Memorable Manitobans: Gerhard Lohrenz (1899-1986)

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Gerhard Lohrenz
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Cleric, educator.

Born in Ukraine on 13 December 1899, he emigrated with his family to Canada in 1925. After farming for three years in Saskatchewan, he attended the Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna (1928- 1930) then the Manitou Normal School (1930-1931).

He was a public school teacher for 16 years, at Lydiatt School (1931-1938) and Springstein School (1938-1947). He was the Principal of the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute at Winnipeg (1947-1952) then he taught at the Canadian Mennonite Bible College (1952-1965). He was an elder in the Mennonite Church from 1959, and pastor of the Sargent Avenue Mennonite Church (1965-1971).

With a strong interest in history, he served as Chairman of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society. He wrote several books, including The Mennonites of Western Canada (1974) and an autobiography entitled Storm Tossed: The Personal Story of a Canadian Mennonite from Russia (1976). He was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Winnipeg in 1974.

He and wife Anna Lohrenz (1901-1988) had four children: Marie Lohrenz (1923-1939), John Lohrenz (wife of Shirley), Hilda Lohrenz (1927-1998, wife of John Bergen), and Sophie Lohrenz (wife of ? Hynd).

He died on 6 January 1986 and was buried in the Springstein Cemetery.

Sources:

Death registration [Marie Lohrenz], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“University to honour five Manitobans,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 October 1974.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 8 February 1986.

Obituary [Anna Lohrenz], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 April 1988, page 30.

Lohrenz, Gerhard (1899-1986). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, 1989.

Obituary [Hilda Lohrenz Bergen], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 February 1998, page 37.

We thank Ed Krahn for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 18 November 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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