Carl Widmer III (1924 - 1984)

Born 3 Mar 1924 in Kingston, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Victoria (Valcarcel) Widmer — married 25 Jul 1959 in St. Mary`s church, Lima, Peru

Descendants

Died 18 Dec 1984 at age 60 in Fairfield CA, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ramon Widmer [send private message]

Biography

My dad, Carl Widmer Jr., was born in 1924 in Kingston, Pennsylvania. He died in Fairfield California in 1984.

As a kid, Carl tended to be thoughtful, mindful, and recluse. He sometimes had to deal with bullies. He was a boyscout and enjoyed camping.

At the age of 19, served in World War II, in the German front. He was frontline infantry of the 106th Division[1]. Two of106th Infantry Division three regiments were overrun and surrounded in the initial days of the Battle of the Bulge, and forced to surrender on 19 December 1944. Fortunately for me, my dad was in the 424th infantry regiment -- the regiment that was not captured.

My dad obtained a PhD on the G.I. bill. At the age of 23, he was married to Emmy Lou Numrich. They had a son a year before they were divorced. I have never made contact with my half-brother. He must be around 59 yrs old by now.

Per his journal[2], "On July 2, 1954 I hit the road. I closed my apartment in Rochester and headed for Canada with a coupe car full of junk, $300, and no destination. This was the start of a new life. "

After a long journey full of adventure, and new acquaintances, he wound up in California where he took a teaching position at Humboldt State College. There he met the best group of friends he ever made. This was a high point in his life.

He travelled to Latin America, where he met my mother on a train bound for Machu Picchu, Peru. I am not certain about the reason for his trip, but it appears to be trip resulting from his, restless need to explore. He returned to Peru with the family several times. My best recollections of Peru were when he took the family there in 1972 to do scientific research on Lake Titicaca. I was five year old. We returned when I was seven yrs. old.

My dad was free spirited, curious, and bluntly honest. He was an intellectual, a left-winger, a pacifist, often pessimistic, sensitive to injustices, and sympathetic to people he viewed as oppresses or underprivileged. He was often frustrated by the American politics. He spoke positively about his Swiss heritage, and the Swiss philosophy of armed neutrality and direct democracy. He took the necessary steps to maintain the continuity of bloodline rights to Swiss citizenship in himself and in his kids.

Sources

• Ramon Widmer, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Ramon and others.