Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline
Annie Kline was the oldest child of her parents. She grew up with three sisters and a brother. Sisters Winnie and Gladys were nearer to Annie in age, but sister Mary P. was quite a bit younger. Their parents owned a farm outside Emlenton on the plateau above the Allegheny River valley.
Annie Kline had darker hair and was taller than her sisters; it would be interesting to know whether this reflected more the Kline or the Frederick side of the family. Bessie Frederick (Kelly) , a cousin from Annie's mother's side, was one year older than Annie,and it appears that they were good friends. Bessie and Annie had a portrait made together. Bessie was a daughter of "Aunt Lou", Louisa Dietrich and Frank J. Frederick, brother of Annie's mother.
Annie married J. Austin Sheffer and they moved into town to lived in a house on Hill Street. Austin worked in the machine shop with his father, and then as a machinist for the Quaker State refinery, located on the river in Emlenton. Annie & Austin raised a family of six children, two daughters and four sons. The oldest child, Hazel, played the piano well, with or without music. She played background music at the local theater in the days of silent movies. She later worked for years as a telephone operator in Emlenton, so knew the townspeople. Hazel accumulated a large collection of vintage photographs, and did extensive work on the genealogy of the Sheffer and Kline families. Daughte Aliene never married but worked as a nurse.
Annie named one child Frederick (her mother's maiden name), and one child's middle name was Kline, after her father's side of the family.
Among the memorabilia of Annie's sister, Winnie, were old letters and postcards sent home by Annie to her mother. Occasionally she would ask her mother to bring a sack of potatoes or other farm produce along when they came into town to do their weekly shopping. It was said that the mailman would pick up a letter at the Sheffer home on the way out of town, and deliver it to the Kline farmhouse, without its ever going through the process of cancellation at the post office. Annie Kline (Sheffer) died in 1939, some 20 years before her husband. At the time of her death, her daughter Ailene was on a trip out west and couldn't be reached, and so she missed attending her mother's funeral.
(Emlenton, Pennsylvania)
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 29 Dec 1885 | Richland Twp. Venango Co. PA | ||
| Marriage | 8 Oct 1908 | James Austin Garfield Sheffer (b.11June1880-d. 5 Feb 1960) |
[9][11] | |
| Death | 22 Aug 1939 | Emlenton PA | [9][10][11] | |
| Burial | Emlenton Cemetery | [9][10] |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 3 Generation 4 Generation 5
+-- Henry Kline
| (1827-1875)
+-- John Abram Kline ------+
| (1857-1915) |
Anna Catherine Kline --+ +-- Anna Catherine Howe
(1885-1939) | (1830-1890)
+-- Elizabeth Anna Frederick
(1865-1921)
Sources:
Children
(all children with J. Austin Sheffer)
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel Louise Sheffer | F | 28 July,1909 | expect Venango Co. PA | Earl Campbell Crawford (b.1894-d.????); married 24 Feb 1945; son of Charles Henry Crawford (b. 29 July 1871-d. after 1958) & Eva Campbell (b. 21 Aug1869-18 Oct 1957) |
1 child of Hazel Sheffer: Donald Eugene Sheffer b. 12 June 1928 | [2][3][4][8][9][10][11] |
| George Elmer Sheffer | M | expect Venango Co. PA | 10 July 1911- d.1967 | Reva Jane Smith (b. 25 May 1908- d. 2002); married 29 June 1940 |
2 sons, living in 2008 | [3][4][8][9][10][11] |
| Leota Ailene Sheffer | F | 3 Aug 1913 | expect Venango Co. PA | not married | [3][8][9][10][11] | |
| James Arthur Sheffer | M | 18 June 1916-1981 | expect Venango Co. PA | 1) Kathryn G. Mays (b. 6 June 1918); married 1 Feb 1938 2) Ruth M. Logue married after 1958 |
3 daughters with Kate Mays | [3][4][8][9][10][11] |
| Frederick Pershing Sheffer | M | b.17 Sept1918 - d.1980/81 | expect Venango Co. PA | Marie Sunderland (b.17 Feb 1924); married 14 June 1941 |
2 sons, 3 daughters | [3][4][8][9][10][11] |
| Bernard Kline Sheffer | M | 12 Nov 1921-1976 | expect Venango Co. PA | Louise Peters (b. 5 June 1924; married 3 Feb 1946 |
1 son, 2 daughters | [4][8][9][10][11] |
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Twp, Venango Co. | 1885 | [5][8][9] | |
| Emlenton, Venango Co.PA | expect 1908 - 1939 | [5][8][9] |
Photo Gallery
Beals & Sheffer cousins, L to R: Fred Sheffer (striped tie), Loy Beals (back row) Branfield Sheffer in cap, Ella Beals holding shoulders of Bertha Beals, Ailene Sheffer (back row, dark jacket), Dorothy Sheffer, Art Sheffer. Identified by Bertha Beals Chambers in 2007.
