Deutshlander Gretna Memories

A Mennonite from Plum Coulee hired father (Wilhelm Remus) and mother (Maria Deutschlander) for a year (immediately after their arrival in Manitoba in 1892). He and his son were kind and considerate, but his wife was cruel, unsympathetic, and extremely dirty. In fact her mental condition could not have been quite normal. Poor mother! Wherever she had lived before, she had been welcome and loved, but this woman gave her not one kindly look or one gentle word. Father was outside all day in more congenial company, but mother’s only adult companionship was with this woman. The unfamiliar prairie was bleak and harsh. She missed the verdant woods, the fragrant flowers, the winking river, the symphony of bird-song, and above all the wealth of friends. She was homesick – Homesick. I have heard her say she wept more than she ate that year, and that if she had been able to walk back to Berestowitz she would have done so. Only those who have experienced the poignant, gnawing pain of homesickness, can understand the aching longing that filled our mothers tender heart for her for her old home, where all about her loved her, in the beautiful land of the nightingale. Her one great solace was the prayer and hymnbook given her by her father, and sometimes then nights were bright she even read it outside by moonlight. Through it, when her heart was filled with depression and blank despair, God spoke words of comfort and courage, and through her tears she saw a rainbow.

Harvesting methods differed greatly from those of Berestowitz. The binder, much like the binder of today, except that it had no bundle carrier, replaced the scythe and the sickle. The portable steam engine, that is one pulled by horses or oxen, together with the separator, replaces the flail. Father did not like to work with oxen, for in the barn were two good horses that were fed and watered by not worked. It irritated him that he had to work with stupid oxen instead of with intelligent horses.

On August 19, 1892, Father and mother went to North Dakota to work for Fritz Vollrath, who was a bachelor. He was kind to mother and the two little boys who loved to tag after him. Neighbors too, were kind and friendly, so mother became much happier. Father had been more cautious this time and had made an agreement for only two months in case they didn’t like the place. However, both he and mother liked this place so well that they stayed over four years.

While at Vollraths, Kuballs arrived in 1893, from Germany, and now mother, to her great joy, had her sister Julianna (Kubal) close. They had left Russia and gone to Germany, but they could only earn enough for a bare existence there, so they too came to America. However, they did not stay long at Neche, but took up a homestead at Wales, North Dakota, where, like the other early settlers on the prairie, they lived in a sod hut at first.

In March 1896, father and mother moved into a log house that they had rented together with Uncle Rudolf (Remus). While here, father worked at Frank and Louis Morise’s and did carpentry work for miles around.

Next winter the snow piled up in huge bands around the log cabin. Steps had to be cut up the side of the snow band in order to get up. One day a rabbit came down and couldn’t get out again.

Once when father and Uncle Rudolf (Remus) were out cutting cordwood, Uncle’s axe slipped and cut a gash in father’s forehead. Mother was so frightened when she saw him coming home with the blood gushing from his head, and the little boys cried in fear.

When June 1896 came, a cloud burst caused the Pembina River to overflow its banks. The whole country was one big sea, Father made a dam to try to keep the water back from the house. Will and Reinhold spent many a happy hour wading in the water. An old well that had not been filled in, was also covered by the floodwaters. Little (son) Will accidentally stepped into this while wading, and down, down he went. When he came up (son) Reinhold seized him and pulled him to shore. Will was unconscious for some time. But for Reinhold’s presence of mind, mother would have lost her wee son that day.

Father had taken up a homestead at Wales. He now decided to look it over, and walked this distance of over 80 miles. When he got there he was greatly disappointed; there was no school or church and it was far from the bush. New settlers lived in sod huts. After spending two weeks here he gave up the homestead and in this same year bought the farm across the boundary from Halbstadt.

Next spring in the month of March 1897, father and mother moved onto their own land at the boundary (this is the house and area pictured in the Gretna webpage). The house was very cold when they moved in and mother put the two boys on a bench covered with sheepskin beside the stove. Little Will shivered and said, "When I am big I am going to build a house and line my room with sheepskin". These were prophetic words, for in the year1944, when he built his new house, he lined it with rock wool, a new product of insulation, for warmth.

As time went on father improved the buildings and mother had a lovely flower garden. Often people stopped in passing to admire her flowers.

For a time a Mrs. (Christoph) Hopp lived with them. One evening in fall when she was helping the boys feed the horses, a threshing machine came along the road. Mrs. Hopp gaped in amazement for the engine was not pulled by horses; it was self propelled. Never before had she seen any vehicle moving without being pulled by animals. She gasped "That cannot be anything good"!

