Jacob Kliewer was born Oct. 19 in Puchtin, South Russia, to Franz and Maria. Soon after his birth he moved with his parents to Canada. Their ship the S.S. Borussia arrived in Quebec City on July 25, 1878. There were a total of passengers, of which 27 were Mennonites. The group leader was David Schellenberg The Kliewers then moved to southern Manitoba, where in 1880 they lived in the village of Neuanlage.

Jacob married Katherina Vogt on July 21, 1895. She was born on Dec. 27, 1873 in Neu-Chortitz to Abraham and Elizabeth (ne Goetz) Vogt. The Vogts came to Canada from Russia on the S. S. Moravian on July 1, 1875. They then settled in the village of Blumenhof in Manitoba.

Land became more difficult to find for young farmers in Manitoba, so in the 1880s many Mennonites found homes in the United States. Oregon became the home for the Kliewers and Vogts. By 1893 the Kliewers began looking to Saskatchewan for land. On Aug. 17, 1893, Franz Kliewer applied for a home- stead southwest of Rosthern, ........ [blurred] to come to Canada with his family, but became ill. After a lengthy period of illness, Franz died, and on this account the family did not move to Sask.

In 1901 Klaas Peters, a land agent at Gretna, Man., wrote a letter to the Dept. of the Interior in Ottawa, on Jacob Kliewer's behalf. It did not produce positive results.

Jacob and Katharina Kliewer resided in southern Manitoba until they moved to Warman in 1905. Here they settled and Jacob Kliewer took charge of many business enterprises and became involved in community affairs. A June 30, l906 Winnipeg Free Press article describes Mr. Kliewer in the following way: From the earliest day of his residence here (Warman), he has manifested himself as a public spirited and' broad-minded citizen, who makes his own ends secondary to those of the community In which he is so interested.

Jacob Kliewer was involved in many activities. He was manager of the Miller Janzen & Company a large machinery dealership. He loaned money. He bought and sold, not only residential lots in Warman, but also farm land. He also operated a hardware store, which was partially destroyed by a hurricane which came through Warman on July 5, 1910. He also served as a Justice of the Peace from Mar. 13, 1906 until he resigned Mar. 2, 1917.

Mr. Kliewer also served as a member of the first public school board In Warman. The town of Warman Incorporated in 1906 and he became the first overseer. There was also an active Board of Trade of which he was a member.

There were also many community activities that occupied his time. Jacob Kliewer served as secretary-treasurer of the Mennonite Union Waisenamt from April 1919 until his resignation on Feb. 3. 1922. 'l'his Waisenamt was run under the cooperation of the General Conference (Rosenorter), Mennonite Brethren, and the Bruderthaler Mennonite churches. Their function was to take care of the widows and orphans intheir midst, and to see that they were treated fairly in the division of estates.

Jacob and Katharlna were active members of First Conference Mennonite Church in Warman. In approx. 1915-16, the first Mennonites began meeting for church services in the Presbyterian Church (now the Gift & Thrift Store). They met in the Old Anglican Church, purchased later by the Lutherans. In 1919, the former lumberyard office building was used for church services, which could hold approx. 50 people: The services were conducted by travelling ministers, a couple being Rev. Nikolai Bahrunann, and Rev. Jacob Boldt. Mr. Kliewer also preached on occasion. By the early 1920s these services died out when many of the members had moved away.

The Kliewers had two adopted daughters. One daugher, Marie (now deceased), married a Mr. Jolley. The younger daughter, Vera, married Luke Kowalyk, and resides in British Columbia.

Jacob Kliewer died in July 1922. Katharina lived to be 90 years, dying on Oct. 30, 1964.

The photo of the Kliewers was contributed by Mrs. Ben Andres, Saskatoon, a niece of the Kliewers.