Lloyd Ervin Troutman

M, #8649, b. 17 May 1881, d. 19 November 1961
  • Last Edited: 25 Mar 2007

Children of Lloyd Ervin Troutman and Beulah M. Straub

Citations

  1. [S336] Gratz Historical Society, A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania (Gratz, PA: Gratz Historical Society, 1997), p. 432. Hereinafter cited as Comprehensive History of Gratz.
  2. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 243. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  3. [S199] 1910 Census , Lykens Twp., Dauphin County, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1337; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 102; Image: 702.
  4. [S144] Elsie Mae Klinger Eaves. World Family Tree Vol. 4, Tree # 2801.

Charles Lloyd Troutman

M, #8651, b. 25 April 1911, d. 1996
  • Last Edited: 23 Dec 2019

Citations

  1. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), pp. 243, 271. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  2. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Allen R. Troutman, Republican and Herald (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), 20 Jan 1998, Tue, Page 2.

Margaret Viola Troutman

F, #8652, b. 18 October 1912, d. 19 June 2006
  • Last Edited: 28 Dec 2017
  • Margaret Viola Troutman was born on 18 October 1912, Klingerstown, Schuylkill County, PA.1,2
  • She was the daughter of Lloyd Ervin Troutman and Beulah M. Straub.
  • Margaret Viola Troutman married Leon Elwood Mattern, son of George Mattern and Carrie Eva Snyder, on 7 May 1932, Northumberland County, PA; Source lists place of marriage as "Urban, Dauphin," PA. Urban is in Northumberland County.3
  • Margaret Viola Troutman died on 19 June 2006, The Manor at Susquehanna Village, Millersburg, Dauphin County, PA, at age 93.2
  • Obituary in the Harrisburg Patriot-News:
    MILLERSBURG - Margaret V. Mattern, 93, a resident at the Manor at Susquehanna Village and formerly of 622 Union St. in Millersburg died Monday June 19, 2006 at the village.
    Mrs. Mattern was born in Klingerstown, PA on October 18, 1912, the daughter of the late Lloyd and Beulah (Straub) Troutman.
    She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Erdman; Margaret and her late husband Leon always participated in the Klinger's Church annual Dutch play and picnic.
    She was the widow of Leon E. Mattern who died in 1986.
    Surviving are two daughters, Romaine E. Erdman of Elizabethville and Dorene M. Hawley, husband of David of Millersburg; three grandsons, Gary and Randy Erdman, both of Elizabethville, and Ronald Mattern of Gratz; three granddaughters, Cindy Miller of Elizabethville, Susan Kahn of Marietta, GA, Debra Brosius of Harrisburg; 14 great grandchildren; five great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a son, Dale Mattern and one sister and two brothers.
    Private services at Hoover Funeral Homes, Inc., in Millersburg at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 23rd, 2006 with Rev. Jan Mills officiating. Interment at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Erdman. No viewing or visitation.
    Memorial donations may be made to her church at P.O. Box 71, Klingerstown, PA 17941. To sign the on line guest book go to hooverfuneralhomes.com. www.pennlive.com/obits
    Published in the Patriot-News from 6/20/2006 - 6/21/2006.2
  • She was buried on 23 June 2006, at Zion (Klinger's) Church Cemetery, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.2

Children of Margaret Viola Troutman and Leon Elwood Mattern

Citations

  1. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), pp. 243, 271. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  2. [S350] Mattern, Margaret V., Obituary, Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA, June 20, 2006. Hereinafter cited as Margaret V. Mattern Obituary.
  3. [S1206] Pennsylvania County Register of Wills Offices, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968 (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2016), Film Number: 000021207. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968.