In the month of February 1899, father and Uncle Rudolf (Remus) decided to go to Dresden by team, for father had good horses, so one morning when the weather was not too cold they set out. At Walhalla they rested their horses and then on they drove. When dusk fell it was snowing and they planned to spend the night at the first farmhouse they came to, for they could not ravel by night on an unknown road. When they came to a farmhouse Uncle Rudolf enquired, but he was told that there was no room. This happened three times and both men were getting desperate. As another house loomed in sight, Uncle said, "You try this time". Father was more fortunate, and they and their horses were made welcome and comfortable. Next day they arrived at Kuball’s at eleven.

That evening Uncle Kuball (his wife was Juliana nee Deutshlander - Maria's sister) visited at Kern’s. In the meantime a storm started and they nearly got lost going home. Aunt Pauline had a light in the window to guide them. A terrible blizzard raged for three days, so violent that they could not even water the horses. When it finally stopped the weather was bitterly cold.

Father felt he could not stay away from home any longer, so prepared to leave. Aunt Pauline (this is probably a mistake and should be Juliana Kuball nee Deutshlander) had a jug of hot coffee on the stove for them to take along but just as they were ready to go it exploded, so they were out of luck. After travelling a few hours they became very cold. They tried running behind the sleigh, but became still colder. When they arrived at Walhalla at 4:30 p.m. it was 42 below zero. They would have liked to spend the night here, but the livery barn was too cold for the horses, so on they went. The road was food until they got to Neche, but here the snow became very deep and the horses began to flounder and tire. The last miles seemed endless. Uncle Rudolf got off at his place and father reached home at midnight. He was very worried about his horses and covered them well. Next morning he was greatly relieved to find them none the worse for their trip.

In the boundary house five more children were born to mother – on January 3, 1897, Fred; September 21, 1900, Walter; August 28, 1903, to her great joy a little girl, Matilda (Tillie); in 1906 Henry, and last of all March 18, 1909, I, her youngest (Mary (Rosa) Remus).

One summer morning in 1910 there was great excitement in the boundary house. We were going to Dresden to visit Kuball’s. This time the trip was made with horses and carriage. Our carriage was very elegant, at least I thought so when I was old enough to have an opinion. At the time of this trip I was not, being only a little over a year old. The two-seated carriage had fenders and marvelous little coal oil lamps on each side. And so father and mother set out with their three youngest, Walter, Tillie, and my self. At Walhalla we had dinner in the hotel which was indeed an event in Walter and Tillies’s young lives, I still being indifferent to the social highlights of the world. After horses and passengers were rested we continued on our way. When within a few miles of Uncle’s place we met an old lady walking along to Kuball’s and she gave them the glad tidings that Patzer’s had arrived from Russia. Mother was beside herself with delight, and said she felt like running ahead of the horses to get there faster. But alas, mother’s joy was turned to dismay, for poor Aunt Susanna Patzer (nee Deutshlander) lay delirious with fever, and did not even recognize mother the whole three days she was there. Aunt Susanna’s baby, Linda, was cared for by an older sister, Holdina. Uncle Christian Deutschlaender, too, had come, and later visited us often, but the Patzers upon Aunt Susanna’s recovery went directly to Rush Luke, Sask.

Here at the boundary house, father bought the first sewing machine. Mother was quite horrified at this unnecessary extravagance, for had she not managed quite well without one all these years! When it was brought in father threaded it, and taking paper he sewed back and forth on it, enjoying himself immensely. Such a waste of thread! She seized a piece of cloth, hastily cut out a garment and she sat down and sewed – and thoroughly enjoyed herself.

(son) Will at this time had a very interesting and worthwhile hobby – photography. He kept his supplies in a cupboard upstairs. One night when all were in bed except father and mother, who slept downstairs, mother had a strange experience. As if an unseen power propelled her, she went upstairs and opened the doors of Will’s cupboard. The contents were all ablaze. For some reason the chemicals had reacted in such a way as to cause a fire. Of course it was still extinguished easily, but if mother had not received this warning, how terrible the results would have been!

At the boundary house mother and father had many friends, although I must admit a queer lot some of them were, many of them bitter enemies with each other, but kind and helpful to father and mother. How often mother spoke of the Morises and their many kindnesses to her and to her children. The Morises were already well to do, but they had a very warm heart and helping hand for those less fortunate. Then there were the Kains, the Lembkes, the Vollraths and the Fischers.

As time went on father realized that there was more money in farming than in carpentry, so he decided to buy more land, but there was none for sale conveniently close. After careful consideration he sold the boundary farm and (on Oct. 30, 1910) bought more land in Canada.

Please send any information and queries to Bill Remus at