Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel

Birth Name Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel
Gender male
Age at Death 86 years, 10 months, 6 days

Narrative

Jacob's name at birth is recorded in his parents' Bible as "Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel." A Jacob S. Kern, "of Greensburg," died 24 Sep 1829 in McConnellsburg, PA. The death was announced in the Greensburg Gazette. He is presumed to be Jacob's maternal uncle. Source: Mary Jane Mains, compi ler, Newspaper Accounts of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1808-1929 (not all inclusive), Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
(Greensburg: Westmoreland County Historical Society, 1994).

In July of 1847, Jacob and his father Henry traveled to New York, evidently by way of Philadelphia, to see a Mr. Sauer/Souer about getting Jacob a job. In his July 12 letter to his wife, Henry said that "Jacob is well and is very well contented. I think that this week or next week he will get a situation." (Source: Letter from Henry to Sarah "Sally" Kiel. See transcript with Henry's information.) Whether Jacob got the position or not is not known.

In 1850, Jacob seems to be in Johnstown. There is a Jacob KEEL, age 20, working as a clerk and boarding with a family named McGrory. (1850 Census, Johnstown, Cambria Co., PA Series M432, Roll 761, page 218, enumerated 1st November 1850)

Jacob's obituary said "Mr. Kiel was one of those who rushed to California in 1849 to dig for gold." Since it was written in 1916, they may have generalized regarding the date of the '49ers rush to California. There is a Jacob Keel recorded as arriving in San Francisco onboard the steam ship Columbus on 17 June 1852. (Source: email from a volunteer researcher, using San Francisco ship passenger lists, by Louis J. Rasmussen, (Colma, Calif., San Francisco historic record & genealogy bulletin, 1965-). (Reprinted?: Baltimore: Printed for Clearfield by Genealogical Pub., [200-]- ). Descendants of Jacob's sister Elizabeth "Eckie" Kiel once had a blue platter, with a gold trim, that had been passed down in the family. It was said to have come from a set of china that Jacob sent back to his mother from California.

Jacob returned to Cambria County within three years and later ran a store in Wilmore. (His obituary, see below.) He and his brother Daniel Morris are said to have started the first livery stable in Johnstown, apparently in the mid to late 1850's.(Source: Frank Kiel's book, Hendrik Gerrit Kiel, page 45.) He was a farmer in Portage for the remainder of his life.

Jacob evidently was in the civil war since his name is on Plaque 4 of the Ebensburg War Memorial. He is listed as a sargent. (Transcribed at www.rootsweb.com/~pacambri.)

Jacob was assessed tax as a retail liquor dealer in Washington Twp in 1865:
1865 Kiel, Jacob, Washington Township, Gannon(?) Road, Retail Liquor Dealer, paid $14.58 on Oct 1
from U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 Record, ancestry.com

In 1867, Jacob was living in Portage when he petitioned as his mother's heir regarding his grandfather Joseph Kern's will. (Frank Kiel's book, page 43.) From at least 1870 until at least 1910, Jacob ran a farm in Portage. (Censuses of Portage.)

He is listed as operating a hotel in Portage in a 1876-77 Directory:
Keil, J.S., hotel.
(Source: 1876-77: Wiggins and McKillops' General Directory of Johnstown and Adjoining Boroughs, (published: Cincinatti), page 155, listing for Portage. (at HeritageQues Online.com)

According to Frank Kiel's book, page 58, an entry for Jacob S. Keil, innkeeper, is crossed out from the Assessment Records of Portage for 1878.

Jacob was also Judge of Elections for more than thirty years and at one time was Sealer of Weights and Measures. (His obituary)

There is a picture of Jacob Kiel and his wife Anne in front of his homestead on Route 53 in Portage, Pennsylvania. It is picture 1-48 in Frank Kiel 's book. Also in the picture are Anne's daughter Annie Campbell, and an Etta Biner, who was with the family in 1880. The home is no longer there.

According to Frank Wilson's book, Hendrik Gerrit Kiel -- Dutch Immigrant to Pennsylvania, (Comfort, Texas: Skyline Ranch Press, 2000), Jacob is buried in Lutheran Cemetery, Wilmore. His grave is unmarked, but is next to one marked "Annie Russell Kiel/Wife of Jacob Kiel." According to rootsweb.com/~pacambri, this cemetery is also called Miller Burial Ground.

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth November 8, 1829 Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States   1
Political July 6, 1859 Wilmore Borough, Summerhill Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States convention delegate 2a
Event Note

Democrat and sentinel. (Ebensburg, Pa.), July 06, 1859, Image 2
Democratic County Convention, at Court House June 28. following officers:
admitted to a seat in the Convention:
Wilmore--Jacob Kiel

Death September 14, 1916 Portage Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States   3 4a
General

Pennsylvania Death Certificate
Jacob Keil
white, male, widowed, farmer
born Nov 8, 1829, Pa
died Sept 14, 1916, Portage, Cambria County
age 86y 10m 6d
father: John Kiel, born in Pa
mother: [blank]
cause: general debility due to age, duration 4 months
informant: [blank]
burial: Wilmore, Sep 16, 1916

Burial September 16, 1916 Lutheran Cemetery, Wilmore Borough, Summerhill Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States Burial of Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel 5
Event Note

Obituary of Jacob S. Kiel, Johnstown Daily Tribune, Saturday September 16, 1916, page 7. Photocopy obtained from Cambria County Library, November 2004.
==================

DEATH CLAIMS JACOB S. KIEL, PORTAGE CITIZEN
Special to The Tribune.
PORTAGE, Sept. 16.--Jacob S. Kiel, aged 86 years, a Judge of Election for more than 30 years and at one time Sealer of Weights and Measures, died Thursday morning at his home here. Mr. Kiel was one of those who rushed to California in 1849 to dig for gold. Three years later he returned and located in Wilmore, conducting a store there a number of years before buying a farm in Portage. He is survived by one son, H. M. Kiel, of Portage, and two step-children, William and Annie Campbell, who lived with him.

Funeral services were conducted at the Kiel residence at 9:30 o'clock this morning by E. A. Sharp, pastor of the Portage United Brethren Church. Burial was in the Lutheran Cemetery at Wilmore.

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father Henry G. KielApril 24, 1804February 14, 1848
Mother Sarah Kern1805between 1864 and 1867
    Sister     Margaret Elizabeth Kiel May 3, 1825 January 10, 1918
    Sister     Mary Ann Kiel July 29, 1828 January 19, 1915
         Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel November 8, 1829 September 14, 1916
    Brother     Daniel Morris Kiel December 19, 1831 February 15, 1919
    Brother     Joseph White Kiel September 13, 1834 December 24, 1838
    Brother     John Henry Kiel January 7, 1838 December 31, 1838
    Sister     Sarah Eleanor Kiel February 22, 1840 September 1, 1919
    Sister     Celia Anthus Kiel April 26, 1843 January 6, 1929
    Sister     Elizabeth Extine Kiel March 2, 1845 August 23, 1931
    Sister     Emma Henry Kiel August 4, 1848 January 11, 1938

Families

Family of Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel and Mary A. Altimus

Married Wife Mary A. Altimus ( b. d. before 1861 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage May 3, 1859     6

Family of Jacob Steinbaugh Kern Kiel and Annie Marie Russell

Married Wife Annie Marie Russell ( b. February 1828 d. December 2, 1908 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 1861     7a
  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Harry Morris KielJanuary 10, 1862March 3, 1937