52 Ancestors: #23 David Kaser, Hard Worker and Tuba Player

David Kaser (1853-1923)

An almost ordinary life, it seems. He never left his home town. David Kaser worked at whatever he could to support his family and for recreation played a tuba.

What a delight to find these hard working farm people taking time off for music!  David was one of the older siblings of my grandfather, Cliff Kaser, who played the trombone. If you click through to the story, you’ll see more about the band that the Kaser boys played in in the late 19th century.

David was born in January 1853 in Bloomfield (later Clark), Ohio to Joseph Kaser II and Catharine Sampsel Kaser.  When he was twenty-eight years old he was still living at home with his parents and was working as a carpenter.  He had married Mary E., about 8 years younger than he was, in June, 1880 and they were still living with his parents. She would have been six months pregnant at the time.

As a side note: Mary Ellen’s sister Edna married a cousin of David’s named Edward F. Kaser. (Not to be confused with the Edward Kaser with the unfortunate story that I told recently). And I have a nephew named David Kaser who lives in California.

By 1900 David and Mary Ellen had their own home and six children (one more came later). David was employed as a salesman.  In 1900, his 19 year old, Walker Clifford and 11 year old, Ira, were working as day laborers. but the 14-year-old, Homer and 8-year-old William were at school.

  • Walker Clifford Kaser, b. Sept. 1880
  • Bessie B. Kaser (Lowe) b. Jan. 1883
  • Homer Kaser, b. Feb. 1886
  • Ira Kaser, b. October 1888
  • William L. Kaser, B. Oct. 1891
  • Sylvia Olive Kaser, b. August 1894
  • Harry D.Kaser, B. 1900

By 1910, David had changed occupations once again, now working in Tinware in his own tin shop. (The same occupation that my grandfather Clifford Kaser pursued.) Adult sons Homer 24, a carpenter; Ira, 21, a house painter; and William, 18, a laborer doing odd jobs were still at home as was Sylvia and Harry.

By 1920, when David was 67 and Mary 61, the children had all moved out, and David was working as a farm laborer.

He died in 1923 and was buried, like so many of the family at Oak Hill Cemetery in MIllersburg, Ohio.

I found Mary E., widow of David living in Akron with her son Homer, now working as a carpenter and his wife Bertha in 1931. Mary lived until 1947.

How I Am Related

  • Vera Marie Badertscher is the daughter of
  • Paul Kaser, the son of
  • Clifford Kaser, who is the brother of
  • David Kaser

 Research Notes

The “Kaser Genealogy” (aka Green Book or G. B.) referred to is The Kaser History: A History of Dates and Other Interesting Facts (1994) edited by Deborah D. Morgan and others. Out of print. I obtained information from a cousin who owns a copy of the book.

Census records from 1860 (German Twp, Holmes Co, Oho); 1880 (Village of Bloomfield (Clark), Coshocton Co, Ohio; 1900 (Clark, Coshocton Co. Ohio); 1910, Clark Twp, Coshocton Co., Ohio;1920 (Clark, Coshocton Co., Ohio)  *

1931 Akron City Directory *

*These records accessed at Ancestry.com.

Find A Grave website for some death records and burial places.

Newspaper clipping in the author’s possession, (unknown paper,unknown date). “Clark Residents Have Happy Memories of Old Band…Bessie Kaser Remembers Polishing Dad’s Tuba” , by Cliff Bushnell.

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