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IV-14-11
Mennonite
Board of Missions
Health
and Welfare Committee
Mennonite
Old People's Home, Rittman, Wayne
County,
Ohio,
1897-1974, and
Mennonite Orphanage,
Weilersville, Wayne County,
Ohio,
1896-1901
Records,
1897-1979
3
Boxes (2 Pronto, 1 Oversize File)
Introduction
The early records of this home,
1897-1919, were deposited into the Archives by Sem Sutter (son of
Clayton and
Elsie Sutter), Rittman, Ohio, in
1963, and by
Elsie Sutter, Goshen,
Indiana,
in 1974. Clayton and Elsie Sutter
were directors of this home from 1961-63.
The later records of the home,
1939-1979, were deposited by Mennonite
Board of Missions, Elkhart,
Indiana,
in 1983.
Series Listing
.1
Mennonite Old People's Home, Records,
1897-1919
Page 3
Includes minutes and records of the
Mennonite
Orphanage, 1897-1901
Includes Crown Hill Mennonite
Church Sunday School records, 1912-24
.2
Mennonite Old People's Home, Records,
1939-1979
Page 4
Historical
Sketches
Mennonite
Old People's Home, Rittman,
Ohio,
1897-1974
1897 David C. and Fanny Amstutz
bequeath their 160 acre farm and home
to the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board (later Mennonite
Board of
Missions) for the purpose of developing an old people's home. D.C. was a bishop in the Crown Hill
Mennonite
Church.
1899 Plans begin for a home for old
people, the first on of its kind
for Mennonites.
1901 The first building was dedicated
with capacity of 34 beds. It was built
right next to the Crown
Hill
Mennonite
Church,
and always had a connection with the church.
1901 First superintendent was D. S.
Amstutz, brother of D. C.
Amstutz, followed by J. S. Wenger.
1904 J. D. Mininger and his wife,
Hettie, assumed responsibilities of
the home and served until 1909.
1909 W. H. Miller and his wife in
charge until 1910, followed by J. K.
Hooley and his wife who served until 1913.
1913 D. F. Hartzler, J. F. Brunk and
wife, P. R. Lantz and Joseph M.
Niceley served as superintendent, in that order, until 1919.
1919 Fire completely destroyed the
building.
1937 Plans began for a new building.
1939 First resident moved in, Aaron
Peachy was administrator. Served
until 1961.
1961 Clayton and Elsie Sutter came to
serve as Superintendent and
Director of Patient Services.
1963 Richard Brenneman and Arlene Shoup
replaced the Sutters.
1966 Area Mennonite women organized the
Rittman Mennonite Home
Auxiliary to provide additional needed services.
1970 Emma Ruth Van Pelt , a licensed
administrator, takes over for
Brenneman.
1972 John Junior Miller became
"Administrator in Training",
Brenneman returns to serve as licensed administrator on a part-time
basis.
1974 Closed because of a new Nursing
Home, Brenn-Field, being built
near Orrville, Ohio, and because of new
restrictions in
making the Rittman Home up to code. It became efficiency apartments by Crown Hill Mennonite
Church,
but taken over by an independent Board.
Mennonite
Orphanage, Weilersville,
Ohio,
1896-1901
1896 David Garber and his father-in-law
Solomon K. Plank opened up an
orphanage on their farm near Weilersville,
Ohio.
1901 Orphanage moved to West Liberty, Ohio,
and today is known as Adriel
School
Sources on
History of
Rittman Home and Orphanage:
Lehman, James O. CrossWinds:
From Switzerland
to
Crown Hill, by James O. Lehman, 1975.
There was always a strong connection
between the Crown
Hill
Mennonite
Church,
and the Home which was located next door.
Stalter, Sandra, "Rittman Home for the
Aged," 1961-62, Central Christian High
School,
Ohio
(Historical Committee Collection, John Horsch Mennonite Essay Contest,
I-3-3.5,
Box
6)
Weaver, Betty, "A History of Rittman
Mennonite Home, 1901-1975," 1974-75, Central
Christian
High School,
Ohio
(Historical Committee Collection, John Horsch Mennonite Essay Contest,
I-3-3.5,
Box
20)
Architectural drawings of the building
built
in 1939 is found in the Mennonite Board of Missions Collection, IV-23.
Correspondence, 1923-1943, S. C.
Yoder, on
the Rittman Home is found in the Mennonite Board of Missions
Collection,
Executive Office File, with S. C. Yoder acting as Secretary, IV-7-1, Box 18,
Folders 1-2
Photographs of the Rittman Home can be
found
in the Ohio Mennonite Conference Photograph Collection, Hist. Mss. 303. See also early photographs of the Home and
Crown Hill church in the Phoebe Mumaw Kolb Collection, Hist. Mss.4-162,
Box
3, File 2.