Leon Elwood Mattern1

M, #8653, b. 16 October 1912, d. 29 April 1986
  • Last Edited: 5 Mar 2024
  • Leon Elwood Mattern is also referred to as Lem in some sources.
  • He was born on 16 October 1912, Northumberland County, PA.3,1
  • He was the son of George Mattern and Carrie Eva Snyder.2
  • In 1920, Leon was living with his grandparents, Elias and Ellamina Snyder in Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County, PA.4
  • Leon Elwood Mattern married Margaret Viola Troutman, daughter of Lloyd Ervin Troutman and Beulah M. Straub, on 7 May 1932, Northumberland County, PA; Source lists place of marriage as "Urban, Dauphin," PA. Urban is in Northumberland County.2
  • Leon Elwood Mattern died on 29 April 1986, Millersburg, Dauphin County, PA, at age 73.5,6,7
  • Newspaper obituary:
    Leon E. Mattern, 73, retired carpenter
    MILLERSBURG - Leon E. Mattern, 73, of 622 Union St., died Tuesday at his home.
    He was a retired carpenter and construction superintendent for John Stapf Inc; a member of Zion Lutheran Church and its choir; American Legion; and Carpenters Union Local 287.
    He is survived by his wife, Margaret T; two daughters, Romayne E. Erdman of Elizabethville and Dorene M. Hawley of Millersburg; a son, Dale R. of Millersburg; four sisters, Olive Weller, Leila Carl and Lura Walkinshaw, all of Hebe, and Dorothy Wolf of Herndon; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
    The funeral will be conducted Friday in Millersburg.
    The Daily Item, April 30, 1986, Page 8.7
  • He was buried on 2 May 1986, at Zion (Klinger's) Church Cemetery, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.6

Children of Leon Elwood Mattern and Margaret Viola Troutman

Citations

  1. [S1207] United States Selective Service System, online www.ancestry.com, United States Selective Service System (The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis), downloaded 2011.
  2. [S1206] Pennsylvania County Register of Wills Offices, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968 (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2016), Film Number: 000021207. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968.
  3. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), part 2, p. 299. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  4. [S192] 1920 US Census, Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1611; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 141.
  5. [S350] Mattern, Margaret V., Obituary, Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA, June 20, 2006. Hereinafter cited as Margaret V. Mattern Obituary.
  6. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Klinger's Church History, part 2, p. 267.
  7. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Leon E. Mattern, The Daily Item, April 30, 1986, Page 8. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/… : accessed March 5, 2024).

Alma Mae Troutman

F, #8654, b. 25 June 1915, d. 16 December 2002
  • Last Edited: 23 Dec 2019

Children of Alma Mae Troutman and Raymond Clayton Bechtel

Citations

  1. [S192] 1920 US Census, Lykens Twp., Dauphin County, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1557; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 120; Image: 1131.
  2. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), pp. 243, 270-71. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  3. [S336] Gratz Historical Society, A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania (Gratz, PA: Gratz Historical Society, 1997), pp. 347, 432. Hereinafter cited as Comprehensive History of Gratz.
  4. [S805] Find A Grave, online www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54735652/alma-m-bechtel. Hereinafter cited as Find A Grave.
  5. [S336] Gratz Historical Society, Comprehensive History of Gratz, p. 432.
  6. [S1206] Pennsylvania County Register of Wills Offices, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968 (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2016), https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968.
  7. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Raymond Bechtel, Pottsville Republican (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), 17 May 1994, Tue, Page 2.
  8. [S970] Www.ancestry.com, online www.ancestry.com, Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll

Raymond Clayton Bechtel

M, #8655, b. 10 April 1915, d. 15 May 1994
  • Last Edited: 23 Dec 2019
  • Raymond Clayton Bechtel was born on 10 April 1915, Elizabethville, Dauphin County, PA.2,3
  • He was the son of Clayton Bechtel and Margaret Harman.1
  • Raymond Clayton Bechtel married Alma Mae Troutman, daughter of Lloyd Ervin Troutman and Beulah M. Straub, on 11 June 1938, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA.4,1
  • Raymond Clayton Bechtel died on 15 May 1994, Polyclinic Hospital, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA, at age 79.2,3
  • Newspaper obituary:
    Raymond Bechtel
    Raymond "Teen" BechteL 79, of RD1 Lykens, died Sunday in Polyclinic Medical Center, Harrisburg.
    Born in Elizabethville, April 10, 1915, he was a son of the late Clayton S. and Margaret Harman Bechtel.
    He was a retired steam fitter and a member of Local 520 United Association Plumbers and Steamfitters, Harrisburg.
    Mr. Bechtel was a member of Valley Bible Church, Lykens.
    Surviving are his wife, the former Alma M. Troutman; two sons, Glenn, Pine Brook, N.J., and Terry, Chantilly, Va; a daughter, Beverly Esterline, Lykens; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.
    Services will be held at 1 p.nv Wednesday from Hoover Funeral Home, Elizabethville. Interment will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Elizabethviille.
    Pottsville Republican (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), 17 May 1994, Tue, Page 2.3
  • He was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Elizabethville, Dauphin County, PA.2

