Vivian J. Kremer

Vivian John Kremer was born in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 1910.¹ Kremer worked as a gardener/laborer in the Office of Public Buildings and Parks. His grandfather, Robert Balluff, had been a longtime gardener at the White House, later working as head of shrubs and trees – he likely played a role in Kremer’s career trajectory. Indeed, it was a family business, as Vivian’s brother Robert Kremer also worked for the office.² Both Robert and Vivian Kremer were documented on assignment at the White House from 1929 to 1932; it is possible that they worked there prior to that date, but documentation is scarce.³ 

Beyond the Hoover years, one source suggests he was there through at least 1940; Kremer’s World War II draft card lists his place of employment as “U.S. Government” with an address for the greenhouses near the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on the National Mall, suggesting they propagated plants there for White House use.⁴ In 1942, Kremer enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as a private during World War II.⁵ Further information about his life and career is limited. Vivian Kremer died on March 23, 1995, and was buried at Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Prince George’s County, Maryland.⁶