Beulah Gladys Kline
Gladys was the middle child of five siblings, two years younger than her sister Winnie. She and her older sister Annie both married Sheffer brothers and lived in Emlenton. William Otis Branfield Sheffer, Gladys' husband, and J. Austin Sheffer, Annie's husband, were sons of George M. Sheffer and Sarah Elenore Myers Sheffer. Stella was their sister.
Gladys had two children, a boy and a girl. William Otis Branfield Sheffer, named for his father, was 3 years older than his sister Dorothy Kline Sheffer. Gladys' husband died in 1922 when the children were very young; Branny was four and Dorothy was one. Gladys lived in Emlenton as a single mother for a couple years, but in the third year her health deteriorated and she stayed with her sister Winnie for a time.
Gladys fell out of a cherry tree and hit the back of her head. Nothing was thought of it at the time, but she eventually began to behave erratically. One day she failed to wake up until she heard the church bells ringing at 2 p.m. for Ladies Aid meeting. Another time she dressed her children in each other's clothes. One morning her son ran to get a neighbor for help; Gladys was under the bed, unclothed.
Gladys' sister Winnie, now married to Elgie Beals, had Gladys and her two children stay with them for a while. They sent Gladys to a sanatorium at Mercer, but she acted normally while there so no analysis was made. One doctor treated her for "blood too thick". She had one or more convulsions while staying at the Beals farm, and eventually went into a coma. The Pittsburgh cousins (children of Aunt Mary Frederick Dietrich) came up and insisted that something be done for her, so a Dr. Siggins from Rouseville was sent for. Gladys died as he was coming in the lane to the farm house. Dr. Siggins said he had had a brother who fell from a barn roof and died the same way, and that Gladys probably had a blood clot on her brain. An autopsy revealed this to be the case, a many-layered clot "the size of an English walnut."
Gladys died in 1925 when Branfield was seven years old and Dorothy was four. The children continued to stay for a time with their Aunt Winnie Beals' family, and then for a time with Aunt Annie Sheffer's family.
In 1928 Branfield was ten years old. He drowned in the Allegheny River where he and a few friends had gone to swim under the Emlenton bridge. He is buried in the Sheffer plot at Emlenton cemetery. Aunt Stella Sheffer thereafter kept Dorothy with her. She and her husband, Silas Wonderling, took Dorothy with them out of state to various construction sites where Mr Wonderling was working, including the Hoover Dam project. When Aunt Stella died, Dorothy stayed with her Grandpa Sheffer back in Emlenton. Eventually he was appointed her guardian, to keep her from state custody, until she married at about age sixteen.
(Emlenton, Pennsylvania)
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 28 Nov 1890 | Richland Twp.,Venango Co., PA | [5][11] | |
| Marriage | 3 Apr. 1916 | Oil City, PA | To William Otis Branfield Sheffer | [5][9] |
| Death | 19 Jul 1925 | home of Winnifred May Kline Beals Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA |
[9] |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 3 Generation 4 Generation 5
+-- Henry Kline
| (1827-1875)
+-- John Abram Kline ------+
| (1857-1915) |
Beulah Gladys Kline --+ +-- Anna Catherine Howe
(1890-1925) | (1830-1890)
+-- Elizabeth Anna Frederick
(1865-1921)
Sources: [9]
Children
(all children with William Otis Branfield Sheffer)
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infant Sheffer | ? | 1917 | none - died at birth | d. 1917 | [11] | |
| William Otis Branfield Sheffer | M | 18 May 1918 | none- died at age 10 | died 13 Sept. 1928 | [9][11] | |
| Dorothy Kline Sheffer | F | 26 Feb 1921 | married 26 Apr 1953 to Edward Ennis Barry (b. 5 June 1914 - d. 9 Oct 1990) |
died 15 Mar 1988 | [9][11]
|
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Twp, Venango Co. PA | 1890 - 1916, with parents | [1][2][9] | |
| Emlenton, PA | 1916 - 1925 death | [3][9] |
Photo Gallery
.jpg)
Portraits and Klein family photos: photographers & dates unknown, provided by Ella Beals Wilson
Photo of John Frederick & George Mansfield Sheffer with grandchildren provided by Ed Barry
,_Emlenton_Cem.jpg)
Sources
