Mennonite Heritage German
Mennonite Heritage German
Who are the Mennonites Of Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico?
On both of my trips to the Copper Canyon I stayed over night at a Loewen’s Mennonite RV Park in Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. It really was a journey back in time. These are descendants of Mennonites whose heritage started in the Netherlands than moved to Prussia. In 1786 Katherine the Great invited them to come to Russia where they could keep their religion and culture intact. 1872 the Russian government revoked those privileges. They than moved to Manitoba, Canada. All was well until the First World War when the government ordered them to become 100% Canadians and attend public schools. In 1922, at the invitation of President Alvaro Obregón, 20,000 Mennonites came to Mexico from Canada to settle on 247,000 acres of land in Chihuahua's San Antonio Valley. Thus the Mennonites arrived in Mexico.
Peter Loewen’s family cooked us a Mennonite dinner. Who would have thought that instead of Mexican food we would enjoy smoked pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, soup and home made bread and butter. While we enjoyed our pie and coffee Peter enlighten us regarding the Mennonites religious beliefs and their culture.
Their lives are structured around their religious beliefs, which include non-participation in government and conscientious objection to service in the armed forces. The Mennonites believe in following Jesus in their daily lives. Mennonite Churches are actually plain, oblong wooden buildings called meeting houses. During services the women set on one side of the hall and the men on the other.
They built their own schools. Teachers had no formal training, farmers taught part time, reading only the Bible, speaking in German. Illustrative materials were not allowed, and one instructor schooled all ages, with as many as 75 students per class. Schooling ended at age 13 for boys and 12 for girls. Now their schools are fully accredited by Mexico, and teachers are college trained either in North America or Mexico.
The farming lifestyle of Mexico's Mennonites has not changed drastically since their initial migration. Each family grows its own vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, onions, corn, beans and herbs. There are also family orchards, with cherries, pears, apricots, peaches, plums, and the famous Chihuahua apples, a specialty of the Mennonites. They are known throughout Mexico for the fine cheeses they produce, the homemade garlic beef sausage has become popular in the region, where people know that the Mennonite products are made from all local ingredients, using traditional methods.
Change has been slow for some inhabitants of Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico, but it is coming evidenced by a few automobiles, electricity and yes even television sprinkled around the city.
When in the area take your RV to Loewen’s RV Park and enjoy a wonderful Mennonite family style dinner.
About the Author
Dick I is an active RVer, having traveled extensively in U.S, Canada and served as a wagon master for the Piggy Back train through Mexico’s Copper Canyon. He is joined in his travels by his wife, Nancy and their two Boston Terriers, Samantha and Marco Polo. Learn more about the RV lifestyle by view our travel photos and resources and product reviews when you visit http://www.irvrvs.com/ RVing the RV lifestyle .
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