Warkentin is a common Mennonite name of Prussian background which, as early as 1667, was found in Tiegenhagen, Ladekopp, Rosenort, Fürstenwerder, Heubuden, Danzig, and Königsberg. From Prussia the name spread first to Russia and later to North America.

Cornelius Warkentin helped the early Russian Mennonites who were struggling with religious problems. Bernhard Warkentin helped introduce hard winter wheat to the North American prairies and was also instrumental in the settlement of the Mennonites migrating from Russia to Kansas. Abraham Warkentin taught at Bethel College and was the first president of the Mennonite Biblical Seminary. John W. Warkentin of Hillsboro, Kansas was active both in the Mennonite Brethren (MB) church and also in college work. Cornelius J. Warkentin was a General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM) elder at Waldheim, Saskatchewan, and was also active in conference work. There were a total of 25 Warkentin ministers in North America in 1957, 15 MB (all but 5 serving in Canada) and 10 GCM (all serving in Canada).

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 887. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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