Herman, called Junior,
was born Sunday,
October 17, 1926 in the house of his maternal
grandparents, Hank and Anna Seifert, who lived at 1311 Boyd Street in North St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri.
Louise Seifert Kerber, his mother, had been convinced that she could not have children since she had been previously married for seven years to Asa Marker and widowed. She confided in me once that "in those days" if a woman could not conceive that it was generally understood that it was the fault of the woman. Herman Sr, a widower and previously married to Effie George, was already the father of a teenage daughter Georgia and pre-teen son, Gayle. So when this fair little baby boy was born, he was a special child; a much loved child to this surprised and happy couple in their early middle years of life.
Baby Herman's maternal Grandmother Anna on the porch with Grandfather Henry
(Hank) Seifert's standing to the baby's right and proud Father Herman Sr. holding
him in this picture.
.
Toddler Junior helping his mother Louise Seifert Marker Kerber feed the chickens
on the family farm
Herman attended the Sparta Elementary School in Buchanan County seen here in
this class picture.
Junior is seated to the left of his teacher in the second row. His younger
sister, Betty is seated second from the right and sister, Helen, is seated
fifth in the front row. He, being the oldest, walked his sisters to the school where it was his
responsibility to start the fire each morning in the wood stove of the one-room school house
which looked much like this one.
Like any boy who grew up on a farm, he had his chores to do before and after
school. In the picture
he is shown with his mother, Louise with the team
of mules and load of corn in the wagon. He looks to be about 11 or 12.
In this picture Herman (who looks to be about 14 or 15) is shown with the farm
animals and his sisters, Betty Ann, Clara and Helen.
This picture taken at the family farm located on what was locally known as
"Kerber Road" near the hamlet of Faucett, Missouri. I'm not sure who is
sitting with Herman whether he is a Seifert or Kerber cousin or a family friend.
Notice the hard hats laying around. Grandma must have raised geese as well
as chickens.
MEMORIES - by first cousin, Eugene Kerber son of Robert Kerber
Mother and I made many visits to the farm south of St. Joe. As young kids we played outside all of the time riding horses and driving the tractor around with a hay wagon tied on behind. Junior was the oldest so he was the leader of the "gang" which included Helen, Betty and me.
We were always down to Uncle Herman's farm for the 4th of July because we could shoot off fireworks and make all kinds of noise. There was a lot of farm to wander around on and I remember a lot of fun times.
When Junior (Herman Jr.) was old enough to drive the care, we could go into St. Joe to the square dances that Uncle Herman and Aunt Louise would have at their house in the Fall after all of the crops had been harvested One of the neighbors, Kurt Foster, would call the square dances. As for who furnished the music; I do not remember who furnished it, but it probably was some of the local friends in and around the neighborhood.
My memories are from our childhood. Once we finished school, we went our separate ways. When I moved back to St. Joseph in 1991, I was back in contact with Junior (you see old habits are hard to change as he was always Junior to me)
I know he attended high school in 1943
and 1944
because of these Benton High School year books.
He is shown here with Benton HS in the background.
I'm not sure when he joined or was drafted for service in World War II.
click on this picture of the Pacific Theatre to be taken to Herman's military
honors page.
In this picture, Junior is helping his father, Herman Sr. to harvest the
corn crop.
Herman was a very tall, good-looking man
so it's no wonder that pretty young women would have been drawn to his big
smile and easy going personality. I'm not sure but I believe before going
into service he fell in love with one of these young women named Betty. However, like
so many war-time romances of that era, the marriage did not last, but out of it
was born a cousin who was named Gary.
My grandmother spoke of him with sadness that the two young people thought it
best that Gary be adopted by the young woman's new husband.
I discovered that I had gone to high school
with him at Central; he was a Senior and I was a freshman in 1963.
Neither of us knew at the time. I did discover his picture in my old yearbook
many years later. Uncle Herman and I talked about it once. He told
me that he always hoped that Gary would come to see him before he passed; but I
doubt that Gary ever knew. Maybe that's best, but my heart will always
wish I had known him in this lifetime. He's like a piece of a puzzle
missing in the family picture.