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- Buffalo Evening News - 12/4/1948
Ellis Island Meeting Started 25 Years of Happy Married Life
A couple married 25 years ago--just a few hours after a story-book meeting on Ellis Island--will celebrate their anniversary tomorrow. The principal guest will be a Salvation Army officer who arranged the ipromptu wedding and acted as best man.
As they look back on that eventful day in 1923, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rodler of 243 Fourgeron St. are convinced that "many things might have happened the wrong way" if the Salvation Army hadn't been on hand to help them.
The officer who aided them is Brig. Fritz W. Nelson, public relations secretary for the Central Territory in Chicago. He will speak at 8 o'clock tomorrow at services for the Rodlers in the Citadel Corps, 9 High St.
Mr. Rodler's first wife died in the flu epidemic, leaving two small children.
One night he walked into a Buffalo Salvation Army street meeting. After it was over he told his story to the officer in charge.
It was arranged that Mr. Rodler write relatives in his native Seiget, Hungary, who were to send him a housekeeper. Some months ater a 24-year old girl named Lydia Ulreich arrived at Ellis Island, ready to take the job. She is now Mrs. Rodler.
"The immigration men said I could not enter the country unless I had relatives here to sign for me." she recalled. "I didn't have any, and the only other way to enter was to get married.
"I had seen pictures of Charlie. Brig. Nelson brought him to Ellis Island. I knew right away I wanted to marry him. I guess he felt the same way. Thanks to the Salvation Army and its power of conversion we have lived happy Christian lives ever since."
The Rodlers were married in Salvation Army headquarters in New York City. They then came to Buffalo. In addition to Carl Rodler and Mrs. Leslie Peters, children by Mr. Rodler's first marriage, the couple has three other sons, John R., David E and William E. Rodler, all of Buffalo, and three grandchildren. Mr. Rodler operates a shoe shop at 869 Glenwood Ave.
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