Engagement to Margaret Reimer

March 8, 1930  Margaret Reimer and I celebrated our engagement.  The guests who were present were John J. Reimers, K. H. Reimers, P. F. Rempels, H. H. Reimers, John H. Reimers, C. Dalkes, Johan Bartels and daughters Katie, Mary, and Anna; K. B. Reimers, Elisabeth and Katharine, Uncle Barkman, Helena Reimer, and Susie.

Mennonites followed an old European tradition of having a formal engagement ceremony two weeks before the wedding, which was called a Felafniss in Low German or Verlobung in High German.  In Europe this had been a legal requirement, but in North America getting a marriage license from the state was the legal requirement.  Traditionally, the engagement was announced at the Sunday worship service and then after dinner the relatives and friends would gather at the home of the groom’s parents for a ceremony conducted by the elder or a preacher.  After the ceremony, the family would serve faspa to all the guests. 

However, Cornelius and Margaret were engaged on a Saturday and married twelve days later, on a Thursday.  Based on other engagements and weddings at Meade that Cornelius noted in his diary, it seems that a fair number of the couples were not engaged or married on Sunday, so there is probably nothing significant about them choosing to do it on a day other than Sunday.  Cornelius’ travel schedule in coming from Manitoba to collect his bride may have had something to do with it.

The guests at the engagement were

John J. and Maria Reimer (a preacher of Meade Kleine Gemeinde and Margaret’s cousin and a favorite preacher of the Siemens in later years)

Klaas H. and Helena Reimer (Margaret’s brother)

Peter F. and Aganetha Rempel (Margaret’s sister)

Heinrich H. and Margaretha Reimer (Margaret’s brother)

Johann H. and Katharina Reimer (Margaret’s brother)

Cornelius and Anna Dalke (Margaret’s sister)

Johann F. and Maria Bartel (Margaret’s maternal aunt)

Their three single daughters Katharina, Maria, and Anna

Klaas B. and Aganetha Reimer (Margaret’s paternal uncle and future parents-in-law to their son Corney)

Their single daughters Elisabeth and Katharina

Martin B. Barkman (Margaret’s maternal uncle)

Helena H. Reimer (Margaret’s sister)

Susana Reimer

Of course, his future mother-in-law, Katharina Reimer, was there too as the hostess.  Notice that Cornelius did not have a single relative there, but the Reimers seem to have accepted him well based on the guests at the engagement and the number of relatives that Cornelius visited during his few weeks in Meade.  Rev. John J. Reimer doubtless conducted the engagement ceremony. 

After the ceremony, they would have eaten faspa.  To serve a large crowd, the meal would have been simple.  We can only guess at the menu, but it would have been something like soup, tweebacks with cheese, moos, and cookies.  Not every family would have had cheese, but the Reimers could afford that.