The Young Women's Christian Association of Kitchener-Waterloo (YW Kitchener-Waterloo), was founded in 1905 as the "Berlin YWCA" and operated out of rented premises on Queen St. South in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. Mary Ratz Kaufman served as the organization's first President. At the time of it's founding the YW's purpose was to provide for both the spiritual and physical welfare of the increasing number of young women who were coming to urban and industrialized areas seeking employment and education. The local YW offered both a residence and a programme of helpful classes in embroidery, cooking, and "physical culture". In 1911 fundraising began for the purchase of land at 84 Frederick St., Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario on which a new building opened on May 15, 1915. Although the motion was made in 1917 to change the name of the YWCA from Berlin to Kitchener, to reflect the name change of the city, the name was not officially changed until 1960.

In 1937 a new wing donated by Mary Ratz Kaufman, containing a gymnasium, was opened. A branch of the YW Kitchener-Waterloo was desired for Waterloo and in 1960 a property in the city was purchased at 186 King. St. S. It was later sold to the Red Cross in 1972. The building at 84 Frederick St. is now an emergency shelter called Mary's Place, named after Mary Ratz Kaufman and operated by the YWCA.

Over the years the YW Kitchener-Waterloo offered many programs for children and adults alike: camping started 1926 at Camp Tinawatawa, clubs flourished, physical, health and craft classes were offered and programs were devised for newcomers to the country and area. Rebranded in 2017 to YW Kitchener-Waterloo, the organization provides programming to meet the needs of women and advocates for "system level changes while working to provide shelter, supportive and affordable housing, improved education and training, and better childcare services."

The Rieder family lived at 58 Roy Street in Berlin, but moved to Montreal in 1912 because of Talmon's business interests there; they lived in Berlin again from 1915 to 1917 and then Martha and the children moved back to the Roy Street home in Kitchener permanently after Talmon died in 1922.

Talmon Henry Rider (1878-1922) was an industrialist and rubber company executive in Berlin and Montreal. He was born in New Hamburg, the eldest child of Peter Rieder (1850-1936) and Emeline Merner (1857-1940). Peter Rieder was born to Daniel Rieder (1827-1868) and Christina Laughoff ; Emeline Merner was one of nine children of Christian Merner (1832-1912) and Elizabeth Young (or Jung) (1837-1926). After Talmon, Peter and Emeline Rieder had eight other children: Maude, Idella (Della), Elmer, Loretta, Esther, Eva, Talma (May), and Alma.

Talmon Henry Rieder attended the Berlin High School. He married Martha Melvina Anthes (1878-1971), daughter of John Schmitt Anthes (1844-1915) and Lydia Catherine Herlan (1849-1935), and they had four children (Paul, Edward Anthes, Margaret Catherine, and Helen Elizabeth). In 1899 he became the bookkeeper and a minor shareholder in the newly formed Berlin Rubber Company (Margaret Avenue) and was soon appointed as a director. In 1903, he and Jacob Kaufman organized the Merchants Rubber Company (Breithaupt Street) and Rieder managed this factory until it was merged with several other companies in Quebec and Ontario to form the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company in 1907. Rieder was vice-president and managing director of this company, and in 1908 he became president. He also directed the operations of the Canadian Consolidated Felt Company. By 1910, the United States Rubber Company (later Uniroyal) had obtained full control of the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company. Talmon convinced the company to build its new tire plant in Berlin; construction on the Dominion Tire factory began in 1912 and production began in early 1914. In 1919, Talmon resigned from his positions in the Consolidated Rubber and Felt companies to assume the position of president and managing director of the Ames Holden McCready Company of Montreal and began building up a large leather and rubber footwear system that included the construction of a second tire plant in Kitchener (later the B.F. Goodrich Company).

In addition to his work in the rubber industry, Talmon Henry Rieder had an interest in urban planning. In 1912 he purchased several farms in the German Company Tract Lot 22, on the west side of Berlin, and had the lands surveyed and divided into lots. With three other partners he formed the Westmount Improvement Company to carry out his vision to develop this area on the border of Berlin and Waterloo into a contemporary garden suburb, inspired in part by the Westmount area in Montreal where he and his family lived. Talmon died unexpectedly after a 10-day illness in April, 1922.

John S. Anthes (1844-1915) was a businessman and politician in Berlin. He became owner of the Hoffman furniture manufacturing business, which in 1877 was merged with the Simpson Furniture Co. to become the Simpson-Anthes Co. In 1881, he withdrew from that partnership to establish the Anthes Furniture Co. In 1901, he was involved in the amalgamation of furniture companies through Canada Manufactures, Limited, and after he resigned as a director of this company in 1906, he formed the Anthes Manufacturing Company in Berlin with John C. Breithaupt as president. In 1916, C.J. and J.H. Baetz took over management of the company, and in 1920, they formed the Anthes-Baetz Furniture Company. John S. Anthes was also involved in municipal affairs, and was first elected as a councillor in 1886. He served as Deputy Reeve in 1887, 1891, and 1897, and again as councillor in 1907. He was also one of the first water commissioners and one of the founders of the Berlin & Waterloo Hospital, in addition to holding various offices in the Zion Evangelical Church.

John S. Anthes was the son of Martin Anthes (1812-1891) and Catharina Schmitt (1814-1894) of Wilmot Township. His brother was Rev. Jacob Anthes. In 1867, John S. married Lydia Catherine Herlan (1849-1936), daughter of Rev. F. and Caroline Herlan. John. S. and Lydia Anthes lived at 44 Weber Street in Berlin, and their family was involved in the nearby Zion Evangelical Church. They had five children. Caroline (Carrie) Catharine Anthes (1868-[19--]) married businessman and politician John C. Breithaupt (1859-1951) in 1892, and they lived in Berlin. John and Carrie had six children: John Edward, Louise Catherine, Carl Louis, Frieda Caroline, Walter Hailer, and Helena Esther. John Isaac Franklin Anthes (1870-1933) was an associate with his father in the furniture manufacturing business. He then became a director of the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company and from 1915 to 1919 served as the General Purchasing Supervisor of the company. In 1919 he founded Anthes & Sons, Agents and Importers, in Montreal. J.I. Frank Anthes married Cyrena Hoffman Simonds in 1897. They lived for a time in Wiarton, Ontario, and also lived in Berlin and Montreal. They had five children: Olive Cyrena, Edith Louise, Leonard John, Henry Herbert, and Norman Franklin. Lydia Louisa Anthes (1877-1942) married businessman Albert Libourious Breithaupt (1870-1955) in 1901; they lived in Berlin. Albert and Louisa had six children: Friedrich Albert, Marie, Rudolph A., Ruth Anna, Arthur L., and David J.

Martha Melvina Rieder was a Canadian homemaker. She was born November 19, 1879, the fourth child of John Schmitt and Lydia Anthes. Martha went to the Central School in Berlin (later Kitchener), Ontario and attended Ontario Ladies' College in Whitby. In 1906 she married Talmon Henry Rieder and they had four children. Margaret Catherine (1906-2003), called Marnie, was a teacher; she married Elmer Paisley. Edward Anthes (1908-1966) worked at the Mutual Life Assurance Company and served as president of the company from 1959 to 1964; he married Jean Rudell. Helen Elizabeth (1911-1959), and Henry Paul (1914-[19--?]), called Paul. Martha died in 1971 and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery with Talmon.