Team

“I love family stories. My father, author of ‘Kroeger Clocks’, instilled this passion in me. He was not only a storyteller, but a story-catcher. As Arthur’s daughter I come from generations of clockmakers and, thus, Mennonite clocks are in my DNA.

“When I was growing up, my father’s various workshops were filled with a myriad of Mennonite wall clocks from near–and many from far–that he was repairing, repainting, and restoring. If the owners couldn’t send the clocks physically they sent photos, often accompanied by journal and memoir excerpts.

“Their stories, many fragmented, but insights nonetheless into the families who had owned and loved their clocks, interested my father as much as the historical clocks themselves.

“How far had these clocks come and travelled with their people? What stories did these palimpsests hold? When my father died in 2015 he left records of more than 250 Mennonite clocks from around the globe, knowing that there were many, many more that had survived.”

“Hearing the stories of Kroeger clocks has for me always been about understanding the history of my family and the community we are a part of. It is something that I shared with both my mother and my grandfather.

“Growing up, my grandfather would write stories about different Kroeger clocks and create booklets of these stories that he illustrated by hand. Receiving these books for Christmas or my birthday would be a window onto the history of a community that I only otherwise connected with during summertime visits to Winnipeg. To hear how treasured clocks were manufactured in the ’old country’ and brought along as families uprooted their lives and fled war was a means of understanding the past of a whole community.

“The clocks have always been more than just beautiful examples of skilled craftsmanship, rather they are living pieces of history in our households. The booming bell ringing out the hour reminds me how my grandfather would always insist we ‘observe a moment of silence’ for the clock and stop speaking as it rang out the hour, whether we were hearing the clock together in the same room or over the phone as we spanned the distance. The reassuring ticking of the clock is the sign that I am home.”

“I grew up in a family of readers, writers, and storytellers, and this determined both my personal interests and professional choices. As a child, I wrote stories and plays. As an adult writer and critic, I explore narratives and how they come to affect readers.

“Our Kroeger clock has been in our family since 1887. It was always referred to simply as ‘de Klock’–as though there were no other timepieces in the house–and it has its own unique story. Lifting the heavy brass weight to wind it, pausing the pendulum before it resumes marking time, is an exercise in mindfulness: for a fleeting moment, it evokes our family’s turbulent history through the Mennonite experience in Russia, exhorting me, in the same way that any good narrative does, to pay attention.”

“My passion for Mennonite clocks began when I worked as a summer student at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, Manitoba. I have also worked as curator of a large musical instrument collection at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. My favourite artifacts in that collection were the ‘mechanical’ instruments, which are incidentally all close cousins of clocks, such as music boxes and human-like ‘automatons’.

“As an ethnomusicologist and museum professional, I am a huge believer that tangible and intangible heritage from the past have meaning and purpose for us in the present. I implement this belief through the museum and heritage projects that I help develop.”

“My appreciation for Kroeger clocks began when I met Arthur Kroeger, who attended my church. He was a fascinating character full of gentle kindness. He asked me if I would help him edit and publish his manuscript on Kroeger clocks through the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach.

“I would come to his residence, manuscript in hand, and over a glass of white wine, we would talk and edit. One of my fondest memories was when his Kroeger clock would chime. He would smile at me and say, ‘Now we must observe a moment of silence.’ Kroeger Clocks was published in 2012.”

“I’ve been passionate about history ever since the day in Grade Three when I picked up a book about the Titanic and wanted to know more. Growing up, I was happiest with my nose stuck in a book (usually historical fiction) or while exploring a museum or historical site. Which is to say, it is not at all surprising that I studied history in university.

“My interest in Mennonite history, experience in collections management, and passion for research and storytelling made this project a natural fit. Not to mention the fact that I’m descended from the Kroeger clockmakers: Abraham Kroeger (1791–1837) is my four-times-great-grandfather.”

“I have a passion for art and cultural heritage, and as the Conservator at The Manitoba Museum I’m responsible for the long-term preservation of more than 2.8 million artifacts and specimens in the museum’s collection. I am trained to use scientific, analytical and artistic techniques, to choose and execute the best methods for the care of historical objects.

“Often in my work, I find what brings my passion for preservation alive is the small detail in an otherwise mute object that nevertheless tells a great story. This could be removing layers of dirt off a clock face to see hidden brush strokes of shading or highlighting, to polishing brass gears and revealing maker’s marks.

“Having repaired and performed conservation treatments of several Kroeger clocks, including a joint treatment on a clock with Arthur Kroeger, I am intrigued by the individuality each object brings to the workbench and the challenges and problem-solving that comes with preserving each story.”

“I have always been drawn to the arts, studying violin performance at a university level, then moving my career focus to design. After studying creative arts in Winnipeg, I worked for eight years as Art Director at The Manitoba Museum and therein found a niche in museum-related work.
 
“Since 2001 I have run my own graphic design studio. I love the unique clients and projects that come my way; each one calls for a custom design solution. My love of Kroeger clocks began when I worked closely with Arthur Kroeger to design his book ‘Kroeger Clocks‘, which was published in 2012.”

