The Neumann Story begins in 18th century Prussia, and like many other Mennonite family stories of that time period, the story moves to Russia around 1820. Russia was the family’s place of residence for 106 years, emigrating to Canada in 1926, following the Russian Revolution and Civil War (see maps).

     The married lives of Heinrich and Sarah Neumann was a continuous journey filled with challenges. During the first years of their married life, they were involved in very challenging pioneer life in Siberia, exacerbated by the Revolution and Civil War. Within a few years of arriving in Canada, the Depression struck, followed by the war years. The Greendale years may have provided the greatest return for time invested, but by then, they must surely have been physically spent. Following his birth in Sparrau, South Russia, Heinrich moved a total of eight times, each destination with its own unique set of circumstances and challenges. At a number of places in his memoirs, David Neumann commends his father to the readers as a man who did not shrink from hard work. David writes, “But he always saw to it that the family was reasonably well fed and clad”. Unfortunately, a long, pleasant retirement was not to be their lot in life.

     It seems strange to think that in another 8 years, the Neumann family will have lived longer in Canada than in Russia. In 2026, the Neumann family will be marking 100 years in Canada.