Children of Raymond Clayton Bechtel and Alma Mae Troutman

Citations

  1. [S1206] Pennsylvania County Register of Wills Offices, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968 (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, 2016), https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1852-1968.
  2. [S805] Find A Grave, online www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54735624/…. Hereinafter cited as Find A Grave.
  3. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Raymond Bechtel, Pottsville Republican (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), 17 May 1994, Tue, Page 2.
  4. [S336] Gratz Historical Society, A Comprehensive History of the Town of Gratz Pennsylvania (Gratz, PA: Gratz Historical Society, 1997), p. 432. Hereinafter cited as Comprehensive History of Gratz.
  5. [S970] Www.ancestry.com, online www.ancestry.com, Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll

Thomas E. Troutman

M, #8656, b. 1920, d. 1953
  • Last Edited: 2 Jul 2005
  • Thomas E. Troutman was born in 1920.1
  • He was the son of Lloyd Ervin Troutman and Beulah M. Straub.
  • Thomas E. Troutman died in 1953, drowned in Shamokin Dam.1
  • He was buried at Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.2

Citations

  1. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), pp. 243, 271. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  2. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. II, p. 313. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.

Pliney Plato Klinger

M, #8663, b. 3 September 1885, d. 1928
  • Last Edited: 21 Oct 2006
  • Pliney Plato Klinger was born on 3 September 1885.1,2
  • He was the son of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • Pliney Plato Klinger was baptized on 20 September 1885, Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.2
  • He married Emma Jane Deibert, daughter of Emanuel W. Deibert and Amelia Jane Shade.
  • Pliney Plato Klinger died in 1928.
  • He was buried at Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.3

Children of Pliney Plato Klinger and Emma Jane Deibert

Citations

  1. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), pp. 244, 246, 297, 302-03. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  2. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. 2, p. 173. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  3. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Klinger's Church History, pt. 2, p. 297.

Clarence Ray Klinger

M, #8664, b. 8 February 1889, d. 14 October 1918
  • Last Edited: 6 Mar 2020
  • Clarence Ray Klinger was born on 8 February 1889, Shamokin, Northumberland County, PA.1
  • He was the son of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • At the time he completed his draft registration card for WWI, Clarence was a telegraph operator for the NY Central RR in Jersey City, NJ. At the time of the 1910 Census, Clarence was living in Richmond County, NY, with his brother John (who was also a telegraph operator) and John's wife Gertrude.1,2
  • On April 4, 1918, Clarence was inducted into the Army and assigned to Company M, 326th Regiment, 82nd Division, was set sail from New York bound for Europe on April 29, 1918, aboard the Mauretania. Clarence was a private. The Regiment arrived at Le Harve, France on May 17th. Beginning in October, 1918, the Regiment participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, one of the largest operations of the war.3,4,5
  • Clarence Ray Klinger died on 14 October 1918, France at age 29. On December 27, 1918, the Harrisburg Telegraph reported that Clarence was killed in action. Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 27 Dec 1918, Fri, Page 7.6,7,8
  • He was buried at Zion (Klinger's) Lutheran Church Cemetery, Erdman, Dauphin County, PA.9,10