“I love history, and history need not be confined to a textbook. Kroeger clocks are great examples of tangible, living history that continue to tick and chime into the present day, carrying generations’ worth of stories with them.

“To know the history behind Mennonite clock makers is to know the history of the Russian Mennonites. They are inseparably intertwined. Mennonites are a transnational people, and these are transnational clocks, transcending centuries of migrations to numerous countries across different continents.

“My involvement began when I was approached by the late Dr. Liza Kroeger. Her tireless drive and passion to keep these stories alive inspired me to join the talented and lively team at the Kroeger Clocks Heritage Foundation.”

“I appreciate the concept of virtual art museums and story-telling. The ability to extend the enjoyment of art beyond borders and time restrictions means that everyone can have a chance to witness the beauty of Mennonite-made time pieces. I was drawn to the strong commitment of those involved with the Kroeger Clock Foundation and the high standards they maintain to showcase, preserve and share these clocks and its stories. I hope through my work on the board, I am able to help them raise more support to extend their great work to wider audiences both on and offline.”

“My passion for history began the day I walked into the Orientation Gallery at the Manitoba Museum on a school field trip in Grade Five. I have always been interested in museums and the stories artifacts tell. My free time is often spent dragging my family to museums within the city or on one of our many trips.

When I was approached by Roland Sawatzky, Curator of History at the Manitoba Museum, with the opportunity to join the Kroeger Clocks Heritage Foundation, I was honoured. I am thrilled to be a part of a group of people that have the same love for history that I do. Having grown up with a Mennonite background, I believe it is important to preserve Mennonite clocks as living artifacts, woven into the fabric of our identity.”

“My preoccupation with photography began by chance–with a summer job. To pay for university courses, I began working in a professional photo lab in Winnipeg, at first making custom black-and-white prints. It didn’t take me long to realize that, hands-on, I was honing more skills more quickly than I ever would sitting in school. Soon I moved into film, then took over the photo studio. I’ve never looked back.

“On any given day I capture images, still or moving, of some aspect of our culture, from food to Fords, from mansions to musicians, with almost anything in between, including the remarkable Mennonite clocks. There’s always a challenge in my job, and with these timepieces it’s ensuring the images maintain a consistency while conveying the elegance of each clock, allowing each to ‘pop’ in the eye of the beholder. A neutral background, subtle lighting, plus a portable brace stand I purpose-built to secure the clock in a wall-like setting make this possible.”

“Though I’m an accountant by day, I have more than thirty years in the graphics industry, which started when I began working in my father’s printing business in Saskatchewan. In those years, I’ve moved from the film era to the digital age.

“I had the pleasure of working with Arthur Kroeger in 2011 and 2012, helping to turn his passion for clocks into a showpiece of a book, ‘Kroeger Clocks’, by digitally enhancing the images so no one could underestimate the beauty of the timepieces and their component parts. Revitalizing the images is an absorbing task I’m continuing to do for The Virtual Museum of Mennonite Clocks.”

“I’m driven by my obsession to create and compose imagery and typography with a focus on graphic identities, cinematic storytelling and title design.

“At Red River College, I produce and direct all aspects of design and new media to promote the school in collaboration with the marketing team. Elsewhere, I’ve produced skateboard videos and animated collaborations for bands such as Royal Canoe and SC Mira.

“My passion for nostalgia which previously compelled me to collect and document classic cars, has naturally drawn me into the world of heritage clocks since becoming involved with this project.”

“I most enjoy writing crime novels, and every good crime novel has a ticking clock. Not a literal one, like a Kroeger clock, but a figurative one–a time limit that creates urgency, raises tension, and makes you want to finish the novel in a breathless rush. In my novel Twelve Drummers Drumming, for instance, the detective-priest has to solve a young woman’s murder before another innocent falls victim. The clock was ticking.

“And so they have ticked through most of my working life. I’ve worked as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor where the ticking clock manifested as a deadline (and nothing concentrates the mind like a deadline). In between, I’ve written for, or edited, numerous other publications, including nonfiction books and, under the pseudonym C.C. Benison, written seven novels published by Penguin Random imprints. All with deadlines. All with ticking clocks. And now that clock is again playing a role in my life. But this time it’s real.”

“I was introduced to Kroeger clocks through Arthur Kroeger himself, a long-time friend of our family. Arthur was a man of wide interests, experience, and knowledge and we shared interests in ornithology, aquatic biology, history, flying, and mechanical things, including the restoration of an antique 1941 Piper Cub, in which Arthur flew with me several times.

“It wasn’t until later years that I had the good fortune to assist Arthur with his clock repairs, beginning with melting and pouring lead for pendulums. This kindled my interest in Kroeger clocks and led me to my role with the Virtual Museum of Mennonite Clocks––helping to remove and reassemble clock faces so the internal workings can be photographed for archival documentation.”