1845 Jacob Klink, son of Christian Klink, farmer, and Anna Margaretha born Fredel,was born on June 29 in Leutenbach and baptized on June 30. The sponsors were Jakob Pfleiderer and his wife Anna Maria born Fredel. [1]
1852 Martha Maude Howard was born on January 13 in Missouri. [2]
1871 On 27 March, Jacob Klink and Martha Amanda Howard were married in Buchanan County, Missouri. [3]
1880 On June 3, Jacob Clink (age 34), farmer, and wife Martha Clink (age 28 keeping house) lived in Wolf River Township, Doniphan, Kansas, with son James (age 8), and daughter Anna E. (age 6 months). Jacob and his parents were born in Wurttemberg. Martha was born in Missouri, and both of her parents were born in Kentucky. Both children were born in Kansas. [4]
1885 On March 1, J Klink (male, age 40, born in Germandy, farming) and his wife M A Klink (female, age 33, born in Missouri, keeping house) and children J C Klink (male, age 16) and A E Klink (female, age 5), both born in Kansas, lived in Bolton Township, post office Arkansas City. Also in the household was A L Shipley (single male, age 29, born in Iowa, farming). J Klink had been honorably discharged from company H, regiment 5 of the cavalry. [5]
1900 On June 9, Jacob Klink (born June 1845 in Germany, both parents born in Germany), farmer, and Martha A. Klink (born Jan. 1852 in Missouri, both parents born in Kentucky) lived in Bolton Twp, Cowley County, Kansas with son James C. (born Dec 1871 in Kansas), and daughter Della M. (born September 1885 in Kansas). [6]
1917 Jacob Klink died on June 28 in Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas and was buried at Hope Cemetery, Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas. [7] [8] An obituary in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler states, [9] [10]
Arkansas City Daily Traveler, June 29, 1917
Jacob Klink is DeadWell known Cowley Farmer Passed Away Last Night
Jacob Klink, who was one of the early settlers in this section of Kansas, passed asay last night at 11:18 o'clock at the home of his daughter Mrs. F. W. Ramsey, at 215 South Second street. Mr. Klink's death, coming at the time was not unexpected, as he had been in poor health for some time past and had been ailing for about a year. Mr. Klink was surrounded by the members of his family when death claimed him and he was conscious almost up to the last. The deceased leaves a wife and three children to mourn his death. The children are James C. Klink, Mrs. F. W. Ramsey and Mrs. W. L. Hopkins. The two daughters reside in the city and the son resides on a farm near the city.
Mr. Klink was 72 years of age and he was born in Germany. He came with his parents from Wittenbery, Germany, to this country in 1854. The family settled at that time near Sparty, Missouri, and Mr. Klink came to Kansas in 1865. At that time he purchased a farm near Highland, Kansas, and in the year 1882 came to this county, where he decided to to make his future home. In March, 1883, he purchased a farm in Bolton township southwest of Arkansas City, and he and his family resided there until about seventeen years ago, when he retired from the farm. Mr. Klink was a splendid farmer and was one of the best known and highly respected citizens of the community. He had acquired considerable property in the way of farm land and business blocks in the city. He started in Cowley county with one-half section of land, and at the time of his death he owned a section and a half. He also owned a section of land in Texas, near Port Lavaca, at which place he and Mrs. Klink had spent a great deal of their time in the past several years.
Jacob klink was born in Germany in 1845, and after coming to this country with his parents resided in the state of Missouri for a time and was a veteran of the civil war. He was a member of the Fifth Missouri cavalry in that war. He was married to Miss Martha Maude Howard, at St. Joseph Missouri, in 1871. Mrs. Klink's parents came from near Louisville, Ky., and at the time she was married they resided near St. Joseph. Mrs. Klink came to Kansas with her husband and had shared all the hardships of the frontier life with him.
Mr. Klink was a member of the Methodist church, as are all the members of his family, and he was instrumental in erecting Mt. Zion church southwest of the city near his farm, which is one of the oldest churches in that part of the county. At the time this church was built many residents of that locality stated that the proposition could not be carried out, but Mr. Klink said that the church would be built, and he saw to that it was built.
Mr. and Mrs. Klink returned recently from Port Lavaca, at which place they had resided for some time, and as he had been in failing health for some time they returned to the city. Mr. Klink was at one time identified with the Security State bank of this city and with the New Era Milling company, as a director of each of these institutions. Besides the members of his family he leaves a multitude of friends who will regret to learn of his death and who will extend sympathy to the bereaved relatives.
Mr. Klink was a highly respected member of the local I. O. O. F., G. A. R. and encampment orders and the members of these orders will attend the funeral.
Funeral services for Mr. Klink will be held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at Mt. Zion church. The services will be conducted by Rev. Claude Gray, of Winfield, who is a former minister of the Mt. Zion church. Interment will take place in Mercer cemetery.
1944 Martha Maude (Howard) Klink died on April 13, 1944 and was buried at Hope Cemetery, Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas. [11] [12]
1968 An article in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler about the 75th anniversary of the Mt. Zion Church described the family history of Jacob Klink, a founder of the church. [13] [14]
Mt. Zion Church. an institution closely linked to Arkansas City's history and whose roots go back to pioneer days, will celebrate its Diamond Jubilee anniversary Aug. 18.
Mt. Zion Church grew out of many religious faiths as pioneer settlers joined to get a community church and eliminate long wagon and buggy rides into Arkansas City for Sunday services and for funerals.
Of the many families who took part in the pioneer venture, those of Jacob Klink and William Mercer were among the most active, although there were others who "put their shoulders to the wheel" to get the pioneer house of worship started.
