Accession 2002.028, 2003.003, 2009.026, 2012.010 all filed at 2009.026.
Title and Physical Description
C. Blake Friesen and Louise Friesen family fonds. — 1925-2009. — 85 cm of textual records. — 3 photographs.
Biographical History
.Clarence Blake Friesen, 1918-2012, was born in Langham, Saskatchewan, the son of Cornelius and Elizabeth (Thiessen) Friesen. He married Louise Emma Toews, 1912-2010, daughter of David and Margarethe (Friesen) Toews. David Toews, 1870-1947, was the highly respected chairman of the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization, which facilitated the immigration of over 21,000 Mennonites from Russia in the 1920s. Blake and Louise lived in various communities in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, always becoming deeply committed to a congregation and getting involved with various Mennonite community service organizations and efforts. Blake was an accountant who worked as an assessor and auditor for Revenue Canada – Taxation (later Canada Revenue Agency) for many years. He played formative roles in the development of Grace Mennonite Church in Regina, the Mennonite Foundation of Canada, and the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta. He was a board member and Chair of Rosthern Junior College. He became involved in educational rights advocacy for the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. He is best known for his contributions to the Mennonite Foundation of Canada. Louise Friesen earned a degree in piano and theory from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She had a career as a music teacher and church musician. Blake and Louise had three children: Gary (1946- ), Alan (1948- ), and Howard (1951- ).
Scope & Content
The fonds consists of six series: A) Mennonite Foundation of Canada, B) Congregational Affiliations, C) Educational Involvements, D) Heritage Involvements, E) Biographical/Personal/Familial, F) David Toews and Louise Friesen papers.
Source of Acquisition
Gift by Blake and Louise Friesen and Gary Friesen, 2001-2012.
Finding Aids
See Series Inventory
Related Materials
For records related to the C. Blake Friesen fonds, see Mennonite Foundation of Canada fonds at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario. For information on David Toews, see: Helmut Harder, David Toews Was Here, 1870-1947. 2nd ed. (Winnipeg : Canadian Mennonite University, 2006).
Notes
Accession 2002.028, 2003.003, 2009.026, 2012.010 all filed at 2009.026. Also known as C.B. Friesen GRANDMA #385949 Last updated 14 July 2016 – Ted Regehr.
File List
A. Mennonite Foundation of Canada. — 1972-2002. — 25 cm of textual records. The series consists of reports, manuals, and correspondence. The materials are arranged by subject and date
1-1 Annual Meeting – 1989
1-2 Annual Report – 1989
1-3 Annual Report – 1991
1-4 Annual Report – 1992-
1-5 Board of Directors Meeting – 1991-1992
1-6 Board of Directors Meeting – 1994-1995
1-7a Correspondence – 1972-1976
1-7b Correspondence – 1977-1982
1-8 Correspondence – 1974-279
1-9a Correspondence – 1982-1984
1-9b Correspondence 1983-1984
1-10a Correspondence – 1986-1987
1-10b Correspondence – 1989-91
1-11 Correspondence – 1988-1989
1-12 Correspondence – Tony Nickel – Mennonite Foundation – 1988-1989
1-13 Correspondence – 1999
1-14 Correspondence – 1999-2001
1-15a Correspondence – 1999-2001 (a & b)
1-15b Correspondence – 1999-2001
1-16 Executive Committee Minutes – 1999-2000
1-17 Members Handbook – 1974-2002
1-18 Minutes – 1975-1976
1-19 Operations Manual – 1974-1998
1-20 Report to Annual Meeting – 1993
2-21 Report to Annual Meeting – 1994
2-22 Report to Annual Meeting – 1995
2-23 Report to Annual Meeting – 1996
2-24 Report to Annual Meeting – 1997
2-25 Report to Annual Meeting – 1998
2-26 Report to Annual Meeting – 1999
2-27 Report to Annual Meeting – 2000
2-28 Report to Annual Meeting – 2001
2-29 Report to Annual Meeting – 2002
2-30 Steward – 1978, 1984
2-31a Stewardship Resources – 1996-1997
2-31b Estate Planning and Correspondence, 1992
2-31c Conference of Mennonites in Canada 1964-1969 Bulletins
2-31d Conference of Mennonites in Canada Church Schools, 1969
2-31e General Conference Mennonite Church/Mennonite Foundation, 1996-1941
3-31f Confidential, 1984.
