Tab Hunter

1 Tab Hunter, born Arthur Kelm, later Arthur Gelien

"Baby boy" Kelm was born in Bellevue Hospital, New York City on 11 Jul 1931, the son of Charles Kelm and Gertrude Gelien. His father had declined to name him, so his mother later decided to name him Arthur after a friend of her father's, the actor Arthur Kronenberg. (Tab states this last fact in his autobiography, but I cannot find any such actor in a brief search. -ed) His elder brother Walter had been born eleven months earlier on 18 Aug 1930. On 26 Aug 1950 in Alameda County, Walter married Patricia "Pat" Dicker. They had eight children: Michael, Lynda, Mary, Teresa, another Mary, John, Elise and Susan. The first Mary died at five months. They were living in Santa Ana in 1960. Walter joined the U.S. Navy, rose to Chief Petty Officer, and died on 28 Oct 1965, slain in action just outside Saigon in the Vietnam War. Pat and the kids then lived in Hayward.

Charles beat Gertrude, so her father John, spirited her away and she and her two children moved to San Francisco when Arthur was two. (So 1933/4.)

He took up figure skating and won the California Junior Pair Championship in 1949, the California Senior Pair Championship in 1950 and was runner-up in the Pacific Coast Junior Men's Championship and the Pacific Coast Senior Pair Championship in 1950. In 1951, "Art Gelien of Los Angeles" competed in the National Figure skating championships and was narrowly beaten out in the novice division by Arnold Savage of Chicago.

2 Charles Kelm

3 Gertrude Gelien

Gertrude was born in 1908/9 in Hamburg, Germany, the eldest daughter of John Henry Gelien and his wife Ida Sonenfleth. She married firstly to Charles Kelm, probably in or near New York City. They had two children: Walter born 18 Aug 1930, and Arthur born 11 Jul 1931. Charles beat Gertrude, so her father John, spirited her away and she and her two children moved to San Francisco when Arthur was two. (So 1933/4.) He got her a job as a stewardess for the same shipping line for which he worked. On 18 Jun 1935 she appears on the Santa Maria, age 27, departing from New York City, and arriving at New York City. On 30 Jul 1935, she again appears on the Santa Maria leaving Valparaiso Chile and arriving in New York City, as a waitress, age 27, height 5'4", weight 125. She then seems to have switch to the Honolulu route, where she appears four times sailing out of Auckland New Zealand, all in 1936, one time listed as a nurse stewardess. In San Francisco on Dec 1936, Gertrude applied for another marriage, to Harry J Koster age 41. At that time her address is given as 366 Hermann St and his as 407 14th Avenue. Tab states that this man and Gertrude had met aboard the Monterey, a Matson cruise ship. This then must be the same Harry John Koster whose WWII DRC states that he was born 19 Apr 1895 in Holland; works for Matson Navigation Co; and currently lives at 28 Sacramento Street, San Francisco. His CADI states that he died 23 May 1947. Tab states that his step-father died in 1942, which is a curiously wrong claim.

Tab states in his autobiography that they rented a room in "Mrs Kelson's Divisadero Street apartment", but the 1935 San Francisco City Directory has Mrs Margaret Kelson, housewife, living at 366 Hermann St, which is the same address that Gertrude claimed on her marriage application, one year later.

In the 1938 Long Beach City Directory "Gertrude G Gelien (widow of Charles)" is listed as a nurse living at 777 Rose Ave. It's curious that she doesn't list her name as Koster. In the 1939 Long Beach City Directory, she is listed as "Gertrude Gelien" at 2219 E 6th, while John Gelien is listed at 537 W Ocean Blvd. In the 1963 Long Beach City Directory I find "Mrs Gertrude Koster" living at 14c 38th Place.

In 1965 Gertrude is living in Palo Alto. Sometime between 1965 and 1971, she and Tab were living together in Hayward. However Gertrude also during this period was living with her own mother Ida in Pacific Grove near Monterey. Tab, in his autobiography states that Gertrude died in March 2001. She exists on the SSDI, the CADI and findagrave as "Gertrude Koster", died 4 Mar 2001. She is buried in the Santa Barbara Cemetery.

4 John Henry Gelien, chef on a steamship

John Henry Gelien was born 28 Oct 1878 in Ottensen (now a part of Hamburg), Germany. He worked in the kitchens of ships, gradually working his way up to chef. With his wife Ida, he had four children: Gertrude, Walter, Hans and Charlotte. The younger children had been born in Lehe, Germany but the eldest Gertrude was born in Hamburg. In 1927, the family relocated to the area of New York City, where in 1930 they are found living in Weehawken, New Jersey. Gertrude was already married by this time, but I have not located where she and her husband are in 1930. John died on 4 Aug 1944 in Los Angeles County.

5 Ida Sonenfleth

Ida was born 15 Aug 1877 in Germany. She married John Henry Gelien probably in Hamburg where their eldest child Gertrude was born in 1908/9. They had three more children: Walter, Hans and Charlotte. The younger children had been born in Lehe, Germany but the eldest Gertrude was born in Hamburg. In 1927, the family relocated to the area of New York City, where in 1930 they are found living in Weehawken, New Jersey. Gertrude was already married by this time, but I have not located where she and her husband are in 1930. Toward the end of her life, Ida and her daughter Gertrude lived together in Pacific Grove near Monterey. Ida died on 9 Nov 1969 in Monterey County, where she is buried in the Monterey City Cemetery.