The 75th anniversary celebration will feature morning worship services, a basket dinner at noon on the church grounds, followed by an afternoon program and visiting.
Jacob Klink was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and as a child came to America with his parents, Christian and Margaret Klink, sisters Caroline, Lucy, Pauline; and brothers Benjamin and Christian.
The voyage to America was made in a ship with sails and took 57 days. During the voyage, the ship was followed by a whale. The captain feared the whale might surface beneath the boat and upset it.
Pauline, the six-week-old baby, was very ill and the captain was certain she would die. Since some bodies had been buried at sea, the captain thought the whale "smelled death" aboard the ship. He took the baby from its mother and declared it was necessary to toss it overboard to distract the whale's attention and thus permit the ship to escape.
Mrs. Klink begged for her baby's life with such intensity that its life was spared. Polly lived to become Mrs. George Schafer, an ancestress to many prominent citizens of St. Joseph, Mo.
The family came upriver from New Orleans and settled near St. Joseph, Mo. There Jacob's sister, Caroline, married M. K. Goetz and the young couple founded the Goetz Brewing Co., whose non-alcoholic "Country Club Beer" became popular during prohibition days following World War I.
Four more children were born to the family near St. Joseph. This brought the number of children to ten—a moderate size family in those days.
William Klink, a brother, was one of those younger children. His last home was near IXL school and he was the father of Charles and Edith Klink, Velda (Mrs. Louis) Gochis, and Aleene (Mrs. Frank) Koehler.
Sofia Emilie, a younger sister, married Washington Rinehart whose pioneer home is on the state line, 2¼ miles west of the city. They were parents of George, Nellie (Jones), Charles, Bennett, and Walter.
In 1870, Jacob Klink married Martha Amanda (Mandy) Howard, and they became parents of James, Della (Hopkins), and Anna (Ramsey). Through the latter, Jacob and Mandy became grandparents of J. Clifton Ramsey, Lawrence, Kans., who is the family's sole survivor.
In honor of his parents and grandparents, Ramsey made a contribution of $1,000 to Cherokee Strip Museum when it was in the planning stage.
In 1884, Jacob and Mandy Klink moved to a farm in West Bolton 1½ miles south of what is now Mt. Zion Church. There they lived for two years in a sod house shanty while the family home was built. The house was solidly built and is still occupied.
Epidemics of sickness swept West Bolton in early pioneer days. This is attested to by the many graves of young children and young mothers in the cemetery. There was a need for a church for burial services, as well as for ordinary Sunday Services.
In Bolton, there was a great diversity of religious faiths—Baptist, Lutheran, Brethern, Catholic, and others. The Methodist Church, through its department of Church Extension, Philadelphia, Pa., was able to offer financial help through loans to be repaid later, and also through donations which did not need to be repaid as long as the building functioned as a Methodist Church. More than 850 Methodist churches were built in the mid-west using this aid from eastern churches; and many more after 1900.
After a canvass of the neighborhood, it was decided to build the Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church. A group was incorporated with the board of trustees consisting of Jacob Klink, Frank Means, S. J. Garberich, David Shupe and A. J. Garder.
Although it was now necessary for Jacob to change his church affiliation from the Lutheran, in which he had been reared, to Methodist, he and Mandy, his wife, entered into the project with enthusiasm. Jacob contributed heavily in funds and Mandy, accompanied by other wives of board members, made many long trips soliciting donations most of which were in sum of one dollar to 5 dollars. It must be remembered that one dollar was then equal to about $25 or $30 now, since military pay was then at $13 per month, red flannel at 4 cents per yd., and the price of the Kansas City Star then a weekly, at 25 cents per year.
Another early West Bolton pioneer, William Mercer, had headed the first church in West Bolton which was known as the Pleasant Vale Church. This church had been meeting in homes of members and later in school houses. Mercer had planned to build a Baptist Church, but he now sold the site and some foundation materials to the Methodist trustees for $100.
The Methodists estimated the cost of their church to be $1,800. It was dedicated in August of 1893, a few weeks prior to the opening of the Cherokee Strip. Jerry Bodkin, a fiery Populist speaker, gave the dedicatory address. Mrs. C. W. Klink was the first organist.
Mt. Zion, now an inter-denominational church, and one of the oldest remaining rural churches of Cowley County is situated on original Cherokee Strip land. It is a fitting memorial to all West-Bolton pioneers too numerous to be here mentioned.—V.E.R.
[1] Evangelische Kirche Leutenbach (OA. Waiblingen), Württemberg, Germany, Taufen 1840-1901 Heiraten 1840-1894 Tote 1840-1874, FHL film 1184505, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord], [FHLCatalog].
[2] Family Document, "Descendants of Christian Klink and Anna Margareta Fredel" (received in 2008 from Benjamin William Hinkle, who received it from Velda Gochis).
[3] FamilySearch.org, [FamilySearchRecord].
[4] United States Federal Census, 1880, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[5] Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[6] United States Federal Census, 1900, line 14-17, [FamilySearchImage].
[7] Find A Grave Memorial 15051382, [FindAGrave].
[8] Family Document, "Descendants of Christian Klink and Anna Margareta Fredel" (received in 2008 from Benjamin William Hinkle, who received it from Velda Gochis).
[9] Newspaper, Arkansas City Daily Traveler, June 29, 1917, transcribed from a copy at the Palmer Museum in Jewell, Kansas.
[10] Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, Kansas, June 29, 1917, page 5, [NewspapersClip].
[11] Find A Grave Memorial 39939500, [FindAGrave].
[12] Family Document, "Descendants of Christian Klink and Anna Margareta Fredel" (received in 2008 from Benjamin William Hinkle, who received it from Velda Gochis).