George N. Rempel fonds. -- 1887-1942, [bef. 1980]-2005.-- 28 cm of textual records.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

George Nickolas Rempel was born on September 15, 1895 on the Estate called "Khutor Eleno Michaulavka, Taschenak, South Russia. His parents were Nickolas Isbrand Rempel (1867-1941) and Katharina Martens (1872-1928). Katharina Martens' parents were Johann Johann Martens (1836-1893) and Katharina Esau (1849-1897).  George's great great grandfather Wilhelm Martens (1781-1845) was a business partner with Johann Cornies (1789-1848) the model farmer and agricultural reformer.   George Rempel was concripted in 1914 in World War I, but opted for Alternative Service as a conscientious objector.  He served as a driver for the Red Cross. After the start of the revolution in 1917 he was again conscripted and this time he was a chauffeur for the Russian White Army officials. His family had cars in 1914, and since he was also a mechanic, he was able to repair the frequently disfunctioning vehicles on the Russian roads. After Wrangels White army lost in 1920, he and his two brothers Nickolas and Henry fled via Crimea to Constaninople, Turkey. Next spring they went to Danzig and stayed there until the fall of 1923, when he came to Laird, Saskatchewan where he worked for relatives, Peter and Margaret Epp cutting wood. He married Elisabeth Dyck on Jan. 1, 1926 in the Hanley Church. They farmed in the Hanley area and also pioneered by clearing bush at Struan, Saskatchewan. In 1942 they moved to Ontario where George worked in a factory for four years before moving to a farm at Port Robinson, Ontario. George and his wife Elisabeth were charter members of the St. Catharines United Mennonite Church. George N. Rempel died on September 17, 1979.

CUSTODIAL HISTORY

The material in this fonds was deposited at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in July 1999, May 2003, December 2009 by a daughter, Nelly Rempel of Port Robinson, Ontario.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This fonds consists of correspondence (1915-1942), letters of Nickolas Wiens and others (1887), an account book from the family estate in Russia covering 1889-1917 (most likely created by George N. Rempel's father), miscellaneous documents and information realted to the Taschtschenak and Brosdsky etstaes owned by Martens and Schroeder.  This includes a plan lay-out of the Martens estate. Some of the correspondence has been transcribed into Latin letters. The transcriptions have the identification number corresponding to the copy of the original in the upper right hand side.

NOTES

Arranged and described by Alf Redekopp, January 6, 2000. Updated March 6, 2003. Updated May 30, 2003, September 8, 2008, and January 8, 2010 by Conrad Stoesz. Updated by Alf Redekopp, 23 August 2010; 24 November 2010.

Finding Aid: Inventory file list

Location: Volumes 4787-4789; 5485-5487

No restrictions on access

Acc. No.: 99-084, 03-060, 09-070, 10-084

George N. Rempel fonds file list:

VOLUME 4787

1. Correspondence. -- 1915.
2. Correspondence. -- 1915-1916.
3. Correspondence. -- 1916.
4. Correspondence. -- 1916-1917.
5. Correspondence. -- 1917-1923.
6. Correspondence. -- 1923-1929.
7. Correspondence. -- 1934-1936.
8. Correspondence. -- 1936-1939.
9. Correspondence. -- 1940-1942.

VOLUME 4788

1. Correspondence (binder). -- 1914-1928.
2. Correspondence (binder). -- 1927-1937.
3. Correspondence (binder). -- 1932-1937.
4. Correspondence (binder). -- 1937-1941.
5. Miscellaneous letters and documents
6. Transcription of correspondence 1922-1929/ Irmgard Fiske. -- [199-].
7. Transcription of correspondence 1927-1932/ Irmgard Fiske. -- [199-].
8. Transcription of correspondence 1932-1937/ Irmgard Fiske. -- [199-].

VOLUME 4789

1. Correspondence. -- 1921-1923.
2. Correspondence. -- 1922-1924.
3. Nickolas Wiens letters 1887 + other letters
4. Account book. -- 1889-1917.
5. Johann Johann Martens estate plan in Russia. -- 1915. - x 90 cm.
6. Letter from Peter J. Enns to J.O. Toews. -- [bef. 1980]., Article by Heniz Klassen of St. Catharines, ON. -- 2005, hand drawn map of Taschtschenak and surrounding area. -- 1996.  This material provides information regarding the Taschtschenak and Brodsky estates owned by Wilhelm Martens and David Schroeder in the Melitopl region of Russia.