopsis"]}}],"target":"https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/1776/collection_resources/58648/file/132867#t=1018.0,1387.02077"}]}]}]}