Nov. 3, 1915 to Dec. 30, 2008
Anne was born on November 3, 1915, the second child of Jacob and Katherine (Duerksen) Reimer, in the Mennonite village of Wiesenfeld founded in 1880 by her great-grandfather (J.D. Reimer) in what is now the Ukraine. Anne’s natal family had a very rich spiritual, intellectual, and material history.
The mayhem of the Russian revolution followed Anne’s birth by only two years, quickly engulfing idyllic Wiesenfeld. The whole village fled to Pavlograd on Anne’s fourth birthday, in 1919. The family next moved in a dreadful winter journey to the Molutschna colony, sojourning in Gnadenfeld village for six years. They lived in Grandfather Cornelius’ girls’ school, surviving threats and dangers, including the Great Famine.
In 1925 Anne’s family immigrated to Canada: first by rail to Riga, Latvia; then by steamer to Southampton; by train to Liverpool; and then sailed to Quebec City aboard the Montnairn. They trained to Waldheim, Saskatchewan in October, 1925, joining relatives who farmed south-east of Humboldt.
In 1928, Anne attended spiritual revival meetings in Waldheim. She remembered being strangely but strongly and clearly drawn to Christian faith during one meeting. Anne modeled devout belief and obedience to her Lord during the 80 years since!
Anne’s family moved to BC in 1936. George and Anne were married in the Greendale MB Church on July 31, 1938 and they have been members there since then, and active participants until their move to Abbotsford in December 2005.
Through Anne’s encouragement they moved from the paternal home in Greendale (then Sardis) to Sidney on Vancouver Island. Shortly after Reg was born (1940) they moved to Vancouver. Then it was back to Greendale where they bought a small farm on Sumas Prairie Road in Greendale. Here Jerry was born in 1944; and Joan in 1947.
Anne actively participated in hospitality service at church and at the Atchelitz Threshermens’ Association. MCC also benefited greatly from Anne’s volunteering: sorting clothes and baking pies for the annual sale.
On October 18, Anne fell, breaking her hip. She was hospitalized at the new Abbotsford hospital for four weeks before being moved to extended care. On December 9 she was moved to Menno Hospital. Anne peacefully went into the presence of her Lord early on the morning of Tuesday, December 30.
Anne is survived by husband George; three children; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; as well as four younger siblings: Louise, Neil, Dave, and Edgar.
Services for Anne Reimer were held on Saturday, January 3, 2009, at Greendale MB Church, with interment in Greendale Cemetery, Chilliwack, BC. Donations in Anne’s memory to: The Persecuted Church in Vietnam, directed through the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Box 3745, Markham Ontario, L3R 0Y4 would be greatly appreciated.
Online condolences can be left at www.mem.com