USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II > Part 134
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Casper Kleckner was a native of Salisbury township, Lehigh county, but for many years re- sided in the old First ward, Allentown, where he died and is buried on the Union cemetery. Dur- ing his later life he was engaged in the lumber business. He was a member of the Lutheran Church. His wife, a born Statler, bore him the following children: James; John ; Charles ; Pol- ly, wife of John Shimpf; Rebecca, married to Henry L. Van Dyke; Mrs. Gladdes, of Mauch Chunk; and Mrs. Anthony Siegfried. The three sons and Mrs. Shimpf lived and died in Allen- town.
James Kleckner, son of Casper, was a cigar- maker, also made smoking tobacco and snuff, until in 1840. Afterward he conducted a store and hotel. He kept the store at Seiders, in Saucon township, for three and one-half years. He mar- ried Maria Hartman, of Hanover township. They had six children, namely: Henry T .; Edwin C .; Mary, wife of Frank Brader; Sarah, married Ed- win Freed ; Yingling, of Allentown; and a daugh- ter who died in infancy.
Henry T. Kleckner, son of James, was born in Allentown, June 23, 1833. He has spent all of his life in Allentown, except about five years. Early in life he was a cigar-maker, but later was engaged in the lumber business until the great
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
freshet of 1862, which caused him a heavy loss. In 1865 he was elected a justice of the peace of the old First ward; this office he served for twen- ty-five years, and afterward he was a notary pub- lic for twelve years. During the early seventies he moved into his own home, No. 17 North Third street, and there he has continued to reside ever since. He married Mary A., daughter of Asa 'and Susan ( Moser ) Grammes. She died Jan. 25, 1900, aged 57 years. Their union was blessed with the following children: Ulysses, of Allentown; Minnie B., married Bryan O'Neill; Alice, unmarried ; and Amelia, the wife of Rev. J. C. Rausch, pastor of St. Luke's Lu- theran church, Allentown.
ULYSSES GRANT KLECKNER, engineer of the Allentown Fire Department, was born Feb. 4, 1864, in the Kleckner homestead in the First Ward, on the site of the present Arbogast & Bastian plant, the son of Henry T. Kleckner. He attended the schools of the First ward and at the age of 14 years left home and went to Egg Har- bor, Mich., where he was a clerk in a store for two years. In 1881, he returned to Allentown, and learned the machinist trade in the L. F. Grammes & Co. shops. He was then employed as a foreman in the wire mill for two years, when he returned to the Grammes shops. He remained there until 1892, after which he became connected with the Allentown Fire Department and his first run was to the great Breinig and Bachman fire. He is a member of St. John's Lutheran church and has been a member of the I. O. O. F. since the age of 21 years. He is also a member of the K. & L. of H .; F. O. E .; and Order of Moose; and is a Republican in politics. He married, Sept. 11, 1887, Mame, daughter of William H. Hilliard. They had two children: Hazel, who died Feb. 13, 1908, aged four years; and Henry R., born April 7, 1880, who married Florence G. Fatzinger, and has one child, Robert H.
William H. Hilliard, father of Mrs. Kleck- ner, was born in 1843, and secured his education in the Allentown schools. He began the trade of a shoemaker, but at the outbreak of the Civil War, enlisted as a private in Co. I, Fist Penna. Vol. Inf., for three months, and on the expiration of this term re-enlisted on Jan. 14, 1862, in Capt. E. P. Rhoads' Company B, of the 47th Regiment, and served three years.
After the war he was employed at the Allen- town Rolling Mills and was subsequently ap- pointed high constable of the borough and later chief of police. He was then employed as a fire- man by the Adelaide Silk Mills for a time, after which he opened a hotel at 627 Gordon street, which he kept for nineteen years and where he died, July 30, 1913. He was a member of the
Reformed Church and in politics a Republican. He married Emma Sweitzer and had seven chil- dren : Mame, born June 4, 1867, married Ulysses G. Kleckner; Jennie, wife of Irvin Hunsicker ; Robert; Harry, Matilda, and Sally, all three de- ceased ; and Eva.
