Biographical Sketch

Peter P. Isaak was born on December 5th, 1897, in Petrovka, No. 2, Orenburg, in the Ural region of Russia. His parents were Peter P. Isaak and Helena (nee. Harms) Isaak. Peter was one of 12 children (Jacob, Liese, Marie, Lena, Johann, Anna, etc.).

Peter’s mother instilled a love of poetry, and from an early age Peter decided to become a poet and preacher. Peter eagerly anticipated school. He was a great reader and was writing short stories and plays by the time he was 12. In 1914, during the First World War, Peter served in a city hospital in Moscow. He returned home in 1918 but by Christmas time Peter was called into military service. He began the year 1919 in a camp beside the Emiel River, twenty miles from Chuguchak, followed by a time of exile. In 1922 Lennon awarded amnesty to all soldiers and Peter finally began the long journey home late in the summer of 1923. Throughout his military career Peter continued to write poetry.

During Christmas of 1923 Peter met and married Tina Martens of Dolinovka, No. 9, Orenburg. Two years later their first boy, Eric was born. In 1926 Peter and his young family emigrated to Herbert, Saskatchewan and soon after Peter’s first poem was published in the Mennonitische Rundschau. Later, in the spring of 1927, Peter bought his first piece of land in Lucky Lake, SK 160 acres near the South Saskatchewan River. By this time he was known as the Poet Isaak and their second son, Pete, was born. From 1928-1929 Peter farmed and attended the Herbert Bible School, eventually receiving his diploma. He also began publishing articles in other newspapers.

In the early 1930’s Peter and Tina joined the Mennonite Brethren Church in Beechy and both were rebaptised. It was shortly thereafter that their daughter Frieda was born. They left Herbert and made their way to Waldheim, Saskatchewan. In Waldheim Peter continued to farm, established a Bible School and was invited to give many sermons. Eventually they bought a farm near the North Saskatchewan River, in the Bruderfeld area. They leased the adjoining pastureland and had four hundred and forty acres to raise cattle. After a few years Peter and Tina had a fifth child, Nettie.

Peter’s first book, Dem Leben Abgelauscht, was published before the winter of 1946. He sold 300 copies. In 1947 they moved too Matsqui, B.C. and eventually acquired 35 acres of farmland. In 1949 Peter published his second book Aus Sündenelend und Erdennot. The market for German literature was low, but eventually all the copies were sold. By 1958 all their children had left home and Peter and Tina decided to sell the land and retire in Clearbrook B.C. At first they attended McCallum Road M.B. Church and then Clearbrook M.B. Church. Demand for his service was minimal and he eventually wrote his last poem Herzkrank on June 18, 1961. Shortly thereafter on July 15, 1961 he died of a heart attack.