Reuben Epp (March 1 1920 – June 20, 2009) was an author of works in Plautdietsch (Mennonite Low German).

Early life

Epp's parents were

Russian Mennonite The Russian Mennonites (german: Russlandmennoniten it. "Russia Mennonites", i.e., Mennonites of or from the Russian Empire occasionally Ukrainian Mennonites) are a group of Mennonites who are descendants of Dutch Anabaptists who settled for a ...

s who emigrated from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

to Canada, where Epp was born in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...

in 1920.

Career

Among Russian Mennonites, Epp is one of the best known poets and story tellers working in Plautdietsch, alongside Arnold Dyck and

Jack Thiessen John Peter Thiessen (14 April 1931 – 9 October 2022) was a Canadian Russian Mennonite teacher, translator, and writer from Manitoba. Alongside Arnold Dyck and Reuben Epp, he was an important contributor to the development of Mennonite Low Ger ...

. His accomplishments include publications on the history of Plautdietsch and on its orthography. Epp's name is rendered "Ruben Ap" in Plautdietsch. Epp was educated as a mechanic and became an instructor at a vocational school for mechanics. Later he became the director of a vocational school in

Dawson Creek Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

. Epp died in

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ' ...

, Canada in 2009.

Works

*''Biem Aunsiedle: When the settlers came; plautdietsche Jechichte een Resse ut'e Vergangenheit'' (Winnipeg, Canada 1972) *''Plautdietsche Schreftsteckja: Jedichta, Jeschichte, Leeda, Spelkjes'' (Steinbach, Manitoba 1972) *''Onse Lied Vetahle udio Archive Stories our people tell; plautdietsche Jeschichte enn Riemsels'' (Winnipeg, Manitoba 1973) *''The Story of Low German and Plautdietsch: Tracing a Language Across the Globe'' (Hillsboro, USA 1993) *''The Spelling of Low German & Plautdietsch: Towards An Official Plautdietsch Orthography'' (Hillsboro, USA 1996) *''Dit un jant opp Plautdietsch: This and that in Mennonite Low German'' (Hillsboro, USA 1997) *''Dit un Jant opp Plautdietsch'' D, 17 pieces by Reuben Epp, live recording, lecture on October 7, 2000 in Lage/Lippe, Germany published by Plautdietsch-Freunde e. V. (Detmold 2006)

External links

Plautdietsch-Freunde e.V.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Epp, Reuben 1920 births 2009 deaths Canadian Mennonites Mennonite writers Mennonite humorists 20th-century Canadian poets 20th-century Canadian male writers Canadian male poets Plautdietsch language