John Hilliard, father of Wm. H., was born June 28, 1801, in Forks township, Northampton county, where he was a farmer. He removed to Allentown in 1849, where he died at his home on Union street, Sept. 19, 1875, and was buried in Union cemetery. He was a member of the Reformed Church and a life-long Democrat. He married Sarah Reimer, who died in September, 1879. They had ten children: Sabina, wife of David Edelman, of Palmer township, Northamp- ton county, where she died in 1893; Catharine M., wife of Hiram Delp, of Allentown, where she died Dec. 25, 1874; Sarah, married Jacob Cleaver and died in Allentown in July, 1912, aged 82 years; Matilda, born Oct. 22, 1831, married Lafayette Knerr ; Louisa, married Daniel Smith and died in Allentown in 1897, aged 61 years; Susan, married Thomas Snyder and died in Allentown in 1885, aged 52 years; Reuben A., who was a member and second lieutenant of Co. B, 47th Regiment, in the Civil War, and who died in California; William H .; Ella, wife of George Engleman, of Allentown; and Emma R., who married William Labold. Abraham Hil- liard, father of John, was of English descent and died in Forks township. His children were: John; William; Abraham; and Margaret, wife of William Snyder, of Nazareth.
Daniel Kleckner, son of Solomon and Cath- arine (Kurtz) Kleckner, was born May 20, 1823, in Lehigh county. He was a slater by occupation, and resided in North Whitehall township. He died at Cementon in 1902, aged seventy-nine years. He was buried on the cemetery at Egypt, having been a member of the Lutheran congregation.
On Jan. 23, 1848, he married Carolina Yantz, a daughter of Reuben and Margaret (Brown) Yantz. She was born Dec. II, 1829, died Dec. 17, 1895, aged 66 years, and 6 days. They had the following children: Levi A., born Aug. 28, 1848, married Elmira Frantz ; Lucinda, born Jan. 25, 1850, married Henry Frantz ; Valentine, born March 29, 1852, married Martha Newhard; Catharine, born March 21, 1857, married Theo- dore Steckel; Sarah, born July 2, 1859, married Joseph Kline; Carolina, born Dec. 22, 1862, mar- ried Henry Peters; Manavilia, born May 26, 1865, married John Kern; Amos, born Aug. 14, 1867, died July 8, 1869; Mary, born Jan. 21, 1870, married John Mehrkam.
Levi Amandes Kleckner, son of Daniel, was born Aug. 28, 1848, in North Whitehall town-
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
ship, Lehigh county. He was a railroader and stationary engineer for many years. He lived in North Whitehall township until about seven years before he died, when he removed to Egypt, where he died March 28, 1910, aged sixty-two years. He is buried at Egypt.
About 1870, he married Elmira Frantz, a daughter of Daniel Frantz, of Lehigh county. She still lives and has her home with her son, John Kleckner, at Egypt. They had nine chil- dren, namely: Cora, married to Francis Kern; Louisa, married to Joseph Kern; Minnie, Bar- bara, both died in infancy; Levi H., history fol- lows; Amos, married to Emma Helfrich; Allen, married to Gertrude Yorgey; John; and George, married to Ella Moyer.
LEVI HENRY KLECKNER, real estate and in- surance broker, with offices at 615 Turner street, Allentown, was born in North Whitehall town- ship, Lehigh county, Jan. 1, 1877. He was edu- cated in the public schools of his native town- ship, and later entered the State Normal School, at Kutztown, Pa., where he graduated in 1899. After teaching school for three years at Schnecks- ville, Pa., he came to Allentown in 1902, and registered as a law student in the office of James L. Marsteller ; later on he drifted into the real es- tate and insurance business, which he has followed in a successful manner ever since. His offices are most handsomely equipped for his line of business. They contain an extensive law library and one of the finest private libraries stocked with choice selections containing all the standard works.
KLEINTOP FAMILY.
