Buffalo and its German Community, Pages 271 - 275

Biographies for Harry Weasner, Edwin J. Kreinheder, Carl A. Seelbach, Carl Schulze, Otto Kelch, and Michael Meyer

Harry C. Weasner

German text for the beginning of biography of Harry Weasner can be found on page 270 at Webpage 38

Harry C. Weasner first saw the light of the world on May 5, 1869 in Williamsport, Pa. He was the son of furniture dealer Frank Weasner and his wife Adeline. He attended the public schools in his birth district and later went into the photography field. About 17 years ago he established his own photography business here in Buffalo.


Over the course of the years he has acquired a steadily growing large clientele. His place of business is in the building at 244 Genesee Street. It's no wonder that his customers keep returning whenever they require photographic services. He uses the latest techniques and his clients have come to expect friendly and courteous service.

Mr. Harry Weasner is a member of the Church of Christ, the Free Masons, the Parish Lodge, and the Order of the Heptasophen. Furthermore Mr. Weasner is an excellent tenor. The men's choir of the Orpheus as well as the Temple Male Quartet count him as a valued member. He has also made a name for himself as a composer. Of his many compositions are listed the songs "Old Fashioned Roses" and "Slumber Land". In 1889 he married Miss Jessie Willis and he lives with her in a beautiful home at 265 Lexington Avenue.

Edwin J. Kreinheder

Mr. Edwin J. Kreinheder, the capable Deputy Treasurer of Erie County, was born on September 26, 1881. He was the son of Mr. Henry W. Kreinheder and his wife, nee Mary C. Oschütz. He is the offspring of a prominent German pioneer family. His grandparents settled in Buffalo about 70 years ago. After attending a Lutheran parish school he acquired a position in the German Bank in 1897. He stayed there until October 1900 and then took a position in the office of the Hardwood Lumber Company. In 1901 he became secretary of this company.

Caption under picture at lower left reads Harry C. Weasner

Caption under picture at upper right reads Edwin J. Kreinheder


He still holds that position today.

On February 1909 the enterprising young man established a diamond and precious stones dealership with Mr. Louis E. Reinsch. They formed the firm Reinsch & Kreinheder but it was soon after dissolved because Mr. Kreinheder took on a different and responsibilty-laden office. On January 1, 1910 he was appointed assistant treasurer by County Treasurer Frank A. Beyer. Since that time he has administered this office with great ability and circumspection. At the time he was 28 years of age. He is one of the youngest appointees to hold such an important office. Without a doubt Mr. Kreinheder has a promising future. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturers Club and many other organizations.

On June 29, 1905 Mr. Kreinheder married Miss Clara J. Reinsch. The happy union has been blessed with 3 children: Dorothy, Marrion, and Beatrice. The last child was suddenly taken from her parents on July 2, 1911.

Carl A. Seelbach

Carl A. Seelbach is a child of Buffalo. He first saw the light of the world on August 13, 1873. He was the son of wholesale grocery owner Mr. Carl Seelbach and his wife Katharina. After leaving the public school he apprenticed in the furrier's trade. He worked for 12 years for the firm of Stafford & Paul and then for Ernst Hettiel. In 1902 he established his own business at 804 Jefferson Avenue. Over the course of the years it has developed a significant clientele. One need not wonder. Mr. Seelbach has a thorough knowledge of his field. He has learned the singularities and fine points of his trade thereby placing him among the list of our premier pelt dealers. He is pleasant, courteous, and imbued with integrity when it comes to his business dealings, thus rightfully earning him the trust of his ever growing clientele.

In 1895 he married Miss Katharine Meue. Four children have come from the happy union: Carl, Alfred, Edna, and Walter. The 2 older sons, Carl and Alfred, are accomplished violin virtuosi, who have graced many concerts with their artistic performances.

Carl Schulze

Mr. Carl Schulze first saw the light of the world on November 2, 1882 in Linz on the beautiful Rhine. He was the son of apothecary Max Schulze and his wife Barbara, nee Bläser. After attending the local school and graduating from the academic high school in his father city, he took up his father's profession. He fulfilled his military duty as a one-year volunteer with the 28th Infantry Regiment in Ehrenbreitstein.

Caption under picture at lower left reads Carl A. Seelbach


Through his hard work and talent over time he amassed a vast knowledge of pharmaceutics, making him a respected member of his scientific profession. He decided to emigrate to America in 1907 in order to gain greater reward for his ability in his field. He landed in America on April 7, 1907. He found a position in Attica and then came to Buffalo on January 1, 1909. Here he found a position as manager of Heegaard's Pharmacy at the corner of Broadway and Hickory Streets. His excellent German persona and his eminent ability helped him develop a fine reputation among the public in general and his colleagues in the profession. As a friend of German song and a true German at heart he belongs to the Orpheus, in whose circle he is a welcome member. He is also a member of St. Mary's Church.

