The history of the Superb Mennonite Church was compiled and authored by Elsbeth Bergen and Helen Olfert, and edited by Angela Martens

The First Families of Superb

One hundred and thirty miles west of Saskatoon Saskatchewan, on a spur line of the C.P.R. that runs south west of Kerrobert SK., lay the little hamlet of Superb. Here in 1927 - 1928, ten Mennonite families, all immigrants from Russia during the exodus of German families, took up land through the Mennonite Board of Colonization. The first family came on Jan. 5th, 1927. They were:

• Rev. Peter J. Klassen, his wife, and six children, (four children came later).

• Mrs. Helena Janzen, her six children, and her mother, Mrs. Wiens

• Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Wiebe Sr., 7 children + 1 born later
• Mr. & Mrs. Peter Epp, 2 children
• Mr. & Mrs. Kornelius Peters, 5 children + 2 born later
• Mr. Rudolph Friesen
• Mr. & Mrs. Henry Epp, 2 children + 6 born later
• Mr. & Mrs. Peter Heinrichs, 3 children
• Mr. & Mrs. Peter Siemens
• Miss Annie Siemens
• Miss Susie Siemens
• Mr. Henry Wiebe (Peter Siemens' hired help)
• Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Hooge, 5 children + 1 born later,

These families had little else but the clothes on their backs and a strong Christian faith that had been handed down to them by their forefathers. God, who had brought them out of Red Russia, would also see them through the difficulties of setting up their homes and making a living on the bald Saskatchewan prairie.

There were no buildings on this land they came to possess. The land was known as the "Exel" or "XL" farms. Only the central farm had a seven room, two story house with a porch and verandah, a large barn, and outbuildings. This central farm is where the Klassens and Janzens took refuge. The other families lived in granaries, bunk houses, or with kind people in the hamlet of Superb. Later, they moved into granaries on their land until their houses could be built. The building was all done by the men of these families, under the direction of two carpenters.

These identical, two storey, frame houses consisted of two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs, with a lean-to porch. Stables and other buildings were built later.

Reverend Peter J. Klassen

It was a busy time, but that did not deter them from immediately holding Sunday Worship Services under the leadership of Rev. Peter J. Klassen, in the Klassen home. Years later, the services were held alternately in each home.

This group was very fortunate to have a gifted man like Rev. Klassen in their midst. He had been ordained as Minister of the Gospel in 1922 in Russia by Bishop Peter Wiens. He, and his family, came to Superb from Rosthern Saskatchewan. Peter Klassen spent much of his time writing. In the thirties, he was the author of seven books, a number of fables, and had numerous fictional stories published in such papers as; "Der Nordwesten", "Der Courier", and "Der Herald". Besides preparing a sermon for Sunday, he instigated and taught Sunday School classes to the new congregation. Other early Sunday School teachers were:

1. Peter Siemens
2. Henry Wiebe (and later)
3. Louise Klassen
4. Frieda Klassen
5. Helen Warkentin
6. Nettie Wiebe

In 1929, Rev. Klassen instructed young people in catechism. In 1932, he organized a mixed choir consisting of ten voices, teaching them to sing in harmony according to numbers on the scale instead of notes. This was how it had been done in Russia. Peter Klassen was also a poet and wrote many poems, recitations, and a number of plays in Low German. These plays were occasionally presented by the young people of the Superb group.

Sunday School programs were presented by the Sunday School pupils on Christmas Eve, which has become a tradition and is presented every Christmas Eve to this day.

Rev. Klassen officiated the first ceremonies at Superb. The first wedding was a double ceremony of Peter Epp to Susie Siemens and Henry Wiebe to Tina Epp in Nov. 1928. The first baby was born to John and Gertrude Regehr. This child lived for only three days, making this the first funeral as well.