Members of this family have been natives of Carbon county for a number of years. Charles Kleintop resided on Bank street, Lehighton, where he died Dec. 25, 1911, aged 93 years. He was a member of the Weissport Reformed church, and a miller by trade. He was married to Henrietta Smith, who died at the age of 70 years. Among their children were John, born Oct. 30, 1851, died Jan. 4, 1899; and James, W., who was born in 1843, and died March 21, 1891. He was a carpenter and painter by trade. He resided at Berlinsville for eight years and at the time of his death he resided at Lehighton. He was married to Elemanda Walt, a daughter of Thomas Walt, of Slatington. She now re- sides with her son. Stewart, and daughter, Grace. Eight children were born to this family: Lillie, wife of Robert Meck, of Siegfried, Pa .; Oliver, silk worker, of Walnutport, Pa .; Erastus C., mentioned below; Albertus, electrical engineer at Schenectady, N. Y .; Laura, wife of John Cul-
bertson, of Allentown; Stewart, silk worker at Slatington; Quincy, died in 1893; and Grace, at home with her mother at Slatington.
ERASTUS CHARLES KLEINTOP, chief engineer with Grammes & Sons, was born at Lehighton, March 28, 1880. He was educated in the pub- lic schools of his native place. His father having died when he was but eleven years of age, he went to work on the farm, where he was em-' ployed for three years, after which he worked in the slate factory at Walnutport for three years. at Hembach, Pa., he was employed as engineer for two years. Later he moved to Slatington, where he was employed in various capacities, first as running truck, later as slate dresser and slate splitter. In February, 1906, he entered the employ of the American Steel and Wire Company as engineer in Allentown, and contin- ued there until July, 1910, since which time he is employed by L. F. Grammis & Sons.
He is a member of the Reformed Church and politically he adheres to the principles of the So- cialists. He is a member of Washington Camp, No. 119, of Slatington, P. O. S. of A., and the Royal Order of Moose, No. 129, of Allentown.
He was married to Elenora J. Riedy, a daugh- ter of John and Fianna (Remaley) Riedy, of Slatington, on March 18, 1898. This union was blessed with three children: Ida, born Oct. 5, 1899, died Sept. 19, 1900; Verna E .; and Evelyn M. R.
KLEPPINGER FAMILY.
Johann Georg Kleppinger was born March 25, 1707, in the Palatinate, Germany. He emigrated to America on the ship "St. Andrew Gally," which landed at Philadelphia, in September, 1737. On the list of passengers recorded in the Penna. Arch., his name is given as George Klep- pinger ; and Rupps History of 30,000 Names, records him as Johan George Kläppinger. He became one of the pioneer settlers of Northamp- ton county and at the time of his death on Aug. 22, 1786, he lived in the vicinity of the Stone church, located on the line of Lehigh and Allen townships. His family consisted of six sons and four daughters as follows: (1) Lewis, born Sept. 16, 1740, died Nov. 11, 1827; is buried at the Stone church. (2) Johann. (3) Frederick. (4) Johann Heinrich, born Jan. 25, 1747, died Feb. 6, 1796; is buried at the Stone church. (5) Anthony. 6) George. (7) Mrs. George Na- gle. (8) Mrs. John Nagle. (8) Mrs. John Dreisbach. (10) Mrs. Conrad Solt.
The Union Church Book of the Lutheran and Reformed congregations in Moore township, Northampton county, contains the following en- tries :
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
"Communicants who partook Holy Commun- tion on X X L V. S. P., Trin. 1769, for the first time."
Anton Kleppinger.
"The following have gone oftener."
George Kleppinger and Julia, his wife.
Jonathan Kleppinger.
Frederick Kleppinger.
Henry Kleppinger.
George Kleppinger.
"Anno, 1768, parents, John Kleppinger and wife, Margaretha, child, Mary Catharine, born April 13, baptized May 8, sponsors, John George Nagel, and Mary Catharine Kleppinger." "Anno, 1769, parents Ludwig Kleppinger and wife, Mary, child Mary Barbara, born March I, baptized March 26, sponsors, Frederick Klep- pinger and Mary Barbara Best, both single."
The Pa. Arch. record the following as having served from Northampton county, in the Revo- lutionary War; John, Ludwig (Lewis), Peter, Frederick, and Henry Kleppinger.
