‘Bernhard’ Clock

Lepp Clock no. 140, 1844 (MC0246)

The first owners of this clock were probably Bernhard D. Wiebe (1821–1897) and Cornelia Wiebe (1823–1896), who were married January 5, 1844. They likely received this clock as a wedding gift. They lived in Heuboden, in the Bergthal Colony, Russian Empire (now Ukraine).

They brought their clock with them when they immigrated to Canada in 1876. They settled on a farm at Weidenfeld, near Rosenfeld, on the West Reserve in Manitoba. After their deaths, the clock passed to their son, Jacob (1849–1930), who had come to Canada the year before his parents. After Jacob's death, the clock was passed down through the Bernhards of the family.

The last Bernhard gave it to his son, who gave the clock to his uncle, Ivan Wiebe, who donated it to Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, in 2017.

A former owner had scraped the deteriorating paint off the clock sometime in the second half of the twentieth century so it could be repainted. However, the clock remained without a painted dial until Arthur Kroeger restored, repaired, and repainted the clock around 2010.

  • Description Thirty-hour wall clock with pendulum and weight-driven movement, made by Peter Lepp (1817–1871) in Chortitza, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), in 1844, serial number 140. Arched dial is dark green with a single gold border around the perimeter. Arch has hand-painted roses surrounded by greenery. Spandrels are hand-painted roses with leaves. Chapter ring is white with black Roman numerals and has a white outer ring marking the minutes and quarter hours. Within the chapter ring, below the hands, is '1844' written in gold. Below the chapter ring is the text 'Lepp Clock #140 – Chortitza Old Colony.' Two hands; rope drive; two weights.

  • Mennonite Clock Number MC0246

  • Object Name Lepp Clock

  • Serial Number 140

  • Mennonite Heritage Village Accession Number 2017.1.1

  • Date Created 1844

  • Maker Peter Lepp (1817–1871)

  • Location Made Chortitza, Chortitza Colony, Russian Empire (now Ukraine)

  • Other Markings P Lepp Colonie Chortitz no. 140 (stamped on hour wheel); 2 (stamped on hour wheel and escape wheel, back of both hands)

  • Movement Type Iron plate

  • Owner Mennonite Heritage Village

  • Publications Alexandra Kroeger, ‘New Acquisitions’, The Village Voice, vol. 5 no. 1, p. 3. https://mennoniteheritagevillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-05-village-voice.pdf

 

Many parts of this clock are marked with the number ‘2’, likely to make sure he did not mix up the parts of this clock with other clocks he was making at the same time.

Arthur Kroeger repainted the clock around the year 2010. This is not its original design.