Max Bruno REIM

                   Kenneth M.REIM (1926-    ) asked his father, Herman A. REIM (1892-1973), to write a biography of his father, Max Bruno REIM, which he likely wrote the following in the 1960s, before he passed away in 1973.  The following is what Herman wrote.

Max Reim as he was commonly known was born at Leisnig, Saxony, Germany, October 16, 1862.  His father Heinrick Herman Reim was born Feb. 14, 1830 and died April 15, 1879 at Leising.  His mother Johanna Christiana Gunther born at Harta, Saxony, Germany, February 4, 1831 and died in Riesa, Saxony, Germany, August 1, 1908.

Max's father was a shoemaker by trade and Max's job was to blacken the shoes and boots and they had to have a mirror like polish and when finished they shone like a mirror.  If the boots did not come to a standard in polish perfection it had to be done over again.  We boys never mastered the technique of polished perfection.  We took advantage of the same that when he polished his shoes we would gather up our shoes and set them out and suggest that finish them up while we were busy doing other tasks.

At the death of his father he was 16 years old, and the oldest of the family, and it was necassary to become a wage earner.  He worked in a lumber yard and his job was to keep track of the stock on hand.  In the process he became an expert bookkeeper.



During the winter time lumber was obtained from the timber owned by the church located in Poland. Every winter a certain amount of logs was secured and father's job was to scale the logs and after scaling the same had to keep accurate account so as to not exceed the allotment,

When the timber cutting commenced the whole community was notified and they would have a community dance and also plenty of liquid and a certain number of men folks were chosen to fell the trees. Usually the young and husky were chosen and there was keen disappointment by those left behind.  So they worked out a plan and calculations of the cost of cuttng timber on a scaled basis. One year the owner sent father ahead to make the necassary preliminary arrangements for the timber cutting to commence.

He  announced to the crowd that every male who was interested would be paid for the amount of work they did.  At least everyone received some renumeration.  As a result of the above arrangement they finished before the specified time.  Father calculated what each one had coming and informed the woodcutters to get their money.  When the owner showed up he surely hit the ceiling and gave father a good going.  He reasoned there was a good timber supply gone.  That night they had another commuity get together and father had anounced that the church had not recieved their mite from their labors.  So arrangeents and a collecton was taken up.  The total amounted to more than the preceding year.  So everyone was happy.  The next morning the hierarchy told the boss to come back under the same conditions.  So everything turned out alright.

Being on the border of Germany it was required whenever the border was crossed that they have a passport.  One time some of the employees did not get back before the passport expired and they were detained at the border.  After that the management saw to it that they received a passport of a permanent nature.

Later on dad became restless and he used  his passport to come to the U.S. just to see the world. While on ship he came across Karl Koch who was a brother of Wm Cook of Wahoo and as dad had no definite destination he landed in Wahoo.  Wm Cook was operating a chain of elevators at Wahoo and dad worked in the elevator for a period of 2 years.  He decided to go back home to Germany, but after being gone for a period of time, Father told me he was ready to go back to America within a week.  Things and conditions had changed so much and the possibilities for the future were better in the new land.  So after spending six weeks in Germany, he decided to make the U.S. his permanent residence.

He came to Wahoo and had a position with the J.F. Roll Milling Co.  The mill had a flour mill about a 4th  of a mile north of Ithaca and then west on a flat a water wheel was located and further north a dam was located and a waterway was constructed and the wheel installed for power.  The mill was built over a spillway.  There was an extensive farming operaton involved.  The  had a large cattle feeding operation and also fed hogs and sheep.  A man called Daddy Youngstrom was the hog man and it was his responsibility to care for the hogs.  Herman never completed Max's biography beyond the above.