Johann Henry Kleppinger, son of Johann Georg, made his last will and testament Jan. 12, 1796, and it was probated Feb. 9th, of the same year. At the time of his death he was a yeoman in Allen township. He made ample provision for his beloved wife, Anna Mary, who among other items, she was given one clock, an iron stove, walnut desk, walnut table, etc. He had a farm of 12212 acres, located in Allen town- ship and left a very large estate. Items of his will follow :
"To the elders of the Lutheran congregation in Allen township, twenty-five pounds to be out on interest, and the interest is to be paid yearly for the schooling of poor children at the school- house near the meeting house. And unto the trus- tees of the school-house which is built on M. Siegfried's land, I give the sum of twenty-five pounds, said money to be put out on interest to be applied to the schooling of poor children in said school.
"My large Bible I give unto John Nagel." "My wife shall keep my books."
"I give to my brother Lewis 500 pounds of lawful money."
"I give to my brother John 500 pounds of lawful money. He had a son Henry and a daughter Mary."
"I give to my brother Frederick 500 pounds lawful money, and unto his son, Anthony 20 pounds.
"I give to Elizabeth Donart 25 pounds."
The will speaks of Anthony Kleppinger, a son of "my brother" Lewis; of John George Klep- pinger, son of "my brother" John; also of George and Anthony Kleppinger as "my broth-
ers"; and of "my brothers-in law," George Na- gel; John Nagel and John Dreisbach.
"My nephew, John George Kleppinger, (son of my Brother John), who now lives in South- ampton township, Franklin county, Pa., shall ob- tain the balance of my estate after my dear wife Anna Mary shall have passed into her reward."
This long and interesting will is of record in the court house at Easton, Pa., in Will Book 3, p. 27.
Johann Georg Kleppinger was born Feb. 4, 1772, in Northampton county; was confirmed in 1788; was married April 10, 1796, to Anna Maria Lans, born April 9, 1776, died on Feb. 3, 1840, in her sixty-fourth year of age. He died April 8, 1832, in his sixty-first year of age. They are buried at the Stone Church. They had lived in Allen township and were the parents of the following children :
Margaret, born Jan. 25, 1797, m. Peter Leisenring. Elizabeth, born April 14, 1799.
Anna Maria, born May 13, 1801, m. Emanuel Brown. Polly, born Sept. 3, 1803, m. Samuel Muffley.
Johan, born Feb., 1806, died aged nearly seventy yrs. Leah, born Feb. 14, 1808.
Catharine, born Dec. 15, 1810, m. Charles Laubach. George, born June 22, 1813, died Dec. 23, 1857.
Eliza; Lydia; Sarah, born Feb. 12, 1818; m. John Pathborn, m. Gabriel Shirey.
Joseph, born June 18, 1821, died at Weaversville.
John Kleppinger, son of Johann George, was married and had these children: Maria, Jacob, Hannah, married William R. Lawfer; Sarah, married to John Miller; John; Amandus; and Belinda, married to Francis Fenicle.
George Kleppinger, son of Johann George, was born June 22, 1813, in Northampton county. He was a farmer in Allen township and owned the farm upon which the Bonneville Cement Company is now located. He died on Dec. 23, 1857. He was married to Maria Newhard, and they had the following children: Louisa; Sam- uel, died at Bath; Stephen, was killed in the battle of Gettysburg, and is buried among the un- known; David K .; Joseph was killed in the battle of Gettysburg, but has a tombstone and was a member of the One Hundred and Fifty- Third Regiment; Eliza; and Amanda.
David K. Kleppinger was born in 1841 at Al- lentown. He is a shoemaker at Allentown for more than twenty-five years. He came to Al- lentown permanently in 1864. He married Ma- tilda, daughter of William Johnson. They have three sons, viz .: George W .; Charles B .; and Harry U.
Joseph Kleppinger, son of Johann Georg, lived and died at Weaversville. He was married and had the following children : Ellen, Frank,
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
George, Elenora, William, and Edwin. The daughters are now deceased and all the sons have settled out West, excepting Frank.
David Kleppinger was a farmer upon his father's homestead near Cherryville, in North- ampton county. He was married to Lovina, a daughter of Joseph Kuntz. They had thirteen children, four of whom died very small. They were: Louisa ; Joseph; James; Annie; Jeremiah ; George; Sarah, married to Dr. N. Ritter, of Al- lentown; Adina, married to Frank Dreisbach ; and Thomas.
