Immigrant Family

<p class=ql-align-justify>The story of the Kelker family begins with a tragic 1743 transatlantic voyage from Switzerland to America and continues through ten generations to the 21st century.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>It is told from biographies of family members whose lives are in some manner distinguished some by accomplishment and a few others by failure or misdeeds.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>The immigrants settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country where they farmed the land and set about establishing a new life. Their Swiss-born son Anthony who arrived at age ten lived a distinguished life as a soldier in the revolutionary war a county sheriff and a Pennsylvania state legislator. His descendants over the centuries include an innkeeper an iron worker a saddler businessmen a politician (Governor Mayor U.S. Senator and Secretary of War) historians and a traffic engineer who built the first subway in Chicago.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>Recent generations are represented by NASA space scientists and a soap opera star. The narrative follows the sweep of American history as the family grows in number and spreads throughout the country.</p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p></p>