Glen Goering, currently serving as the Director of Development for the Moundridge Immigrant House Cultural Center & Museum project, reported at the SMHCA Annual Meeting March 9: We have been working with the Immigrant Cultural Center project for most of the past year and a half and can finally share that through the generosity of the Jenkins family, we have acquired the three acre property just West of the Moundridge Museum Complex. If the location sounds familiar, it should. This is where all our 150th anniversary agriculture events were performed and where we raised our Turkey Red Wheat. With the deed to this property legally registered, the Task force is proceeding to finalize the architectural footprint and design of the structure and grounds.
Since the annual meeting, the Immigrant House Project received a grant to be used for the start-up fees for the first year, including but not limited to land acquisition, title and surveying as well as professional, legal and architectural design fees. With the design phase nearly complete, we are moving into the fundraising phase of this valued project.
More information can be found in the Schweitzer Salt Newsletter.
Donate HereEvents:
SMCHA Annual Banquet
The 2025 Annual Banquet was on Saturday, October 18 at the Burrton Community Center. The evening was well attended, the food was delicious (if you like ethnic German food from the Breadbasket) and events were appreciated. Special music from the Schwisters was followed by Peter Buller who shared his experiences from this past summer at Reba Place in Chicago. Peter also shared his thoughts about Anabaptism now and in the future, and offered suggestions of focus and direction. He closed the evening with the group singing a number of hymns from Voices Together. Peter’s presentation, along with an update from Glen Goering about the immigrant House, can be viewed by clicking the links below.
Watch Peter Buller’s Presentation
Watch Glen Goering Immigrant House update
More details about the banquet can be found in the October “Schweitzer Salt”, located under “resources” on this site.
About Us
The Swiss Mennonite Cultural and Historical Association (SMCHA) is a nonprofit organization comprising descendants of immigrant Mennonites who came to the USA in the 1870s from what is now the Ukraine. Their ancestors originated in Switzerland passing through many countries in Europe including France, Germany, Austria and Poland on their way to the Ukraine.
Major purposes of the SMCHA are to educate descendants of the Swiss Mennonites on the origin and culture of this group through various cultural events, research activities, maintenance of historic places, etc. There are several thousand of such descendants, many of them located in central Kansas, South Dakota, and other mid-western states.
Learn MoreGenetic Study of the Plain Community
A Genetic Study of Schweitzer and other Mennonites with significant intermarriage in their ancestry (that's most of us) is in process. You are encouraged to participate in this study if you are interested. These studies can help physicians understand and better know how to treat genetic issues found specifically in our population. More information about the study and how to participate (minimal time, no travel), is available here.
There is also further information in Jeremy Schrag's 150th Anniversary Seminar, here.
Heritage Hall Museum & Archives
Lured by the Homestead Act of 1862, and in search of freedom and opportunity, Germans-from-Russia immigrants from Amish, Hutterite, Lutheran, Mennonite and Reformed backgrounds – and others – began arriving in southeastern Dakota Territory starting in the 1870s. They brought with them their religious traditions, strong work ethic and determination. They persevered, not only surviving […]
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