Elizabeth Schultz (Kehler) was only 8 years old on July 1, 1875, marking the day the Aron Schultz family arrived Canada, via Quebec on the S.S. Moravian. The S.S. Moravian had 667 Mennonites on board (Bergthal and Chortitza) under the leadership of Gerhard Wiebe. Click here to see the S.S. Moravian Passenger List, 2815 Aron Schultz.
On the exact same day of the Schultz’s arrival in Canada, The Gerhard Kehler family left the Liverpool harbour, aboard the S.S. Peruvian. Twelve days later, Jacob “Berliner” Kehler , age 9, together with his siblings and parents Gerhard & Susan Kehler arrived in Canada on the S.S. Peruvian No. 30, on July 13, 1875. The S.S. Peruvian, arrived with 555 Mennonites (Bergthal and Chortitza), under the leadership of Johann Mueller, Johann Wiebe, Johann Gerbrand and Johann Enns. Click here to see the S.S. Peruvian Passenger List, Ger Kebber [Gerhard Kehler].
Gerhard Kehler is a direct ancestor of my husband. I was wondering why it is listed as Ger Kebber, and then as Gerhard Kehler? Also, he has a family story that his dad told him that the Kehlers may have been a different origin than Mennonite and joined the Mennonites at some point. These men definitely look similar. There are very inherited resemblances in the family! At the Mennonite Museum I saw a picture of a man that looked like my husband’s dad (the war exhibit, he served), so we looked at the name list and he happened to be of this exact family line!
The information was supplied by the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society. Currently there is no further information available.
Other than the gentle stirrings of interest for the opposite sex as a young boy I have never found such an invigorating new experience as that of ancestor explorer. A neophyte to this world of family exploration I am in awe of the serindipitous turns of events that make up the stories of our collective history.An errant stroke of a key led me to Kehler .ca. In your story I found my own. Aboard both the SS Moravian and the SS Peruvian were the Mennonite people to soon populate the Canadian West. Cornelius Berg with wife and young son Isaac in tow aboard the Moravian. A bakers dozen days behind the Berg family aboard the Peruvian was Abraham Friessen who also had a son named Isaac. These two Isaacs were to be the GREAT grandfathers that led to my eventual inclusion in this adventure of life as a member of the Berg Family.Thank you KEHLER’s for the chance meeting of your past and mine.
Sincerely
Doug Berg
Appears my great great Grandparents Peter Klaason (Klassen) & Family, and Heinrich Wiebe and Family were on the S.S. Peruvian #30, 13 July 1875
Very interesting going through this site.
Found your site while tracing my great grand parents travel to Canada. They were on the S.S. Morvain #25 arrived in Quebec on July 1, 1875.
Jacob Wiebe & Family, on the passenager list, #2811 and comment B1843-B335. Would you happen to know what the comment is about?
Thank you
Lyle Wiebe
References and abbreviations used in the annotations:
B1843-B10 refers to Bergthal Gemeinde Buch (see Section A), volume B, page 1
Original printing: Bergthal Gemeinde Buch
Copyright: 1993
Edited by: John Dyck
Published by: The Hanover Steinbach Historical Society Inc.
ISBN: 0-9694504-0-3