Maria Del Carmen (Michellana) Zercher	Roscoe Kemper Zercher (1877-1929)
Roscoe Kemper Zercher March 27, 1909

Rosco Kemper Zercher was a veteran of the Spanish American War. He enlisted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on December 13, 1889. He was assigned to the Twenty-First Regiment of Kansas Volunteer Infantry. His enlistment age was "21 11/12". His occupation was listed as "Teacher". His eye color was "Brown", complexion "dark", height 5' 9 1/2". On December 13, 1898 Roscoe K. Zercher enlisted with the U. S. Army Hospital Corps, Twentieth Regiment.

On October 29, 1910 Roscoe applied for a passport (view document) On this document, he lists his occupation as accountant.

Maria Del Carmen Michellana Zercher remarried (2) _____ Xavier (??). They lived in Mexico NFI.

Dallas Morning News
August 16, 1903
pg. 36
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MARRIED IN MANILA.

R. K. Zercher of This City Weds a Spanish Girl in the Far-Off Philippine Islands

Announcement has been received in this city by Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Zercher of 265 Washington Avenue of the marriage of their son, R. Kemper Zercher, at Manila, P. I., to Senorita Maria Del Carmen Michellana on the evening of June 24 last. Accompanying the announcement was the following clipping from the Manila Times:

"R. Kemper Zercher and Senorita Maria Del Carmen Michellana were married at the San-Sebastian Church last evening at 6 o'clock.

"The church was tastefully decorated with palms and evergreens and the bridal couple marched down the aisle to Mendelssohn's wedding march from 'Lohengrin' and were met at the altar by the official who pronounced them man and wife.

"The bride was charmingly arrayed in a gown of white organdie, trimmed with pale blue silk, and wore flowers in her hair. The groom was clothed in the conventional costume.

"The high contracting parties are well known in Manila, they having many friends in the city. Mr. Zercher is an employee of the auditor's office and the bride belongs to a prominent Spanish family.

The happy couple will be at home at 124 Calle Real Ermita after July 1."

Mr. Zercher, who is 25 years of age, enlisted in the Twenty-First Regiment of Kansas Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War and was promoted. He enlisted after his discharge, seven months later in the Twentieth regulars, in the hospital corps, after serving two years and five months was appointed clerk in the auditor's office at Manila.

During his military career his was in three engagements.

About a year ago he visited his parents in Dallas.

"Manila, Oct 31, 1927 To my dear sister, Alice -Kemper"

Dallas Morning News
Saturday, April 13, 1929
pg. 10
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H. [R.] K. Zercher, Veteran Of Spanish War, Dies

Word of the death of R. K. Zercher, 51, Spanish-American War veteran, in Manila, has been received by relatives in Dallas.

Mr. Zercher went to the Philippine Islands from the United States with the Twentieth Regular Untied States Army after seeing service in the Spanish-American War, and fought with the units of the army which quieted the Filipino uprising. He visited relatives here about two years ago. He was treasurer of the Copra Milling Company of Manila.

Surviving are a daughter. Mrs. W. B. Landress; a son, Kemper Zercher; a sister, Mrs. W. A. Donnell, all of Dallas, and two brothers, John S. Zercher of Dallas and M. Zercher of Mount Vernon.

M. Zercher, postmaster of Mount Vernon, was in Dallas Friday to arrange funeral services, which will be held in Manila.

The Dallas Morning News
Dallas, Texas
Sunday, July 20, 1924

Boy and Girl From Manila After 9,000 Mile Trip, Arrive to Attend Schools in Dallas

Anthony Kemper Zercher & Alice Mary Zercher

Roscoe Kemper Zercher Bottom 2 photographs taken in the Philippines ca. 1920

Completing a journey by land and sea of nearly 9,000 miles, Alice Zercher 19 years old, and her brother, Kemper Zercher, 17, arrived in Dallas last week from Manila in the Phillippines. Their little jaunt of more than one-third of the distance around the globe was made in order that they might attend the Dallas public schools. They are at home here with their aunt, Mrs. W. A. Donnell, 823 Grandview avenue, Mount Auburn. Mrs. Donnell is the sister of their father, R. K. Zercher, who is associated with an oil company in Manila. S. Zercher, an uncle of Miss Alice and her brother, lives in Mount Auburn also, at 717 Grandview avenue.

Although making the trip alone, their first long journey as well as their first trip to the United States, Miss Alice and her brother experienced no difficultly along the route, missed no connections and had no bother with their transportation. Their steamship passage and rail transportation were arranged for and purchased by the American Express Company and throughout their long trip they were virtually in the care of the express company. Mrs. Donnell, their aunt, laughingly remarked that it was a case of "two young folks sent by express."

