Mary Arminta Kissner1

b. 1879, d. 1952
Family
Father*William Wesley Kissner2,3 b. 21 Jun 1839, d. 10 Jan 1888
Mother*Barbara E. Lewis1,2 b. 20 Jan 1845, d. 31 Jan 1910
Birth*1879Mary Arminta Kissner was born in 1879.1,2 
Marriage*9 December 1896She married William Williams, son of John Williams and Ellen Turrell, on 9 December 1896 in Fayette County, Illinois.4,2,5 
(Wife) Death31 December 1925Mary Arminta became a widow when William Williams died on 31 December 1925 at age 51.2 
Death*1952She died in 1952 at about age 731,2 
Burial* and was buried in Patoka Cemetery, Patoka, Marion County, Illinois.2 

Family

 William Williams b. 12 Oct 1874, d. 31 Dec 1925
Children 1.John Williams2 b. 1897, d. 18 Oct 1981
 2.Frank Williams2,6 b. 19 Aug 1903, d. 12 Oct 1990
 3.Mary Williams2 b. 4 Aug 1907, d. 26 Apr 1977
 4.Lucy Belle Williams2 b. 14 Sep 1913, d. 10 Dec 2001

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Barbara E. (Lewis) Kissner, Memorial# 19697472. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary Arminta (Kissner) Williams, Memorial# 94001219.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William Wesley Kissner, Memorial# 19712976.
  4. [S1681] Illinois, U.S., Marriage Index, 1860-1920, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of William Williams and Mary Arminta Kissner on 9 December 1896 in Fayette County. Hereinafter cited as Illinois, U.S., Marriage Index, 1860-1920.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William Williams, Memorial# 94001351.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Frank Williams, Memorial# 90261806.

Richard David Kissner1

b. 25 August 1869, d. 11 March 1946
Family
Father*William Wesley Kissner1 b. 21 Jun 1839, d. 10 Jan 1888
Mother*Barbara E. Lewis1 b. 20 Jan 1845, d. 31 Jan 1910
Birth*25 August 1869Richard David Kissner was born on 25 August 1869.1,2 
Marriage*5 October 1893He married Lucy Randall Miller, daughter of Jacob Miller and Sarah Bray, on 5 October 1893 in Carrigan Township, Marion County, Illinois.2,3 
Death*11 March 1946He died on 11 March 1946 in Patoka, Marion County, Illinois, at age 761,2 
Burial* and was buried in Row 15 Grave 29 of Patoka Cemetery, Patoka.2 

Family

 Lucy Randall Miller b. 3 Mar 1875, d. 26 Mar 1956
Children 1.Flossie May Kissner2 b. 10 Oct 1894, d. 6 Mar 1940
 2.William Wesley Kissner2,4 b. 1 Jun 1896, d. 30 May 1982
 3.Lewis D. Kissner2 b. 1900, d. 1980
 4.Amanda Ackley Kissner2 b. 28 May 1903, d. 11 Nov 1995
 5.Lawrence Houston Kissner2,5 b. 27 Feb 1906, d. 12 May 1965

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Barbara E. (Lewis) Kissner, Memorial# 19697472. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Richard David Kissner, Memorial# 94017380.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Lucy Randall (Miller) Kissner, Memorial# 94017298.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William Wesley "Bill" Kissner, Memorial# 136119452.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Lawrence Houston Kissner, Memorial# 94041126.

William W. Kissner1

b. 21 July 1861, d. 6 August 1887
Family
Father*William Wesley Kissner1 b. 21 Jun 1839, d. 10 Jan 1888
Mother*Barbara E. Lewis1 b. 20 Jan 1845, d. 31 Jan 1910
Birth*21 July 1861William W. Kissner was born on 21 July 1861 in Marion County, Illinois.1,2 
Marriage*1 March 1885He married, as her first husband, Mattie Hawkins on 1 March 1885 in Carrigan Township, Marion County, Illinois.2,3 
Death*6 August 1887He died on 6 August 1887 in Marion County at age 261,2 
Burial* and was buried in Row 6, Grave 8 of Lewis Cemetery, Patoka, Marion County.2 

Family

 Martha E. Hawkins b. 24 Feb 1868, d. 6 Nov 1893

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Barbara E. (Lewis) Kissner, Memorial# 19697472. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William W. Kissner, Memorial# 19697232.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Martha E. “Mattie” Hawkins Chandler, Memorial# 189171905.

William Wesley Kissner1

b. 21 June 1839, d. 10 January 1888
Family
Father*Jesse Kissner2,3 b. 18 Apr 1815, d. 11 Nov 1858
Mother*Martha Barbee4 d. b 7 May 1846
Birth*21 June 1839William Wesley Kissner was born on 21 June 1839 in Ohio.1,2 
Marriage*15 July 1860He married Barbara E. Lewis, daughter of Fielding Jefferson Lewis and Mary E. Laughlin, on 15 July 1860 in Clinton County, Illinois.1,2 
Death*10 January 1888He died on 10 January 1888 in Marion County at age 481,2 
Burial* and was buried in Row 7, Grave 13 of Lewis Cemetery, Patoka, Marion County.2 

Family

 Barbara E. Lewis b. 20 Jan 1845, d. 31 Jan 1910
Children 1.William W. Kissner1 b. 21 Jul 1861, d. 6 Aug 1887
 2.George W. Kissner1 b. 18 Feb 1863, d. 8 Jan 1864
 3.Charles S. Kissner1 b. 6 Jan 1866, d. 12 Sep 1885
 4.Jesse T. Kissner1 b. 28 Dec 1867, d. 19 Jul 1877
 5.Richard David Kissner+1 b. 25 Aug 1869, d. 11 Mar 1946
 6.Cora B. Kissner5,2 b. 6 Apr 1874, d. 12 Jun 1946
 7.Mary Arminta Kissner+6,2 b. 1879, d. 1952

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Barbara E. (Lewis) Kissner, Memorial# 19697472. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William Wesley Kissner, Memorial# 19712976.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Jesse Kissner, Memorial# 65952293.
  4. [S1731] Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, online at www.ancestry.com (interactive with www.familysearch.org), marriage of Jesse Kissner and Martha Barbee on 8 September 1834 in Jackson County, citing FHL Film Number: 000301043. Hereinafter cited as Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Cora B. (Kissner) Morgan, Memorial# 180755776.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary Arminta (Kissner) Williams, Memorial# 94001219.

William Wesley Kissner1

b. 1 June 1896, d. 30 May 1982
Family
Father*Richard David Kissner2,1 b. 25 Aug 1869, d. 11 Mar 1946
Mother*Lucy Randall Miller1,3 b. 3 Mar 1875, d. 26 Mar 1956
Birth*1 June 1896William Wesley Kissner was born on 1 June 1896 in Patoka, Marion County, Illinois.2,1 
Marriage*4 September 1920He married L. Opal Laird, daughter of Lanson K. Laird and Elva R. Wood, on 4 September 1920 in Marion County.4 
Death*30 May 1982He died on 30 May 1982 in Wayne City, Wayne County, Illinois, at age 851 
Burial* and was buried in Thomason Cemetery, Wayne City.1 

Family

 L. Opal Laird b. 4 Sep 1902, d. 4 Mar 1995

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, William Wesley "Bill" Kissner, Memorial# 136119452. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Richard David Kissner, Memorial# 94017380.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Lucy Randall (Miller) Kissner, Memorial# 94017298.
  4. [S1701] Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of William Kissner and Opal Laird on 4 September 1920 in Marion County, citing FHL Film Number: 001010516. Hereinafter cited as Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940.

Sarah Kitchen1

d. 1709
Family
Marriage*She married first John Goodwin.2 
(Wife) Deathbefore 1687Sarah became a widow when John Goodwin died, probably not long after their marriage. She was left with one child.2 
Marriage*1687She married second, as his first wife, George Smedley in 1687 at the meeting house in front of the Delaware River in Chester County.1 
Relocation*Shortly after their marriage, Sarah and George Smedley moved to a tract of land in the township of Middletown, Chester County, that George had purchased from William Penn in England, and had taken possession of in 1684.2 
Death*1709She died in 1709 at Middletown.2 

Family 1

 John Goodwin d. b 1687

Family 2

 George Smedley d. 1723
Children 1.Mary Smedley2 b. 3 Apr 1690
 2.George Smedley2 b. 2 Mar 1692/93
 3.Alice Smedley1 d. b 15 Jun 1743

Citations

  1. [S1416] Gilbert Cope, Henry Fishwick and Joseph Lemuel Chester, Genealogy of the Sharpless Family, descended from John and Jane Sharples, settlers near Chester, Pennsylvania, 1682 : together with some account of the English ancestry of the family, including the results of researches by Henry Fishwick, and the late Joseph Lemuel Chester, and a full report of the bi-centennial reunion of 1882, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. John Sharples (d.1685) married Jane Moor and, as Quakers, the family emigrated in 1682 from England to Chester County, Pennsylvania. Descendants (spelling the surname Sharpless) and relatives lived in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and elsewhere. Includes ancestry in England to the 1200s A.D. Includes index. (Washington DC: Photoduplication Service, 1968 ( a microreproduction of the original published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the family, under the auspices of the Bi-centennial committee, in 1887), , pages 160-161. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy of the Sharpless Family.
  2. [S1409] J. Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope, History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Louis H. Everts, 1881), Smedley, pages 725-726. Hereinafter cited as History of Chester County, Pennsylvania.

