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 abo ...
s who emigrated from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
to Canada, where Epp was born in
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, 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 Hig ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, 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 t ...
in 1920.
Career
Among Russian Mennonites, Epp is one of the best known poets and story tellers working in Plautdietsch, alongside
Arnold Dyck Arnold (Abram Bernhard) Dyck (January 19, 1889 – July 10, 1970) was a Russian Mennonite writer born in Hochfeld, Ukraine. He immigrated to Canada in 1923, residing in Steinbach, Manitoba, where he purchased and edited the ''Steinbach Post''. He is ...
and
Jack Thiessen.
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 province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. 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 ''kiÊ ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, 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