A brief history of the Mennonites in Nebraska

The Mennonites who settled in Nebraska originated in the Anabaptist movement of the Reformation period and took their name from the noted Dutch leader Menno Simons. Being persecuted for their faith, they moved from country to country until many found a haven in the United States. Of these a considerable number came to the prairies, some by wayof the East, while others came directly from Germany and Russia. Essentially the Mennonites were [not] a racial group but a religious association of men of like or similar faith. Today only five of some nineteen brances of the Mennonite church are represented in Nebraska. The story of their beginnings, the account of their coming, the growth of their settlements, the nature of their religious and social life, and the contributions which they have made to the development of this state make a thrilling chapter in the history of Nebraska