James K. Kittson1

b. 10 January 1920
Family
Father*Michael J. Kittson1
Mother*Mary Howling1
Birth*10 January 1920James K. Kittson was born on 10 January 1920 in Glacier Park, Glacier County, Montana.1 
Marriage*7 April 1945He married first, as her first husband, Emoreen Schildt, daughter of Carroll Schildt and Cecile Ground, on 7 April 1945 in Cut Bank, Glacier County, Montana. James was 25 years of age and Emoreen was age 20.1 
Divorce*18 July 1945His wife Emoreen was granted a divorce from James on the grounds of incompetence because of intoxication on 18 July 1945 by the Ninth Judicial District Court in Cut Bank, Glacier County, Montana.2 

Family

 Emoreen Schildt b. 17 Oct 1924, d. Oct 1965

Citations

  1. [S2145] Montana, U.S., County Marriages, 1865-1987, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 7 April 1945 in Cut Bank, Glacier, Montana, USA, for Emoreen Schildt, age 20, not previously married, born 17 July 1924 in Browning, Montana, daughter of Carl Schildt and Cecilia Schildt, married James K. Kittson, age 25, not previously married, born 10 January 1920, son of Michael J. Kittson and Mary Howling, citing Certificate# 1915, Montana State Historical Society, Helena, Montana, Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950. Hereinafter cited as Montana, U.S., County Marriages, 1865-1987.
  2. [S2144] Montana, U.S., Marriage Records, 1943-1988, online at www.ancestry.com, divorce of Emoreen Kittson vs. James K. Kittson, married on 7 April 1945 at Cut Bank, Montana, divorced on grounds of incompetence because of intoxication on 18 July 1945 at Cut Bank, Glacier, Montana, USA, citing Certificate# Gla. 61, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Helena, Montana, Montana State Divorce Records, 1943-1986, Certificate Number Range: Gla 1 - Gla 334. Hereinafter cited as Montana, U.S., Marriage Records, 1943-1988.

Michael J. Kittson1

Family
Marriage*He married Mary Howling.1 

Family

 Mary Howling
Child 1.James K. Kittson1 b. 10 Jan 1920

Citations

  1. [S2145] Montana, U.S., County Marriages, 1865-1987, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 7 April 1945 in Cut Bank, Glacier, Montana, USA, for Emoreen Schildt, age 20, not previously married, born 17 July 1924 in Browning, Montana, daughter of Carl Schildt and Cecilia Schildt, married James K. Kittson, age 25, not previously married, born 10 January 1920, son of Michael J. Kittson and Mary Howling, citing Certificate# 1915, Montana State Historical Society, Helena, Montana, Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950. Hereinafter cited as Montana, U.S., County Marriages, 1865-1987.

Mary Klein1

Family
Marriage*30 January 1776She married, as his first wife, John Farley, son of Meindirt Farley and Barbara Van Dieren, on 30 January 1776.1 

Family

 John Farley b. 15 Feb 1757, d. Jun 1822

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Lieutenant John Farley, Memorial# 27210031. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.

Charlotte B. Klenk1

b. 1903
Family
Father*William J. Klenk1 b. 23 Nov 1863, d. 7 Dec 1910
Mother*Anna C. Schramm1 b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Birth*1903Charlotte B. Klenk was born about 1903 in Pennsylvania.1 
(Daughter) Census US 191020 April 1910Charlotte B. was enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in the household of her parents in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was 7 years old, could read and write, and had attended school within the census year.1 
Name VariationShe liked to be called Blanche.2 
(Daughter) Census US 192021 January 1920C. Blanche was enumerated on the 1920 census taken on 21 January 1920 in the household of her widowed mother on 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was 16 years old.2 

Citations

  1. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S73] 1920 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1543; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 55. Hereinafter cited as 1920 United States Federal Census.

George J. Klenk1,2

b. 22 September 1892, d. 4 March 1977
Family
Father*William J. Klenk1 b. 23 Nov 1863, d. 7 Dec 1910
Mother*Anna C. Schramm1 b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Birth*22 September 1892George J. Klenk was born on 22 September 1892 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.2,1 
(Son) Census US 191020 April 1910George J. was enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in the household of his parents in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was 17 years old, could read and write, and worked as farmer.1 
(Son) Census US 192021 January 1920George J. was enumerated on the 1920 census taken on 21 January 1920 in the household of his widowed mother on 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was 27 years of age and worked as a house carpenter on his own account.3 
Death*4 March 1977He died on 4 March 1977 at age 842 
Burial* and was buried in Union Cemetery, Richboro, Bucks County.2 

Citations

  1. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, George Jacob Klenk, Memorial# 199119080. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S73] 1920 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1543; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 55. Hereinafter cited as 1920 United States Federal Census.

Gertrude V. Klenk1

b. 1900
Family
Father*William J. Klenk1 b. 23 Nov 1863, d. 7 Dec 1910
Mother*Anna C. Schramm1 b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Birth*1900Gertrude V. Klenk was born about 1900 in Pennsylvania.1 
(Daughter) Census US 191020 April 1910Gertrude V. was enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in the household of her parents in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was 10 years old, could read and write, and had attended school within the census year.1 
(Daughter) Census US 192021 January 1920Gertrude V. was enumerated on the 1920 census taken on 21 January 1920 in the household of her widowed mother on 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was 19 years old and worked as a clerk for a publishing company.2 

Citations

  1. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S73] 1920 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1543; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 55. Hereinafter cited as 1920 United States Federal Census.

Howard H. Klenk1

b. 11 March 1898, d. 30 December 1955
Family
Father*William J. Klenk1 b. 23 Nov 1863, d. 7 Dec 1910
Mother*Anna C. Schramm1 b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Birth*11 March 1898Howard H. Klenk was born on 11 March 1898 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.1 
(Son) Census US 191020 April 1910Howard H. was enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in the household of his parents in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was 13 years old, could read and write, and had attended school within the census year.2 
(Son) Census US 192021 January 1920Howard H. was enumerated on the 1920 census taken on 21 January 1920 in the household of his widowed mother on 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was 22 years of age and worked as a house carpenter for wages.3 
Death*30 December 1955He died on 30 December 1955 in Ivyland, Northampton, Bucks County, at age 571 
Burial*4 January 1956 and was buried on 4 January 1956 in Section B, Plot 104, in the New Ground of Union Cemetery, Richboro, Bucks County.4,1 

Citations

  1. [S1814] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1973, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Howard Harris Klenk of Spencer Road, Ivyland, Northampton, Bucks County, certificate# 104802, age 57, married, farmer, born on 11 March 1898 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died on 30 December 1955 in Northampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA, parents William Klenk and Anna Schramm, informant Elsie Klenk, Spencer Road, Ivyland, burial on 3 January 1956 in Richboro, Bucks County. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972.
  2. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S73] 1920 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1543; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 55. Hereinafter cited as 1920 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S1847] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013, online at www.ancestry.com citing original data from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 546 and Methodist Church Records. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History; burial of Howard H Klenk, age 57, born about 1899, died 1956, burial on 4 January 1956 at Richboro, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA, Cemetery or Funeral at Union Cemetery, Section B Plot 104, New Ground, referencing Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records, Reel# 1016. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013.

Jacob B. Klenk1

b. 14 January 1895, d. 11 May 1942
Family
Father*William J. Klenk1 b. 23 Nov 1863, d. 7 Dec 1910
Mother*Anna C. Schramm1 b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Birth*14 January 1895Jacob B. Klenk was born on 14 January 1895 in Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.1 
(Son) Census US 191020 April 1910Jacob B. was enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in the household of his parents in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was 15 years old and could read and write.2 
Marriage*1918He married Frances Hogeland, daughter of Frank Hogeland and Isabel M. Risler, about 1918. Jacob was 23 years of age and Frances was age 21.3 
Name VariationHe was called Jake.4 
(Married Son) Census US 192021 January 1920Frances (Hogeland) and Jacob B. Klenk were enumerated as renters on the 1920 census taken on 21 January 1920 on the same property, in the next household, as Jacob's widowed mother on 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Jacob was 25 years of age and worked as a merchant for commission on his own account, and his wife, Frances (Hogeland) Klenk, was 22 years of age.5 
Train Crash*5 December 1921 The Bryn Athyn train crash of 5 December 1921 was called a 'Titanic' disaster. It happened when two passenger trains traveling on a single track of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway collided head-on between the now-defunct Woodmont and Paper Mill stations in Upper Moreland, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. One train was heading from Newtown to Philadelphia and the other in the opposite direction. The result was 27 dead, 70 injured, and the casualties included many who burned to death.

The local hero of the event was Jacob B. Klenk, who was credited with saving seven lives, one life being that of his sister-in-law, Ethel M. (Yerkes) Klenk, wife of his brother, William F. Klenk.

Below is our transcription of the story of the horrible ordeal published in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday , 11 December 1921:

Bryn Athyn Hero Saved Seven Lives : Jacob Klenk Working to Free Eighth Victim When Driven Back, Modest Rescuer’s Hands and Arms Seared; Wants to Forget Wreck

The modest, unsung hero of the Bryn Athyn wreck is, without dispute, Jacob Klenk, of Southampton. Seven persons owe their escape from the fiery furnace of burning cars to Klenk. He was trying to save the eighth when he was driven away by flames, and he saw the victim slip back into the fire, and heard her last despairing shriek.

Klenk, an automobile man, hasn’t much to say about it. In fact, he says “he’d rather not talk about the horrible affair.” He insists that what he did was “only what any real man would have tried to do.”