Citations

  1. [S905] United States Selective Service System, online www.ancestry.com, United States Selective Service System (Provo, UT), downloaded January 6, 2012, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll('https://www.ancestry.com/search/','successSource').
  2. [S199] 1910 Census , Richmond Ward 5, Richmond County, New York; Roll: T624_1072; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 1328; FHL microfilm: 1375085; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  3. [S970] Www.ancestry.com, online www.ancestry.com, U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939; Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 494;
    https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  4. [S1344] 326th Infantry Regiment, online https://military.wikia.org/wiki/…). Hereinafter cited as 326th Infantry Regiment.
  5. [S1345] Meuse-Argonne Offensive, online https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Meuse-Argonne_Offensive. Hereinafter cited as Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
  6. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 244. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  7. [S970] Www.ancestry.com, New York, Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  8. [S107] Newspaper Article, "2,257 Names On Casualty Lists," Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 27 Dec 1918, Fri, Page 7.
  9. [S805] Find A Grave, online www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144075063/…. Hereinafter cited as Find A Grave.
  10. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), Part II, pp. 236, 293. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.

Beulah Klinger

F, #8665, b. 29 March 1893, d. 24 July 1953
  • Last Edited: 6 Mar 2020
  • Beulah Klinger was born on 29 March 1893.1
  • She was the daughter of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • Beulah Klinger died on 24 July 1953, Klingerstown, Schuylkill County, PA, at age 60.2,3
  • Newspaper obituary:
    Miss Beulah Klinger, 60, Dies In Sleep
    Miss Beulah Klinger, 60, lifetime resident of Klingerstown, died in her sleep Friday afternoon at the home of her nephew, Marlin Klinger, of that place. She had begun a short rest at 3:30 p. m. and when the family tried to awaken her at 5 o'clock, it was found that she had expired. Death was due to a heart condition from which she had been suffering in mild form for some time.
    Born March 29, 1893, the daughter of the late John and Sarah Dietz Klinger, she was in the general merchandise business in Klingerstown for the past quarter century. She was a member of Klinger's Lutheran Church at Erdman.
    Surviving are two brothers and a sister: John Klinger, Sacramento; Oliver Klinger, of New Jersey, and Mrs. Minnie Romberger, Valley View. A brother, Austin Klinger, of Sacramento, preceded her in death by nearly three months, having passed away May 1 of this year.
    Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Monday from' the Rothermel Funeral Home in Klingerstown R. D., continued in Klinger's Lutheran and Reformed Church. Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery at Erdman. Rev. Kenneth Sharp, Lutheran minister of Hegins, will officiate. Friends may call at the funeral home Sunday evening.
    The Daily Item (Sunbury, Pennsylvania), 25 Jul 1953, Sat, Page 3.3
  • She was buried on 27 July 1953, at Zion (Klinger's) Lutheran and Reformed Church Cemetery, Erdman, Dauphin County, PA.3
  • She was unmarried.2

Citations

  1. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. 2, p. 179. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  2. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 244. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  3. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Beulah Klinger, The Daily Item (Sunbury, Pennsylvania), 25 Jul 1953, Sat, Page 3.

Bertha Sula Klinger

F, #8666, b. 7 March 1897, d. 7 March 1950
  • Last Edited: 6 Mar 2020
  • Bertha Sula Klinger was born on 7 March 1897.1
  • She was the daughter of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • Bertha Sula Klinger was baptized on 18 April 1897, Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.1
  • She married Charles R. Wiest, son of John Andrew Wiest and Amelia Daniels, on 27 November 1915, Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.2
  • At the time of the 1920 Census, Charles and Bertha. along with their two children, "Lauretta" and Arthur, were living in the western portion of Hegins Township, Schuylkill County, where Charles was a coal miner.3
  • Bertha Sula Klinger died on 7 March 1950, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA, at age 53.4,5
  • Newspaper obituary:
    MRS. CHARLES R. WIEST
    Mrs. Bertha S. Wiest, age 53 years, wife of Charles R. Wiest, died at her home in Harrisburg March 7.
    Mrs. Wiest was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Klinger, and was a native of Hubley Townhip, Schuylkill County.
    Survivors are her husband, and the following children, Loretta Wiest Quinlon, Mrs. Paul Kirkpatrick, Russell and Arthur Wiest, all of Harrisburg; and three grandchildren.
    Other survivors are two sisters and three brothers, Mrs. Minnie Romberger, Valley View; Mrs. Beulah Klinger, Klingerstown; Austin Klinger of Sacramento; John Klinger, of Staten Island, New York, and Oliver Klinger, Bayonne, New Jersey.
    Services were held from the Buffington Funeral Home, Valley View, Saturday afternoon, with further services in Klinger's Union Church at Erdman. Rev. Dr. D. I. Sultzbach, pastor of the Sacramento Lutheran Parish officiated and interment was made in the church cemetery.
    Elizabethville Echo (Elizabethville, Pennsylvania), 16 Mar 1950, Thu, Page 1.5
  • She was buried at Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.

