THE CHILDREN OF
JOHN WESLEY KLINE
&
DORA TENA MYERS KLINE
Daniel F. - (1872 - 1948)
Caroline Elizabeth - (1874 - 1955)
Mary Jane - (1876 - 1955)
Christopher William - (1878 - 1928)
Mariah Margaret - (1880 - 1899)
Barnhart Albert - (1881 - 1927)
Minnie Ellen - (1883 - 1967)
Eliza Catherine - (1886 - 1967)
Emma Favority - (1888 - 1889)
John Wesley Jr. - (1890 - 1936)
CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM KLINE
(CHRIS, CHRIST, CHRISTY)
Born May 22, 1878, in Rockbridge, Hocking County, Ohio, Chris was the second son in the family. He was enumerated in the 1880 census with his parents in Good Hope Township, Hocking County, as a two year old, and again, in 1900 as a twenty-two year old. In 1900, he was single and working as a farm laborer, probably for his father. He was the oldest child at home, along with siblings, Barney, 18; Minnie, 14; Eliza, 14; John W. 10, and his nephew, Carl, 2, who was Daniel's son.
On October 28, 1903, he married Ida Venisha Bingham, a local girl, and for awhile, they also settled down in Good Hope Township.
Ida Bingham had a twin sister, Ettie, and they were the daughters of Samuel and Charlotte Bingham. Ida was approximately four years older than Christopher.
In September, 1904, the first of eight daughters was born - Leota May - and her sister, Elva Ellen followed the next year, arriving in October, 1905. Two more girls were born while the couple lived in Ohio:
Ethel Marie in April, 1907 and Gladys Virginia in May, 1909.
Sometime between Gladys' birth in May 1909 and the time of the 1910 census, the family moved to Leigh, Amelia County, Virginia.
By 1918, the family had moved back to Ohio and settled in the little village of Thurston in Fairfield County, Ohio. There, Chris filled out his World War I Draft Application on September 12.
He reported that he was 40 years old and was farming for Ernest Lamb of Pleasantville, Ohio. He described himself as of medium build, short, with blue eyes and brown hair.
The family's location for the 1920 census seemed to be the same, at the intersection of Thurston and Lancaster Roads. Christopher reported his age as 40 again! He was still working as a farm laborer.
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| Circa 1917 perhaps - Eunice looks about a year old and Jenny was not born. |
The last daughter was born in 1922, when Ida was 47 years old. She was named Edna Jenevieve and known as "Jenny."
Sadly, in 1928, Christopher Kline died, leaving his widow and five daughters still at home.
His obituary appeared in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette on February 18, 1928:
"DEATH FOLLOWS WEEKS' ILLNESS
The death of Christopher W. Kline, 49, occurred at ten-thirty today at his home at 415 Harrison Avenue, following a week's illness.
Besides the wife, there survive seven (eight) daughters as follows: Mrs. Leota Crow, Wooster, O.; Mrs. Elva Underwood, Lancaster; Mrs. Ralph Goss of Logan (Ethel); Misses Gladys, Gertrude, Dorothy, Eunice and Genevieve of the home; also two brothers, Daniel Kline of Indiana and John Kline of Lancaster, four sisters, Mrs. Callie Nutter of Logan; Mrs. Fred Bailey of Rockbridge; Mrs. Harry Schaffner of Basil; and Miss Eliza Kline of Rockbridge.
Funeral will be held Tuesday morning at ten o'clock at Fairfield Church of Hocking County with Rev. Dove of Thornville officiating. Burial in adjoining cemetery by J. V. Halteman, mortician"
Actually the burial took place at Fairview Methodist and he was buried in the adjoining cemetery beside many other Kline relatives.
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| www.findagrave.com |
In the 1930 census, Ida, 54, and girls were living at the same residence in Lancaster. Ida, no doubt by necessity, had a job in a shoe factory as a tongue sewer, but she reported that she was unemployed. Tragedy struck the family again as on May 21, Leota, the oldest daughter, died, followed in November by Ida herself. This left Gladys, 20 (who would marry in 1932), Dorothy, 16, Eunice, 13 and Jenny, 9 to fend for themselves.
