Martin Seifrele was born in Busslingen, Baden, Germany, the son of Melchior and Mary Stark and was baptized on November 3, 1846. He immigrated to Canada in 1872 and was working as a carpenter in Seabringville when he married Mary Gertrude Wick, the daughter of Severie and Barbara Wick. Gertrude was born on March 17, 1848 also in Baden, Germany and immigrated to Canada also in 1872 so they may have known each other prior to immigrating. They were married on January 13, 1873 by Fr. Eugene Funcken in the old Catholic church in St. Agatha that was replaced by the present day Gothic style church in 1899. They settled on Jones St., corner of Charles St., in Stratford, and soon they welcomed their first child, Edward Martin, on August 17, 1875. Sadly, he only lived 3 months and died of tuberculosis on November 29, 1875. Other children soon followed. Edwin Albert, born December 13, 1878, Emma Albertina on March 13, 1879, and Mary Adelaide “Daisy” on February 2, 1884.

By 1896, the family were still living at the corner of Jones and Charles and Martin was working as a cabinet maker for the Porteus and McLagan furniture company. 18 year old Edwin was working as a clerk for the FX Graber hardware store on the north side of Ontario St., and his younger sister Emma was employed as a furrier for the A.J. McPherson Co. next door. Emma became a nurse and immigrated to Detroit in 1900 becoming a naturalized citizen in 1910. She married Joseph Andrew Roe on April 13, 1931 and remained in Detroit. Edwin immigrated to the US in 1901 and married Eleanor Kliever on November 3, 1903 and they settled on Crane Ave. in Detroit.  With his initial experience with FX Graber, he worked as a salesman and then manager for the T. B. Rayls hardware store at their flagship store on Woodward Ave. and then later at State St. and Griswold St. in Detroit. He was drafted into the US army in 1917, and again in 1942 at the age of 63.

By 1905 Mary had entered the workforce and was working as an operator for Bell Telephone while her father was now working as a cabinet maker for the GTR. 

In 1911 the family purchased the north half of Lots 21-24 of the McKenzie’s survey of Avon ward along Britannia St. Initially they were listed under Mary G. Seifrele but by the time the house was built at 69 Britannia St. all 4 lots were in Martin’s name.  At the time of its construction, Martin was listed as a carpenter and cabinet maker for the Globe-Wernicke Co. at 163 King St., which later became Preston- Noelting Ltd. He remained with them until he died on December 27, 1928 at the age of 81. After her father died Mary remained on Britannia St. with her mother whom she supported as a stenographer for the Royal Bank. Eventually, Mary and her mother sold off the remaining lots and Britannia St. became developed in the 1940’s. Gertrude died on November 10, 1932 and is buried in Detroit near her children.

By 1942, Mary had moved into the York St. apartments at 1 Erie St. where she was joined by her widowed sister, Emma, in the mid-1950’s before she died. Emma moved into the Calcott Nursing Home on Mornington St. in 1965.

Martin Sieferle is the only family member buried in Avondale Cemetery.