Spelling variations the family name include: DeMeer, DeMar, Deemer, Deamer, Demer, Diemer and many more.

Some of the variations are the result of Anglicizing names when settlers arrived in English colonies. The immigrants would tell their name to an official who would record the name using an English spelling. This also occurred on early census records and on ship lists. Hence the German Diemer would have become the English form, Deemer.  Most early records are handwritten. Unfortunately it is often difficult to distinguish between Deemer, Diemer, Deamer, Deaner, Diener, and other variations. Many early records that appear to be recorded as Diener, or other variants, are in reality Deemer.

The American Deemer name appears to be derived from the German name, Diemer, although the name also appears in England.   The British variation of DeMar goes as far back as the 10th century and earlier.  One of the seven ancient kingdoms of Scotland was ruled by the Earl of Mar.  Donald, Earl of Mar (aka, Donald de Mar) fought with the King of Scotland against Viking invaders in 1014.  Kildrummy Castle was the seat of Clan Mar and is believed to have been built during the lordship of Donald.  It is likely that the British Deemer surname originates with the Clan Mar.  There is no evidence of British Deemers emigrating to America.

       

According to the History of Bucks County (W.W.H. Davis, 1887), the early Diemers were followers of the Swiss reformist, Zwingli. They came to America from Bavaria. The earliest arrivals came "more than 100 years previous to the 2nd war with Great Britain,” ie., the War of 1812. 1707 seems to be an accepted year for their first arrival. They came to Philadelphia and moved to Germantown. Germantown was the stepping-off point for many of the early German settlers. New settlers arrived and stayed there for a time before locating land on the frontiers.

These first Diemers were among the earliest German settlers, and were engaged in clearing land for other immigrants. They appear to have established themselves in the lumber business. Their timber was used for building, for conversion to charcoal used in the many iron furnaces in Colonial southeastern Pennsylvania, and for sale as fuel in the Philadelphia area. This lumbering tradition was carried down through at least one branch of the family who had major lumbering interests in north-central Pennsylvania. Deemer, Mississippi was also established as a lumbering town by a member of this family.

By 1738 the Diemer name appeared in several parts of Pennsylvania. Among them were John Deemer, a surgeon in Montgomery County (northeast of Philadelphia), Michael Diemer in Limerick Township, Bucks County, along the Delaware River just south of Easton, and George Diemer in Chester County. Others appeared in Northampton County between Easton and Stroudsburg, and in the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys.

Nearly all of these early Deemers were members of the Reformed Church (now a part of the United Church of Christ), although one group in Williams Township, Bucks County, became Methodists under the preaching of Francis Asbury. The other Deemers cut off all ties with this group.

One line of Deemers descends from Johannes, who arrived in Philadelphia from Germany on October 25, 1738 aboard the Davy. He eventually settled on a large tract of land in Nockamixon Township just below the Durham Township line in northern Bucks County. In Europe he had been a Roman Catholic. He married a Protestant girl and emigrated to escape the wrath of the families and the Church. Tradition holds that he was the Captain Johannes Deemer who participated in the expedition against Quebec in 1746-47.  The genealogy of this branch of the family is well documented. Their history is closely linked to the history of northern Bucks County, as they were among the founding fathers of this region. They were farmers, lumberman, and as late as 1905, employees of the iron furnaces at Durham.

Perhaps the most notable descendent of Johannes was Elias Deemer (1838-1918). Elias was a merchant and Civil War veteran. After the war he settled in the Williamsport area where he became one of the leading lumber manufacturers in the region. His lumber operations entered nine counties in north central Pennsylvania, and extended to North Carolina and Mississippi where he found the town of Deemer. He was also a newspaper publisher, banker, and politician. He served as Representative in the 57th, 58th, and 59th Congresses. He was a McKinley Republican. His children included a lawyer, and the wife of a Pennsylvania Superintendent of Public Schools.

Other Deemers appear in various areas of Pennsylvania.  There appear to be several lines descending from different immigrant Deemers.  These families appear to be connected only prior to their arrivals in America.

There is a least on Deemer (Diemer) family that was a late arrival in America.  Edward Diemer emigrated to Baltimore to avoid service in Bismark’s army.  He settled in Philadelphia.  His grandson, Walter E. Diemer, was born in Philadelphia in 1905 and died in Lancaster, PA in 1997. Walter invented Double Bubble, the world's first commercial bubble gum.
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Genealogical and Personal History of Bucks Co., Pa., William W.H. Davis, 1975.
History of Col. Joseph Brewers, 1723-1816, Hunterdon Co., N.J., Harold Alfred Sonn, 1948
Interview with Mrs. Susan Risher, Philadelphia, Miss., 1981.
National Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1927.
Interview with Walter E. Diemer, 1995.
Lancaster New Era, 19 Sep 1996.