Orphen Henry Wismer (1869-1951)

Title: Orphen Wismer collection

Dates of creation:  1892, 1922, 1929, 1951

Physical description: 1 cm textual materials

Biographical sketch: Orphen Wismer was one of nine children of Moses E. and Magdelina Snider Wismer. He was born in Waterloo Township and was a miller by trade. He married Sarah E. Bechtel (1871-1951) in 1892; they had eight children. The couple died ten months apart in 1951. Orphen was ordained in 1893 and served as minister of Shantz Mennonite Church until 1937. He was the first preacher at Shantz to preach and teach Sunday School in English.

Scope and content: Contains newspaper clippings relating to the death of Moses E. Wismer in 1922, the auction sale of Orphen Wismer's farm and household effects in 1929, and a 1928 account of a milling accident. Also contains an ornamental wedding certificate for Orphen and Sarah Wismer, guest books for the funerals of Sarah and Orphen Wismer, and a Ontario Mennonite Sunday School Conference certificate signed by Orphen Wismer.

Custodial history: The collection was donated by grandson Ralph Shantz in 2011.

Note: An 1895 Bible formerly owned by Orphen Wismer is located in the Milton Good Library.
The wedding certificate is located in the map case.
For more information, see A Journey of faith: the history of Shantz Mennonite Church 1840-2000 / by Mary Hunsberger Schiedel. --New Hamburg : [the Church], 2000.

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