1825 Estonian Bible

Donated by Glorian Louise Smith (nee Tipman) b. May 31, 1934 Stettler, Alberta to Anna Louise Tipman-Kirton and Joseph J. Tipman d. June 20, 2008

The Bible was brought to Canada from Estonia in 1903 by Joseph Tipman and his wife Anna Redeer. Before coming to Canada they had lived in Russia, purchasing land from the Estate of Baron Brante, farming there until land in Canada was being offered at $10 for a quarter section. The Bible was passed on to Joseph J. Tipman, their son, and his wife, Anna Louise Tipman-Kirton. It remained in the deserted farmhouse for many years after the Tipman's left and was eventually retrieved by their daughter, Glorian Louise Smith and her husband, Leigh. They took the Bible from the deserted farmhouse to their home in Kingston, Ontario. In 2008 Glorian was diagnosed with an uncurable condition and , when she realized that she had only a short time to live, wanted to find an appropriate place for the 1825 Bible. She contacted a cousin, Marlene Kuutan (nee Tipman), in Toronto hoping that Marlene's connection to the Estonian community there would assist in finding an appropriate place for the Bible. After much research and thought and then the realization that the Alberta Estonian Heritage Society would be establishing an 'Estonian Collection at the Provincial Archives of Alberta, it was determined that the most appropriate place for the 1825 Bible would be to return it to Alberta to become part of the AEHS Collection in the Provincial Archives of Alberta in Edmonton.