Reverend Johann Friederick Riemenschneider, 8/1817-25/8/1866.

John F. Riemenschneider was born at Bremen, Germany, in August, 1817. He early dedicated his life to the service of the church and, feeling “a call” to the Mission Field, applied himself to intensive study. In 1837 he was accepted by the North German Missionary Society. He was at that time twenty years of age. He was ordained at Bremen on September 21st, 1842, and in the following month a service was held in St. George's Church, Hamburg, when four missionaries, Messrs. Trost, Heine, Wohlers and Riemenschneider were finally set apart for pioneer work in New Zealand.

The St. Paul arrived in New Zealand on June 18th, 1843. The missionaries proceeded to Nelson as a probable field of labour. Riemenschneider attended, for some time, to the spiritual needs of Germans in and around Nelson, but in June, 1844, he decided to go to the Lake Taupo district, where there were many Maori villages.  -MAORI AND MISSIONARY: EARLY CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN THE SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND - T A Pybus.

 A very interesting description of Mr. Woon's station is given in the Wesleyan Miscellany for 1849:

“The Mission house is prettily situated on a point of land jutting into the harbour; a glassy sheet of water extends in front of the house, and beyond it rises the bold and rugged outline of the mountain of Peronguia. The church stands on an elevated terrace behind the house. To the left of the parsonage is a cliff, where the goats belonging to the Mission Station generally browse, and from this elevation a fine, commanding view may be obtained of the Kawhia Harbour, with the ocean breaking foam beyond.” Such was the home of the sixteen year old bride. The marriage was ideal; for the lives of the bride and bridegroom were a beautiful example of a true and perfect Christian union of love and mutual happiness. Mrs. Riemenschneider was well versed in the Maori language, and proved a help-meet indeed to the lonely bachelor of Warea. Mr. Riemenschneider proved a good son-in-law, and often visited Mr. Woon and assisted him in his missionary labours. It was a happy marriage.   -Maori and Missionary.

Taranaki

The Warea natives have written to Mr. Reimenschneider their missionary, not to return, the war is not yet ended; others of the tribe had invited him to come back.   -Lyttelton Times, 25/5/1861.

Yesterday the steamer Bruce made another trip from Dunedin to the neighbourhood of the Heads, landing her passengers at the Maori settlement, which, from its natural situation and its associations, is one of the choicest localities for a pic-nic party within the boundaries of Port Otago. The weather was all that could be desired; the landing was effected with ease and safety; and, when on shore, the party of excursionists, though without any organised source of entertainment, succeeded in passing the time allotted to them most pleasantly. Previous to the arrival of the Bruce at the Kaik, the steamer Favourite had anchored at the same spot, and landed a large party of excursionists from Port Chalmers. The object of the religious picnic was understood to be to aid the Maoris in completing their church, which they have, with considerable spirit, erected since Mr Reimenschneider came among them, as their missionary.  -Otago Daily Times, 28/12/1864.

An interesting ceremony took place on Sunday, 25th ult., at the opening of the first native church at the Maori kaik, Otago heads. A number of clergymen from Dunedin and neighborhood were present thereafter on Tuesday, 27th, together with a crowd of from 400 to 500 persons of all ranks, at a soiree on the slope near the church, when the meeting was addressed by the clergyman, the Rev. Mr Reimenschneider.  -North Otago Times, 5/1/1865.

The Rev. Mr Reimenschneider, the missionary among the Maoris at Otago Heads, died last Saturday, and was buried on Thursday at Port Chalmers. The Revs. Messrs Johnston, Stewart, and Forsaith, took part in the funeral service; the latter gentleman addressed the Maoris in their own language in a very eloquent discourse, and concluded the service at the grave in the same tongue. There was a large attendance, Europeans and natives.   -Grey River Argus, 18/9/1866.

A Native Tribute of Gratitude. 

— Many of our readers will remember the Rev. Mr. Reimenschneider, who arrived in Nelson, from Germany, in the early days of the settlement, as a missionary to the Maoris. After remaining in Nelson for a short time, the reverend gentleman took up his quarters in the island of Ruapeka, in Foveaux Strait, but subsequently removed to a station at Otago Heads. By the following translation of a letter received, in Maori, by Mrs. Reimenschneider, we learn the reverend gentleman is deceased:— "Dear Madam — This is our wish, that you should write this our letter, or at least for you to translate into English, so that we may be able to communicate our thoughts and wishes to the various gentlemen in the town of Dunedin, that they may know of our love to our departed minister. To all our friends in Dunedin this is our word to you. We wish you to know that we have collected down here, at Otago Heads, among ourselves, the natives, the sum of £15 towards the erection of a rail to be put up round the grave of our minister. We have written a letter to the other native places, for them to give in their subscriptions; and we wait for you, our pakeha friends, to give us a little towards the same. We wish all the money that is collected to be given to Cuptain Thompson, for him to arrange about the erection of a fence. From your native friends, John Wesley Korako, Charles Wesley Te Kahu, and from all the natives of this place, Otago Heads."  -Nelson Examiner and NZ Chronicle, 27/9/1866.

Port Chalmers Old Cemetery.