Joseph H. Kleppinger was born Nov. 3, 1844 in Lehigh township. He was a mechanic but sold iron fences at Catasauqua to which place he moved in 1896, from Siegfried, Pa. He was married to Mary, a daughter of John Gemmel. They had ten children, seven of whom survive as follows: John, Charles, Katie, Herbert J., Wilmer, Raymond, and Samuel.
Herbert J. Kleppinger, public accountant of Allentown, was born Aug. 9, 1881. He was educated in the public schools; was graduated from the Catasauqua high school in 1899. He followed clerical work at Catasauqua and Allen- town; and for a time was the senior accountant of the North American Audit Company until their removal from that city. On Feb. 1, 1912, Mr. Kleppinger opened up offices as a public ac- countant in the Hunsicker building.
On Oct. 29, 1909 he was married to Mary E. Cawley, a daughter of Cyrus and Diana (Carl) Cawley, of Allentown.
Elias Kleppinger, son of Ludwig, was born April 19, 1782, in Lehigh township, Northamp- ton county; and there in the vicinity of Cherry- ville, he owned four large farms. Samuel Klep- pinger, his son, obtained the homestead, and from him it passed to Elias Kleppinger, a son of Sam- uel. The latter owned it until recently, when he sold it to D. George Dery, the present owner. The elder Elias Kleppinger was possessed of much valuable property in Allentown. He owned the south side of Hamilton street, from Fifth to sixty feet west of Church street. He died on April 28, 1842, at Cherryville, being one of the very substantial men of that section.
He married Sybilla Kuntz, born Jan. 7, 1787, and died on Sept. 19, 1869. Both were Lu- theran members of the Stone church and are buried there. Their children were as follows: Mrs. Daniel App; Mrs. Abraham Lerch; Sam- uel ; and Stephen.
Stephen Kleppinger, son of Elias, was born in 1822. He was a farmer in Lehigh township where he owned the slate-dam farm which had been one of his father's properties. Afterward he formed a partnership with John C. Anewalt
and for twelve years the firm of Anewalt and Kleppinger conducted the Adam Laubach store at Siegfried. Later Mr. Kleppinger was pro- prietor of the Whitehall (Cementon) hotel for a period of fifteen years, when he retired and resided at Cementon for five years longer. He then moved to Allentown where he died in 1896, at the ripe age of seventy-four years. He was actively identified with the state militia, and had been a lieutenant in Captain Thomas Ruch's troop for a number of years.
He was married to Elizabeth, a daughter of Peter Anewalt. She was born in 1824, died in 1892, aged 68 years. They had the following eight children :
Amandus, of Zionsville.
George H., whose history follows.
Milton S., of Philadelphia.
Amanda, married John M. Koehler.
Annie L., married Llewellyn German.
Valentine H., of Allentown.
Sarah, married Frank King.
William F., of Allentown.
Mrs. King and Mrs. German reside in Phila- delphia.
GEORGE H. KLEPPINGER, wholesale grocer and prominent citizen of Allentown, was born Jan. 26, 1848, in Lehigh township, Northampton county, Pa. After attending the common schools until he was eighteen years old, he became a clerk in the general store of Adam Laubach, at Sieg- fried. He remained there for five years, then came to Allentown and accepted a similar position with Lawfer and Steckel, a leading mercantile house in Allentown at that time. He was em- ployed by the latter concern until 1873 at which time he formed a partnership with A. M. Spring- er, and H. A. Stillwagon, under the firm name of A. M. Springer & Co. They conducted a general store for fifteen years, located at the south-
west corner of Seventh and Hamilton streets. In 1887 he established the firm of George H. Kleppinger & Co., wholesale grocers, at No. 34 North Seventh street and in 1895 moved to Sev- enth and Linden streets, the present location of the firm. Their business, established and pros- perous, extends throughout the greater part of eastern Pennsylvania.
Mr. Kleppinger has been a director of the Le- high Valley Trust Company since 1905, and is a large real estate owner of Allentown.