Klenk left his home in Southampton Monday morning and boarded the ill-fated train from Newtown. When the crash came, he was hurled to the aisle, but was virtually unhurt, and he made his way to an exit. He heard a scream, in which he recognized his sister’s voice, that of Mrs. Ethel Yerkes Klenk. She was injured and scalded about the legs, and “Jake” gathered her into his arms and carried her to a place of safety outside.

Then he went back into the car, and a minute later came out with another woman. Then, a third. The fourth and fifth trips meant the saving of two men. Twice more – another man and another woman saved. Klenk was tiring, but went back to save another – the eighth.
Timbers Hold Victim

Then he heard another voice he recognized – that of Miss Elizabeth Shelmire. She was pinioned, one foot fast in the wreckage, bur she had drawn her body up to an opening in the roof. Klenk grabbed her and pulled, but the timbers held the foot. He tugged at cross-pieces of wood, but without result.

The flames were spreading rapidly. Klenk knew that whatever must be done, must be done within a minute. An axe would have meant the saving of the woman, but no one had an axe, and there was not time to obtain one from the nearest farm house.

Klenk gave one last tug. Then, with his coat ablaze and his hands and arms seared, his hair scorched, he was compelled to jump back from an onrush of flames. He saw Miss Shelmire throw her arms despairingly, heard the final cry of anguish, saw her slip back into the pit of fire.

Miss Shelmire’s body has not been identified. It lies with five others in the “unidentified group” at the Morgue in Jenkintown. Mrs. Klenk, the first person saved by “Jake” Klenk, is improving.

But “Jake” himself doesn’t want to talk about the heroism evidenced in the list of eight saved. He doesn’t want to talk about the wreck at all. “I’m glad I’m alive,” is his terse comment.

Click the camera icon to see a photo published in the newspaper.4,6
Census US 1930*5 April 1930Frances and Jacob B. Klenk were enumerated on the 1930 census taken on 5 April 1930 at 3621 North Fifteenth Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Jacob was 35 years of age and worked as an automobile salesman for wages, and Frances was 33 years of age. They rented their apartment for $40 and did not own a radio set.3 
Missing Person*1934Jacob's wife, Frances (Hogeland) Klenk, went missing after leaving Point Pleasant, Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1934 and, after attempting to find her himself for some time, Jacob requested help from the Philadelphia police in March 1935. Jacob was then living at 4825 Griscom Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We don't know where Frances went, or if her husband ever found her before his death in May 1942. We don't know if she obtained a divorce, although we do know that when Jacob died, his mother completed the required information and reported he was married, and that his wife's name was Frances (Hogeland) Klenk. We do know that Jacob died on 11 May 1942 in Essex County, New Jersey, and that on 27 April 1942, one month before Jacob's death, Frances was living as the wife of Charles H. Middleton in Berwick, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Below is our transcript of the newspaper article describing Jacob's desire to find his wife:

Wants to Hear of Wife

Personal search having failed to locate her, J. B. Klenk, 4825 Griscom Street, has asked police to continue inquiry for his wife, Frances Klenk, who left Point Pleasant, Bucks County, last year, and who has not been heard from since.

“Really, I thought I would be able to find my wife,” the man informed Sergeant Walter, “but I finally discovered that the task was too much for me. In my effort to trace her I visited nearly every town in this state, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland and Connecticut, and while not successful no one can claim I did not try.”

Unable to account for the absence of his wife, described as having been attractive and 37 years old, Klenk ventures the opinion that she may have been kidnaped and is being detained under restraint.7 
Census US 1940*9 April 1940Jacob was enumerated without his middle initial on the 1940 census taken on 9 April 1940 at the Essex Mountain Sanatorium for Tuberculosis, Verona, Essex County, New Jersey. He was a patient in Ward Six and, other than his age of 45, whoever reported his information knew little about him.8 
Death*11 May 1942He died of pulmonary tuberculosis on 11 May 1942 in Newark City Hospital, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, at age 471,9,10 
Burial*14 May 1942 and was buried on 14 May 1942 with his father in the Oak Lane Section, Lot 336, Grave 4, of Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.1,10,9,11 

Family

 Frances Hogeland b. 26 Mar 1897, d. 12 Dec 1995

Citations

  1. [S1847] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013, online at www.ancestry.com citing original data from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 546 and Methodist Church Records. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History; burial record for Jacob B Klenk of 114 New Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, age 47, married to Frances Hogeland Klenk, born on 14 January 1895 in Fox Chase, Philadelphia, died 11 May 1942 in Newark City Hospital, son of John William Klenk, born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Anna C. Schramm, born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, informant Anna C. Klenk, burial on 14 May 1942 in Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge, Montgomery County at Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA, Cemetery or Funeral at William Grant Funeral Home, referencing Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records, Reel# 194. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013.
  2. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S91] 1930 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Jacob B. and Frances Klenk, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0785; FHL microfilm: 2341860. Hereinafter cited as 1930 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S2097] Jacob B. Klenk, 1921 Bryn Athyn Train Wreck Hero, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Sunday, 11 December 1921, page 10. Hereinafter cited as Jacob B. Klenk, 1921 Bryn Athyn Train Wreck Hero.
  5. [S73] 1920 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1543; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 55. Hereinafter cited as 1920 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S2098] Bryn Athyn Train Crash of 5 December 1921, newspaper photo; Bucks County Courier Times.com, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/article/20131201/…
  7. [S2099] Jacob B. Klenk 1935: Wants to Hear from Wife, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Sunday, 24 March 1935, page 23. Hereinafter cited as Jacob B. Klenk 1935: Wants to Hear from Wife.
  8. [S1441] 1940 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, Jacob Klenk, a patient in Essex Mountain Sanatorium for Tuberculosis, Verona, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: m-t0627-02340; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 7-369. Hereinafter cited as 1940 United States Federal Census.
  9. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Jacob B. Klenk, Memorial# 196762079. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  10. [S1847] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013, online at www.ancestry.com, Lawnview Cemetery burial record for Jacob B Klenk, died of pulmonary tuberculosis on 11 May 1942, burial on 14 May 1942 at Rockledge, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA, at Lawnview Cemetery, Section Oak Lane, Lot 336, Gave 4, owner Anna Catherine Klenk, referencing Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records.
  11. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, J. William Klenk, Memorial# 196762080.

William F. Klenk1,2

b. 3 April 1890, d. 16 March 1958
Family
ChartsDescendants of Robert Heaton of Yorkshire, The Immigrant
Father*William J. Klenk3,4 b. 23 Nov 1863, d. 7 Dec 1910
Mother*Anna C. Schramm3 b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Birth*3 April 1890William F. Klenk was born on 3 April 1890 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.2,3 
(Son) Census US 191020 April 1910William F. was enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in the household of his parents in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was 20 years old, could read and write, and worked as a laborer doing odd jobs.5 
Marriage*1919She married Ethel M. Yerkes, daughter of William Heaton Yerkes and Caroline Hogeland, in 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.1,6,2,7 
(Brother) Train Crash5 December 1921 The Bryn Athyn train crash of 5 December 1921 was called a 'Titanic' disaster.

The local hero of the event was Jacob B. Klenk who was credited with saving seven lives, one life being that of his sister-in-law, Ethel M. (Yerkes) Klenk, wife of his brother, William F. Klenk. It happened when two passenger trains traveling on a single track of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway collided head-on between the now-defunct Woodmont and Paper Mill stations in Upper Moreland, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. One train was heading from Newtown to Philadelphia and the other in the opposite direction. The result was 27 dead, 70 injured, and the casualties included many who burned to death.8,9
Death*16 March 1958He died on 16 March 1958 in Abington Memorial Hospital, Abington, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, at age 672,3 
Burial*20 March 1958 and was buried on 20 March 1958 in Union Cemetery, Richboro, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.2,3 

Family

 Ethel M. Yerkes b. 4 Mar 1891, d. 4 Apr 1979

Citations

  1. [S45] Dean Heaton, Heaton Families II, in two volumes, with indexes in Volume II. Warning: In this researcher's opinion, the information in these volumes often proves to be inaccurate. At the same time, the information presented has provided us with valuable clues for pursuing future research strategies in our attempt to establish a factual history of our Heaton family. (Tempe, Arizona: published for the author by Graphics of Tempe, 1999), Volume I, Chapter 18, page 653. Hereinafter cited as Heaton Families II.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, William F Klenk, Memorial# 131643667. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S1814] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1973, online at www.ancestry.com, death of William F Klenk of 720 Second Street Pike, Upper Southampton Township, Bucks County, certificate# 27008, age 67, husband of Ethel Y. Klenk, retired painter, born on 3 April 1890 in Philadelphia, died on 16 March 1958 in Abington Memorial Hospital, Abington, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA, parents William Klenk and Anna Schramm, informant Ethel Y. Klenk, burial on 20 March 1958 in Union Cemetery, Richboro. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972.
  4. [S34] 1900 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Philadelphia Ward 35, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 0912; FHL microfilm: 1241477. Hereinafter cited as 1900 United States Federal Census.
  5. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Ethel M (Yerkes) Klenk, Memorial# 199095756.
  7. [S1817] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Marriage Index, 1885-1951, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of Ethel M Yerkes and William F Klenk in 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, referencing Digital GSU# 4143599. Hereinafter cited as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Marriage Index, 1885-1951.
  8. [S2097] Jacob B. Klenk, 1921 Bryn Athyn Train Wreck Hero, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Sunday, 11 December 1921, page 10. Hereinafter cited as Jacob B. Klenk, 1921 Bryn Athyn Train Wreck Hero.
  9. [S2098] Bryn Athyn Train Crash of 5 December 1921, newspaper photo; Bucks County Courier Times.com, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, https://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/article/20131201/…