Children of Bertha Sula Klinger and Charles R. Wiest

Citations

  1. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. 2, p. 180. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  2. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Klinger's Church History, pt. 2, p. 226.
  3. [S192] 1920 US Census, Hegins Twp., Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1649; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 41; Image: 1135.
  4. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), pp. 244, 247, 252. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  5. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Bertha S. Wiest, Elizabethville Echo (Elizabethville, Pennsylvania), 16 Mar 1950, Thu, Page 1.

Austin Arthur Klinger

M, #8667, b. 1 October 1899, d. 1 May 1953
  • Last Edited: 14 Jun 2021
  • Austin Arthur Klinger was born on 1 October 1899, Hubley Township, Schuylkill County, PA.1,2
  • He was the son of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • Austin Arthur Klinger was baptized on 7 January 1900, Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.1
  • He married Carrie M. Clark.
  • Austin founded an automobile garage in Sacramento, PA, that after his death was sold to his nephew, Harlan Klinger, of Klingerstown. The history of Klinger Chevrolet is recounted in the following newspaper article:
    For a great automobile, visit Klinger Chevrolet
    Sacramento dealer has sold cars for 77 years
    Located in Sacramento in western Schuylkill County is Klinger Chevrolet, an auto dealership that has been owned and run by the Klinger family since the 1920s.
    For more than 77 years and four generations, the Klinger family has been serving this small community. Small towns like Hegins, Valley View and Spring Glen are some of the nearest bordering villages.
    It all started in 1925 with a man named Austin A. Klinger, who ran a small blacksmith shop near his home in Sacramento. The automobile was starting to be quite common and they constantly needed repair.
    He decided to attend a school to learn how to repair the new vehicles. The repair trade went well for Austin, and as time passed more and more people wanted one of the new machines. This led to Austin selling new automobiles.
    In the early 1920s, there was no such thing as going down to your nearest car dealership and buying a car. A request was made by an individual and Austin would have to locate a new model any way he could.
    There were few distributors around where a person could get a new model. One such distributor was Earl Stoyer in Schuylkill Haven; a lot of Chevrolet and Oldsmobile models were first purchased there and then resold to retail customers by Austin. Austin sold most any make and model of the period by this method, Fords, Chevrolets, even models called the Graham Paige and the Jewett. Most anything he could get a hold of was sold from his small blacksmith's shop.
    Consumers might as well have purchased their automobiles anywhere they could, be cause new cars had no warranty whatsoever, but still needed continuous service, often the same day it was purchased. So they needed a nearby mechanic to keep them running.
    This method of sales continued until 1932, when Austin was offered a Chevrolet Oldsmobile franchised dealership. There were also a few more Chevrolet dealerships placed in the region, in Hegins, Valley View and even Spring Glen.
    At this point, Austin was able to get new cars and trucks direct from the factory and in 1934, he constructed a new building across the street from his blacksmith's shop to serve as the new dealership.
    "Factory direct" did not mean cars were dropped off at his front door. Austin and his employees had to drive to the factories to pick up the new models, and they had to take tools, oil and even new tires along, because on the way home these cars would suffer breakdowns and flat tires.
    Later on, new models were delivered by train to the station in Joliett, They came in enclosed boxcars, mostly loaded two tiers high.
    Unloading the cars was part of the dealership's responsibility. Chain hoists would have to be worked by hand in these tight boxcars, and on a warm day this would be quite a chore.
    As time progressed, car selling developed into much as it is today, until the advent of World War II. Most of the automobile factories converted over to supply machinery to the war effort, and, from 1942 to 1945, new cars were very hard to come by.
    Once the war was over, there was a slow startup from the factories to get new vehicles back in the mainstream. The public wanted new cars and they were still hard to come by.
    Like most dealerships, Austin started a sort of lottery system under which a consumer would put his name in for a model and Austin would notify him when one arrived. This made for many a disheartened soul, because three to four people wanted the same car and he knew someone was going to get upset. But to get through this period, he gave up the Oldsmobile line and went on to remain one of the few surviving Chevrolet dealerships in western Schuylkill County.
    Austin pursued his career in the automobile business into the 1950s and built a home next to the dealership, until his health suffered and he retired from Klinger Chevrolet in 1953. Tim Klinger, the current owner of Klinger Chevrolet, says we still have some of the older clientele speak very highly of "Old Aust," as they called him, and they remember fondly his hearty laugh.
    In 1953, the dealership was left without a captain. With two other family members, Carl and Paul Klinger, nephews of Austin, already working there, a decision was made to bring Harlan Klinger, Carl and Paul's father, in as the dealership's owner. The three of them continued to service and sell new and used Chevrolets through the 1950s and 1960s.
