Harmon and Joseph Kline

Andrew Eberly Family of Freedom Twp. Back row: Margaret (Austermiller), Christina (Knepley), Mary (Triplett), Katie (Walters), Emma (Kline); front row: Caroline (Rohrbaugh), Father Andrew, Mother Elizabeth (Schaeffer), Lizzie (Reimund).

Harmon Kline was born in Columbia Co., Pa., in 1800, and came with his family to Freedom Twp. about 1837. He purchased land just east of the present Kline Cemetery, and helped build the first little log school for the children in the area. He married in Pa. to Catherine Shipman, and had the following children, 7 born before coming to Freedom Twp. and the last 5 were born in the first log house built on their farm in Freedom Twp., Henry Co., Ohio. Daniel Shinaman, John Harmon, and Ben Holler were his near neighbors. Just when the new brick house was built is not recorded by the family records, but recently it has been purchased by Louis Landman and has been restored to its original beauty. The childred grew up, married, and left many descendants in Henry and Fulton Co. Their names were as follows: 1. Matthias called Pete Kline, born 1822, died 1898, married Eleanor Jane Markley, a daughter of George Markley and Catherine Ditto from Pa. - (8 children: Catherine married David Cameron; Elizabeth married Isaac Peters; Isaac married Elizabeth A. Burke; Timothy married Martha Vaness; John married Emma Eberly; George married Catherine Fink; Mathias called "Fide" married Emma Steele; and Phebe married James H. Steele); 2. Susannah Kline, born 1824, died 1893, married John Markley, son of George and Catherine (Ditto) Markley; 3. Harmon S. Kline, born 1827, died 1900, married Margaret Ann Lingle and Phebe J. Colwell; 4. John Kline, born 1829, died 1861, married Mary Gehrett; 5. Isaac Kline, born 1831, died 1861, married Elizabeth Gehrett; 6. Catherine Kline, born 1834, died 1850; 7. Sarah Kline, born 1836, Freedom Twp., died 1850; 8. Jacob, born 1838, died 1898, married Charlotte Haynes; 9. Lucinda Kline, born 1841, died 1925, married John Roddy; 10. Ellen Kline, born 1844, died 1875, married William Roddy; 11. George Kline, born 1846, died 1918, married Rosalia Bates; 12. Matilda Kline, born 1850, died 1929, married Jacob Van Pelt.

Of these children we have the following lineage of interest: 1. Francis Ditto, Revolutionary Soldier, died 1841 Seneca Co., Oh., served in the Penna. Militia, married Eleanor, daughter of Adam and Catherine Gift of Northumberland Co., Pa.; Eleanor died Mar. 1, 1855, age 96 years; 2. Catherine Ditto, married George Markley, of Penns. Twp. Union Co., Pa., and came to Ohio and died on the old Ridge Road farm north of Napoleon; 3. Eleanor Jane Markley, born 1828, died 1907, married Matthias "Pete" Kline; 4. John Kline, born 1858, died 1943, married Emma Eberly, born 1872, died 1932, a daughter of Andrew Eberly and Elizabeth Shaffer; 5. Ruth Kline, born 1905, died 1941, married John Frederick Gerken and lived in Gerald, Henry County, had 5 children; the youngest daughter - Marlene Gerken born 1935 is the wife of Russell W. Patterson, Napoleon, Oh. Joseph Kline, brother of Harmon Kline was born in 1807 in Columbia County, Pa. He followed his older brother to Freedom Twp. Henry County, Ohio, in 1848 and settled on the farm just west of his brother. The first burials in the Kline Cemetery were of Joseph Kline's wife, Sarah Whiteknight and the 2 daughters of Harmon Kline. A lovely white church was later built on the west side of the Kline Cemetery but many years ago was moved to a new location on North Fulton St. in Wauseon. It is used for worship by a Mexican religious group in 1973-75. Joseph's children all moved away from this area, except Abraham Kline who married Alice Jane Gibbs of Ridgeville Corners in 1871.