William J. Klenk1,2

b. 23 November 1863, d. 7 December 1910
Family
Birth*23 November 1863William J. Klenk was born in 23 November 1863 in Pennsylvania.2,3 
Name VariationHis full name was reported to have been John William Klenk.4 
Marriage*1888He married Anna C. Schramm in 1888.1,2 
Census US 1910*20 April 1910Anna C. and William J. Klenk were enumerated on the 1910 census taken on 20 April 1910 in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. William was 46 years of age and a farmer, and Anna was 39 years of age. They owned their farm with a mortgage, had been married for 22 years and Anna had given birth to six children, all of whom were living and enumerated with their parents in 1910. William F. was 20 years old and worked as a laborer doing odd jobs; George J. was 17 years old and worked as a farmer; Jacob B. was 15 years old; Howard H. was 13; Gertrude V. was 10; and Charlotte B. was 7 years old. Everyone in the family could read and write, and the three youngest children, Howard, Gertrude and Charlotte, had all attended school within the census year.5 
Death*7 December 1910He died of typhoid fever on 7 December 1910 at age 476,3 
Burial*11 December 1910 and was buried on 11 December 1910 in Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.6,3 

Family

 Anna C. Schramm b. Sep 1870, d. 9 Nov 1962
Children 1.William F. Klenk1,2 b. 3 Apr 1890, d. 16 Mar 1958
 2.George J. Klenk5 b. 22 Sep 1892, d. 4 Mar 1977
 3.Jacob B. Klenk4 b. 14 Jan 1895, d. 11 May 1942
 4.Howard H. Klenk7 b. 11 Mar 1898, d. 30 Dec 1955
 5.Gertrude V. Klenk5 b. 1900
 6.Charlotte B. Klenk5 b. 1903

Citations

  1. [S1814] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1973, online at www.ancestry.com, death of William F Klenk of 720 Second Street Pike, Upper Southampton Township, Bucks County, certificate# 27008, age 67, husband of Ethel Y. Klenk, retired painter, born on 3 April 1890 in Philadelphia, died on 16 March 1958 in Abington Memorial Hospital, Abington, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA, parents William Klenk and Anna Schramm, informant Ethel Y. Klenk, burial on 20 March 1958 in Union Cemetery, Richboro. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972.
  2. [S34] 1900 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Philadelphia Ward 35, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 0912; FHL microfilm: 1241477. Hereinafter cited as 1900 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S1814] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972, online at www.ancestry.com, death of William Klenk, certificate# 122599, age 47, married, farmer, born on 23 November 1863 in Pennsylvania, died of typhoid fever on 7 December 1910 in Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA, parents Jacob F Klenk and Eva Mary Marner, both born in Germany, burial on 11 December 1910 in Lawnview Cemetery.
  4. [S1847] Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013, online at www.ancestry.com citing original data from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 546 and Methodist Church Records. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Eastern Pennsylvania United Methodist Church Commission on Archives and History; burial record for Jacob B Klenk of 114 New Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, age 47, married to Frances Hogeland Klenk, born on 14 January 1895 in Fox Chase, Philadelphia, died 11 May 1942 in Newark City Hospital, son of John William Klenk, born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Anna C. Schramm, born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, informant Anna C. Klenk, burial on 14 May 1942 in Lawnview Cemetery, Rockledge, Montgomery County at Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA, Cemetery or Funeral at William Grant Funeral Home, referencing Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records, Reel# 194. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-2013.
  5. [S40] 1910 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William J. and Anna C. Klenk, Southampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1320; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0049; FHL microfilm: 1375333. Hereinafter cited as 1910 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, J. William Klenk, Memorial# 196762080. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  7. [S1814] Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1972, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Howard Harris Klenk of Spencer Road, Ivyland, Northampton, Bucks County, certificate# 104802, age 57, married, farmer, born on 11 March 1898 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died on 30 December 1955 in Northampton, Bucks, Pennsylvania, USA, parents William Klenk and Anna Schramm, informant Elsie Klenk, Spencer Road, Ivyland, burial on 3 January 1956 in Richboro, Bucks County.

Mary Kline1

Family
Marriage*She married John Cherry.1 

Family

 John Cherry
Child 1.Josephine Officer Cherry1 b. 3 Mar 1882, d. 14 Aug 1962

Citations

  1. [S45] Dean Heaton, Heaton Families II, in two volumes, with indexes in Volume II. Warning: In this researcher's opinion, the information in these volumes often proves to be inaccurate. At the same time, the information presented has provided us with valuable clues for pursuing future research strategies in our attempt to establish a factual history of our Heaton family. (Tempe, Arizona: published for the author by Graphics of Tempe, 1999), Volume I, Chapter 5, pages 157-159. Hereinafter cited as Heaton Families II.

Mary A. Kline1

b. 1835, d. 1927
Family
Birth*1835Mary A. Kline was born about 1835 in Holmes County, Ohio.1 
Marriage*1857She married James Ezekiel Nowells about 1857.1,2 
(Wife) Death1911Mary became a widow when James Ezekiel Nowells died about 1911 at about age 77.2 
Death*1927She died about 1927 in LaGrange, LaGrange County, Indiana, at about age 921 
Burial* and was buried with her husband in a Plot called Big Old W in Greenwood Cemetery, LaGrange.1 

Family

 James Ezekiel Nowells b. 1834, d. 1911
Child 1.Joseph L. Nowells3,1,4 b. 14 Oct 1862, d. 15 Aug 1942

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary A. (Kline) Nowells, Memorial# 33065241. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, James Ezekiel Nowells, Memorial# 33065218.
  3. [S2649] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 30 March 1927 in Allen County, Indiana, USA, of Joseph L Nowells of Millersburg, Indiana, age 65, born on 14 October 1861 in Noble, Indiana, son of James Nowells and Mary Kline, and Cora A Timmons, age 50. born on 8 August 1876 in Wells County, Indiana. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Joseph L. Nowells, Memorial# 33064579.

Catharine Klinker1

b. 25 September 1759, d. 6 July 1852
Family
Birth*25 September 1759Catharine Klinker was born, as calculated from her recorded age at death, on 25 September 1759.1 
Marriage*She married Philip Jacoby.1,2 
(Wife) Death24 August 1827Catharine became a widow when Philip Jacoby died on 24 August 1827 at age 71.2 
(Mother-in-Law) Census US 18501 September 1850Catharine was enumerated on the 1 September 1850 census in the household of her daughter and son-in-law, Hannah and John Snyder, in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Catherine was 92 years of age.3 
Death*6 July 1852She died on 6 July 1852 at the age of 92 years, 9 months,11 days1 
Burial* and was buried with her husband in Row 37 of Saint Peters Union Cemetery, Hilltown Township.1,2 

Family

 Philip Jacoby b. 4 Dec 1755, d. 24 Aug 1827
Child 1.Hannah Catherine Jacoby+1,4 b. 29 Jan 1794, d. 22 Sep 1854

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Catharine (Klinker) Jacoby, Memorial# 26566626. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Philip Jacoby, Memorial# 26566634.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John and Hannah Snyder, Hilltown, Bucks, Pennsylvania; Roll: 758; Page: 275a. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S2089] Henry Sylvester Jacoby, The Jacoby family genealogy : a record of the descendants of the pioneer, Peter Jacoby, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Lancaster Press, 1930), Chapter VIII. The Fourth Generation, #115. Hannah Catherine Jacoby, pages 196-197. Hereinafter cited as The Jacoby family genealogy : a record of the descendants of the pioneer, Peter Jacoby, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Eliza Jane Klotz1

b. 1855, d. 19 January 1882
Family
Birth*1855Eliza Jane Klotz was born about 1855 in Indiana.1 
Marriage*5 October 1872She married, as his first wife, George Washington Hull on 5 October 1872 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.1,2,3,4 
Death*19 January 1882She died on 19 January 1882 in Rice County, Kansas, at about age 27. She had given birth to the couple's second child the previous year, and he also died in 1882. She left behind her husband and one young son, Frank.1,5 
Burial*She was buried in Lyons Municipal Cemetery, Lyons, Rice County.1 
(First Wife) Gravestone MemorialA large and beautiful memorial stone in Lyons Municipal Cemetery, Lyons, Rice County, Kansas, honors the lives of George Washington Hull and his two wives, Eliza Jane (Klotz) Hull and Mary Catherine (Rhodes) Hull.1,2,6 

Family

 George Washington Hull b. 28 Feb 1849, d. 2 Oct 1918
Children 1.Frank Elton Hull7,1 b. 6 Sep 1875
 2.Charley A. Hull5,1 b. 1881, d. 1882

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Eliza Jane (Klotz) Hull, Memorial# 101944198. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, George Washington Hull, Memorial# 33920877.
  3. [S1566] Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of Washington Hull and Eliza Jane Klotz on 5 October 1872 in Indiana, United States, citing page 80 and referencing FHL Film# 000549310, page 80. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001.
  4. [S1570] Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of Washington Hull and Eliza Jane Klotz on 5 October 1872 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, referencing FHL Film# 2111269, page 80. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Charley A Hull, Memorial# 101795846.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary Catherine (Rhodes) Hull, Memorial# 21181831.
  7. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Frank Elton Hull, Memorial# 76141936.