B. Congregational Affiliations. — 1955-2001. — 13 cm of textual records. The series consists of reports, manuals, membership lists, and correspondence. The materials are arranged by date
2-32 Grace Mennonite Church [Regina]- 1955-1976
2-33 Victoria Avenue Mennonite Church [formerly Grace Mennonite Church, Regina] – 1956-1960
2-34 Victoria Mennonite Church [formerly Grace Mennonite Church, Regina] – News clippings – 1956-1969
3-35 Grace Mennonite Church – 1957-1970
3-36 Grace Mennonite Church Bulletins – 1959-1960
3-37 Victoria Avenue Mennonite Church Constitution [formerly Grace Mennonite Church] – 1959-1961
3-38 Grace Mennonite Church of Regina History – 1980
3-39 [First Mennonite Church, Calgary] – 1983, 1987
3-40 [Membership – First Mennonite Church, Calgary] – ca. 1991
3-41 [First Mennonite Church, Edmonton] – 1975
3-42 [Foothills Mennonite Church, Calgary] – 1986-1988
3-43 [First Mennonite Church, Saskatoon] – 1991
3-44 Trinity Mennonite Church [Calgary] – 2001
C. Educational Involvements. — 1970-1999. — 13 cm of textual records. The series consists of research and reports. The materials are arranged by subject and date
3-45 Alberta Holdemans and Schools – 1975-1978
3-46 [Alberta Holdemans and Schools] Regina vs. Elmer Wiebe – 1978
3-47 [Mennonite Youth Farm] – 1971-1972
3-48a and b Rosthern Junior College – 1970-1974 (a & b)
3-49 Rosthern Junior College – David Toews Memorial Bursary Fund – 1972-1989
3-50 [Rosthern Junior College] – 1974-1981
3-51 Rosthern Junior College – Ted Janzen – 1974-1999
4-52 Rosthern Junior College – Publication of History of RJC – 1974-1976
4-53 Rosthern Junior College – Erwin Thiessen – 1974-1999
4-54 Rosthern Junior College – 1989
4-55 Rosthern Junior College – 1990
4-56 [University of Calgary Course Registration] – 1988-1993
D. Heritage Involvements. — 1974-2000. — 2.5 cm of textual records. The series consists of correspondence and reports. The materials are arranged by subject
4-57 Alberta Cultural Heritage Council – 1974-1977
4-58 Alberta Cultural Heritage Society – 1977-1978
4-59 Mennonite Historical Societies – 1998-2000
4-60 Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan and Alberta: Report on Findings of Culture and Heritage Resources Survey – 1979
4-61 Western Canadian Mennonite Historical Society – 1975-1976
E. Biographical / Personal / Familial. — 1937-2001. — 13 cm of textual records. — photographs The series consists of notes, research, reports, and minutes. The materials are arranged by subject
4-62 Biography Information, Miscellaneous Correspondence – 1949-2000
4-63 Christian Men’s Activities Association – 1954-1964
4-64 Family History Research – Quiring / Goertz – 1996
4-65 General Conference Mennonite Church – 1985-1995
4-66 Mennonite Society of Calgary – 1996-2001
4-67 [Personal Biographical items, interest, Misc] – 1957-2000
4-68 [Public Presentations and Notes] – 1956-1983 4-69 Income tax returns. — 1940-1950
4-70 Blake’s autograph book. – 1937-1942.
F. David Toews and Louise Friesen papers. — 1925-2009. — 18 cm of textual records. The series consists of memoirs and papers of Louise Friesen largely relating to her musical career; and biographical information and papers of her father David Toews.
5-1 Louise’s recitals. — 1964-1975.
5-1a Business aspects of career as music teacher. — 1965-1975.
5-2 Personal cards and letters from students. — 1972-1975.
5-3 Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association. — 1972-1975.
5-4 Financial records. — 1975-1983.
5-5 Small collection of choruses / by Theodore Toews. — 2002.
5-6 Biographical material, memoirs. — 1926-2009.
5-7 Funeral bulletins and obituaries (mostly of sisters). — 1973-2003.
5-8 David Toews family information. — 1925-1998.
5-9 David Toews biographical material. — 1926-2002.
5-10 David Toews honorary Ph.D diploma. — [1938].
5-11 Der Bote (article about D. Toews). — 1973.
5-12 David Toews biographical information written by Louise. — [1986-1991].
5-13 Correspondence re: “David Toews Was Here”. — 1998-2001.
5-14 Correspondence re: “David Toews Was Here”. — 1968-2002.
5-15 Postcards from David Toews to Louise Toews. — 1928-1941.
5-16 Certificate re: naming of Toews Lake, Saskatchewan. — [photographed ca. 1988 (originally created 1964)].