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©copyrighted 2000 by Alan J. Kimmerling



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HISTORY OF THE KIMMERLING FAMILY " Written Sept 4, 1927 By Wesley Kimmerling & Ada Hayes(daughter of Lee Kimmerling)



Somewhere in the German Empire and sometime in the latter half of the eighteenth century, parents were made very happy by the arrival of a baby boy in their home. This child grew, and was cherished and loved and all too soon came to be a young man.
While he was attaining manhood, a great strife arose between the French and the Germans due to differences in class, social standing, financial affairs and last but not least, their religious views.
The people of Germany were divided into several classes, according to religion, the outstanding ones being the Catholicism and the Christian religion. As to the social standing there were high and there were low classes of people. Whether this you man belonged to the high or whether he belonged to the low remains a mystery. However, it is known he came from a Christian home. This young man was no other than Great Grandfather Kimmerling.
Great Grandfather was an ordinary good liver in Germany. Sometime near the strife period between the French and the Germans, he married, -- Katherine Schofner being the bride. Eight children, five boys, and three girls, were born to this union namely, Louis, George, John, Fred, Abe,Katie, Elize and Leah. Louis, John, Fred and Katie were born in Germany.
At the close of the strife period, Great Grandfather was very much dissatisfied with the German rule. His own family along with sixty-two other dissatisfied families, planned an escape. They hired a captain, provioned a ship and prepared to set sail for America, where they might have freedom of speech and religious views.
When the day set to sail arrived, the captain could not be found. While wandering around looking for him, an old man sitting on a nearby porch called to Great Grandfather. It was soon found out through this old man that the captain had deceived these families and disposed of all their provisions. The second attempt to find him was successful and he was arrested. After promising the second time to take them across, the ship was provioned a second time and on June 13, 1818, sixty-three families set sail for American soil. After sailing for sixty-three day they landed at Baltimore Aug. 15, 1818.
Of course the sixty-three families did not all stay together but scattered, some going one place and some to another. Great Grandfather with his family settled somewhere in Pennsylvania, and in that state, six weeks after arriving in America, on the 26 day of September, George, or Grandfather Kimmerling was born.
Grandfather lived in Pennsylvania until somewhere between twelve and fifteen years of age when he came to Darke County, Ohio. While yet a boy his idea of blacksmithing was conceived when he wanted to make an ax for his father, so that he could cut a stick straight through without chipping it. So when he grew to be a young man he took up the blacksmith trade and served his prenticeship and journey work under a man named Moates.
On March 9, 1843 Grandfather married Katherine Ketring. Soon after, Mr. Moates died and they rented the kitchen of the Moates home. There they worked and toiled three years, taking their small earnings and buying two acres. After more toiling day after day they bought forty acres ajoining the two then making them a total of forty-two acres.
While living in Ohio, five children were born to Grandfather and Grandmother Kimmerling - Sarah Jane, Jan. 1, 1844; Katherine, May 5, 1845; Eliza, Oct. 28, 1847; John, Nov. 9, 1849; and James, Sept 6, 1851. Sarah Jane and Eliza spent most of their time until married working out on the place helping Grandfather while Katherine, who was not as strong as they, helped Grandmother with the home duties.
Great Grandfather & Great Grandmother passed away while they still lived in Ohio. They are buried near Palestine in Darke County in the cemetery at St. John's Church.
In 1852 or 1853 Grandfather came to Indiana looking for a place to buy. He came to this farm which he later purchased of William Benefiel and is now owned by Wesley Kimmerling. It contained 160 acres and was purchased for $1,400, which amount Grandfather furnished in gold. Then he with his family moved to this farm in the spring of 1853.
After moving to Indiana seven children were born to Grandfather and Grandmother Kimmerling making them in all twelve children. These were Leah, Sept. 29, 1853; Lania, Sept. 21, 1855; George, Oct. 21, 1857; Douglas, Jan. 5, 1860; Lafe, Jan. 14, 1863; Wesley, Feb. 2, 1866 and Lee, July 23, 1870.
Grandfather kept up the active blacksmith trade until he was near seventy-five years of age. More than once did he shoe a horse for twenty-five cents making the shoe himself. The old blacksmith shop stood near the road and while Grandfather was kept busy by almost every passerby, his boys tended the farm and Grandmother made worthwhile the comforts of home.
On Mar. 9, 1893, Grandfather and Grandmother Kimmerling celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Fifty years of hard, incessant wil had passed by. Many times in this fifty years did they fear for their lives, but always trusted in the One who heeds the sparrow.
On Feb. 12, 1894, Grandfather's companion was taken from him to the Home Beyond and he was left alone to fight the remaining days of his life's battle. When he grew too old and feeble to work in his shop, he made his home with his son, Wesley, and spent his time in reading the Bible and relating incidents of his early life. From these, this little history has been compiled.
In the last few years of Grandfathers life, he suffered with a dreaded cancer on his face, but all the while did not lose sight of the three great qualities of a true Christian - Faith, Hope and Charity. Grandfather departed for his Home Beyond on Jan. 17, 1908, at the age of 89 years, 3 months and 21 days. He was laid beside Grandmother in the Prewitt cemetery just one-half mile north of the old home place.
Of Grandfathers family of twelve children, only four are now living - James, Leah, George and Wesley. There have been fifty-eight grandchildren, and seventy-two great grandchildren making in all a total of one hundred forty-two descendents, one hundred fourteen of whom are now living Sept. 4, 1927. By Wesley Kimmerling & Ada Hayes