Daniel Knapp1

Family
Marriage*27 November 1766He married Mary Field, daughter of Zebulon Field and Anne Williams, on 27 November 1766 in Norton, Bristol County.2,1 

Family

 Mary Field

Citations

  1. [S1190] Frederick Clifton Pierce, Field Genealogy: being the record of all the Field family in America, whose ancestors were in this country prior to 1700, Volume 1, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Chicago, Illinois: Hammond Press, W.B. Conkey Company, 1901), pages 235-238. Hereinafter cited as Field Genealogy, Volume 1.
  2. [S451] Massachusetts Vital Records to the Year 1850 - NEHGS, online at www.newenglandancestors.org, Norton Marriages, Volume 1, page 232. Hereinafter cited as Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 - NEHGS.

Ananias Knepper1

b. 1823
Family
Birth*1823Ananias Knepper was born about 1823 in Pennsylvania.1 
Marriage*He married Mary __?__.1 
(Possible Father) Relationship Note Who were Franklin Knepper and Elizabeth Knepper? It seems unlikely to us that Franklin's parents were Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, or even Mary and Godfrey Knepper, as indicated on Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page. If the birth date of 1849 on his Find a Grave memorial is correct, it would mean he was born 16 years after Magdalena's last child and she would have been in her middle 50s at his birth. Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page indicates he was the son of Godfrey Knepper's second wife, Mary A. Sprankle. This, too, does not feel accurate to us. Franklin, if born in 1849, would have been about 4 years old when Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper married in 1853. And, also, Godfrey's first wife was still alive in 1849. Additionally, Franklin was not enumerated with the Godfrey Knepper family in 1850. While researching to identify his possible biological parents, we've looked at Mary and Ananias Knepper. Their one-year-old son, Franklin, was enumerated with them on the 1850 census in Osnaburg, Stark County, Ohio. Our issue with deciding that the two Franklins are the same Franklin, is that the Franklin of the Find a Grave Memorial died in 1858 at about age 9, and Ananias and Mary's Franklin was enumerated with them in 1860 and was 11 years old. Another wrinkle we've been thinking about is the two Elizabeths: Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1834 and a daughter of Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, and Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1853 and a daughter of Mary and Ananias Knepper. Godfrey's daughter had married and was enumerated in 1860 with her husband and children, and the other Elizabeth, who was 7 years old, was enumerated on the 1860 census taken in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio, with her parents, Mary and Ananias Knepper. That Knepper family was enumerated on 18 June 1860. Here's the issue we're pondering: a possible second, or maybe a duplicate, young Elizabeth', who was 7 years old, was also enumerated that year in the Godfrey Knepper household. On the following day, 19 June, the Godfrey Knepper family was enumerated in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio, which is about 50 miles away from Nimishillen. An Elizabeth Knepper, whom we suspect was not actually the daughter of Mary A. Sprankle and Godfrey Knepper, was enumerated as a member of their household. That Elizabeth, looks as though she might have been the same person as the Elizabeth in the household of Ananias Knepper, other than the fact that his Elizabeth was not reported to be attending school, and the other Elizabeth was. We note also that in the Huber-Hoover book, Mary A. Sprankle, a Huber descendant, was reported to have had only two children, Melissa and Minerva Knepper. Additionally, we do not know the relationship between these two Knepper families. If you can help us with any of this, please let us now...2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 
Census US 1860*18 June 1860Mary and Ananias Knepper were enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 18 June 1860 in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio. Ananias was 34 years of age and a lawyer with real estate valued at $900 and a personal estate valued at $200, and Mary was 32 years of age. Four children were enumerated with the couple in 1860. Franklin and Elizabeth were ages 11 and 7 years, respectively, and Eli and Mary Ann were ages 5 and 2 years, respectively.4 

Family

 Mary __?__ b. 1828
Children 1.Franklin Knepper11 b. 1849
 2.Elizabeth Knepper11 b. 1853

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Osnaburg, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 730; Page: 348b. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Osnaburg, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 730; Page: 348b; their son Franklin was 1 year old.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Martha Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 731; Page: 150b.
  4. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Franklin Knepper, Memorial# 63084796, recording his year of birth as 1849. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  6. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Mary A. Knepper, (their surname transcribed as "Knipper" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  7. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Sixth Generation, page 83. Hereinafter cited as U.S., Family History Books.
  8. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Seventh Generation, page 141.
  9. [S2956] Harry M. Hoover, The Huber-Hoover Family History : a biographical and genealogical history of the descendants of Hans Huber from the time of his arrival in Pennsylvania down to the eleventh generation/ by Harry M. Hoover ... Lancaster, PA, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Mennonite Publishing House, 1928), The Huber-Hoover Family History, Fifth Generation, page 55. Hereinafter cited as The Huber-Hoover Family History.
  10. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Adam and Elizabeth Broiler, (their surname recorded as "Broileger" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  11. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038.

Dessie D. Knepper1

b. February 1877
Family
Father*John F. Knepper1,2 b. 20 Oct 1829, d. 15 Jun 1876
Mother*Sarah Catherine McGowan1,3 b. 7 Dec 1837
Birth*February 1877Dessie D. Knepper was born about February 1877 in Indiana.1,4 

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Dessie D (Knepper) Monk, Memorial# 42061374. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, John F Knepper, Memorial# 41482158.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Sarah "Catherine" (McGowan) Knepper, Memorial# 41482148.
  4. [S34] 1900 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, Household of Catharine Keppner, Year: 1900; Census Place: Elkhart, Noble, Indiana; Roll: 395; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 0084; daughter Dessie's date of birth was reported as February 1877. Hereinafter cited as 1900 United States Federal Census.

Elizabeth Knepper1

b. 1834
Family
Father*Godfrey Knepper1 b. 4 Jul 1795, d. 9 Oct 1877
Mother*Magdalena __?__1 b. 8 Jan 1794, d. 10 Oct 1851
Birth*1834Elizabeth Knepper was born in 1834 in Ohio.1 
Name-SpellingsMany variations in the spelling of the BROILER surname were found in our research, including Broyler "Broiller, Broliar, Broilier, Brollier, and Broileger", with Broiler and Broyler being the most common.2,3 
(Daughter) Relationship Note Who were Franklin Knepper and Elizabeth Knepper? It seems unlikely to us that Franklin's parents were Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, or even Mary and Godfrey Knepper, as indicated on Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page. If the birth date of 1849 on his Find a Grave memorial is correct, it would mean he was born 16 years after Magdalena's last child and she would have been in her middle 50s at his birth. Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page indicates he was the son of Godfrey Knepper's second wife, Mary A. Sprankle. This, too, does not feel accurate to us. Franklin, if born in 1849, would have been about 4 years old when Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper married in 1853. And, also, Godfrey's first wife was still alive in 1849. Additionally, Franklin was not enumerated with the Godfrey Knepper family in 1850. While researching to identify his possible biological parents, we've looked at Mary and Ananias Knepper. Their one-year-old son, Franklin, was enumerated with them on the 1850 census in Osnaburg, Stark County, Ohio. Our issue with deciding that the two Franklins are the same Franklin, is that the Franklin of the Find a Grave Memorial died in 1858 at about age 9, and Ananias and Mary's Franklin was enumerated with them in 1860 and was 11 years old. Another wrinkle we've been thinking about is the two Elizabeths: Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1834 and a daughter of Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, and Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1853 and a daughter of Mary and Ananias Knepper. Godfrey's daughter had married and was enumerated in 1860 with her husband and children, and the other Elizabeth, who was 7 years old, was enumerated on the 1860 census taken in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio, with her parents, Mary and Ananias Knepper. That Knepper family was enumerated on 18 June 1860. Here's the issue we're pondering: a possible second, or maybe a duplicate, young Elizabeth', who was 7 years old, was also enumerated that year in the Godfrey Knepper household. On the following day, 19 June, the Godfrey Knepper family was enumerated in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio, which is about 50 miles away from Nimishillen. An Elizabeth Knepper, whom we suspect was not actually the daughter of Mary A. Sprankle and Godfrey Knepper, was enumerated as a member of their household. That Elizabeth, looks as though she might have been the same person as the Elizabeth in the household of Ananias Knepper, other than the fact that his Elizabeth was not reported to be attending school, and the other Elizabeth was. We note also that in the Huber-Hoover book, Mary A. Sprankle, a Huber descendant, was reported to have had only two children, Melissa and Minerva Knepper. Additionally, we do not know the relationship between these two Knepper families. If you can help us with any of this, please let us now...4,1,5,6,7,8,9,10,2 
(Daughter) Census US 185018 September 1850Elizabeth was enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 18 September 1850 in the household of her parents in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio. She was 16 years old.1 
(Daughter) Death10 October 1851She was about 17 years old when her mother died on 10 October 1851 at age 57.11 
(Daughter) Marriage20 February 1853Sixteen months after the death of her mother, her father married a second time, on 20 February 1853, to Mary A. (Sprankle) Young, who had also been married before.12,13 
Marriage*She married Adam Broiler.2 
Census US 1860*19 June 1860Elizabeth and Adam Broiler were enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 19 June 1860 in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio. Adam was 26 years of age and a farmer with a personal estate valued at $300, and Elizabeth was 27 years of age. Their two young children were enumerated with them. William was age 3 years, and Nancy was six months old. Elizabeth's sister and her husband, Sarah and John M. Amos, were enumerated with their children in the next household after Elizabeth and Adam, and the sisters' father and stepmother, Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper, were in the next household after Sarah and John, all of them on the same census page.2,14,7 
(3rd Daughter) Will21 April 1876Her father prepared his will dated 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, in which he named the following beneficiaries: his beloved wife, Mary, his deceased son, John, whose death left five heirs who were Godfrey's grandchildren, named Grant, William, John, Jennie and George, his daughter Sarah, who had married to John Amos, his daughter Lucy Ann, his son William, and his daughters, Melissa and Minerva. His will clarified that John's five children were to count as one heir, and that with the five other heirs Godfrey had named, there were a total of six heirs who should each have one equal share. His will went on to state that he had yet another daughter, Elizabeth, who was married to Adam Broiler, and that he had loaned her $305, and that the forgiveness of that debt was to be Elizabeth's total bequest. And to the Broliers son named Godfrey Broiler, his will bequeathed $500 plus the interest it earned until young Godfrey reached the age of 21 years, and willed that John Baltzly be appointed guardian for young Godfrey. His will appointed Jacob M. Trubey his sole executor.15 
(Daughter) Death9 October 1877Her father died on 9 October 1877 at age 82.13 
(3rd Daughter) Probate3 December 1877Her father's estate was opened for probate on 3 December 1877 and Jacob M. Trubey was appointed Executor, as requested in her father's will. The estate papers, among other things, told us that beginning on 22 October 1877, newspapers and other methods of notification had been published and posted stating that an "Inventory and Notice of Appraisement" of the estate and property of Godfrey Knepper, late of Stark County, deceased, would be taken at his late residence in Sugar Creek township on 27 October 1877 and continue from day to day thereafter if necessary until completed. The executor informed the court on 3 December that, additionally, the widow Mary Knepper, William Knepper, Elizabeth Broiler, Melissa Trubey and Minerva Knepper, heirs-at-law who resided in Stark County, had all been duly notified according to law. (We found no mention of the deceased son John Knepper's widow, Sarah C. Knepper, or her five children who were heirs in the will, or of his daughters, Sarah Amos, or Lucy Ann Heckard, all of whom were residing in Indiana in 1877.)16 
(3rd Daughter) Estate Distribution18 January 1879A page in her father's probate package titled "Godfrey Knepper's Estate", dated 18 January 1879, was identified as the executor's partial accounting of receipts and payments to and from the estate. Partial payments were listed to the following heirs of the deceased: William Knepper (son), Sarah Amos (daughter), Mary Knepper (widow), Minerva (daughter), Melissa (daughter), and Lucy Ann "Rickard" (daughter.)17 
(3rd Daughter) Estate Distribution20 May 1880Another page in her father's probate package titled "Godfrey Knepper's Estate", dated 20 May 1880, was identified as the executor's partial accounting of receipts and payments to and from the estate. Payments from the sale of real estate were listed to the following heirs of the deceased: on 20 February 1879, to his widow, Mary Knepper, and his daughters, Minerva Knepper and Melissa Trubey; on 21 February 1879, to his daughter, Sarah Amos, his son, William G. Knepper, his daughter, Lucy Ann Heckard, and his daughter-in-law, Sarah C. Knepper, as guardian for her children; on 12 March 1880 to his daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Nathan Trubey; on 5 April 1880 to his son, William G. Knepper; and deferred payments on 5 April 1880 to his daughters, Minerva Knepper, Sarah Amos, and Lucy Ann Heckard, and to his daughter-in-law, Sarah C. Knepper, guardian.18 
(3rd Daughter) Estate Distribution14 June 1881Another page in her father's probate package titled "Godfrey Knepper's Estate", dated 14 June 1881, was identified as the executor's final accounting and included the final distributions, according to the deceased's will, to his heirs. It listed his following children and his grandchildren, with their court-appointed guardians: to F. H. Liverode, guardian for Knepper's grandson, Godfrey Broiler, son of his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Adam Broiler; to his daughter-in-law, Sarah C. Knepper, guardian for her five children, named in the will of their grandfather as the children of his deceased son, John; to his daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Nathan Trubey; to his son, William Knepper; to his daughter and son-in-law, Lucy and David Heckard, their surname written as "Heckert"; to his daughter, Sarah Amos; and to his daughter and son-in-law, Minerva and Josiah Eberly, his name written as "John."19 