Inventory
Box 1 (Pronto)
.1 Mennonite Old People's Home, Records,
1897-1919
Includes some minutes and records of
the Mennonite
Orphanage, 1897-1901
Includes records of the Crown Hill
Mennonite
Church Sunday School, 1912-24
1/1 Articles of
Agreement, 1902-1918
1/2 Contracts, 1905,
1909
1/3 Dedication
Program, 1901, 1939
1/4 English Family
Bible, 1899
1/5 Dates of birth
& death. 1912-1914
1/6 Financial
Records - Misc., 1908, 1909
1/7 Minutes, 1898-99
Includes minutes and reports by David
Garber from the Mennonite Orphanage.
1/8 Records on
Building, nd
1/9 Recording
secretary's minutes record, 1897-1906
Includes minutes and reports from the
Mennonite Orphanage
1/10 Cash Record recording
secretary's book, 1899-1905
1/11 Financial Records Book,
1897-1905
1/12 Crownhill Sunday School,
1912-1924
1/13 Annuity Contract Form, nd
1/14 Applications for admittance,
nd
1/15 Bank Books, 1909-1918
1/16 Board Minutes, 1910
1/17 Check stubs Ag 1918-May 1919
1/18 Corr. from J.S. Shoemaker,
1914, 1919
1/19 Corr - 6/25/1917 to C.Z.
Yoder
1/20 Correspondence, Joseph M.
Nissley, Superintendent, 1918
Includes photocopies of some
documentation on John Nissley, superintendent of the Home during World
War I,
and him filling out a draft questionnaire.
1/21 Financial records - H.H.
Mawrer Plumbing, 1908-09
1/22 Miscellaneous, 1902-1937
1/23 Miscellaneous Legal Papers,
1887-1916
1/24 Ohio
inspection certificates, 1910
1/25 Payroll records, nd
1/26 Receipts, etc. 1909
1/27 Reports, 1907-1918
1/28 Account book, 1909-1911
1/29 Account book, 1904-1906
1/30 Record of Visitors, 1902-1907
.1 Mennonite Old People's Home, Records,
1897-1919 (Continued)
1/31 Trumbauer, Horace,
Architect, 1920
1/32 Financial Statements,
1918-1919
1/33 Ledger, 1906-1913
1/34 Ledger, 1913-1918
1/35 Ledger Contributions,
1904-1939
1/36 Financial Reports, 1915-1919
1/37 Public Sale Records, 1919
Box 2 (Pronto)
.2 Mennonite Old People's Home, Records,
1939-1979
2/1 Employee Payroll
Ledger, 1962-63
2/2 Auxiliary,
1961-67
2/3 Contributions,
1963-73
2/4 Correspondence,
1959-71
2/5 Correspondence,
1963-79
2/6 Elevator Canton
Co., 1948-69
2/7 Employee
Incident Reports, 1972-74
2/8 Financial
Reports, 1966-74
2/9 Inspection
Safety and Fire, 1973
2/10 Inspection-Sanitation,
1969-72
2/11 Insurance Portfolio
(leather), 1939-1979
2/12 Inspection-State Nurse,
1969-71
2/13 Insurance - General
Liability, 1959-66
2/14 Insurance - Malpractice, 1971
2/15 Legal Forms, 1972-76
2/16 License Renewal, 1973-74
2/17 Mennonite Mutual Aid, 1969-74
2/18 Minutes, Notes, 1962-74
2/19 Miscellaneous, 1901-1918
2/20 Miscellaneous, 1974-75
2/21 Monthly Report-Complete,
1969-1971
2/22 Patient Day Data, 1969-75
2/23 Publicity, 1968-71
2/24 Resident Rate, 1963-71
2/25 State Tax, 1972-74
2/26 Tax Exempt Forms, 1944-71
2/27 Unemployment Compensation,
1972-75
2/28 Welfare, 1952-74
2/29 WMSC and GMSA Projects,
1969-73
2/30 Will Donations, 1947-71
2/31 Workman's Compensation,
1966-74
.2 Mennonite Old People's Home, Records,
1939-1979 (Continued)
2/32 Payroll, 1971-72
2/33 Payroll, 1973
Box 3 (Oversize File)
3/1 Cash Receipts
and Disbursements, 1967-73 (Large Ledger)
Name
and Subject Tracing
Mennonite
Board of Missions
and Charities. Health and Welfare Department
Rittman, Ohio. Home for the Aged
September 12,
1972 /
Organization and Inventory of a portion of Box 1 completed by Sharon L.
Klingelsmith
October 18,
1983 /
Organization and Inventory of Box 2 completed by J. B. L.
March 1, 2001
/ Dates added
to file titles, Historical Sketch provided, and Inventory typed into
computer
by Nelda Nussbaum. Introduction and
updated cataloging by Dennis Stoesz.
December
12,
2008 / Posted by Alex Lake
Archives of
the Mennonite Church,
Goshen,
Indiana
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