Harmon Kline House

Five children were born in the old homestead of Joseph Kline who had moved to Missouri: 1. Albert Kline, who was a successful veterinarian in Wauseon until his death 1945, married Elizabeth Swingle of Hicksville, Oh., no children, adopted Alta Ellen Viers; 2. Mabel C. Kline, born 1874, died 1965, married Ora H. Seaman, son of Harrison Seaman and Eudora Gray of N.Y. State, 5 children were born; 3. Selwyn Kline, died 1896, unmarried; 4. Wilbur Kline never married. He was with the Barnum-Bailey Circus Band many years; 5. Harry W. Kline, born 1887, died 1908, started lo practice veterinary medicine in Napoleon and died of pneumonia soon after opening his office.

A lineage of the Kline family is as follows: 1. Hermanus Kline, age 38 years resided in city of New Amsterdam, then was later called New York City, N.Y., in 1710 a son; 2. Hermanus Kline, had wife Anna Magdalena and 3 children in New Annesbury Camp, N.Y. State, 1715, later settled in New Jersey; 3. Hermanus Kline, eldest son left a will in Hunterdon Co., N.J. dated Aug. 1, 1777. No wife given, children were listed: Herman to have Dutch Bible; George (died before 1787); John; Abraham; Christeen wife of Tunis Hummer; Catherine wife of Jacob Keerheart (Gerheart); Mary wife of Henry Mead; Rachel wife of Joseph Bishop; and Sophia wife of George Cramer; and a son Isaac. Most of these children left N.J. and settled in central Pennsylvania; 4. Abraham Kline, born 1735, served in the Revolution from Hunter-don Co., N.J., married Charity Ann Kramer and had 6 children, the oldest - 5. Harman Kline, born 1760, died1832, served as Capt. in the Militia of Northumberland Co., Pa., 1795, married Diana Robbins, their son - 6. Harmon Kline, born 1778, married Susannah Gilbert and had 12 children. Susannah died about 1827 and Harmon Kline married 2nd Sarah Fox. They also had 12 children. Harmon Kline, born 1800, and Joseph Kline, born 1807, were by the first wife, and only 2 of the 24 children settled in Freedom Twp. Henry County, Ohio; 7. Joseph Kline, born 1807, died Missouri 1880, married Mary Crawford and had 5 children. He married 2nd Sarah Whiteknight and had 4 children, son - 8. Abraham Kline born in Penna., 1847, died in Colorado 1918, married 1st Alice Jane Gibbs and had 5 children, married 2nd Myrtle Stinchcomb and had 1 daughter; 9. Mabel Clair Kline, born 1874-1965, married Ora H. Seaman, born 1875 N.Y. and he died near Fayette, Ohio, in 1927, lived at Ridgeville Corners until 1909, when they moved to a farm west of Fayette, children - 1. Harold H. Seaman 1895, died 1963, married Emma Borton, 1 daughter Josie; 2. Harry A. Seaman, born 1897, married Geraldine Ledyard, and lives in West Unity, Oh., 1 daughter Rena Mae; 3. Harrison J. Seaman, born Ridgeville Corners, 1901, died in Wauseon, Oh., in 1968, served the area from 1926 to his death as a veterinarian, married 1926 to Vashti K. Harman, and had 3 children, Harrison Jr., Jayne, and Joanne; 4. Alice E. Seaman, born 1904, married Floyd May of Fayette, and had 3 children, Betty, James, and Elaine - married 2nd to Cyril Woods and lived in Napoleon (He died in 1959.) - married 3rd to Henry Stoll of Fostoria in 1968; 5. Harriet Seaman, born 1906, died 1967, married Henry Stoll of Wauseon, no children.

Mrs. Vashti Seaman

Ancestors of John Potts Gibbs who was born in N.J., 1815, died Ridgeville Corners 1888. 1. John Gibbs, a soldier of the Revolution, born 1741, died 1838, married Nancy Swayze and had a son. 2. Christopher Gibbs, born 1786, died 1837, New Hope, N.J., married Susanna Bunting, and had - 3. John Potts Gibbs settled in Ridgeville Twp., Henry County, married Catherine Mercer. John was born 1815, died 1888. Catherine was born 1815 and died 1904, and are buried at Ridgeville Corners. 4. Alice Jane Gibbs, born 1849, died 1894, married Abraham Kline, and were grandparents of Dr. Harrison J. Seaman of Wauseon, Ohio.

Submitted by Mrs. Vashti Seaman