Family

 Adam Broiler b. 1834
Child 1.Godfrey Broiler3 b. 1867

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Martha Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 731; Page: 150b. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Adam and Elizabeth Broiler, (their surname recorded as "Broileger" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Adam and Elizabeth Broiler, (their surname recorded as "Brolier" by the census taker and transcribed as "Brollier" by Ancestry), Year: 1870; Census Place: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M593_1269; Page: 622B. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Osnaburg, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 730; Page: 348b; their son Franklin was 1 year old.
  5. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Franklin Knepper, Memorial# 63084796, recording his year of birth as 1849. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  7. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Mary A. Knepper, (their surname transcribed as "Knipper" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  8. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Sixth Generation, page 83. Hereinafter cited as U.S., Family History Books.
  9. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Seventh Generation, page 141.
  10. [S2956] Harry M. Hoover, The Huber-Hoover Family History : a biographical and genealogical history of the descendants of Hans Huber from the time of his arrival in Pennsylvania down to the eleventh generation/ by Harry M. Hoover ... Lancaster, PA, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Mennonite Publishing House, 1928), The Huber-Hoover Family History, Fifth Generation, page 55. Hereinafter cited as The Huber-Hoover Family History.
  11. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Magdalena Knepper, Memorial# 63159303.
  12. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary A. (Sprankle) Knepper, Memorial# 63084689.
  13. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Godfrey KNEPPER, Memorial# 61076476.
  14. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John M. and Sarah Amos, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  15. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, will of Godfrey Knepper dated 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Will Records, Volumes E-F, 1873-1883, pages 317-318, Ancestry.com images 189-190 of 622. Hereinafter cited as Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998.
  16. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 35-36, 1877-1880, pages 33-40, Ancestry.com images 49-53 of 691.
  17. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 35-36, 1877-1880, pages 60-61, Ancestry.com image# 414 of 691.
  18. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 37-38, 1878-1881, pages 65-66, Ancestry.com image# 368-369 of 651.
  19. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 37-38, 1878-1881, page 316, Ancestry.com image# 495 of 651.

Elizabeth Knepper1

b. 1853
(CLUE Person) Relationship Note Who were Franklin Knepper and Elizabeth Knepper? It seems unlikely to us that Franklin's parents were Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, or even Mary and Godfrey Knepper, as indicated on Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page. If the birth date of 1849 on his Find a Grave memorial is correct, it would mean he was born 16 years after Magdalena's last child and she would have been in her middle 50s at his birth. Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page indicates he was the son of Godfrey Knepper's second wife, Mary A. Sprankle. This, too, does not feel accurate to us. Franklin, if born in 1849, would have been about 4 years old when Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper married in 1853. And, also, Godfrey's first wife was still alive in 1849. Additionally, Franklin was not enumerated with the Godfrey Knepper family in 1850. While researching to identify his possible biological parents, we've looked at Mary and Ananias Knepper. Their one-year-old son, Franklin, was enumerated with them on the 1850 census in Osnaburg, Stark County, Ohio. Our issue with deciding that the two Franklins are the same Franklin, is that the Franklin of the Find a Grave Memorial died in 1858 at about age 9, and Ananias and Mary's Franklin was enumerated with them in 1860 and was 11 years old. Another wrinkle we've been thinking about is the two Elizabeths: Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1834 and a daughter of Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, and Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1853 and a daughter of Mary and Ananias Knepper. Godfrey's daughter had married and was enumerated in 1860 with her husband and children, and the other Elizabeth, who was 7 years old, was enumerated on the 1860 census taken in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio, with her parents, Mary and Ananias Knepper. That Knepper family was enumerated on 18 June 1860. Here's the issue we're pondering: a possible second, or maybe a duplicate, young Elizabeth', who was 7 years old, was also enumerated that year in the Godfrey Knepper household. On the following day, 19 June, the Godfrey Knepper family was enumerated in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio, which is about 50 miles away from Nimishillen. An Elizabeth Knepper, whom we suspect was not actually the daughter of Mary A. Sprankle and Godfrey Knepper, was enumerated as a member of their household. That Elizabeth, looks as though she might have been the same person as the Elizabeth in the household of Ananias Knepper, other than the fact that his Elizabeth was not reported to be attending school, and the other Elizabeth was. We note also that in the Huber-Hoover book, Mary A. Sprankle, a Huber descendant, was reported to have had only two children, Melissa and Minerva Knepper. Additionally, we do not know the relationship between these two Knepper families. If you can help us with any of this, please let us now...2,3,4,5,1,6,7,8,9 
Birth*1853Elizabeth Knepper was born about 1853 in Ohio.1 
(Relationship Not Known) Census US 186019 June 1860Elizabeth Knepper was enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 19 June 1860 in the household of Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio. She was 7 years old and had attended school within the census year. We wonder about this Elizabeth, and do not believe she was the couple's daughter. Godfrey Keppner already had a daughter Elizabeth with his first wife. Their Elizabeth was, in 1860, 26 years of age and married. The younger Elizabeth may have been a niece or other relative and not the couple's daughter. She was not mentioned in Godfrey Keppner's will.1,10,9 

Citations

  1. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Mary A. Knepper, (their surname transcribed as "Knipper" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Osnaburg, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 730; Page: 348b; their son Franklin was 1 year old. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Martha Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 731; Page: 150b.
  4. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Franklin Knepper, Memorial# 63084796, recording his year of birth as 1849. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  6. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Sixth Generation, page 83. Hereinafter cited as U.S., Family History Books.
  7. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Seventh Generation, page 141.
  8. [S2956] Harry M. Hoover, The Huber-Hoover Family History : a biographical and genealogical history of the descendants of Hans Huber from the time of his arrival in Pennsylvania down to the eleventh generation/ by Harry M. Hoover ... Lancaster, PA, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Mennonite Publishing House, 1928), The Huber-Hoover Family History, Fifth Generation, page 55. Hereinafter cited as The Huber-Hoover Family History.
  9. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Adam and Elizabeth Broiler, (their surname recorded as "Broileger" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  10. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John M. and Sarah Amos, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.

