John Kaeser and his wife, Emelia Walther moved from St. Morgan, Illinois, to Williamson County in 1884 and settled on a farm east of Marion at the old Moeller Crossroad (Rt. 13 and 166). They brought with them their two sons Louis, ten years old, and Fred, eight years of age, along with daughter Emelia who was then six years of age. John Kaeser’s parents came from Switzerland in a sailboat during the late 1700’s or early 1800’s.
John Kaeser was a farmer by trade and a charter member of the Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church of Marion. He and his wife had a happy marriage which ended in the death of both due to the flu within four hours of the other in their home. The second did not know of the death of the first and they are buried in a double grave in Old Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion in 1927.
Louis married Anna Bachmann, whose grandparents also came across the Atlantic in a sailboat from Germany. Louis and Anna reared two sons, John Frederich Kaeser and Emil Bachmann Kaeser. John remained in Marion as farmer and coal miner and Emil moved to St. Louis at a young age for a career in bookkeeping. Louis, too, was a tiller of the soil and became a member of the first confirmation class of Zion Church.
Emil married Lorene Schreiber in St. Louis and to this union were born Mrs. Robert (Shirley) Lilly, Robert Kaeser who died in the early 1980’s, Richard Kaeser (wife, Nelda) and Lloyd Kaeser (wife, Dorie).
In 1927, John married Elsa Weber who had come from Switzerland to America at the age of 17 to care for her 82 year old uncle, Edward Sweitzer, who was the founder of the Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church in Marion. Elsa had written a book entitled “Memories” which was her life story and included the meeting and courting of her and John, which is quite different and interesting.
John and Elsa were blessed with the birth of two children, John Louis Robert Kaeser, a Marion dentist, and Mrs. Sam (Elflora) Aikman, both residing in Marion. Elflora worked as the Executive Director of the Marion Senior Citizen’s Center and guided its programs since the opening on February 16, 1981. Both children are active in Marion community affairs, as well as their Zion United Church of Christ, and Elflora served on the Williamson County Sesquicentennial Program and Events Committee.
John Kaeser married Romelle Harris in 1954 and their children are Steven Dale Kaeser, David John Kaeser and Mrs. Steve (Diane) Lazorchak whose children are Michael Joseph and Michelle Lynn Lazorchak.
Elflora married Sam Aikman in 1949 and they were blessed with Vicki Ann, Vance J., Valerie Sue (Wm.) Henshaw, and Sam Vick Aikman III. Vance married Maria Deaton and they have daughters, Kira Nichole and Erin Michelle. Christopher David Moore is the son of Valerie, who was married to William (Cy) Henshaw. Sam Vick and Janice (Stout) Aikman are the parents of Tyler Brett Aikman.
Fred Kaeser married Emma Bachmann, sister of Anna and wife of his brother, Louis, thereby making the children of these marriages double cousins. In 1930, during the great depression, Fred bought the Stotlar-Herrin Lumber Co. in Marion, renaming it Kaeser Lumber Company, and was very successful in this venture, along with sons Walter Louis Conrad Kaeser and Albert George Kaeser. Daughter Katherine Barbara Kaeser was the bookkeeper for thirty years before returning to college and earning a degree in elementary education. The oldest child, Fred Erwin Kaeser, became a bookkeeper for one of the largest hardware dealers in St. Louis and was married to Mildred Neumann.
Walter became very proficient as a wood craftsman and spent many hours in new building ventures at his church, St. Joseph Catholic. Walter even continued working at the lumber business after it was sold to North Side Lumber in 1967. He was married to Delores Neumann of St. Louis, a cousin to Mildred, and they had Jacqueline Kaeser, who married Richard Lockwood of Harrisburg in September 1957. Their child, Michael, was killed in a construction accident just before he entered college in 1980. Daughter, Mary Ellen, and husband, James Pickar, are the parents of twins, Mrs. Greg (Julie) Messner, Jacqueline and Jennifer. Richard Walter Kaeser served in the Viet Nam war and married Vicki Aikman, daughter of Elflora and Sam Aikman, in November 1972 and resides in Marion.
Albert served the public well at the lumber yard and continues to be active in in the Zion United Church of Christ where he has sung in the choir for over 65 years. He married Mary Anna Miller, daughter of Ray and Ruth Miller and a dedicated grade school instructor. Their daughter, Mrs. William (Julie Ann) Everett has children, Eric Edward, Analiese Katherine and Elaine Nicole Everett. Theresa June, the youngest daughter, is in her 24th year of teaching grade school and following in her mother’s footsteps.
The Kaesers are a small close-knit family and appreciate their German/Swiss heritage and the fact that John and Emelia Kaeser chose to settle in Williamson County.
Sam’s Notes:
Fred J. and Emma (Bachmann) Kaeser – Fred Kaeser was born on July 29, 1875 in Madison County before coming to Marion with his family in 1884. He was married Emma Bachmann on October 27, 194 in the same county. He was founder and president of Kaeser Lumber Co., a charter member of David Herrin Lodge, I.O.O.F, the Marion Rotary Club and the Marion Elks lodge 800. He passed away at 2:30 p.m. at Missouri Baptist Hospital on December 6, 1960. Emma passed away at Marion Memorial Hospital on July 4, 1975. He and his wife lived at 1103 N. Van Buren Street.
Albert George and Mary Anna (Miller) Kaeser – Albert was born on November 4, 1912, he served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army during WWII. He was on the Board of Education in the 1970’s. He served as Secretary for the Marion Lion’s Club in 1937-38. Albert died on September 24, 2000 and was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Mary Anna (Miller) was born on October 31, 1915 and passed away on October 6, 2009 in Herrin. See also, the post on his father in law, Ray Miller.
Walter and Dolores (Neumann) Kaeser — Walter was born on July 30, 1908. Dolores was born on May 5, 1913. Walter died on January 8, 1997 and Dolores died on January 10, 1988. Both are interred at the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Their residence was at 405 E. Denison Street.
John Fredrich and Elsa (Weber) Kaeser – John died on September 10, 1969 in Marion Memorial Hospital and Elsa passed away on September 21, 1993. Both are interred at Maplewood Cemetery. At his death, they were living at 1001 N. Garfield Street. She later moved onto S. Market Street.
Dr. John and Romelle (Harris) Kaeser – Romelle was born in Crab Orchard, Illinois, to Ray B. and Aurelia (Davis) Harris on May 15th, 1935. She married Dr. John L. R. Kaeser on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1954. John had his dentist’s office at 301 N. Van Buren Street in Marion. When he retired the business was taken over by Dr. Mark Bruce. Romelle passed away in the Heartland Regional Medical Center on July 24, 2012. At this writing in February 2014, John is still living. Their son Steven Dale Kaeser passed away on October 25, 2005.
(Published in the 1989 Williamson County Sesquicentennial History)