Abraham Dueck Penner (1910–2008) was a Canadian businessman and politician from Steinbach,

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, who was instrumental in transforming and modernizing the lifestyle of the conservative

Kleine Gemeinde Kleine Gemeinde is a Mennonite denomination founded in 1812 by Klaas Reimer in the Russian Empire. The current group primarily consists of Plautdietsch-speaking Russian Mennonites in Belize, Mexico and Bolivia, as well as a small presence in Canada ...

Mennonites Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

of the region. Penner was born on a farm just outside of Steinbach to a

Russian Mennonite The Russian Mennonites ( it. "Russia Mennonites", i.e., Mennonites of or from the Russian Empire are a group of Mennonites who are the descendants of Dutch and North German Anabaptists who settled in the Vistula delta in West Prussia for about ...

family on September 3, 1910, and established Steinbach's first

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

dealership in 1937. While serving on Steinbach City Council from 1947 to 1957, he helped establish Steinbach as a town separate from the

Rural Municipality of Hanover The Rural Municipality of Hanover is a rural municipality (RM) in southeastern Manitoba, Canada, located southeast of Winnipeg in Division No. 2. It is Manitoba's most populous rural municipality and fourth-most populous municipality overall ...

. Most significantly, however, was his cultural impact on the Mennonite community, leading to the assimilation of the Mennonites in southern Manitoba into mainstream society. Prior to Penner, Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites were reserved, spoke

Plautdietsch Plautdietsch () or Mennonite Low German is a Low Prussian dialect of East Low German with Dutch influence that developed in the 16th and 17th centuries in the Vistula delta area of Royal Prussia. The word ''Plautdietsch'' translates to "fl ...

, were primarily agrarian, and eschewed flashiness and consumerist consumption. Penner, who boasted that he had not spoken the traditional Mennonite dialect in decades, was flamboyant and aggressive in his lifestyle, political leadership and approach to business. During the 1950s, he "created a new helm for businessmen" of the region that was not based on agriculture. His buildings were "ultramodern" and his approach was aggressive, all things that clashed with the traditional lifestyle of the local Mennonites. In 1960 Penner tore down the last historic

housebarn A housebarn (also house-barn or house barn) is a building that is a combination of a house and a barn under the same roof. Most types of housebarn also have room for livestock quarters. If the living quarters are only combined with a byre, wher ...

in Steinbach, an act of destruction that spurred on concerned locals to create the

Mennonite Heritage Village Mennonite Heritage Village is a museum in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada telling the story of the Low German Mennonites in Canada. The museum contains both an open-air museum open seasonally, and indoor galleries open year-round. Opened in 1967 an ...

in order preserve the area's remaining historic buildings. Whereas the traditional Mennonite lifestyle meant that Steinbach had had a primarily agricultural-based economy before this time, Penner coined the phrase "The Automobile City" and promoted Steinbach as a centre for the automobile trade in Manitoba, a reputation that still stands today. By 1960, '' Carillon News'' observed that "things aren't as simple as they used to be in this peaceful Mennonite darp." Penner was a co-creator of the 18-hole Steinbach Fly-in Golf Course which was completed in 1970, with Premier

Ed Schreyer Edward Richard Schreyer (born December 21, 1935) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as the 22nd governor general of Canada from 1979 to 1984. He previously served as the 16th premier of Manitoba from 1969 to 1977. Schr ...

presiding over the opening. Penner was mayor of Steinbach from 1971 to 1980. He died on March 7, 2008. A large park in his name was established in north Steinbach. Steinbach's "Abe's Hill" is also named in his honour and is a popular

toboggan A toboggan is a simple sled used in snowy winter recreation. It is also a traditional form of cargo transport used by the Innu, Cree and Ojibwe of North America, sometimes part of a dog train. It is used on snow to carry one or more people (o ...

ing site in winter located in L.A. Barkman Kinsmen Park on the west side of Steinbach.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penner, A.D. 1910 births 2008 deaths Kleine Gemeinde People from Steinbach, Manitoba 20th-century mayors of places in Manitoba Canadian Mennonites