He is a member of St. John's Lutheran church, having served it as a deacon and elder. As a Mason and Knight Templar, he is connected with the following bodies: Barger Lodge, No. 333, F. & A. M., Allen Chapter, No. 203, and Allen Commandery, No. 20, all of Allentown.
In 1873 he married Clara J. Laubach, a daugh-
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
ter of Adam and Carolina (Laury) Laubach, of Siegfried, Pa. They have the following children : I. Bertha L., married to Rev. Paul Z. Strodach, a Lutheran minister of Philadelphia. 2. Emma L., married to Allen V. Heyl, a member of the firm of G. H. Kleppinger & Co., of Allentown. 3. Miriam L., married to Allen W. Hagenbach, Esq., of Allentown. 4. Samuel A., attended Bethlehem preparatory school and Culver Mili- tary Academy, Indiana. Since 1912 he has been associated with his father in the wholesale grocery business, at Allentown.
AMANDUS S. KLEPPINGER, son of Stephen and Elizabeth (Anewalt) Kleppinger, was born in Allen township, Northampton county, Jan. I, 1847. He was educated in the township schools and at the Weaversville Academy, and as a young man became a clerk in his uncle's store at Bath, where he remained ten years, after which he spent some time at Chicago, Ill. He then en- gaged for a time in the shoe business, after which he became a travelling salesman, first for spices, and later for chemicals, in the territory of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks and Montgomery counties. He remained in this business for 25 years, during 24 years of which time he resided in Allentown. In February, 1910, he removed to Old Zionsville, where he cultivates the 92-acre Mechling farm, which his wife received from her father. Mr. Kleppinger is a member of the Lu- theran church in Zionsville, and of the P. O. S. of A. He is also the owner of a cigar factory at Shoenersville, conducted by Reuben Snyder. He married, in 1875, Sallie A., daughter of Anthony and Mary N. (Shimer ) Mechling. They have two sons: Barton M., a traveling salesman, residing in Kansas City, Mo., who has three chil- dren : Vernon, Sara G., and Robert; and George B., superintendent of a silk mill at Macungie, who married Elizabeth Halteman and has two children : Edward H. and Charles W.
G. BYRON KLEPPINGER, manager of Macun- gie Silk Mill, was born January 10, 1881 at Zionsville in Lehigh county, and when five years old his parents moved to Allentown where he at- tended the public school, until he became seven- teen years old and then he entered the silk mill and was employed there three years with this pre- liminary experience in the manufacture of silk he went to Philadelphia and secured employ- ment in the large silk works of Scherr Brothers, at Second and Diamond streets, and continued in this establishment seven years. Then he located at Macungie, in Lehigh county, and with the co-operation of others, organized a company for the manufacture of silk; and since then he has acted as general manager of the plant. (See chap. XIX, Borough of Macungie, Industries).
He is a member of the Artisan Order of Mutual Protection of Philadelphia, Isaac C. Underdown Assembly, No. 35; Perkiomen Lodge, No. 495, F. and A. M., at East Greenville, and Inde- pendent Order of Americans, at Allentown.
In 1902, Mr. Kleppinger was married to Elizabeth B. Haltman, a daughter of Hiram Haltman, of Philadelphia, and they have two sons, Edward and Charles.
His father, Amandus S. Kleppinger, is a native of old Zionsville, in Lehigh county, and there he has been engaged in farming, manufacturing cigars, and selling real-estate. He was married to Sallie A. Mechling, daughter of Anthony Mechling, of the same place, and they have two sons, Barton and G. Byron. His grandfather was Stephen Kleppinger, of Whitehall township, farmer, married to Elizabeth Anewalt, and had eight children.
KLINE FAMILY.
Philip Wendel Klein, the ancestor of this family, was a native of Germany, and emigrated to America on the ship Phoenix, arriving at Philadelphia on October 20, 1744. He settled in Weisenberg township, on a farm about a mile northeast of Seipstown. As early as 1746 his name appears in this section, and on Dec. 5, 1753, he secured a warrant for land, which he sold to his son, John Jacob, on Nov. 10, 1761. Philip Wendel Klein was one of the organizers of the Lutheran congregation at Ziegel church, where his name appears in 1750. His sons were: John Adam, John Jacob, Lorentz, and Peter.
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