Postcard (above) is from Anna Kline Sheffer, postmarked Emlenton PA, July 26, 1911, addressed to Mrs. J. A. Kline, Emlenton, R.F.D. #2, Pa. "Dear Mama, Please bring me a bushel of wheat, half dollar's worth of lard and a bushel of potatoes this week. I am doing my own work again. Baby is as good as he was. Yes he has gained a pound in the 2 weeks. Well, must quit so By By. Anna" (The Kline family lived on a farm outside Emlenton, and went into town on Saturdays to shop, bank, etc., and to do the "peddling", delivering butter, cream and milk to customers in town. Anna is requesting a delivery, and is also reporting on the progress of new infant George Elmer Sheffer, born 10 July 1911.
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, District 112, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 11. Census dated 19 Apr 1910. Lines 1-3: James A. Sheffer, 30, m. 1 year, machinist, foundry, owns home, no mortgage; Anna, 24, m. 1 year, 1 child, 1 living; Hazel L., 8 months. All born PA, all parents b. PA. Adults can read, write and speak English. The family lives on Hill Street. |  |
| 3 | 1920 United States Federal Census, District 110, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 16. Census dated 16 Jan 1920. Lines 84-90: James O. Sheffer, 38, machinist, machine shop; Anna C, 35, wife; Hazel L, 10; George E, 8; Aliene L, 6; James A, 3 yr 6 mo; Frederick P, 1 yr 3 mo. All (and all parents) b. PA. Hazel, George and Aliene attended school, All can speak English, all but Aliene, James A. and Frederick can read and write. Family lives on Hill Street. Also on page James A. Beal (lines 51-56) and Guy H. Kline (71-74) |
 |
| 4 | 1930 United States Federal Census, District 10, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 8. Census dated 8 Apr 1930. Lines 87-95: J. Austin Sheffer, 49, married at 25, machinist, oil refinery, owns home, $1500 value, owns radio; Anna C, 44, m. at 23, wife; Hazel L, 20; George E, 18; Leota A., 15; James A, 13, newsboy, street; Frederick P, 11, newsboy, street; Bernard K., 8; Donald E., grandson, 1 yr, 11 mo. All (and all parents) b. PA. George, Leota, James A., Frederick and Bernard attended school, All but Bernard and Donald can read, and write English. Family lives on Hill Street. |  |
| 5 | Research of Ella Beals (Wilson), niece of Anna Catherine Kline; research 1970-1985. | |
| 6 | Gravestone transcriptions, Emlenton Cemetery, 1991 by E W Williams James Austin Sheffer 1880-1960 Anna Kline Sheffer 1885-1939 Aliene Sheffer 1913 (2nd date not inscribed)
| |
| 7 | Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Winnifred May Kline. | |
| 8 | Rick Sheffer personal correspondence Aug 2008.br>"Sheffer Family Journey, from the Rhineland to Venango County, Pa.", copyright 2008 by Rick Sheffer, a powerpoint presentation of data and photos,program presented in Emlenton PA Sept. 2008. Information based on Hazel Sheffer Crawford's collection of family and other photos to be donated to the Pumping Jack Museum ( of the local oil industry), Emlenton, Venango Co. PA. The museum is located in the former Crawford High School building. |
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| 9 | The John Adam Scheffer Family History and Lineage 1751-1958 compiled by Hazel Sheffer Crawford, Emlenton, PA 1958. Submitted to us by Nancy Beals Walls Oct 2008. | |
| 10 | Obituary of Mrs. J.A. Sheffer (Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline, 24 Aug 1939 collection of Peg Kahle, from the Emlenton newspaper. Mrs. J.A. Sheffer died 22 Aug 1939 at 11pm, of a stroke. Born in Richland Twp., near Emlenton on 29 Dec 1885, dau. of John and Ella Kline. Lived in Emlenton for past 30 years. Member of the Methodist Church of Emlenton. Survived by children: Hazel, Frederick, and Bernard at home; Elmer of St. Marys, WV,; Ailene of Pittsburgh; and Arthur of Smethport; two grandchildren; two sisters: Mrs. J.E. Beals of Emlenton RD, Mrs. HArold Fillgrove, Emlenton and Fred Kline of Rimersburg. Funeral service at the home 2:30 Friday afternoon, interment in the Emlenton ceemetery. (Lot 88-2) |
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| 11 | Obituary of James Austin Sheffer from collection of Peg Kahle. Source unclear, appears to be transcription of news article. Emlenton -James Austin Sheffer, retired Quaker State employe and operator of the Sheffer Machine Shop died yesterday February 5, 1960 in the Oil City Hospital. He was 79. He suffered a heart attach in his home. Mr. Sheffer was born June 11, 1880, in Pickwick, Clarion County, the son of George H. and Sarah Eleanor Myers Sheffer. He started work in his father's machine shop when he was 12 and went to work for Quaker State when the shop was closed. He retired from the oil company in 1945 and started his own machine shop. He was married October 8, 1908 to Anna Kline who died August 22, 1939. He then married Mrs. Bertha Coates of Fern in 1941 who survives. He was a member of the Methodist Church. Children surviving are Mrs. Earl Crawford and Elmer Sheffer of Emlenton; Ailene Sheffer of Pittsburgh; Arthur of Foxburg; Frederick of Philadelphia and Bernard of St. Petersburg. Thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren are also living. The body is at the Criswell Funeral Home in Emlenton where friends may call and attend services at 2 p.m. Monday with Rev. John H. Templeton of the Emlenton Methodist Church officiating. Internment will be in the Emlenton Cemetery. Lot 88 Sec. 2 |
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