Herman A. Reim (1892-1973) in letter to son Kenneth M. Reim (1926-    ) dated 20 Oct 1967 with marked up pedigree chart, and revised 26 Dec 1967, noted that his father Max Bruno Reim (1862-1931) was a miller and farmer. He came to the United States from Germany when he was 18 years old (1880), went back to Germany and then brought back to the United States in 1888 Paul Curtis Rudiger (1875-1949), his nephew, to live with them.  In the Family History of Minerva Powers and Paul Curtis Rudiger written by Evelyn Alpha (Rudiger) Tomanio (recieved 5 Jan 1996 by Kenneth Reim), states Paul's mother did not want him to recieve military trianing in Germany, so she sent him with his grandmother to America at the age of 11 to live with his Aunt Bertha and Uncle Max Reim, and assisted Max in farming.

The following compiled by Max's grandson, Kenneth M. Reim, 13 Jul 2002.

Reference "Germans to Ameriaca, Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports", Volume 36, July 1880 - November 1880, Edited by Ira A. Glazier and P. Willima Filby, published by Scholarly Resources Inc., Wilmington, Delaware, p. 49, lists Max Reim, 17, male, merchant, from Saxony arriving in New York 22 July 1880 on the ship CIMBRIA from Hamburg and Harve.

April 18th in the spring of 1891, Max married Bertha Fredericke Wilhelmine Treptow in Ithaca, Saunders County, Nebraska, with Wm. Timm and Mr.Treptow, zeugen.  Two sons were born, Herman A. and Richard W.  Max Reim obtained a Quit Claim Deed, 17 Dec 1895, for NW1/4SW1/4, Section, T.14W., R.8E., 6th PM, for $1.00.   The Plat Book, Saunders County, Nebraska, 1907, compiled and published by the Brown-Scoville Publishing Co., 2141 Grand Ave., Desmoines, Iowa, shows Max Reim owning 80 acres in Wahoo Precinct, N1/2SW1/4, Section 22, T.14N., R.8E., 6th Principal Merdian, 1 mile east, and 1/2 mile north of Ithaca.  Max and Bertha, with their two sons, lived on this farm, and near the farm of Bertha's younger brother, Herman Treptow; located 2 miles east of Ithaca.  Max purchased 2 Feb 1906, 160 acres, W1/2SE1/4, E1/2SW1/4, Section 19, T.13N., R.8E., 6th PM, Clear Creek Precinct, for $8,800 ($55.00/acre), Warranty Deed recorded 1 Mar 1906; located 1-1/2 miles southwest of Memphis.  The 1907 Plat Book also shows Max owned this160 acres.  Max purchase 25 Aug 1911, 80 acres, E1/2SE1/4, Section 19, T.13N., R/9E., 6th PM, for $10,000 ($125.00/acre), recorded Deed Record No. 45,page 130, 14 Mar 1912.

In 1912, Max and Bertha moved from the farm east of Ithaca to the farm 1-1/2 miles southwest of Memphis (farm now consisting of 240 acres).  Their son Richard served in the U.S. Army in France during World War I. Their other son Herman was deferred from serving in the Army, so as to assist Max in farming to provide food for the World War I war effort.  Max and Bertha continued farming here untill 1921.  They then moved to Memphis, making their home on Lot 1, Section 13, at the southeast corner of Davenport and Natchez Streets.  Max then did bookeeping for the Farmer' Union Co-op Asociation (grain elevator and farm supplies) in Memphis, of which he also served on the Board of Directors., untill his death 12 Mar 1931.

CERTIFCATE OF DEATH, No. B 3442, State of Nebraska, Bureau of Health, Division of Vital Statistics; retired farmer, residence, Memphis, Nebraska, cause of death cancer of rectum.

REIM, Gertrude B., written note shows "Max and Bertha REIM were on the 1904 membership list" of the Zion Evangelical Church, 2-1/2 miles south and 1/2 east of Ithaca, Saunders County, Nebraska; and Max Bernhard REIM joined this church 31 Dec 1922.

Revised by Kenneth M. Reim, 18 Jul 2002.