    This period of time offered some of the most exotic trends in Chevrolet's history. As we all remember the 1957 Impala Bel Air, a very sought-after car today, was rather hard to retail back in 1957.
    Harlan and his sons worked together until 1966. As Harlan's heath failed him, Carl took over the reins as dealer, and did most of the sales, and Paul was in charge of service. So yet again another period of Klinger Chevrolet's commitment to the community began.
    The late '60s and '70s brought us big, almost mammoth type vehicles from Detroit. Caprice and Chevelle Super Sport were two of the models. Big engines as well as big cars were the norm from Chevrolet.
    In the late '70s to early '80s, a time of fuel conservation began, and cars were sold with names like Chevette and Citation. These were demanding times for the Klingers because of the shift from big vehicles to smaller, more economical models.
    Time moved on and the Klingers persevered by offering both an excellent good product and superior service. As Tim, the present owner, states, that has always been our mainstay, great service from a small town atmosphere.
    Tim Klinger, a son of Carl, began poking around the store at age 12 and was offered a part-time job of sorts by his father. He still remembers the offer his dad gave him: "We will pay you 25 cents an hour to help wash cars and sweep floors."
    Tim still remembers his first paycheck.
    "$5.75 was my first paycheck, and at that time, in 1972, I had never had that much money at one time. I felt great."
    Things developed from there for Tim. During his high school years he attended the Schuylkill Vocational-Technical School in Frackville and trained as an auto technician. Tim saw the change that was taking place in vehicles, noticed the area of basic mechanical systems was changing to electronics and wanted to help out his father in the family business.
    After high school graduation Tim entered the work force full time with his father and uncle at the dealership. Tim recalls that he and his Uncle Paul working side by side in the service bays was one of the most memorable times of his life. Shortly after that, while still working service, his father asked him to try to sell a few of the models.
    Tim still recalls the first car he sold, a 1974 Ford Maverick. Tim thought this was great: not only would he fix them, he could sell them too. Tim began to get involved with all aspects of the dealership. Now, not only did he pursue sales and service, but also developed a full understanding of parts, finance, employee relations.
    In 1995, his father came to Tim and suggested he would like to turn the store over to him. Tim did not have to think too long, and was more than happy to take on the responsibility. Since taking over the reins, Tim has done some vast upgrades to his facility Submitted Photo cars and will service them after and kept abreast of the ever-changing trends in the industry.
    At age 42, Tim already brings 24 years of experience to his customers. Tim is surrounded by quality personnel that can help any customers needs. Klinger's is a full-service dealership. In sales, one will find a fine selection of new and used vehicles, a full line of financing to meet everyone's needs and both traditional buying and leasing.
    As well, the service department is one a person will find courteous and helpful, and will get the job done right the first time. Service loaner vehicles are offered to all who purchase there at no charge. Klinger's is also a store that sells new Corvettes; Tim notes that not all Chevrolet stores offer them.
    He says, "It's a small town. We have to treat our people right, and I believe that has been that reason for our longevity in this area." And Tim states that this business, the car business, is like the family farm to him and would like to keep it intact. And yes, Tim has some children coming along that may one day also , carry on the family tradition.
    As of today, Klinger's sells cars all over Schuylkill County as well as having some devoted customers throughout the state who keep coming back. Klinger's would welcome any opportunity to prove itself to someone new.
    Republican and Herald (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), 22 Feb 2002, Fri, Page 84.
    Some time after about 2008, the business closed.3
  • Austin Arthur Klinger died on 1 May 1953, Good Samaritan Hospital, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, PA, at age 53.4,2,5
  • He was buried on 4 May 1953, at Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.5,6
  • Newspaper obituary:
    AUSTIN KLINGER
    Austin Klinger, age 53 years, automobile dealer and garage owner of Sacramento, died in a Pottsville hospital on Friday.
    He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Klinger and was a member of the Lutheran Church.
    Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Carrie Clark Klinger, one daughter, Carol, at home; two sisters, Beulah Klinger, of Klingerstown, and Mrs. Minnie Romberger of Valley View; and two brothers, John Klinger of Sacramento, and Oliver Klinger of Bayonne, New Jersey.
    Services were held from the Buffington Funeral Home, Valley View, Monday afternoon with further services in Klinger's Church at Erdman. Rev. Dr. D. I. Sultzbach, pastor of the Sacramento Lutheran Parish, and Rev. Paul W. Yoh, pastor of the Hegins Reformed Charge officiated and interment was made in the church cemetery.
    Elizabethville Echo (Elizabethville, Pennsylvania), 07 May 1953, Thu, Page 1.6

