© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated March 3, 2010)
David J. Rempel was born on December 24, 1912, to Johann and Aganetha (Derksen) Rempel in Nikolaifeld, Yazykovo, South Russia. He was the only child of this marriage, although his father had nine children from his previous marriage. In 1923, the Rempel family immigrated to Canada, at which time David was ten years old. The family settled in Saskatchewan where David received an education in the village of Hodgeville. In 1930, David graduated from teacher's college in Moose Jaw and began his career as a teacher. Soon after, he entered the Royal Canadian Air Force and continued his service in Clinton, ON. David was baptized in Waterloo-Kitchener in 1944. On April 7, 1945 he married Martha Enns in the Waterloo-Kitchener United Mennonite Church and was allowed to wear his uniform for the service. At the end of the war, David was dismissed by the military and moved to Saskatchewan where he became a teacher once again. In 1947, David and Martha moved to Toronto where he graduated with a liberal arts degree and studied social work. David then moved back to Saskatchewan and worked in the area of prisoner rehabilitation as a parole officer. Before David retired from the National Parole Service in 1978, he and Martha moved to Winnipeg where David co-founded the United Church Halfway House and the Native Clan Organization. David also served on many boards including: the First Mennonite Church, Bethania Nursing home, Concordia Hospital, and Westgate Collegiate, all in Winnipeg. David Rempel died from a stroke on August 10, 1988, at the age of 72. On August 12, 2009, Martha passed away at the age of 94 years.
This fonds consists of correspondence and other documents that were created or received by David and Martha Rempel. Correspondence was exchanged between David and Martha in 1944 while David was stationed in Newfoundland with the RCAF. The fonds contains two birthday books with dates ranging from 1880-1973. It contains two autograph books, one belonging to Martha Enns and the other belonging to her mother, Maria Unruh. It also contains a funeral notice for Martha's brother, Heinz Enns. Finally, it contains an RCAF badge, small artifacts and a scrapbook containing correspondence and material collected by David during his time in the RCAF.
Inventory file list
After the death of David Rempel (1988) and Martha Rempel (nee Martha Enns) in 2009 this material was owned by daughter Eleanor Isaak and then given to her daughter Tamara Dyck who deposited with the Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Described by Christie Anne McCullough February 3, 2010
No restrictions on access.
Acc. No. 2009-066