Reimer

REIMER FLEISHMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 23:41:57

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Reimer
By Duane Wimmer

Anton Reimer was born in Viena, Austria, January 21, 1858. He lived in Austria and drove a beer truck. He married Ann Fleishman in Vienna; two of their sons were born in Austria. Anton came to America and worked on a farm at Ricketts, Crawford County, Iowa, to get enough money for his wife and two children to come to America.

They rented a farm at Ricketts for ten years. They then homesteaded a farm northeast of Danbury which they later bought for $10 an acre.

They had eight children. John, born in Austria, married Rose King, and farmed in the Danbury area until retiring in Danbury.

Tony, also born in Austria, farmed in the Danbury area also, owned and operated the Reimer’s Garage in Danbury.

Anne ‘Sister Lioba’ went to the convent at the age of 21 and is now retired in Dubuqued.

George, a twin of Sister Lioba, lived at home all of his life.

Peter married Betty Ortner and operated a truck in Danbury.

Margaret married Frank Erlemeier and farmed until retiring in Danbury.

Margaret, my grandmother, was born August 14, 1896, at Ricketts, Iowa. She lived in the Ricketts area until she was four years old. She then moved with her parents to a farm northeast of Danbury.

Margaret ‘Maggie’ went to school in Danbury. She boarded at the Catholic school. They stayed there all week and then walked home 6 ½ miles on the weekends when the weather was warm. Otherwise they went by horse and buggy. She went to school until the 6th grade or she was fourteen years old. When Grandma was in school, and when she couldn’t get home on the weekends, she would walk to Erlemeier’s, as they only lived a mile from town. That is how she met and got to know her future husband.

There were 20 to 25 children boarding at the sisters and going to the Catholic school. On Friday night they would start walking to their homes, first the ones that were the closest would be home, and along the way as they walked there would be fewer of them walking.

When Grandma was seventeen years old, the Braig General Store gave tickets for buying groceries and other goods at the store. The one with the most tickets won a piano. She had the most tickets and won the piano.

When Frank and Margaret started going together, ‘Frank had a horse named Tony; they went by horse and buggy. They were married January 30, 1917, at St Mary’s Church in Danbury. They drove the horse and buggy to the farm, they spent the next day thawing out water works because they were all frozen up. Then on January 31 a big snow storm came, they were snowbound for a week.

After they were married there was a dance contest. They entered it and won it. Frank was always known for being a good dancer; when there was ladies’ choice, he was one of the first ones to be chosen.

They had four children. Ray, born February 4, 1919, died in a tractor accident, January 23, 1945, at the age of 26.

Regina ‘Jean’, born November 4, 1921, married Lavon Ernest and farmed around Danbury until retiring in Danbury. They have seven children.
Helen, born August 24, 1923, married Dick Flammang. They have four children and live in Sioux City.

Lioba married August Wimmer, and lives on the farm where she was born.

The first car Frank and Margaret had was a Maxwell. The first new car was a 1929 Dodge. The roads were dirt and when it rained the roads were really muddy; quite a few times they had to walk home or put chains on the car and try and make it home. When it snowed in the winter and the roads were blocked, they made roads through the fields where the snow wasn’t so deep. Frank had a snow plow built with bridge planks, shaped like a V. They put eight horses or two tractors in front of it to open the fields or roads.

The children always had a cake for their birthdays and a gift.

The tradition for Christmas was on Christmas Eve the children would lay out the clothes they wore that day and that’s where Santa Claus left the presents. Even during the depression of the 1930s they always had a beautiful Christmas. Every Christmas Grandma would make the same traditional dishes her mother had taught her and which are still family traditions.

In the 1930s Frank Erlemeier would sell cattle and take them by train to Chicago. One time he got a certificate as his ‘Black Angus’ cattle topped the market at $2 a hundred.

Grandpa Erlemeier died of a heart attack, December 6, 1965. He died in his chair at home; they were watching ‘Gunsmoke’ on television. And yet today, Grandma cannot watch that show.

Lioba ‘Mother’ was named after her aunt who went to the convent and took the name of Sister Mary Lioba. She went to school in Danbury at St Marys. The first six years she boarded with her Grandpa and Grandma Erlemeier; the 7th and 8th grades with Grandpa and Grandma Reimer. After she graduated she helped on the farm with the chores and field work.

She met August ‘Gus’ when his dad came to Frank Erlemeier to buy a bull. They were married June 10, 1946, at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Danbury. They had eight children.

Shirley, born April 22, 1947, married Jim Eisenbacher and has four children: David, born in 1971; Danny, in 1975; Dean, in 1977; and Diane, in 1982. They live in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rita, born May 31, 1948, married and divorced Tom Parks and has four children: Kenny, born in 1969; Lori, in 1972; Kevin, in 1973; and Keith in 1980. They live in Sioux City, Iowa.

Alice, born February 13, 1950, married John Hare and has four children: Billy, born in 1974; Tammy, in 1976; Scott, in 1981; and Robert, in 1983. They live in West Bend, Iowa.

Ray, born July 21, 1951, married and divorced Marlene Wallace and has one son, Billy, born in 1975. Ray lives in Odebolt, Iowa.

Marian, born June 11, 1963, married Dan Hale. They have two sons: Frank, born in 1977; and Tim, born in 1981. They live in Cherokee, Iowa.

Mike, born October 7, 1956, married Linda Leisinger. They have two children, Ryan, born in 1979; and Rachelle, born in 1981.

Elizabeth ‘Betty’ was born January 12, 1960; she was born with a heart murmur. She was sick all her life and died of heart failure on August 30, 1970.

Donna was born June 16, 1964.