Rehder Family Papers

Collection

Identifier: SC-MS-314

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains papers relating to the history of the Rehder family in Wilmington, North Carolina. The collection includes original documents, photocopies of original documents, correspondence, and photographs that detail the lives and lineage of Johann and Johanna Rehder beginning in 1844.

Rehder family history is represented through both oral history and visual materials including typescripts, genealogical documents, photographs and scrapbooks. Additionally, of particular emphasis in this collection is the World War II experience of Johann and Johanna Rehder's grandchildren, some of whom were stationed abroad while others remained on the homefront.

Finally, this collection contains an early historical account of the ownership and development of Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, N.C.

Dates

Creation: 1844-1980

Creator

Rehder family (Family)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Copyright Statement

Copyright 2018 University of North Carolina at Wilmington, all rights reserved (subject to exceptions). Certain items in this collections were conveyed to UNCW without the accompanying copyright. Where the donor did not convey copyright to UNCW, copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Biographical Note

The Rehder family began their lives in Wilmington, North Carolina when Johann Heinrich Rehder purchased property in 1855. Originally from Germany, Johann applied to be an American citizen in 1860 signing the papers as "Reeder." In 1861, Johann went back to Germany during the Civil War and met Johanna Koper. The two married and returned to Wilmington in 1864, having six children: Mathilde, Johanna, John Henry, Carl Fredrick William, Englehard, and Carl Burkhardt. On occasion, Johanna would take her children to Germany to visit friends and family. During one trip, Mathilde became ill and died while traveling. She was buried with her sister Johanna, who died in infancy.

During the 1870s, Johann opened a florist business, which would be maintained by the Rehder family for generations. A portion of this collection follows the grandchildren of Johann and Johanna. In 1905, Carl Fredrick William married Jessie Stewart. They had four children: Jessie, William, Henry, and Stanley. Engelhard married Martha Jane Smith and the couple had three children: Jane, Johanna, and Katherine. The grandchildren were young adults during World War II, and their collective experience going through the event as a family is documented in thie correspondence of this collection.

Extent

7 Containers (Contains 6 document boxes and 1 oversize folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is divided into three series: Family History Papers, Correspondence, and Photgraphs and Scrapbook Materials.

There are three sub-series within the Correspondence that organize the series by person, which are Jessie Rehder, Stanley Rehder, and Johanna Rehder.

The Family History Papers and Photographs and Scrapbook Materials are organized at the file level by relevance to the Rehder family as a whole and their history.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by Julie Rehder on November 24, 2008. A portion of the correspondence was donated by Catherine Gerdes, date unknown.

Related Materials

This collection is associated with MS 068 Jessie Rehder Papers (https://archivesspace.uncw.edu/resources/sc-ms-068) and MS 373 Stanley Rehder Papers (https://archivesspace.uncw.edu/resources/sc-ms-373). Jessie and Stanley Rehder are siblings and members of the Rehder family.