mil Harlacher, an immigrant who came to Alaska and found his future in the cannery and fish business in Anchorage, was born in Urdorf, Switzerland in 1894.He immigrated to the United States in his late teens and became naturalized in 1918. He first came to Alaska in 1922 to work seasonally in the fish canneries of southeast Alaska.

Emil met Margaret Elliott in Portland, Oregon and corresponded with her for two years prior to their marriage. Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1903, Margaret had come west with her family. After their marriage, Emil brought the family to southeast Alaska in 1923, first living off Edeleen Island between Wrangell and Ketchikan. Living on the island was lonely, as supply ships called only twice annually, and there was no medical assistance.

Emil packed up the family in 1924 and moved to Anchorage, where he was employed by the Henry J. Emard Packing Company as a machinist and manager of the cannery. During the winter months when the packing season was over, he remained as caretaker of the plant and overhauled equipment for the coming season. In 1941 Emil retired from the cannery business and took a government job at Elmendorf Air Force Base, where he was foreman of the machine shop until he retired.

Margaret and Emil had two daughters, Betty Ann Harlacher Kampfer, born in 1924 and Dorothy Jean Harlacher Larsen, born in 1931. Daughter Betty Ann preceded her parents in death, in 1983. Margaret Harlacher died in 1985 and Emil died in 1987. Both are buried in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery in the Masonic Tract.