Reimer, Heinrich R. (1876-1959)
Heinrich R. Reimer: Mennonite minister, teacher, writer, and farmer; born in Blumenort, Manitoba, on 27 June 1876, just two years after his parents, Abraham R. Reimer (1841-1891) and Maria Reimer (1847-1916), emigrated from Russia to Canada. Heinrich was the sixth child from his father's second marriage. In 1896 Heinrich married Helene Dueck (1878-1950). They initially lived in Schwagershof, Manitoba, where they began farming and raising a family. Together Heinrich and Helene had 13 children: six daughters and seven sons. After several years it became apparent that Heinrich was "not a farmer at heart." He later wrote that as a result of drought and grasshoppers, "the Lord led me into the classroom," a career for which he proved well suited.
Heinrich R. Reimer began his 25-year teaching career in 1901. During that time he taught in Neuanlage for four years, Blumenort for fifteen years, and Prairie Rose for six years. As a teacher, Heinrich earned the respect of his community and in 1916 was appointed as deacon in the Kleine Gemeinde Church in Blumenort. Upon moving to Prairie Rose, Manitoba, in 1918, Heinrich was elected to the ministry and became an important leader in the Prairie Rose Church.
In 1922, Reimer was a member of a delegation sent to Mexico by the Kleine Gemeinde church of Manitoba and Kansas to explore land settlement opportunities there. Mennonite loss of control over their schools in Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the preceding decade led to the emigration of nearly 7,000 Mennonites from Canada to Latin America in the 1920s. Following this delegation, a small group of Kansas Kleine Gemeinde moved to Mexico, but no Canadian Kleine Gemeinde emigrated at this time.
Reimer served the church faithfully, officiating at weddings and funerals as well as preaching on the East Reserve circuit for the Kleine Gemeinde. This meant traveling and an increased farm workload for his wife and children. As a minister Heinrich was open to new ways of doing things and was one of the first Kleine Gemeinde ministers to preach without reading his sermons. Two of Heinrich's sons also became ministers in the Kleine Gemeinde Church: Ben D. Reimer and Frank D. Reimer.
Reimer died in 1959 having spent a lifetime contributing to the intellectual and spiritual development and well-being of his community.
Bibliography
Penner, Doris. "Heinrich R. Reimer's 'Schrievedesch.'" Preservings, no. 8, part 2 (June 1996): 58-59.
Plett, Delbert F. "1922 Delegation to Mexico." Preservings, no. 14 (June 1999): 104-105.
| Author(s) | Sharon H. H Brown |
|---|---|
| Gerald Ens | |
| Date Published | June 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Brown, Sharon H. H and Gerald Ens. "Reimer, Heinrich R. (1876-1959)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2025. Web. 19 Jan 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Reimer,_Heinrich_R._(1876-1959)&oldid=180919.
APA style
Brown, Sharon H. H and Gerald Ens. (June 2025). Reimer, Heinrich R. (1876-1959). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 January 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Reimer,_Heinrich_R._(1876-1959)&oldid=180919.
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