Notes - Generation 2
BIRTH
29 July 1882 He was born in Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland the third
child of Charles Chambers and Johanna Mahoney. He came to America with
his mother, his brother Richard and his sister Mary on the Steamship Pennsylvania
from Queenstown, County Cork, arriving in Philadelphia on 13 October
1884. A copy of birth certificate lists his father as Charles Chambers,
laborer, of Inch and mother Johanna Mahoney, birth date given as 15 August
1882, registered 18 August 1882 in the District of Dunmanway, County of
Cork.
Baptised in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Dunmanway
DEATH 17 February 1969 Harrisburg, PA
The Chambers Family
Bottom Row: Hannah, Johanna, Charles and Mary
Middle Row: Catherine, Charles, Elizabeth, (Joseph) Cornelius, Sarah
Top Row: James, Anna, Lawrence
Brother Lawrence (L) and James
Lawrence who was killed
in action in France, WWI
This postcard is actually heavily damaged.
See what it really looks like.
Before his marraige
James performed on the Vaudeville stages of Pennsylvania, dancing the softshoe.
The postcard at right was sent from Pittsburgh, PA; probably around 1905.
James is the aviator on the far left.
In his later years, he performed dramatic recitations on the radio, mostly
of "epic" poems.
Somewhere along the line he acquired the nickname "Ducky", by which he was subsequently known his entire life.
Ducky at The Rod and Gun Club,
a bar he owned in Harrisburg Circa 1955
James "Ducky" Chambers
Circa 1946
JAMES F. CHAMBERS
Steelton - James F. Chambers, 86, of 3 S. Third St., died Monday at Holy Spirit Hospital.
He was a member of St. James Church, Steelton.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Roselma Chambers; four sons, James F. Chambers, Jr. of Allentown, Lawrence E. Chambers of Harrisburg, Richard R. Chambers of Baltimore, Md., and Terrance S. Chambers of Bellaire, Md.; three daughters, Mrs. Johanna Leedy of Harrisburg, Mrs. Roselma Roberts of Doylestown and Mrs. Patricia Gerhart of Middletown: two brothers, Charles and Joseph Chambers both of Steelton; three sisters, Mrs. Anna Ney, living in Ohio, Mrs. Elizabeth Kambic of Steelton and Mrs. Sarah Shaw of Oberlin, 29 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Requiem high mass will be celebrated Thursday at 9 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church with the Rev. V. Leonard Casey as celebrant. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.
Friends may call Wednesday after 7 p.m. at the funeral home, 357 S. Second St., Steelton. The Rosary will be recited at 8 p.m.
BIRTH
18 December 1892 Born in Steelton PA the oldest of four children and the only
girl.
Graduated from Steelton High School in 1911.
DEATH 26 October 1985 Harrisburg, PA
OBITUARY from the Harrisburg Evening News, Monday 28 October 1985
ROSELMA CHAMBERS
Roselma Chambers, 92, of 3950 William St., Lower Paxton Twp., formerly of
Steelton, died Saturday in Polyclinic Medical Center.
She was the widow of James F. Chambers and a member of St. James Roman Catholic
Church, Steelton, where she served as past president of the National Council
of Catholic Women.
Surviving are four sons, James F. Jr. of Allentown, Lawrence E. of Harrisburg,
Richard R. of Glen Burnie, Md. and Terrance S. of Alexandria, Va: three daughters,
Johanna A. Leedy with whom she lived, Roselma C. Roberts of Doylestown, and
Patricia F. Gerhart of Middletown, 22 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday in her church
by the Rev. Joseph F. Gotwalt, her pastor. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery,
Swatara Twp.
Friends may call at the Wiedeman Funeral Home, Steelton, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesday. A Christian wake service will be held at 8:30.
Memorial contributions may be made to the memorial fund of her church, 407
N. Front St., Steelton, Pa. 17113.
Roselma at
the age of two - 1894
Roselma Reitzel at her graduation from Steelton High School 1911
Roselma and friend Circa 1906
(Roselma is on the right)
The Chambers Family Circa 1939
Joan, standing
Roselma, James, Larry (middle row)
Roselma, Richard, Pat, Terry (front)
We
have additional photos of Roselma Reitzel as a child with her mother
Laura May (Orner) Gurnter Reitzel
The Chambers Family Circa 1929
James and Roselma (back row)
Larry, Joan, Pat, Jim and Roselma (front row)
Roselma
Reitzel started studying piano when she was 7 years old. Later she traveled
to Harrisburg by streetcar for piano lessons. As a teenager she would
stand outside the music stores; listen to and memorize the latest tunes
and then go home and play the songs. She was able all her life to play
by ear. She would hear a song on the radio and then play it for her family
who would stand around the piano and join in the singing.
After high school graduation she enrolled in a business school and for
a short time was employed by Mitters Wholesale Book Co., Market Square,
Harrisburg.
At the time their largest selling book was "The Sinking of the Titanic",
a disaster that had occured the previous year.
She married James F. Chambers in 1912 and bore seven children, four boys and three girls.
