Selma W. Kammerdiner's Obituary
Selma W. Kammerdiner: Musician, Mother, Grandmother, Great-grandmother, Beloved Aunt…moved out of this life on March 18, 2015.She was 95 years young. Until her final illness of 3 months, she was still walking around the block daily, did her own shopping, laundry, and housework. She studied like crazy to pass her driver’s test just 5 months ago.BIOGRAPHY: The lovely lady that you know as Selma Kammerdiner was born in Sarona, Wisconsin to Frank and Victoria Wagner, December 23, 1919. Frank was a machinist, and played the accordian and zither. Victoria was a homemaker. Selma’s only brother Eddie, had died as an infant before she was born.Selma showed her father’s musical talents early in life. Frank tried to teach her to pay the zither, but her five-year-old fingers just weren’t ready for that! She began playing the violin when she was 10 or 12, and switched to viola a couple of years later. You see, she had started playing with the Waterloo orchestra, and she wasn’t good enough on violin, and they needed violas. There is a delightful photo in our albums of her, with viola in hand—she must have been about 12 or 13 at the time.She grew up in the midwest, and finished her high school education in Waterloo, Iowa. She worked as a secretary at Rath’s, and also played in the Waterloo Symphony. These two fields would become her careers. Throughout her adult life she has worked as a secretary for the Brethren Church, at Copley YMCA, and at San Diego State University Music Library. She was a part of the San Diego Symphony for 35 years, and continued playing the Opera seasons until just a few years ago, retiring her viola at the age of 86. Her musical talent brought many good things into our family life.During high school, her girl friends took her along with them to their church socials, and that’s how she was introduced to the Brethren Church. The church was a big part of her social life. When she first took her boyfriend, Merton Kammerdiner, to a social they informed him that they “thought real highly of Selma.” She and Merton were married on Memorial Day, 1942. They came to California for their honeymoon and to start their life together here.As a young woman she traveled with friends: a trip to Oregon, and later the World’s Fair in San Francisco. At the time she got married, her parents had moved to Los Angeles. Selma was corresponding with a high school friend, (Leonard Brunkin), who also had moved to California. Merton had been advised to leave the midwest for his health. This was the beginning of the war and the end of the depression, so you moved to where you could get work. Selma’s friend said they were hiring in his area. So with her parents here, and job prospects, they came west. When they arrived in LA they discovered that jobs were available in San Diego at the Convair plant. So that is how they arrived in San Diego. They made their home here and my brother and I grew up here. We were encouraged to put our efforts into education, and we all had a graduation in the same year: mom and my brother from college, me from high school.She leaves behind many friends and family.Her immediate descendants are: Lee Kammerdiner of Colorado, son Janet Bordeaux of Pasadena, CA, daughter, & her husband, Bob Bordeaux Alison Harper of Pasadena, CA, granddaughter, & her husband, Lance Harper Megan & Evan Harper of Pasadena, CA, great-grandchildren Brian (Forest) Kessell of Hawaii, grandson, & his wife, Jasmine Kessell Adahy, Lilli & Ohia Kessell, Naiah Philips, & Starr Raine of Hawaii, great-grandchildren David Kessell of Fullerton, CA & his wife, Morgan McLaughlin Micah Kessell of Fullerton, CA, great-grandsonShe will be remembered with love.*** From Selma: “Yes, we lived on a 40 acre farm in Wisconsin. I do remember Mom and I going out and picking up the potatoes after Dad turned them over. I don’t know just how it came about, but he was a skilled machinist having learned his trade in Europe. Somehow, we traded the 40 acre place for the 6 acres in Waterloo. Traded with the Funk family who had a little boy my age. They came to the farm for a few days, and I remember Billy and I going out in the tall grass, and somehow he had matches. I don’t remember how we got out of that scrape. But we got to Waterloo, rented a little place in town, and Dad got a job at John Deere factory. And a short while later we moved out to the acreage. I suppose someone else was living in it when we made the move. At least that is the only reason I can come up with. And when I got to high school, lo and behold the Funk family moved back to Waterloo, and Bill was in my grade and in my graduating class. He later turned out to be an international pilot!“I only went to Whittier School for a few months. Having no records, they didn’t know where to place me, so put me in first grade for a bit, and then skipped me ahead a half year. Then I fnished grade school at Kingsley. It was on the acreage where I became friends with June (Hanson) and Mae Jean.“I don’t know that my dad had outside work while in Wisconsin or just made do on the farm, but probably not. And I don’t know that he had the job at Deere’s sewed up when we moved or if he applied after we got there. The place we lived was quite close to the factory.”A STORY FROM SELMA: When the family came to San Diego, they stayed a few nights in hostel-like places, then they rented a small cottage up on Adams St. It was in a courtyard with several other cottages. They had three rooms, but the only furniture they had was their bed and a sewing machine. They didn’t like to walk into an empty room so they put the bed in the living room.One day mom was lying on the bed reading and there was a knock on the door. When she answered it there was a man there who said, “I’m the assessor, and I’ve come to assess your belongings.” Mom said, “I just roared!” So he came in and sat on the bed and they had a nice visit. He told her that it was so nice to meet young people who could start off like that. He had a daughter who had just gotten married, and she felt like she had to have all the furnishings before hand, a big wedding, etc. So mom and dad were a contrast to that. They found an empty crate that they used for a table.***Mom was 14 during the dust bowl time. But she doesn’t remember the dust blowing. She lived on acreage in Iowa. The dust was blown from Minn. to IowaMom started playing violin when she was 10 or 12, and switched to viola a couple of years later. She started playing with the Waterloo orchestra; she wasn’t good enough on violin, and they needed violas.—————————– Selma’s wish is that you not wear black, and in lieu of flowers, donations can be can be made to the following charities:First Church of the Brethren of San Diego 3850 Westgate Place San Diego, CA 92105Living Coast Discovery Center – Online or by mail: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=cvnc&id=21000 Gunpowder Point Drive Chula Vista, California 91910San Diego Zoo – online or by mail: https://secure3.convio.net/sdzoo/site/Donation2?5000.donation=form1&df_id=5000Development Department P.O. Box 20551 San Diego, CA 92112-0551 Attn: Donation Processing
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