| Ref. Num. | Description | Image of original |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1900 United States Federal Census, Richland Township, Venango County, PA, Enumeration District 162, Page 9, lines 22-27 lists John Kline, 43, married to Ella Kline, 35. They live with four children: daughter Annie Kline, 14; daughter Winnie Kline, 12; daughter Gladys Kline, 9; and son Frederick Kline, 2. John and Ella Kline are listed as having been married for 15 years. Ella Kline has given birth to four children, all of whom are still living. Everyone was born in PA along with John Kline's parents. Ella Kline's parents were born in Germany. John Kline is listed as a farmer. Everyone can read, write, and speak English. Annie Kline, Winnie Kline, and Gladys Kline attended school within the census year. This census is dated 20 Jun 1900. |  |
| 2 | 1910 United States Federal Census, Richland Township, Venango County, PA, Enumeration District 141, Page 9, lines 43-48 lists John A. Kline, 53, married to Ella Kline, 45. They live with four children: daughter Winni Kline, 22; daughter Gladys Kline, 19; son Frederick Kline, 12; and daughter Mary Kline, 6. John and Ella Kline are listed as having been married for 25 years. Ella Kline has given birth to five children, all of whom are still living. Everyone and their parents were born in PA. John A. Kline is listed as a farmer and Frederick Kline is listed as a laborer, both of whom work on the family farm. Everyone can read, write, and speak English. Frederick Kline and Mary Kline attended school within the census year. This census is dated 30 Apr 1910 - 2 May 1910. |  |
| 3 | 1920 United States Federal Census, District 110, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 4. Census dated 6,7 Jan 1920. Lines 57-59: William O.B. Sheffer, 31, owns home with mortgage, bookkeeper, Steam RR Dept; Gladys B., wife, 29; Oatis, 1 year 9 months. All and parents b. PA. All can read, adults can write and speak English. The family lives on Hill Street. |  |
| 4 | 1930 United States Federal Census, District 6, San Luis Obispo, Atascadero Co, CA, page 30. Census dated 18 Apr 1930. Lines 86-88: Silas M. Wonderling, 62, first married at age 22, owns home, value $3500, no radio, carpenter, building trade, not a veteran; Stella S., wife, 47, first married at age 46; Dorothy K. Sheffer, 9, niece, in school. All and parents b. PA, adults can read, write, all can speak English. This is Dorothy Sheffer living with her Aunt Stella and Mr. Wonderling after the death of her parents and brother. |
 |
| 5 | Obituary for Beulah Gladys Sheffer, who died on Sunday, 19 Jul [year missing]. She died at the home of her sister, Mrs. J. E. Beals, following an extended illness. She was born on 28 Nov 1890 in Richland Twp., Venango Co., PA. Her parents were John A. Kline and Ella Frederick Kline. She was married to W. O. B. Sheffer on 3 Apr 1916 in Oil City, PA. Her husband died on 6 Oct 1922. She is survived by two children: Otis Branfield Sheffer and Dorothy Kline Sheffer, as well as four siblings: Mrs. J. A. Sheffer of Emlenton, Mrs. J. E. Beals of Richland Twp., Fred E. Kline of Rimersburg, PA, and Mrs. Harold Fillgrove of "near town." Beulah Gladys Sheffer was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Emlenton. She was buried in a cemetery in or near Emlenton. |  |
| 5A | Obituary of William Otis Branfield Sheffer, from the collection of Peg Kahle. Original source not given. William Otis Branfield Sheffer passed away Friday 6 Oct 1922 from heart trouble at his home on Hill Street, Emlenton. He had been ill since June 1921. Born in Emlenton, PA 27 June 1887 to George M. Sheffer and Sarah Elenore Myers Sheffer. His mother preceded him in death. He married Beulah Gladys Kline of Salem, dau. of Mrs. Ella Kline 8 April 1916. at the parsonage of the Oil City Ebangelical Church by the pastor Rev, E,A.Miles. They had two children, one son Otis Branfield (age 4) and Dorothy Kline, age 19 months. He is also survived by his wife, his father, one sister: Miss Estella Sheffer, and one brother: Austin Sheffer, all of Emlenton. He spent his entire life in Emlenton, attending public schools and working first in his father's machine shop, then for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was elected tax collector of Emlenton Borough. He was a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church and of Odd Fellows Funeral services were at the home on Hill St. on 9 Oct, conducted by his pastor, J.G.Ginader. Interment at Emlenton Cemetery.
