Person Page - 3648

     Siegfried Mathias Holzer was born on August 24, 1936 at Radstadt, Austria.^2,3 He married Brenda Gail Keffer, daughter of Alton Ashby Keffer and Janie Sue Hypes, on June 1, 1979 at Christiansburg, Montgomery Co., Virginia.^1,2 Siegfried Mathias Holzer died on March 22, 2023 at Virginia at age 86.³ He Siegfried Mathias Holzer, August 24, 1936 - March 22, 2023. Siegfried Mathias Holzer passed away recently. He was born in Radstadt, Austria and attended high school in Salzburg. He immigrated to the United States in 1956 and stayed with family in Kansas while working at the Kansas City Steel Company and other structural engineering firms. He earned Bachelors and Masters degrees from Kansas University, and a PhD from the University of Illinois. He became a naturalized citizen in 1961. He was a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech from 1972 to 2002 and was passionate about teaching and fostering an engaging learning environment. His enthusiasm was contagious; he connected with students and received numerous accolades over the years. He was elected to VT's Academy of Teaching Excellence in 1974. In 1986 he became the second person to win the National Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honorary Society Award for excellence in teaching. He received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education in 1989, and in 1995 he was designated an Alumni Distinguished Professor. He always loved nature and enjoyed time outdoors, whether it be hiking, skiing, playing tennis, gardening, or working on his tree farm. Family vacations to the beach and Blue Ridge Parkway were a regular occurrence. In retirement he took daily trips to the Christiansburg Recreation Center for exercising and socializing. He was a voracious reader, and he joined a book club and volunteered to teach English to foreign students. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, chatting and telling stories over wine, or corresponding with distant friends and relatives over phone and email. He could often be found working around the yard or tinkering on a project around the house. He is survived by his wife, Gail; sons, Michael (Eddie) and Matthew (Kelly); stepson, Lance; granddaughter, Audrey; sister-in-law, Hope; siblings, Josef, Christine, and Elfrieda; half-brothers, Peter, Walter, and Dragutin; and numerous nieces and nephews. His father Josef passed away in 1989 and his mother Genoveva passed away in 2005. He was preceded in death by brother, Herbert and half-sister, Susie. on April 2, 2023.³

     His Social Security Number was 410-09-5139.³ Charles Melvin Allen was buried at Monte Vista Memorial Park, 1900 East Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Washington Co., Tennessee.² He married Nancy Lee "Effie" Jamison, daughter of Gustavus Wingfield "Gus" Jamison and Auslebie "Leebie" West.⁴ Charles Melvin Allen was born on December 17, 1909 at Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee.^3,1,2 He died on April 28, 1984 at Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee, at age 74.^3,2

     Her married name was Jett.¹ Estelle L. Unknown married Charles M. Jett, son of John L. Jett and Mary Virginia "Jennie" Dobyns.¹ Estelle L. Unknown was born circa 1910 at Virginia.¹

     Her Social Security Number was 223-30-9957.³ Her married name was Jett.¹ Mona Gwinn married Samuel Shields "Sam" Jett, son of John L. Jett and Mary Virginia "Jennie" Dobyns.¹ Mona Gwinn was born on August 17, 1910 at McKendree, Fayette Co., West Virginia.^2,3 She died in July, 1987 at age 76.³