"Grandpa" Semler

In 1984, Elsie Starke wrote to her niece, Phyllis Sarsey (Kathryn Semmler's daughter):

"20 April 1984

Dear Phyllis;

Many years ago I promised to write you the history of my father’s family. Well, I will write what I know.

In my father’s family there were Mother and Father, Sons – August, Alex, Albert and Carl, - and one daughter --- I don’t know her name.

They lived in Germany. However, in later years that part of Germany was conquered in a war with Russia, and from that time was under Russian rule. I don’t know what part of Germany or Russia. I only remember Dad mentioning “Kharkoo.”

There were no churches in the village, and Grandpa Semler took over the duties of a pastor, teaching the Bible in his house on Sunday morning, baptizing, marrying and burying people. The whole family were Lutheran, very Christian family.

As the sons grew older, they left home and came to this country, because they didn’t want to be taken in the Russian army: Only one, August, stayed home. Perhaps he was too old or married at that time. He had children, but I never knew their names or anything about them!

Alex left and settled in Jersey City, NJ. I corresponded with his daughter for quite a while. He was troubled with asthma. He had other children too.

Then Albert came to Staten Island, NY. He married and had August, Emma, Tony, Buster, William and Louise! He was quite a businessman. He owned a hotel. I visited them a couple of times. Their daughter, Louise, stayed with us about nine months. She attended Spencesian School. His wife’s name was Emma.

Then my father, Carl, came all alone at age 16, to this country and worked for his brother Albert in his hotel. After a while he worked for Dr Adams on a big farm in Massachusetts. Dr Adams had two daughters and a wife. They were very good to my father, who stayed with them two or three years. Then Dad decided he wanted to learn a trade; building machinery or whatever. So, he wrote to Mr & Mrs E(l)manthaler, old friends of his family, and asked them about it. They replied there were many opportunities in Cleveland, and told him to come and stay with them. So, Dad decided to go to them.

When he told Dr Admans, he and his whole family were upset. He told Dad, please don’t leave. Both my girls are in love with you. Marry either one of them, and when my wife and I die you will own one-half of everything I have. But, Dad decided to leave and came to Cleveland, and learned the machinist trade. He boarded with his friends and joined Zion Lutheran Church. There he met my mother, Johanna Samuel, and were married.

They had five children, William, Elsie, Bertha, Mildred and Kathryn. Two children in infancy died. I believe you know the history of our family.

My Dad’s sister married Mr Lawson. I believe they had four children. Their daughter Emma came to Cleveland and stayed a while with us. She became a trained nurse. Later she married and moved to California.

Now, the two professional actresses in our family may have belonged to Uncle August or Uncle & Aunt Lawson. However, during the First World War, they wrote and told my folks they had to run for their lives. They didn’t have time to take their belongings and asked my folks to send them clothes and stockings. My folks complied with their request. They had a difficult time after that. But, I know acting ability is in our family. Ralph was in a player’s group in Mansfield, Ohio and he always received the most votes from the audience after the show. And he directed “South Pacific” and was very good in that.

I won the first prize in a show at church and Kathryn was super in plays in her church.

So, let “Bo” try to be an actor. More power to him.

The best of wishes to you.

Lovingly,

Aunt Elsie

(In an attached page, Elsie continues ….)

During World War 2, one of my cousins, I don’t know whether he was Uncle August’s son or Auntie’s, was sent to the United States as an emissary of the Russian Government. He was granted permission to observe how our American factories were manufacturing many things, by our President Eisenhower.

This cousin was very handsome, between 25 and 30 years of age and he had a good command of the English language. He said, “I couldn’t come to America without visiting Uncle Carl and his family.” I still remember him.

Well, I know this is a very brief history. But, you know that my father was a very quiet man and didn’t talk too much about his family, but what he did say was always very good. In my estimation no one was better or lovelier than my Dad, and Kathryn agrees with me.

God bless you and your family.

Aunt Elsie Starke