Father Served in War.

R. K. Zercher, father of Miss Alice and Kemper, went to the Phillippines in 1898 as an American soldier during the Spanish-American War and married there. After being mustered out of the service he became an auditor for the Government and later became associated with an oil company in Manila.

Desiring that his children have the advantage of American schools, Mr. Zercher was somewhat at a loss over the matter of getting them to Dallas where they could be with their relatives inasmuch as they would have to make the trip alone since he could not accompany them. He took up the question of transportation for them with the office of the American Express Company at Manila, however, and was informed that the express company would arrange for their passage and would see that they were well looked after en route and met various points along the way where they would have to make changes. Passage was procured and the long journey was begun.

Miss Alice and Kemper left Manila June 14 aboard the President Lincoln. They arrived at San Francisco July 11 and in Dallas July 14.

Her dark eyes sparkling in memory of a journey that had proved most interesting and in anticipation of the life in her new home, Miss Alice declared that already she "liked Dallas very much."

"Had Delightful Trip"

"I have already written my father to hurry up and come on to Texas," she said. "He promised when we left that he would come to see us within two years, but that is too long. We want him to come on sooner. We had a most delightful trip," she continued, "though it was a long one, especially one week, the third week out from Manila, when we had two Tuesdays in one week. This second Tuesday was on July 2 and was called Meridian Day. That we had two Tuesdays ion the same week caused, of course, by the difference in time. But it was a long week, anyhow, as you can imagine an eight-day week would be.

"Only July 4 the ship was gayly decorated in flags and we had some very interesting and amusing games and sports. In one of these, the musical cracker contest, Kemper won the prize. the game consists of eating so many crackers and then whistling. Kemper was able to eat the crackers and whistle first so he was declared the winner.

"We stopped en route at Hong-kong, Shanghai, Yokohama, Kopi and Honolulu and enjoyed seeing these places very much. On arrival in San Francisco we were met by a representative of the American Express Company who had arranged for our transportation by rail from there to Dallas. We liked San Francisco and while there saw our first American movie; this is, our first in an American motion picture house over here. We already like Dallas and Texas very much and are looking forward to the opening of school here in the fall."

By coming to Texas for school, Miss Alice and her brother gain a much longer vacation this summer than would have been the case had they remained in Manila. The schools there close the latter part of March and reopen for the new term June 9. Since the schools here do not open for the new term until the latter part of September, they will have three months additional vacation time.

Attended Manila School.

They attended the American school in Manila seven years, being students at the American Central School there where they learned to speak English. As children they were taught Spanish which they spoke almost exclusively until 10 or 12 years old. Kemper likes athletics, particularly baseball, football, basket ball and swimming. According to their aunt, Mrs. Donnell, they will probably attend Forest High School here.

Mrs. Donnell went to San Antonio to meet Mss Alice and her brother, accompanying them from San Antonio to Dallas. She praised the way in which traveling accommodations were arranged by the American Express Company.

G. N. Matthews, district passenger agent of the American Express Company here, had charge of arrangements at this end. Telegram of the departure of the travelers, designating the car they were in on the train, was sent by express company official to the Dallas office on the departure from San Francisco. Through information received from Mr. Matthews, Mrs. Donnell was able to locate here niece and nephew on the train at San Antonio without the least trouble.

Mr. Zercher, father of the two new students, has been back to the United States only once since he left. That visit was in 1910 when he was back for five months.

Children of Roscoe Kemper Zercher and Maria Del Carmen Michellana:

F1 Loloy Zercher, born ca. 1903; died at 21 yrs old of pneumonia before 1929.

F2 Alice Mary Zercher, born August 16, 1905 in the Philippines, died January 29, 1981 in Dallas, Texas; married 1928 William Burnice Landress, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. O. Landress of Dallas, Texas; William died on January 12, 1989.

F3 Anthony Kemper Zercher, born June 13, 1907 in the Philippines, died October 22, 1961 in San Antonio,Texas (view Death Certificate); buried in Dallas Cemetery; married Dovie Evelyn Pannell, died October 31, 1975.

F4 Carmen ("Chucha") Zercher, born June 11, 19__; married Capt. Alfonso Roco Aramburo, born January 29, 1911.

The Zercher Family History is a project of Carol M. Gillespie, D.D.S. You can contact Carol at: CGillespi2@aol.com. Please enter a Subject of Zercher Genealogy, to help us separate your message from spam. The html version was created by Eric Davis.