Celebrating 100 year milestone of Faith Lutheran member Elmer Syler
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State Rep. Jason Zachary, far left, honored Elmer Syler, second from left, with a proclamation for Elmer’s 100th birthday at a Faith Lutheran Church service Sunday, Jan. 11. Joining them were Elmer’s son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Donna Syler; niece, Bonnie Cline; and Cline’s son and daughter-in-law, Elmer and Maria McElreath. - Photos by Tammy Cheek
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Elmer Syler - Photos by Tammy Cheek
Faith Lutheran Church celebrated a milestone of one of its members: the 100th birthday of Elmer E. Syler.
“One hundred years is not just a longevity accomplishment; it’s that [he] has seen and witnessed life for which you have no personal reference,” church member Stephen Dean said. “Just as Elmer is amazed at how life has changed since he was born, you should be amazed how little you understand about the life he lived.”
“There must be something following me [to keep me alive],” Elmer said. “There’s something in my life I haven’t done yet.”
At the church service, state Rep. Jason Zachary presented Elmer with a flag that flew over the state capital and a proclamation in his honor for his “faith, patriotism and
courage.”
Additionally, Elmer received a proclamation from Lenoir City Mayor Tony Akins and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, a letter from the Air Force and a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump.
In wishing Elmer a happy birthday, Trump wrote, “I also extend my personal gratitude for your unwavering service to our country. The grit, tenacity and extraordinary bravery you have displayed throughout your life continue to inspire generations of Americans.”
“He’s a very humble man,” said Elmer’s daughter-in-law Donna Syler. “He’s one of the best fathers-in-law.”
“With Elmer, every Sunday, it’s a teaching lesson,” said friend George Herbold, who drives Elmer to church and back. “We drive 13 miles one way and 13 miles another way, so it’s always a teaching lesson about the Depression, how he grew up, how they didn’t depend on anybody else but themselves.
“And, with the war … what he did and what he saw,” Herbold said.
Dean presented a seven-and-a-half-minute video of the centenarian’s life.
Elmer was born Jan. 8, 1926, three years before the Great Depression started. One of nine children in the Syler household, he was raised in Baltic, Ohio, at his grandfather’s farm.
“My dad worked in the sawmill,” he recalled.
Dean related in the video that Elmer’s father got 90 cents an hour for that work. Elmer remembered on cold mornings, he would go downstairs to the cook stove to get warm before doing his chores.
He was 15 at the time of the Japanese army’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Three years later, Elmer was drafted into the U.S. Army, becoming part of the now non-existent Army Air Corps as part of the 325th Glider Infantry.
“The 18-year-old carried an automatic rifle,” Dean stated.
Elmer rode gliders that crash landed in France and Normandy, where he fought as part of the invasion in Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge, receiving a Bronze Star for his gallantry.
Dean stated in the video Elmer told him he felt a force on him.
“I believe it was the hand of God,” he told Dean.
After meeting his wife, Catherine, she led him to become a Lutheran when they married. She died in 2013. They had three children.
He moved to Lenoir City about 10 years ago to be closer to family. Along with attending Faith Lutheran, he still takes walks and rides a stationery bike at a fitness center.