Otto Kelch

Mr. Otto Kelch, manager of the Edelweiss Hotel and Restaurant at 194 - 198 Pearl Street, has excellent standing among the restaurant owners of our city. His new undertaking is still young but one can already see from the way he has arranged his house with style that he is a man who understands the full measure of his business. It's no wonder that the Edelweiss Restaurant is listed among the premier specialty restaurants in Buffalo. Mr. Kelch is indeed an authority on the full spectrum of the art of cooking. His many years of experience in hotel and restaurant management qualify him to manage a first class establishment of this kind. It is a joy and an honor for the German community to have such a fine German man at the top of the list of excellent enterpreneurs.

Gustav Adolf Otto Kelch was born on March 23, 1875 in Königsberg in Prussia. He was the son of Adolf Kelch, a man of independent means, and his wife Johanna, nee Jordan. He attended the upper middle class schools and chose the cooking profession. He fulfilled his military obligation with the 48th Infantry Regiment in Küstrin. He was promoted many times and served on the General Staff. At the Kaiser Wilhelm I Centennial Celebration he was decorated with a medal. For some time he was the royal cook to the Count of Dohna and then head chef at the Central Hotel in Berlin, where he also had his own establishment. In July 1900 he came to America and was employed in New York at Luechow's and other establishments.

Caption under picture at upper right reads Carl Schulze


Then he travelled throughout the United States and Mexico. He worked in Chicago, San Francisco, and other places. In 1905 he came to Buffalo as head of the kitchens of the German-American Cafe. At various cooking expositions held here in the city he took first prize. He was highly esteemed everywhere he worked for his love of orderliness, his hard work, and his absolute emphasis on cleanliness. He left a favorable impression wherever he worked. Since the first of November, 1911 he's been on his own, taking over the hotel and restaurant previously owned by Louis Goetz. Mr. Kelch is a member of the Free Mason Lodge Prefectory and Consistory, the Shriners, the Automobile Club, the Motorcycle Club, and other clubs and organizations.

In 1899 Mr. Otto Kelch married Miss Mila Jacob of Königsberg in Prussia. An 11 year old daughter, Gertrud, has come from the happy union. Mr. Kelch's father has unfortunately died since her birth.

The new Hotel Edelweiss on Pearl Street near West Eagle with its good-working equipment and excellent housekeeping is undeniably the creation of Mr. Kelch. The entire building has been fully renovated. It presents a truly elegant impression inside and out. The ground floor has a bar and a large, well appointed diningroom. On the second floor there is a restaurant for men and women. The hotel is modern and comfortable in its furnishings. The kitchen in the Edelweiss is incomparable. It's easy to understand that Mr. Kelch's model restaurant is one of the gathering places of the high life.

(Shortly before the completion of the publishing of this book we found out that Mr. Kelch sold his hotel.)

Michael Meyer

If a German stranger comes to Buffalo and asks around for a good, solid, and pleasant German inn, in 9 out of 10 cases he'll be sent to the hotel at the corner of Huron and Ellicott Streets. This is the hotel under the management of Mr. Michael Meyer, previously owned by Mr. George Sticht.

Mr. Michael Meyer first saw the light of the world in Buweiler in the Rhine province. He was the son of butchershop owner and innkeeper Nikolaus Meyer and his wife Maria, nee Becker. He attended the public school and then went into his father's business. In 1893 he decided to emigrate to America. He came directly to Buffalo, where the capable and bright young man found a good position. He had already learned the English language in Germany. In 1898 at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War Mr. Meyer was among the first to sign up as a volunteer and fight for his adopted fatherland.

Caption under picture at lower left reads Otto Kelch


He was sent to Cuba with his regiment. He impressed his superiors and he soon became a staff orderly. At the end of the war he received an honorable discharge and returned to Buffalo. Then for a long time he ran a hotel in Roland, N.Y. In November 1909 he took over the management of the well known Stichts Hotel, which later prospered as Meyer's hotel. This hotel is the headquarters of the Buffalo Scat Club. The bar is the favorite watering hole of many of the most prominent German-Americans of Buffalo. Mr. Meyer is an accomplisheed hotelier and a friendly, courteous innkeeper. He sets the best in food and drink before his guests. He is a member of the Buffalo Sängerbund, the Teutonia Liederkranz, the Buffalo Gymnastics Club, the Buffalo Scat Club, the Order of the Elks, the United Spanish War Veterans, and other organizations.

Since 1900 Mr. Meyer has lived in the bonds of happy matrimony with his wife Minnie, nee Baumann. The marriage has been blessed with one son, Arthur Nikolaus Meyer.

Caption under picture at upper right reads Michael Meyer

Translation for biography of John J. Keller can be found on Webpage 40


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Susan Kriegbaum-Hanks
Revised August 28, 2005