Laurence Wilbert Reimers

Laurence Reimers, 91, Jamestown, North Dakota died Monday, October 20, 2014 at his home. Laurence Wilbert Reimers, 91, was born at home at Dry Lake, ND near Bordulac on Oct. 7, 1923, the eldest child of Ella Emily Augusta Fredericka (Scharf) and William Martin Reimers. He attended rural schools and graduated from Wimbledon School in 1941.
When a hail storm wiped out his college fund crop, he stayed on home managing the Yorkshire Hog operation from a new desk given him by his parents - a desk that remains as a family heirloom. Within one season, Laurence purchased his first quarter of land. Along with his brothers, he experienced farming's transition from teams of horses & steam threshers to today's GPS technology & drones.
In the ‘40's, Laurence developed purebred Suffolk sheep, traveling as far as Chicago to exhibit his finest. In the 1960's, Laurence pioneered the Scottish breed of North Country Cheviots to ND. This new breed caught the attention of NDSU, who purchased breeding stock from Laurence to develop their own flock (Google it). He exhibited sheep for many years at the ND Winter Show and livestock shows. In the early 1950's before married life settled him down, Laurence was involved with escorting / transporting oil company representatives by use of his snowplane.
In 1955, Laurence married Viola Abrahamian of Jamestown and they settled on a farm near Spiritwood Lake. They moved to Ashland Township to farm on his great-uncle's homestead in the Courtenay-Wimbledon area where they raised their five children. Upon his sons' return to farm, Laurence devoted his life to their success.
Laurence inspired his children to appreciate the beauty of shooting stars & Northern Lights, the treasure of finding artifacts in the soils, and the lore of Spiritwood Lake. He loved pickled herring, strawberry ice cream, and as a youth he engaged in wholesome mischief as a past time. He enjoyed square dancing, bowling, hunting, fishing and attending auctions. His keen vision helped save many Killdeer nests as he farmed. And he appreciated the energy required from the Earth to produce the full bloom of a peony.
Laurence loved the Lord, and he served God, the Original Environmentalist, by producing fruits from His Earth. He tended to the Zion Lutheran Church cemetery where his ancestors were buried, was a confirmed lifetime member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wimbledon, and attended United Presbyterian Church in Jamestown for some 40 years.
He served on community boards, the Boy Scouts, and led 4-H Clubs; he served as president of Stutsman County Farm Bureau & on their National Sheep Advisory Board. In retirement, he served on Landowners Association of ND and was active in the restoration of the Midland Railway Depot & Peggy Lee Museum.
Laurence was proud of his German heritage, and enjoyed the James River Genealogy Society meetings and North Dakota history. He traveled from Alaska to Mexico to Europe. He wore a yarmulke to the Wailing Wall in Israel, rode a camel in Egypt, he waltzed in the ballroom at Catherine's Palace in Russia, and celebrated with his wife their shared birthday on one of their trips to Armenia.
Laurence joined his family in heaven on Monday, Oct. 20 at home in the presence of family, who later that day, welcomed his new great-great-niece, Ella. The stars shined so brightly on Monday night.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Viola, and five children: Cynthia (Leroy) Erickson, Roseville, MN; Dale (Mary Ellen), Jamestown; Margery (Dwight) Kendall, Jamestown; Ann Marie Reimers (Ed Daly), Port St Joe, FL; James (Deborah), Jamestown; 18 grandchildren - Christopher, Bradley, Mitchell, Douglas, David, Daniel, Mason, Tristan, Talisha, Orin, Deondra, James, Jacob, Isaac, Andrew, Josiah, Hasmik, Artur; eight great-grandchildren; sister Darlene Loebrick, Tucker, GA; brother Floyd (Elaine), Palmer, AK; sisters-in-law Ruby and Joanne, and brother-in-law Ellis Fluetsch, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Elaine, brothers William and Henry, and his niece Gwen.
Western (bolo) slide ties and your sense of humor are appropriate at the service and luncheon.
In lieu of flowers, Laurence prefers you consider a vote for a conservative Party candidate, and the family suggests you plant a peony bush in a sunny spot in your garden. But if you really insist, he would recommend a memorial to St. John's Lutheran Church in Wimbledon, or United Presbyterian Church in Jamestown.

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