The Keesling family, as we know of it today, has a long history. This information has been compiled by many different family members since the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. A variety of stories, family legends and folktales have been passed from parent to child, that discusses the origin of this family. Present day family researchers are trying to prove or disprove these with factual documentation. Below is the information as I know it at this time.
A man named Ludwig Kißling lived in a village in the Duchy of Holenzollern (today part of Baden Württemberg, Germany) called Winterlingen. Research has not as yet found very much data about Ludwig. We have found a church record of a marriage to Anna Kock on 22 May 1610 and that his father, Jacob, was deceased at the time of the marriage. The church (Evangelische Kirche in Winterlingen) records have further shown that he had at least one son named Johannes Kißling born 4 July 1612. Ludwig married a second time, according to the church records, on 24 March 1635 to Anna Remp.
Ludwig’s son, Johannes married Anna Berner on 28 September 1630, was called “Hans” Kißling. This couple had at least three children: Anna(1631), Johannes(April 1632) and Maria(1634). Johannes (born April 1632) became known as “young” Hans and his father Hans became known as “old” Hans. “Young” Hans married Anna Schauter on 4 December 1673. We have found only one child - yes another Johannes - for this couple. The baptism of Ludwig’s great-grandson and the son of “young” Hans and Anna(Schauter) is documented in church records in Winterlingen on August 20, 1675 for Johannes Kißling. The baptism record indicate that his father “Young” Hans and his wife Anna (Schauter) attended the baptism with his grandfather “Old” Hans also in attendance. The Church records show that the “Young” Hans and his wife (Anna Schauter) had a total of five children baptized in the Church at Winterlingen. The oldest was Johannes, followed by Martin, Micheal, Jacob and Catharina. The oldest-Johannes married Anna Richert on January 25, 1697/8 in the Evangelical Church in Winterlingen. Johannes was the superintendent of the school in Winterlingen. His father(Young Hans) was a weaver and other members of the Kißling family were dyers. One of the family researchers who has visited modern day Winterlingen and has seen the homes of Johannes and other family members states that along with being weavers and dyers they must have been farmers too. He states that they lived very near to the church and he has talked with people there and feels that they(The Kißlings) were active members of the parish. Johannes and Anna(Richert) had three Children. Johannes Jr. born October 1698, Jacobus born February 1704, and Hans Jakob born July 20, 1705(also known as Hans Jacob).
Hans Jacob was referred to as a “leading citizen” in his obituary and was also called a “preacher” He moved out of Winterlingen and went to a neighboring village called Trüchtelfingen. Today Trüchtelfingen is a suburb of Albstadt. In Trüchtelfingen Hans Jacob married Ursula Katharina Herter (born October 19,1702) on October 29,1726 in the Evangelische Kirche(Evangelical Church). He was 21 years old and she was 24 years old. They had six children baptized in the Trüchtelfingen village church. They were Anna Maria(born 27 July 1727), Hans Jacob(born 27 September 1729 and commonly known as Jacob), Johannes(born 4 May 1732), Johann Georg(born 17 February 1734), Johannes( born 25 April 1736/7), and Ursula Katharina(born 13 November 1738). Hans Jacob(wife-Ursula Katharina) died at the age of 34 on January1, 1740/1 leaving behind his widow and four surviving children, both of the Johannes named boys had died by their fourth birthdays. The two remaining sons of Hans Jacob--Hans Jacob and Johann Georg decided that they would travel to the “new world.”
Hans Jacob(called Jacob) and His younger brother Johann Georg(called Georg) departed for the American Colonies with a family friend named Martin Müller and his family. They boarded a ship called “FANE” in Rotterdam, Holland. and arrived in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on October 17, 1749. Jacob and Martin Müller took the oath of allegiance to the crown of England and signed their names with the other adult male passengers of the “FANE” that day. We have a copy of that Oath signatures. Many of the men could not write so there are several names written by someone else and an “X” by the name placed there by the man by that name.
When the Müllers and the Kißling boys arrived in Philadelphia, Jacob was 20 years old and Georg was 15 years old. After arriving in Philadelphia, The Müllers and the Kißlings bought land in Berks County, Pennsylvania (near the present day city of Reading, PA). Both of the Kißling boys married daughters of Martin Müller. Jacob married Walburga Müller on 11 March 1752 in Berks County and Georg married Anna Maria Müller in Berks County in the year 1754 or a little later.