Children of Austin Arthur Klinger and Carrie M. Clark

Citations

  1. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. 2, p. 182. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  2. [S752] Phillip A Rice, compiler, Death and Burial Records of the Buffington-Reed Funeral Home Valley View, PA (Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 2006), p. 75. Hereinafter cited as Buffington-Reed Funeral Home Records.
  3. [S107] Newspaper Article, "For a great automobile, visit Klinger Chevrolet," Republican and Herald (Pottsville, Pennsylvania), 22 Feb 2002, Fri, Page 84.
  4. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 247. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  5. [S1062] Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1967 (Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Department of Health), Certificate Number: 47948; Filed: May 5, 1953;
    https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, Death Certificates.
  6. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Austin Klinger, Elizabethville Echo (Elizabethville, Pennsylvania), 07 May 1953, Thu, Page 1.

Cleon Claud Klinger

M, #8668, b. 30 November 1891, d. 16 October 1931
  • Last Edited: 6 Mar 2020
  • Cleon Claud Klinger was born on 30 November 1891.1
  • He was the son of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • Cleon Claud Klinger was baptized on 31 January 1892, Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.1
  • He married Ruth Fitzpatrick.2
  • Cleon Claud Klinger died on 16 October 1931, Mt. Alto Sanitarium, Mont Alto, Franklin County, PA, at age 39.3,2
  • He was buried on 19 October 1931, at Zion (Klinger's) Lutheran and Reformed Church Cemetery, Erdman, Dauphin County, PA.2
  • Newspaper obituary:
    Trevorton Man Succumbed Fri. At Sanatorium
    Well Known Young Man Dies After Lingering Illness of Several Years Buried Today.
    Cleon Klinger, formerly of Trevorton, died of pulmonary tuberculosis at the Mt. Alto Sanitarium last Friday afternoon. Mr. Klinger was stricken some years ago and was under treatment ever since. A times there seemed to be an improvement in his condition but last week he took a turn for the worse, the end coming peacefully on Friday.
    The body was removed to the home of the father, John Klinger, of Klingerstown, from which place the funeral was held at 1:00 this afternoon, interment being made at Klinger's Reformed and Lutheran Church. Fearnot [Erdman], Pa.
    Mr. Klinger is survived by his wife (nee Ruth Fitzpatrick) of Trevorton; his father, John Klinger, of Klingerstown, and the following brothers and sisters: Oliver C, of Bayonne, N. J; John, of Staten Island. N. Y; Mrs. Minnie Romberer, of Fearnot; Austin, of Valley View; Mrs. Bertha Wiest, of Valley View, and Beulah, at home.
    Shamokin Daily News (Shamokin, Pennsylvania), 19 Oct 1931, Mon, Page 1.2

Citations

  1. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. 2, p. 177. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  2. [S108] Newspaper Obituary, for Cleon Klinger, Shamokin Daily News (Shamokin, Pennsylvania), 19 Oct 1931, Mon, Page 1.
  3. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 244. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.

