Viewing Object

Object Description

Object ID

2014.025.020

Title

Gear Driven Hand Drill.

Date

[194-?].

Description

Hand Drill: main handle is wooden and painted grey with a red tip; turning handle is also wooden and painted grey; all other pieces of the drill are silver metal; the actual drill piece is missing. There is a sticker on the flat of the turning handle that says "STANLEY", and the arm of the turning handle has "HY-LO DRIVE/ No. H1221/ MADE IN CAN." inscribed on it. Used by the Reimer family, as the only method of drilling with twist drills until the late 1960s.

People/Subject

Reimer, Abraham (Al)

Abraham Reimer was born in Michailovka, South Russia on December 31, 1913 to Russian Mennonite parents Abram and Aganetha Petrovna Reimer (nee Janzen). He was the third oldest of 10 children. His family moved to Mexico in 1924, and then moved to Saskatchewan. Abraham (known as Abe, or Al) married Violet Mabel Hunter. They lived for a time in Ontario and Winnipeg before coming to Langley after the war, in 1946. Their two oldest sons, Don and Norm, were born in the east. When the family of four came to Langley, they lived in a rented house at 6595 238 Street, in what is now Williams Park. This house was located almost immediately west of the Reimer grandparents property 6535 240 St. (Brown Road). Al worked at the McDonald Cedar Mill in Fort Langley and rode a bike there from this house. Around 1947 they purchased a 10-acre property at 20224 Shannon Road (86th Avenue, across from what is now the Carvolth Transit parking lot) through the Veterans’ Land Act. Son Robert (Bob) was born in this house in February 1948 during a big snow storm. Son Lenard was born in Langley in 1950. Violet’s parents, William and Anna Maria Hunter lived next door, to the east at 20264 Shannon Road. Al and Violet Reimer had a chicken house, until a bird flu killed all the chickens, and then they got pigs. Al cleared the property where the Smith Trailer Park is in Walnut Grove (approx. 198 Street). They lived at this property until about 1960, when the family moved to the interior. Al worked in sawmills and logging for his whole career. He passed away in Kelowna in 1997.

Argus v4.3.6.40 - Langley Centennial Museum