David P. Reimer fonds. - 1919-1928, 1940-1947, 1950, 1951, 1962. - 2 cm of textual records and 223 frames of microfilm.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
David Reimer (1894-1962) was 12th child of 16 born to Peter (1845-1915) and Maria (1850-1934) (Plett) Reimer in the village of Blumenort, Manitoba. He attended the village school in Blumenort from 1900-1908. In 1910 he moved with his parents to a location one and half miles north of the village where he lived for the rest of his life. Much of his English education which led him to begin a career as a teacher, was received by correspondence courses. In 1914 he married Justina Brandt. Together they had twelve children.
In 1929 Reimer was called to the ministry in the Kleine Gemeinde (known as the Evangelical Mennonite Church (Canada) after 1952). Part of his responsibilities included representing the church when dealing with issues of colonization and new settlements. In 1935 the church launched a periodical entitled Christlicher Familienfreund, and Reimer served as the editor until 1959 and as assistant editor from 1959 until 1963. In 1941 he became heavily involved with the Conscientious Objector question (CO). He was a member of the executive of the Aeltestenkomitee (Committee of Elders). He was one of the delegates from the Aeltestenkomitee that went to Ottawa to discuss Canada's original promise of military exemption for Mennonite men. He also provided pastoral support to the COs who worked in the labor camps. In 1948 he was elected as an Aeltester (bishop or elder). During the post WW II years he remained in Manitoba while his brother, Bishop Peter P. Reimer was a leader of a significant number of families that decided to emigrated from Canada and settle in South and Central America due to their growing distrust of the Canadian government. David P. Reimer continued his involvement with interdenominational organizations concerned with the peace and war issues.
From 1946 till 1959 David P. Reimer served on the Mennonite Encyclopedia board and wrote another of articles for this project. He was also involved as the editor of several books -- Experiences of the Mennonites in Canada During the Second World War (194?), and the genealogy book Familienregister der Nachkommen von Grosseltern Kornelius und Sara Plett, (1953).
CUSTODIAL HISTORY:
Some of the records in this collection were deposited in 1974. (The source was not documented.) Sarah Reimer, daughter of David P. Reimer, made the second deposit in the 1979. Some of the material was microfilmed by the Heritage Centre in 1980. Other documents were collected by David and Trudy Schellenberg of Winkler for the Christian Heritage Library.
SCOPE AND CONTENT:
This fonds consists of the following series: 1) Peace and War 2) Mennonite Encyclopedia 3) Materials relating to trips. In addition there is one pamphlet entitled: Bericht ueber die Mennonitische Lehranstalt zu Gretna, Manitoba, and a photocopied journal.
NOTES:
Some material in German.
Description last updated by Sharon H.H. Brown, December, 2002.
Location: Volume 652, 2117-6; Microfilm #188 (Project 37)
Finding Aid: Inventory file description.
Acc. No: 97-150.
SERIES DESCRIPTION:
Peace and War. - 1940-1944,1950,1951. - 2 cm of textual records and 174 frames of microfilm.
This series contains reports, correspondence and other materials from Reimer's involvement in the Aeltestenkomitee. The material deals with the Contentious Objector status for Mennonite during WW II, and issues of war and peace after the war. (Some of the material microfilmed duplicates some of the textual material.)
Location: Volume 652:1,2,4; Microfilm #188:3.
Mennonite Encyclopedia. - 1946-1947. - 1 folder of textual material.
This series contains correspondence relating to David P. Reimer's involvement on the editorial board and as a writer for the Mennonite Encyclopedia project.
Location: Volume 652:9.
Material Relating to Trips. - 1918-1928, 1942, 1945, 1950, 1951, 1962. - 49 frames of microfilm.
This series contains material related to the trips the David P. Reimer made to South America and to Ottawa. Included are reports, maps, and brochures. There is also a record of temperature and precipitation from 1918-1928.
Location: Microfilm # 188:5-7.