& Marguerite Emerich
They gave us the gifts of joy, love, faith, and belief in ourselves. Gifts more precious than all the treasures in the world.
Marguerite and Arlin Behler
December 21, 1941
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Arlin Edgar Behler was born November 28, 1919 in New
Ringgold,
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The house he was born in was on Schmaltzdalh
Road which is
in the valley that was known as "Bensinger Valley". He was the first born of
Samuel Edgar Behler
and Emily Cecilia Paul. At the time of Arlin's birth Samuel was age 20 and
Emily was 19.
The young couple were living in the
home of Emily's parents
along with her sister and sister's
husband, a real extended family. Samuel was working on his father's farm which
was
just down the road from the Paul homestead.
Marguerite (on the left) with her
mother, Lillian, brother, Robert and sister, Elizabeth
Marguerite Marion Emerich was born January 17, 1921 in King
of Prussia, Pennsylvania. She was
the 9th child of Jonathan Grover Emerich and Lillian Holzer. Two of her siblings
had died at the time of Marguerite's birth and there would be another sister
born
in another year. Marguerite's father was killed in an accident when she was only
two. Her mother was unable to take care of the children so the older boys went
to work on farms and her two sisters along with a brother, who was too young for
farm work, were placed at the Bethany Orphan's home.
My mother was quite lucky and was taken into the home of
her grandfather and his wife, Ellen Degler. Ellen had no children of her
own but when married to the widower, William Holzer, four of his sons were
still at home; Leon age 17, Edward age 15, Robert age13 and William who was 8.
When Lillian's husband was killed, Ellen agreed to take in one of her youngest children and since the
baby was still nursing, my mother was the one chosen to live with Ellen and
William
in their home
located on Columbia Avenue in Orwigsburg, PA.
Marguerite and Arlin met at a roller skating rink in Orwigsburg, PA.
Roller skating and going to the movies were the two big things to do on a date
at that time. Marguerite was dating a friend of Arlin's at the time but when his friend could
not make a prearranged date with Marguerite at the movies
Arlin went in his place and the rest was history. Marguerite's grandmother was not
thrilled with the idea of Marguerite dating a "farmer" but that did not stop the couple and
the two were married about two years later on Dec 21, 1941 by the Rev. Sheldon
Mackey of St. John's Reformed Church in Orwigsburg.
Arlin served in the Army Air
Corp from Dec.1941 until Nov. 17, 1945. After returning home Arlin and Marguerite
bought a house on Grove Street in Budd Lake, New Jersey. Here they would remain
until 1984 when the couple retired to Brooksville, Florida. In the almost 40 years they
spent in Budd Lake they raised three daughters; Bonnie, Arlean, and Diane. Marguerite worked
several places during these years but she was always home when her kids were. She always picked
her jobs according to the hours her children were in school. Arlin first worked at Picatinney Arsenal,
next he worked with a construction firm building houses and then he became a welder for Lockjoint
which would eventually be sold and renamed Interpace. Arlin did not realize it at the time but it
would be at this job that he would inhale a lot of heavy metal particles which was probably what eventually led
to his having lung cancer.
1974 - 33rd Anniversary
Budd Lake was a great place to raise
children. The Behler family lived a block and a half from the lake and
the summer would find them at the Oasis Beach most of the day. Marguerite and Arlin
moved to Brooksville, Florida in 1984 and they lived there together until 1988 at which time
Arlin died of lung cancer. Marguerite loved Florida and stayed in their home until the summer
of 1995 when she moved to Peru, Indiana where her oldest daughter lived. Marguerited died
Dec. 24th 1995 because of complications from by pass surgery. Marguerite and Arlin are very much
missed by all those whose lives they had touched.