Infant Daughter Klinger

F, #8669, b. 22 September 1897, d. 22 September 1897
  • Last Edited: 21 Oct 2006
  • Infant Daughter Klinger died on 22 September 1897.1
  • She was born on 22 September 1897.1
  • She was the daughter of John S. Klinger and Sarah Dietz.
  • Infant Daughter Klinger was buried at Zion (Klinger's) Church Cemetery, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.1

Citations

  1. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), pt. 2, p. 295. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.

Adeline Klinger

F, #8670, b. 16 September 1847, d. 28 February 1919
  • Last Edited: 5 Apr 2021
  • Adeline Klinger is also referred to as Adaline in some sources.1
  • She was born on 16 September 1847.2,3
  • She was the daughter of Samuel Klinger and Balinda Savidge.
  • Some sources record that Adeline Klinger was born in 1848.3
  • Some sources record that Adeline Klinger was born in 1849, Wiconisco, Dauphin County, PA.4,1
  • She married Moses W. Strohecker, son of William Strohecker and Sarah Wiest.
  • In 1880, Adaline and Moses were living in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA, where their household included 2 children, Eva E., and John A.5
  • In the 1900 and 1910 Census listings, Adaline is shown as a patient at the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, PA. She is listed as married.6,7
  • Adeline Klinger died on 28 February 1919, Pennsylvania State Hospital, Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, PA, at age 71.2,4,3
  • She was buried on 1 March 1919, at Zion (Klinger's) Lutheran and Reformed Church Cemetery, Erdman, Dauphin County, PA.3,2,8

Child of Adeline Klinger

  • Emma J. Clark b. 9 Oct 1868, d. 16 Feb 1878

Children of Adeline Klinger and Moses W. Strohecker

  • Eva Elizabeth Strohecker9 b. 9 May 1874, d. 26 Sep 1943
  • John Alfred Strohecker10 b. 27 Jul 1877, d. 7 Feb 1941
  • Sallie Belinda Strohecker1 b. c 2 May 1881, d. 7 Dec 1937
  • Hannah E. Strohecker+11 b. 25 Jul 1883, d. 1 Feb 1958

Citations

  1. [S752] Phillip A Rice, compiler, Death and Burial Records of the Buffington-Reed Funeral Home Valley View, PA (Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 2006), p. 20. Hereinafter cited as Buffington-Reed Funeral Home Records.
  2. [S1062] Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1967 (Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Department of Health), Certificate Number: 21711; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll. Hereinafter cited as Pennsylvania, Death Certificates.
  3. [S805] Find A Grave, online www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29857317/…. Hereinafter cited as Find A Grave.
  4. [S78] Mary K. Klinger, Klingers from the Odenwald, Hesse, Germany (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1989), p. 353. Hereinafter cited as Klingers from the Odenwald.
  5. [S191] 1880 U.S. Census, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1124; Page: 59B; Enumeration District: 106; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  6. [S285] 1900 U.S. Census, Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1241403; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  7. [S199] 1910 Census , Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania; Page: 4; Roll: T624_1337; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 0114; FHL microfilm: 1375350; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  8. [S147] Irwin R. Klinger, Zion (Klinger's) Church History (Erdman, PA: Zion (Klinger's) Church, 1987), Part 2, p. 311. Hereinafter cited as Klinger's Church History.
  9. [S1062] Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates.
  10. [S1062] Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, Certificate Number: 21016; Filed: February 11, 1941; https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll
  11. [S805] Find A Grave, online www.findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/134921156/…