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 Mennonites 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-eig ...

to Canada, where Epp was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 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,

, 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