John Kratzer, of Whitehall, is celebrating his 49th year as a member of the Lions Club. That’s the equivalent of two generations.

During his 91 years of life, Kratzer has accumulated many stories about his experiences. His favorite subject matter, however, is Lionism.

He was born in December 1931 to Henry Clarence Kratzer, whose name is etched on the World War I memorial at Sixth and Tilghman streets in Allentown, and Anna Kratzer, a homemaker. According to Kratzer family lore, Henry Kratzer was deer hunting the day his son was born. When he arrived home boasting he had bagged a buck, his family informed him, “You have a little buck, too.”

Henry and Anna Kratzer were proud parents of their brood of 10 children. Life was difficult during the Great Depression, and everyone had to pitch in to keep the family afloat. John Kratzer left school at the age of 16 to help support his family.

Although Henry Kratzer had been wounded during World War I, he had recovered sufficiently to become a roofer. John Kratzer followed his father into the roofing trade.

A lifelong career as a roofer was not to be, however. One day, John Kratzer was working on a roof when he fell 30 feet to the ground. He woke up two weeks later in Sacred Heart Hospital.

After his recovery, John Kratzer joined the Teamsters union and applied to drive tractor-trailers for Modern Trucking on Hanover Avenue in Allentown. John Kratzer chuckled as he recalled his first day on the job when, never before having driven a tractor-trailer, he knocked over a fire hydrant in Slatington.

John Kratzer met his future wife, Peggy, who worked in banking, through a friend. They had been dating for a while when John Kratzer was called to serve his country in the Korean War. The two were married in Allentown in 1953 and honeymooned in Niagara Falls before he left for the 24th Division U.S. Army Infantry, where he served 1953-55 in Korea.

Upon his return to the States, he and his wife purchased their first house on North Howard Street, Allentown. The newlyweds rented out the top floor of the house to help make ends meet. Later, they sold the Allentown house and bought a split-level home in Salisbury Township, where they lived for 52 years before moving to Whitehall.

Their daughter, Michelle, was born in 1957 and grew up to become a registered nurse working at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Over the next several years, while his wife worked as a banker, John Kratzer traveled the country as a sales representative for Kaiser Allman Paints in Philadelphia. He later became a store manager for Miller Paints on North Seventh Street, Allentown, where he worked for 48 years.

John Kratzer became acquainted with Fritz Otto, who owned a local travel agency. Their friendship developed as they spent time bowling together. One day in 1974, Otto invited John Kratzer to lunch at the Americus Hotel in Allentown. His eyes widened as he described the event that would introduce him to Lionism.

Entering the hotel, John Kratzer and Otto found seats among the hundred or so men and women in business attire gathered for a Lions Club luncheon meeting. Through the course of the meeting, John Kratzer would learn Lions Club International is the largest service organization in the world. Currently, there are 1,400,000 Lions Club members in 200 countries. Their global causes include diabetes, vision, hunger, childhood cancer and the environment.

That event inspired John Kratzer to become a Lion May 1, 1974. Later, his wife joined the Lionesses and was active in Lionism for more than 30 years. In 2009, John and Peggy Kratzer initiated the Lehigh Valley Saturday Morning Lions Club. He was elected president of the new club. Their daughter joined the club in 2009.

Through the years, John Kratzer has been an enthusiastic participant in Lions Club activities and ardently spreads the word about the organization’s mission. He has attended multiple Lions Club conventions, been awarded the prestigious Melvin Jones Award for outstanding service and has served as past district governor of Lions Clubs District 14.

In March 2023, John Kratzer was awarded a lifetime membership to the Whitehall Lions Club in recognition of his devotion to Lionism.

If he had his way, he said, everyone would become a Lions Club member. He invites all to visit a Whitehall Lions Club meeting, which are held 6:30 p.m. the first and third Mondays of each month at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 4331 Main St., Egypt. More information is available via email at whitehall.lionsclub.lv@gmail.com.