|
 |
| 6 | Obituary for John A. Kline, who died at his home in Emlenton on Friday, 23 July, after a lingering illness from consumption. He was born 5 Apr 1857 in Jefferson Co., PA. Lived in Venango Co. for over 30 years. He married Ellie Frederick on 1855. They had five children: Mrs. J. A. Sheffer, Mrs. J. E. Beals, Gladys, Frederick, and Mary. All five children and his wife still live. He is also survived by four grandchildren and four sisters: Miss Philistia Kline of Emlenton, Mrs. William Cooper of Jackson Center, Mrs. James Marshall of Bradford, and Mrs. S. S. Strotman of Shippenville. Funeral services were Sunday, 25 July, including burial in Zion cemetery. |  |
| 7 | Obituary for Mrs. Ella Anna Kline, widow of the late John Kline, of Richland Township, Venango County, PA. She died in the West Penn Hospital, Pittsburg, PA, on Monday, 11 Jul 1921, following an operation. She was born 13 Feb 1865 in Fern City, Clarion County, PA. Her parents were John and Anna Frederick. She married John Kline on 15 Feb 1885. John Kline died on 23 Jul 1915. Ella Kline is survived by five children: Mrs. J. A. Sheffer, Mrs. J. E. Beals, Mrs. W. O. B. Sheffer, Frederick E. Kline, all of Emlenton, PA, and Miss Mary P. Kline, at home. One brother and two sisters still live: John V. Frederick of Fern City, PA; Mrs. Mary Dietrich, of Glenshaw, PA; and Mrs. H. J. Jury of Fertigs, PA. Funeral services were held at the home of the deceased on 14 Jul 1921, followed by her burial in Zion Cemetery at Disler Corners. |  |
| 8 | Obituary from the Oil City Derrick, for Winnifred May Beals, who died on 4 May 1966 at the Franklin Hospital, Clarion County, PA. Her husband was Elgie Beals and they lived in Emlenton. She was born on 10 Mar 1888, at Emlenton RD 1, to parents John Kline and Ella Frederick Kline. She was married to Elgie Beals on 12 Oct 1910. She was survived by all four children; Ella Wilson, Loy Beals, Bertha Chambers, and Robert Beals. She was also survived by her brother, Frederick Kline, and her sister, Mary Fillgrove. Her other sisters, Anna Sheffer and Gladys Sheffer, preceeded her in death. She will be buried in the Old Zion Church Cemetery. |  |
| 9 | Research Manuscript of Ella May Beals (Wilson) researched 1975-1985, including personal knowledge and interviews of her siblings Robert Beals and Bertha Beals (Chambers), and of her aunt Mary P. Kline (Fillgrove). Ella May Beals Wilson was a daughter of Winnifred May Kline. | |
| 10 | Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Winnifred May Kline. | N/A
|
| 11 | Personal correspondence with Ed Barry, 2006 ongoing; grandson of Beulah Gladys Kline and W. O. B. Sheffer. |
Source notes
- William Otis Branfield Sheffer drowned while wading in the Allegheny River near the bridge at Emlenton, at age 10.