Elizabeth Knepper1

b. 1853
Family
Father*Ananias Knepper1 b. 1823
Mother*Mary __?__1 b. 1828
Birth*1853Elizabeth Knepper was born about 1853 in Ohio.1 
(Daughter) Census US 186018 June 1860Elizabeth was enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 18 June 1860 in the household of her parents in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio. She was 7 years old.2 

Citations

  1. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old.

Franklin Knepper1

b. 1849, d. 7 December 1858
Birth*1849Franklin Knepper was probably born in 1849 in Ohio.2,3,4,5 
Relationship Note* Who were Franklin Knepper and Elizabeth Knepper? It seems unlikely to us that Franklin's parents were Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, or even Mary and Godfrey Knepper, as indicated on Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page. If the birth date of 1849 on his Find a Grave memorial is correct, it would mean he was born 16 years after Magdalena's last child and she would have been in her middle 50s at his birth. Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page indicates he was the son of Godfrey Knepper's second wife, Mary A. Sprankle. This, too, does not feel accurate to us. Franklin, if born in 1849, would have been about 4 years old when Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper married in 1853. And, also, Godfrey's first wife was still alive in 1849. Additionally, Franklin was not enumerated with the Godfrey Knepper family in 1850. While researching to identify his possible biological parents, we've looked at Mary and Ananias Knepper. Their one-year-old son, Franklin, was enumerated with them on the 1850 census in Osnaburg, Stark County, Ohio. Our issue with deciding that the two Franklins are the same Franklin, is that the Franklin of the Find a Grave Memorial died in 1858 at about age 9, and Ananias and Mary's Franklin was enumerated with them in 1860 and was 11 years old. Another wrinkle we've been thinking about is the two Elizabeths: Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1834 and a daughter of Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, and Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1853 and a daughter of Mary and Ananias Knepper. Godfrey's daughter had married and was enumerated in 1860 with her husband and children, and the other Elizabeth, who was 7 years old, was enumerated on the 1860 census taken in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio, with her parents, Mary and Ananias Knepper. That Knepper family was enumerated on 18 June 1860. Here's the issue we're pondering: a possible second, or maybe a duplicate, young Elizabeth', who was 7 years old, was also enumerated that year in the Godfrey Knepper household. On the following day, 19 June, the Godfrey Knepper family was enumerated in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio, which is about 50 miles away from Nimishillen. An Elizabeth Knepper, whom we suspect was not actually the daughter of Mary A. Sprankle and Godfrey Knepper, was enumerated as a member of their household. That Elizabeth, looks as though she might have been the same person as the Elizabeth in the household of Ananias Knepper, other than the fact that his Elizabeth was not reported to be attending school, and the other Elizabeth was. We note also that in the Huber-Hoover book, Mary A. Sprankle, a Huber descendant, was reported to have had only two children, Melissa and Minerva Knepper. Additionally, we do not know the relationship between these two Knepper families. If you can help us with any of this, please let us now...4,6,5,2,7,8,9,10,11 
Death*7 December 1858He died on 7 December 1858 in Ohio at about age 91,7,6 
Burial* and was buried in Bose Cemetery, Beach City, Stark County, Ohio.1 

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Franklin Knepper, Memorial# 63084796. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Franklin Knepper, Memorial# 63084796, recording his year of birth as 1849.
  3. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Martha Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 731; Page: 150b; son Franklin was not enumerated with the family in 1850, which may mean he was born later than the 1849 reported on his Find a Grave memorial. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Osnaburg, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 730; Page: 348b; their son Franklin was 1 year old.
  5. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Martha Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 731; Page: 150b.
  7. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Mary A. Knepper, (their surname transcribed as "Knipper" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  8. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Sixth Generation, page 83. Hereinafter cited as U.S., Family History Books.
  9. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Seventh Generation, page 141.
  10. [S2956] Harry M. Hoover, The Huber-Hoover Family History : a biographical and genealogical history of the descendants of Hans Huber from the time of his arrival in Pennsylvania down to the eleventh generation/ by Harry M. Hoover ... Lancaster, PA, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Mennonite Publishing House, 1928), The Huber-Hoover Family History, Fifth Generation, page 55. Hereinafter cited as The Huber-Hoover Family History.
  11. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Adam and Elizabeth Broiler, (their surname recorded as "Broileger" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.

Franklin Knepper1

b. 1849
Family
Father*Ananias Knepper1 b. 1823
Mother*Mary __?__1 b. 1828
Birth*1849Franklin Knepper was born about 1849 in Ohio.1 
(Son) Census US 186018 June 1860Franklin was enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 18 June 1860 in the household of his parents in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio. He was 11 years old.2 

Citations

  1. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old.

George William Knepper1

b. 23 March 1872
Family
Father*John F. Knepper1,2 b. 20 Oct 1829, d. 15 Jun 1876
Mother*Sarah Catherine McGowan1,3 b. 7 Dec 1837
Birth*23 March 1872George William Knepper was born on 23 March 1872 in Wawaka, Noble County, Indiana.1 
(Grandchild) Will21 April 1876His paternal grandfather, Godfrey Knepper, prepared his will dated 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, in which he named the following beneficiaries: his beloved wife, Mary, his deceased son, John, whose death left five heirs who were Godfrey's grandchildren, named Grant, William, John, Jennie and George, his daughter Sarah, who had married to John Amos, his daughter Lucy Ann, his son William, and his daughters, Melissa and Minerva. His will clarified that John's five children were to count as one heir, and that with the five other heirs Godfrey had named, there were a total of six heirs who should each have one equal share. His will went on to state that he had yet another daughter, Elizabeth, who was married to Adam Broiler, and that he had loaned her $305, and that the forgiveness of that debt was to be Elizabeth's total bequest. And to the Broliers son named Godfrey Broiler, his will bequeathed $500 plus the interest it earned until young Godfrey reached the age of 21 years, and willed that John Baltzly be appointed guardian for young Godfrey. His will appointed Jacob M. Trubey his sole executor.4 

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, George William Knepper, Memorial# 41482154. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, John F Knepper, Memorial# 41482158.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Sarah "Catherine" (McGowan) Knepper, Memorial# 41482148.
  4. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, will of Godfrey Knepper dated 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Will Records, Volumes E-F, 1873-1883, pages 317-318, Ancestry.com images 189-190 of 622. Hereinafter cited as Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998.

