Email Memories Shared by Robert Reiber

Date: 16 Mar 2019 [unknown]
Location: Ontario, Canada
Surname/tag: Doersan, Mattell, Reiber, Roehrig, Berner, Leader, Baggett, Aikenhead

Robert Reiber shared several family memories by email with me on March 16, 2019. I didn't want these to be forgotten, and wanted to share them and make sure they are connected to the appropriate profiles.

Transcription:

March 16, 2019

I remember my Mother saying the Doersans and Mattels were somehow related to us...

There was a thing in our family back then between the Catholics and Protestants... Not really sure of the details, but I remember meeting a nice young girl when I was around 15 or 16, much to my mother's horror, as apparently we were related... a cousin I believe. The Catholics were treated like black sheep and were not talked about... Oddly enough the 4 girls(Ethel, Florence, Clara and Carrie Roehrig) were Protestants, but the brother, Robert, was a Catholic.. I never got an explanation about this... Also there was a sister on my father's side who no one would talk about...Not sure what the deal was there either.. Afraid that I am not very religious, and considered the whole thing as a bit ridiculous.

I think my father's brothers all moved to the US. I remember as a kid going to Buffalo to visit one of them. Saw TV for the first time in Buffalo, still remember watching Kukla, Fran and Ollie..

Also Clara married a fellow called Homer Berner who worked for the Lutheran Synod setting up churches all over the US...

Carrie's husband, Gordon Leader, was her second husband. Her first husband was killed during WWII, no idea what his name was..

Also, some relationship between Florence Aikenhead and Donald Baggett. He may have been a son from a first marriage. Not sure, never got the details about that one either. Donald was pretty well the same age as my brother Richard...He was 16 years older than me.

March 16, 2019

We are also connected somehow to the Kormans...

As a kid I used to get taken to one of their cottages in Sauble Beach. They had several cottages, 4EEE was one and RoseLawn was another. They were located on the river, not far from the lake.. The wifes name was Gertrude Korman (Oberle), husband was John Korman. They owned property and a Hotel in Walkerton.

My wife has a locket that my mother got when Gertrude died.

Also, my brother's name was Richard Ormand Reiber...Where did the Ormand come from? Mine is Robert Murray Reiber... Where did Murray come from? I imagine my parents gave us a middle name of some relative, have no idea who.

Things I wish I had asked while my parents were still here to give me an answer...The old saying on the ferhooded German plaque I have is so true "Ve git to soon ouldt und too late schmart..."

March 16, 2019

Gad, never knew my father came from such a large family... I wonder if a lot of them died when they were young? I remember him talking about some epidemic in Ontario when he was young

I think Fred or Karl was the brother that we visited in Buffalo

My memory of events that happened 70 years ago is not very good

Pop was a generous and forgiving father. I can remember several occasions when I must have tested his patience to the limit, but he never seemed to get angry. "Home" was always a place where you could go to get support. My mother was also a caring and nurturing person. I can remember her dragging me off to the library as a youngster. I never really thanked her for that, but I became one of those strange people who actually read the manual before I operate something. Pop sponsored my wife ( who is a Scot ) when she emigrated to Canada, and also sponsored my wife's mother and sister when they emigrated to Canada. It's too bad that we can't turn back the clock for a few moments to say all the things we should have ..