the Abrams and Esau store, but planned to continue farming his old
land.I5 Kroeker took over the enterprise fairly soon after his move,
perhaps as early as 1888, when Abrams and Esau bought their Gretna
business. In l89! Kroeker‘was definiteiy in business on his own. A new-
ly arrive immigrant, Eduard Wiebe, wrote a year later that Kroeker
had hired him as a clerk in November, 1891.” Klaas Kroeker continued
as a Reinland merchant until the early 19203 and is still remembered by
the village‘s oider citizens.

Another Reiniand merchant was Johann A. Peters who sold quan—
tities of‘ cordwood brought from the Pembina Hills. Sometimes the
; cardwood was brought across the American border by Metis who sold
. it to Peters. According to old customs records, Peters imported many
articles from the United States including calendars by the pound.

Erdmann Penner, Gretna, long owned a branch store in Reinland.
This store, which proclaimed the Erdmann Penner name on its large
front awnings, employed up to seven clerks during the pro-Christmas
; business period. The Former branch existed well into the twentieth cen—
tury.

Johann Dyck (father of Isaac Dyck, Hochfeid), commonly known
as 510:: Dyck (Store Dyck), operated a store at the crossroads of the
village’s east end. in the later 19205 Dyck sold the business to David

Jacob Zacharias family.