SURNAMES WE ARE RESEARCHING



All Under Kimmerling Ancestors

A ADAMS, APPLE, ASHTON
B BAILEY, BAKER, BANNISTER, BARBER, BELL, BENSON, BERNARDO, BILLINGSLY, BIRCHFIELD, BIRKINBINE, BLANER, BOETSCHNEIDER, BORDERS, BORGASON, BORGESON, BOUSLOG, BOWERS, BRACKIN, BRADDICK, BRADLEY, BROWN, BROYLES, BUCY, BUDD
C CARMEAN, CARPENTER, CARSON, CASSEL, CHALFANT, CHESLEY, CLARK, CLEVENGER, COIL, COLE, CONLEY, CONN, COOLEY, COOPER, COPELAND, COTTER, CRAWFORD
D DAVIS, DELAWTER, DELONG, DILLION, DIPBOYE, DUNCAN, DYKES
E ELLINGWOOD, ELLIS, ELLISON, ERFA, ETCHISON, EVANS
F FALK, FALLICE, FEIGHT, FESLER, FINNEY, FLOWER, FLOWERS, FOLAND, FORNEY, FRANCO, FRAZIER
G GAGLE, GDOWSKI, GEER, GIBBS, GILBREATH, GOEN, GOODROW, GOURLEY, GRIFFIN, GRIFFITH, GROSS, GUNNING
H HAESSLY, HAHN, HANNON, HARDIN, HARGROVE, HARLESS, HARRISON, HATCHER, HAWKINS, HAYES, HAYNES, HAYS, HENSLEY, HEPPEN, HERNDON, HETZER, HEWITT, HIATT, HIGHBARGHER, HILL, HILLIGOSS, HINES, HOLDER, HOOVER, HOWARD
J JARRETT, JOHNSON, JONES
K KEEVY, KETRING, KETTRING, KIMMERLING, KING
L LAYCOCK, LEGG, LEISURE, LEMOND, LITTLE, LONG, LOWERY
M MALLETTE, MANES, MAPLE, MARLER, MAUCK, McCLINTOCK, McCORD, McDONALD, McHARGUE, MILLER, MOORE, MORTON, MOYER, MUSSELMAN
N NAGEL, NOBLES, NORRIS
P PADDOCK, PASCHAL, PEARSON, PENCE, PERRA, PLATZ, POPE, POWELL, PRATER
R RAMSEY, RAY, REED, REEDER, REMMERT, RHODER, RIGGS, RITTENHOUSE, ROACH, ROTH, ROYAL, RUTLEDGE, RYAN
S SAMUELS, SANDERS, SAVAGE, SCHENDEL, SCHOFNER, SCOTT, SHEFFIELD, SHETTERY, SHOEMAKER, SIGER, SIGLER, SIMCOE, SMITH, SMOCK, SOMMER, STANLEY, STEPHEN, SULLIVIAN, SWICORD
T TEW, THOMAS, TIMMONS, TOBALD, TODD, TOMAS, TOMLINSON, TRAVIS, TRUEBLOOD, TRUITT
U UHART, UNDERWOOD
V VALCHEECK, VANCE
W WALKER, WALLACE, WEBB, WEDDELL, WEDELL, WILEY, WILKINS, WILLIFORD, WISE, WOODARD
Z ZAURI





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