Winfred Denver Reimer, age 97, passed away on April 7, 2019, in Bellingham. He was born June 26, 1921, in Hillsboro, Kansas, to parents Dietrich Cornelius and Nellie (Voth) Reimer. He married Alyce Carolyn Archer on Aug. 23, 1946, in Newton, Kansas.
Winfred was born on the farm six miles east of Goessel. He went to school for the first three years at Pleasant Valley District #27, Marion County, Kansas. Certificates reveal he was neither absent nor tardy the entire 1929, 1930 and 1931 school years. His family then moved to a farm west of Newton in Harvey County. He completed his grade school years at Prouty School and graduated from Newton High School in the class of 1940.
Winfred was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Newton and was baptized by Rev. J.E. Entz on May 16, 1937. From 1942 through 1946 he served in Civilian Public Service. He initially reported to Weeping Water, Nebraska, and was later selected to continue the experiments at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Lincoln, Nebraska. This was followed by additional service in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1946. While Winfred was in Lincoln he met Alyce Archer, who was a student at the university there. They were married in the First Mennonite Church of Newton, Kansas, by Rev. Lester Hostetler. Winfred attended Bethel College in 1946 and 1947. When his dad (D.C. Reimer) bought the C.A. Reimer home place from his brother Arnold in December 1947, Winfred farmed it until 1959. The farm, which is located on the McPherson-Marion county line south of Canton, became a dairy, with Winfred selling Grade A milk from purebred Ayrshires. He was only able to harvest seven of 13 wheat crops.
Winfred and Alice were 4-H leaders, active members of the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church of Goessel and earned the Balanced Farming and Family Living Award for McPherson County in 1953. Winfred was also on the board of directors of the Kansas Farm Bureau. The Reimers had a farm sale and moved in August 1959 to the state of Washington, where they bought a poultry farm and continued to live. For ten years Winfred had a retail bakery route. All eggs from their farm were sold directly to customers, either on the bakery route or at the home place. When the two oldest sons graduated from high school and left home, Winfred worked on the staff at Western Washington University for more than 17 years until retirement on June 30, 1986.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Vernon Reimer and sister Elvera Jantzen.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Alyce; children Ron Reimer (Jan), Kent Reimer (Jan), Glen Reimer (Jamie) and LeAnn Clement (Ken); 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; brothers Allen, Harvey, Nelson and Marlo Reimer; sisters Arlene Jantzen and Irma McNeff; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.
A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, May 3, in Good News Fellowship Church, 1252 W. Axton Rd., Ferndale.
Family requests that donations be made to either Good News Fellowship church, The Mennonite Central Committee (https://donate.mcc.org/) or Lighthouse Mission Ministries (https://www.thelighthousemission.org/donate/).
Please share your thoughts and memories online at www.sigsfuneralservices.com.
