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Facts and Events
| Name |
Johannes Knipe |
| Gender |
Male |
| Marriage |
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to Unknown |
Letter received by Frank Morgan from James L. Knipe, 1004 Wheatland Avenue, Lancaster, PA on February 25, 1946.
Dear Mr. Morgan:
It is always a pleasure to hear from persons like yourself who can tell me something about members of the Knipe family. I've been getting so much material that sometimes I think my paper will turn out to be a full volume. I have seven loose-leaf volumes about different Knipe men who "went West", a century or so ago, when newly arrived immigrants from Europe began to "crowd" them in Montgomery county PA. Montgomery county is next to Philadelphia county and Philadelphia county today is entirely covered by the city of Philadelphia. Some parts of Montgomery county are continuations of Philadelphia streets. Morristown is the seat of Montgomery county. It's only about 30 miles from the center of Philadelphia. John Knipe, (Johannes Knipe) settled in Montgomery county in 1748. He was a farmer. He married a little over a year after his arrival. The attached sheet will show his children and the two that you and I descend from. Your grandfather, John S. Knipe (do you know what the S. stands for?) Was the first born of David Jr. I have not yet been able to find the exact date of his birth, but it must have been about 1817. His father was a farmer at Blue Bell, near Center Square, (three miles east of Morristown). Presumably, he was born there, but since he was the firstborn, and, as it frequently happens, young married couples, i.e. this father and mother, often work some time with one of their parents until established on a farm of their own. It is possible that he was born on his mother and father's farm, which was also near Center Square. Therefore it can be safely assumed that your grandfather, Knipe was born near Center Square, Montgomery county, PA. If he was born in a hospital (an unusual thing in those times), he was probably born in Morristown, the closest place where there was a hospital.
John S, Knipe was married to Mary Moser by Rev. George Heilig, in he Center Square Lutheran church, June 20, 842. They had six children when they started the long trek to Iowa. I haven't been able to find the exact time of their departure, but it was about 1857, or possibly 1859. Two additional children were born in Butler county. I don't have the exact date of his death but it was about 1896. Both John S. and Mary Moser Knipe are buried a Janesville, Iowa. The homestead they took up is today owned by one of the female descendants.
I hope I haven't bored you with all these details. If you are interested, and want to know anything further, let me know and I'll gladly supply it, if I have it. If you can fill in any of the blank spaces about our grandfather, John S., I'd be delighted to have them.
I see your father was in the 9th Cavalry in the Civil War. General Joseph F. Knipe (a grandson of John, firstborn of Johannes) was in command of the cavalry under Sherman on the march to the sea.
It has been a real pleasure to hear from you.
James L. Knipe
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