Godfrey Knepper1

b. 4 July 1795, d. 9 October 1877
Family
Birth*4 July 1795Godfrey Knepper was born on 4 July 1795 in Brothersvalley Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.1,2 
Marriage*He married first Magdalena __?__.1,3,2 
Relationship Note* Who were Franklin Knepper and Elizabeth Knepper? It seems unlikely to us that Franklin's parents were Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, or even Mary and Godfrey Knepper, as indicated on Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page. If the birth date of 1849 on his Find a Grave memorial is correct, it would mean he was born 16 years after Magdalena's last child and she would have been in her middle 50s at his birth. Franklin's Find a Grave memorial page indicates he was the son of Godfrey Knepper's second wife, Mary A. Sprankle. This, too, does not feel accurate to us. Franklin, if born in 1849, would have been about 4 years old when Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper married in 1853. And, also, Godfrey's first wife was still alive in 1849. Additionally, Franklin was not enumerated with the Godfrey Knepper family in 1850. While researching to identify his possible biological parents, we've looked at Mary and Ananias Knepper. Their one-year-old son, Franklin, was enumerated with them on the 1850 census in Osnaburg, Stark County, Ohio. Our issue with deciding that the two Franklins are the same Franklin, is that the Franklin of the Find a Grave Memorial died in 1858 at about age 9, and Ananias and Mary's Franklin was enumerated with them in 1860 and was 11 years old. Another wrinkle we've been thinking about is the two Elizabeths: Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1834 and a daughter of Magdalena and Godfrey Knepper, and Elizabeth Knepper, born about 1853 and a daughter of Mary and Ananias Knepper. Godfrey's daughter had married and was enumerated in 1860 with her husband and children, and the other Elizabeth, who was 7 years old, was enumerated on the 1860 census taken in Nimishillen, Stark County, Ohio, with her parents, Mary and Ananias Knepper. That Knepper family was enumerated on 18 June 1860. Here's the issue we're pondering: a possible second, or maybe a duplicate, young Elizabeth', who was 7 years old, was also enumerated that year in the Godfrey Knepper household. On the following day, 19 June, the Godfrey Knepper family was enumerated in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio, which is about 50 miles away from Nimishillen. An Elizabeth Knepper, whom we suspect was not actually the daughter of Mary A. Sprankle and Godfrey Knepper, was enumerated as a member of their household. That Elizabeth, looks as though she might have been the same person as the Elizabeth in the household of Ananias Knepper, other than the fact that his Elizabeth was not reported to be attending school, and the other Elizabeth was. We note also that in the Huber-Hoover book, Mary A. Sprankle, a Huber descendant, was reported to have had only two children, Melissa and Minerva Knepper. Additionally, we do not know the relationship between these two Knepper families. If you can help us with any of this, please let us now...4,1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 
Census US 1850*18 September 1850Martha and Godfrey Knepper were enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 18 September 1850 in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio. Godfrey was 55 years of age and a farmer with real estate valued at $3,000, and Martha was 56 years of age. Five children were enumerated with them in 1850. John and Lucy were ages 23 and 19 years, respectively; William was 18 years old and had attended school within the census year; Elizabeth was 16 years old; and another boy, William Fitzgerald, was 11 years old and had attended school within the census year.1 
(Husband) Death10 October 1851Godfrey became a widower when Magdalena (__?__) Knepper died on 10 October 1851 at age 57.3 
Marriage*20 February 1853He married second, as her second husband, Mary A. (Sprankle) Young, daughter of John Sprankle and Mary Huber, on 20 February 1853 in Stark County, Ohio.12,2 
Census US 1860*19 June 1860Mary A. and Godfrey Knepper were enumerated on the 1860 census taken on 19 June 1860 in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio. Godfroy was 64 years of age and a farmer with real estate valued at $5,200 and a personal estate valued at $754, and Mary was 44 years of age. Four children were enumerated with the couple in 1860. Lucy A., Godfrey's daughter from his first marriage, was 28 years of age. She had married in 1852, was not with her husband in 1860, and whether he had died or they divorced, we don't know. The couple's three young daughters, Elizabeth, Melissa and Minerva, were ages 7, 4 and 3 years, respectively. Although we wonder about the 7-year-old Elizabeth who had attended school within the census year. Godfrey already had a daughter Elizabeth with his first wife who was, in 1860, 26 years of age and married. The younger Elizabeth may have been a niece or other relative and not the couple's daughter. She was not mentioned in Godfrey Keppner's will in 1876. Godfrey's two married daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth, from his first marriage, with their husbands, John M. Amos and Adam Broiler, respectively, were enumerated in 1860 with their children in the next two previous households before the Keppner's on the same census page.7,13,11 
Census US 1870*14 June 1870Mary and Godfrey Knepper were enumerated on the 1870 census taken on 14 June 1870 in Sugar Creek, Stark County, Ohio. Godfrey was 74 years of age and a farmer with real estate valued at $4,100 and a personal estate valued at $600, and Mary was 57 years of age and keeping house. The couple's two youngest daughters. Melissa and Minerva, who were ages 13 and 11 years, respectively, were enumerated with their parents. Both had attended school within the census year.14 
Will*21 April 1876He prepared his will dated 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, in which he named the following beneficiaries: his beloved wife, Mary, his deceased son, John, whose death left five heirs who were Godfrey's grandchildren, named Grant, William, John, Jennie and George, his daughter Sarah, who had married to John Amos, his daughter Lucy Ann, his son William, and his daughters, Melissa and Minerva. His will clarified that John's five children were to count as one heir, and that with the five other heirs Godfrey had named, there were a total of six heirs who should each have one equal share. His will went on to state that he had yet another daughter, Elizabeth, who was married to Adam Broiler, and that he had loaned her $305, and that the forgiveness of that debt was to be Elizabeth's total bequest. And to the Broliers son named Godfrey Broiler, his will bequeathed $500 plus the interest it earned until young Godfrey reached the age of 21 years, and willed that John Baltzly be appointed guardian for young Godfrey. His will appointed Jacob M. Trubey his sole executor.15 
Research Notes*When Godfrey Knepper prepared his will on 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, he must have believed his son, John F. Knepper, had already died in Noble County, Indiana, or that his death was imminent. According to John's Find a Grave memorial, however, his date of death was not until two months later on 15 June 1876. We've not found supporting documentation to prove or disprove either situation.15,16 
Death*9 October 1877He died on 9 October 1877 in Beach City, Stark County, Ohio, at age 822 
Burial* and was buried in Bose Cemetery, Beach City.2 
Probate*3 December 1877His estate was opened for probate on 3 December 1877 and Jacob M. Trubey was appointed Executor, as requested in Godfrey's will. The estate papers, among other things, told us that beginning on 22 October 1877, newspapers and other methods of notification had been published and posted stating that an "Inventory and Notice of Appraisement" of the estate and property of Godfrey Knepper, late of Stark County, deceased, would be taken at his late residence in Sugar Creek township on 27 October 1877 and continue from day to day thereafter if necessary until completed. The executor informed the court on 3 December that, additionally, the widow Mary Knepper, William Knepper, Elizabeth Broiler, Melissa Trubey and Minerva Knepper, heirs-at-law who resided in Stark County, had all been duly notified according to law. (We found no mention of the deceased son John Knepper's widow, Sarah C. Knepper, or her five children who were heirs in the will, or of his daughters, Sarah Amos, or Lucy Ann Heckard, all of whom were residing in Indiana in 1877.)17 
Estate Distribution18 January 1879A page in his probate package titled "Godfrey Knepper's Estate", dated 18 January 1879, was identified as the executor's partial accounting of receipts and payments to and from the estate. Partial payments were listed to the following heirs of the deceased: William Knepper (son), Sarah Amos (daughter), Mary Knepper (widow), Minerva (daughter), Melissa (daughter), and Lucy Ann "Rickard" (daughter.)18 
Estate Distribution20 May 1880Another page in his probate package titled "Godfrey Knepper's Estate", dated 20 May 1880, was identified as the executor's partial accounting of receipts and payments to and from the estate. Payments from the sale of real estate were listed to the following heirs of the deceased: on 20 February 1879, to his widow, Mary Knepper, and his daughters, Minerva Knepper and Melissa Trubey; on 21 February 1879, to his daughter, Sarah Amos, his son, William G. Knepper, his daughter, Lucy Ann Heckard, and his daughter-in-law, Sarah C. Knepper, as guardian for her children; on 12 March 1880 to his daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Nathan Trubey; on 5 April 1880 to his son, William G. Knepper; and deferred payments on 5 April 1880 to his daughters, Minerva Knepper, Sarah Amos, and Lucy Ann Heckard, and to his daughter-in-law, Sarah C. Knepper, guardian.19 
Estate Distribution*14 June 1881Another page in his probate package titled "Godfrey Knepper's Estate", dated 14 June 1881, was identified as the executor's final accounting and included the final distributions, according to the deceased's will, to his heirs. It listed his following children and his grandchildren, with their court-appointed guardians: to F. H. Liverode, guardian for Knepper's grandson, Godfrey Broiler, son of his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Adam Broiler; to his daughter-in-law, Sarah C. Knepper, guardian for her five children, named in the will of their grandfather as the children of his deceased son, John; to his daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Nathan Trubey; to his son, William Knepper; to his daughter and son-in-law, Lucy and David Heckard, their surname written as "Heckert"; to his daughter, Sarah Amos; and to his daughter and son-in-law, Minerva and Josiah Eberly, his name written as "John."20 

Family 1

 Magdalena __?__ b. 8 Jan 1794, d. 10 Oct 1851
Children 1.Sarah Knepper13 b. 25 Aug 1819
 2.John F. Knepper+1 b. 20 Oct 1829, d. 15 Jun 1876
 3.Lucy Ann Knepper+1 b. 1830, d. 26 Nov 1899
 4.William Knepper1 b. Jun 1831
 5.Elizabeth Knepper+1 b. 1834

Family 2

 Mary A. Sprankle b. 20 Apr 1815, d. 6 Jan 1898
Children 1.Melissa Knepper7 b. 9 Nov 1855
 2.Minerva Knepper7 b. 5 May 1857

Citations

  1. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Martha Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 731; Page: 150b. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Godfrey KNEPPER, Memorial# 61076476. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Magdalena Knepper, Memorial# 63159303.
  4. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Osnaburg, Stark, Ohio; Roll: 730; Page: 348b; their son Franklin was 1 year old.
  5. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Ananias and Mary Knepper, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Nimishillen, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1038; Page: 528; Family History Library Film: 805038; their son Franklin was 11 years old and their daughter Elizabeth was 7 years old. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Franklin Knepper, Memorial# 63084796, recording his year of birth as 1849.
  7. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Mary A. Knepper, (their surname transcribed as "Knipper" by Ancestry), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  8. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Sixth Generation, page 83. Hereinafter cited as U.S., Family History Books.
  9. [S2955] U.S., Family History Books, online at www.ancestry.com, The Huber-Hoover Family History, Seventh Generation, page 141.
  10. [S2956] Harry M. Hoover, The Huber-Hoover Family History : a biographical and genealogical history of the descendants of Hans Huber from the time of his arrival in Pennsylvania down to the eleventh generation/ by Harry M. Hoover ... Lancaster, PA, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Mennonite Publishing House, 1928), The Huber-Hoover Family History, Fifth Generation, page 55. Hereinafter cited as The Huber-Hoover Family History.
  11. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Adam and Elizabeth Broiler, (their surname recorded as "Broileger" by the census taker), The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  12. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mary A. (Sprankle) Knepper, Memorial# 63084689.
  13. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John M. and Sarah Amos, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M653_1037; Page: 89; Family History Library Film: 805037.
  14. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Godfrey and Mary Knepper, Year: 1870; Census Place: Sugar Creek, Stark, Ohio; Roll: M593_1269; Page: 618B. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.
  15. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, will of Godfrey Knepper dated 21 April 1876 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Will Records, Volumes E-F, 1873-1883, pages 317-318, Ancestry.com images 189-190 of 622. Hereinafter cited as Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998.
  16. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, John F Knepper, Memorial# 41482158.
  17. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 35-36, 1877-1880, pages 33-40, Ancestry.com images 49-53 of 691.
  18. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 35-36, 1877-1880, pages 60-61, Ancestry.com image# 414 of 691.
  19. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 37-38, 1878-1881, pages 65-66, Ancestry.com image# 368-369 of 651.
  20. [S1603] Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998, online at www.ancestry.com, probate records for the estate of Godfrey Knepper, probate dated 3 December 1877 in Stark County, Ohio, referencing Stark County, Administration Records, Volumes 37-38, 1878-1881, page 316, Ancestry.com image# 495 of 651.