As Jacob is my ancestor, the remainder of this will give a history of some of his descendants. Georg also has a large number of descendants in the United States. If you would like more information on the descendants of Georg please contact me and I will give you the information that I have and the names of family researchers of Georg’s line.
Jacob and Walburga(Müller) were the parents of ten children which were all born in Berks County, PA. They were: Mariah Agnes Kisling(This is the American spelling used most frequently in that time period)-born in 1753, Martin Kisling-born in 1757, John Kisling(my ancestor)-born 23 March 1758, Casper Kisling, Christopher Kisling-born 1763, Jakob Kisling-born March 1764, Mary Barbara-born 1 June 1767, Anna Maria Kisling-born 12 April 1770, Sebastian Kisling-born 31 January 1773, and Mike Kisling-born 1775. Jacob drowned in the Schuylkill River near their home on February 4, 1784. Though many different stories of the events surrounding his death have been passed down all of them state that his wife and children were watching at the time of his death.
My history now will continue with John Kißling/Kisling/Kissling/Keesling(all of these spellings have been found in documents that are about John). John served in the Revolutionary war. John served in the war: September 1776-November 1776 as substitute for his father, November1776-January 1777, May 1777-July 1777, and for two months in 1779. After the Revolutionary war, John married Eva Miller(Daughter of John Miller and Christena Kisling) who was born on 12 April 1765.John and Eva were married in 1788. They moved to Wythe County, Virginia on 11 June 1796 near Max Meadows. John and his family lived near his uncle(Johann Georg). John did not stay in Virginia long. At some point just prior to 1800 He moved his family to Preble County, Ohio near the present day state line between Indiana and Ohio. Some records state John lived in Wayne County, Indiana and others indicate that at the same time he resided in Preble County, Ohio. The reason for this discrepancy is that the boundary line between the two states changed location several times over a short time span while state officials argued over it. John owned property in both areas and is shown on the tax rolls of 1800 in both areas. John’s wife Eva died between 1804 and 1806 and is buried (possibly) in the State Line Cemetary east of Richmond, Indiana. John went back to Wythe County, Virginia and married on 28 May 1807 the widow Barbara Staley and brought her back to his property in Preble County, Ohio. John was probably away from his children for over a year by the time he made the trip to southern Virginia, made the marriage arrangements, fitted out for the trip back and traveled the six months by wagon with his second wife back to the Ohio territory.
John’s son Daniel married 5 Feb 1823 or 1824 Catherine Zeek in Wayne County, Indiana and Daniel’s son John Daniel (1825-1864) was born in Wayne County, Indiana.
By the time John’s son Daniel (1798-1848) married he, his father and brothers (Jacob, John, Peter and George) were already making scouting trips into the area that would become Henry and Madison County, Indiana. They identified the area around where Mechanicsburg, Indiana is located as the next place the family would move. Between 1823 and 1827 we can be sure that the family members made many excursions into this area. When the treaty was finally signed officially opening the area to settlement, John was one of the first to move his family to the area in 1827 (note per Keith Smith - some historians report their settlement by 1823, but this is considered today as being too early for a permanent settlement). By 1828 John and his five sons had established homsteads in a semi-circle around what is now Mechanicsburg, Indiana. On 19 Jan 1835 Daniel Kisling was awarded a land grant in Madison County, Indiana just west of the Henry/Madison County line.
(There have been a number of stories told about the early pioneer days of the Kißling, Kisling, Keesling family in Delaware, Henry and Madison Counties of Indiana. These have been reported in the New Castle, IN and Anderson, IN papers over the years and I am sure you will be able to locate copies of these).
The 1850 Census shows John Daniel age 25, married and living in Fall Creek Twp., Henry Co., IN. The area around Mechanicsburg has been the home of John, Daniel and John Daniel’s descendants for over 160 years now.
Written by Keith Smith
If you have more information that you would like to share, please send an e-mail to Tim Keesling - Pres. of the Indiana Keesling Reunion Committee.
Updated 07 June 1998