Fonds menn-70 - Clara Reimer fonds

Clara Froese, 1911-2003, was born in Einlage, Chortitza, South Russia. In 1930 she married Dimitri Litovchenko, whom she had met when they were both working on the Dnieper River Dam project. In 1943, they with their daughter fled to Poland, but in 1948, together with Clara's widowed sister, Elizabeth Toews and her son, were able to immigrate to Canada. They first worked for a potato farmer at Vauxhall and after two years, moved to Calgary. Clara and Dimitri worked hard to build their house which they used to provide temporary housing to young Mennonite men who were working in Calgary. Their daughter died in a plane crash in 1956 and then Dimitri also died. Clara worked at many jobs and remarried, to Jacob Reimer. then she was widowed again. After a severe car accident, Clara moved into Menno Gardens, a seniors' residence for mostly independent living. After a few years when that was inadequate for her needs, and she moved into a nursing home. She was a lover of beauty and flowers and even outside her room had a lovely flower planter. She was a hospitable and gracious hostess. Clara was a member of Scarboro Mennonite Church in Calgary, which later became First Mennonite Church.