My Genealogy Hound

JOHN CLIPPINGER, one of the most highly respected and substantial citizens of Hopewell township, Cumberland county, was born in 1826, in Lurgan township, Franklin Co., Pa., son of Henry and grandon of Anthony Clippinger.

Anthony Clippinger was born in Germany, and after coming to America, located in Cumberland county, where he spent his life in agricultural pursuits, and died on his farm near Shippensburg. His children were: Henry, father of our subject; Adam, who died in the West; John, who died in Ohio; Joseph, who died in Ohio; George, who died in Franklin county; Solomon, who died in the West; Elizabeth, who married David Krebs, and died at Centerville, Cumberland county; and Catharine.

Henry Clippinger was born near Shippensburg, and received a common school education in the German language. He married Elizabeth Kuntz, of Northampton county, near Oak Grove. After marriage he settled in Southampton township, and farmed for a time, and then moved to Lurgan township, Franklin county, and bought a farm of 150 acres, where he built a fine barn and made substantial improvements on the house. Here he lived for twenty-eight years, and then moved to a location on the State road, in the same township, where he bought a farm of more than 300 acres. There he built a fine brick residence, and spent the balance of his life, dying at the age of eighty years and four months. His wife died at the age of seventy-six years, and both were buried in Franklin county, at the Otterbein Church. Mr. Clippinger had donated the land for the site of the church, and also for the cemetery. Both he and his wife were pious, worthy people, who lived up to their professions as sincere members of the Church of God, belonging to the congregation at Newburg. They were the parents of these children: Margaret married Jacob Rebok, and died in the year following her marriage, aged twenty-one years, and was buried in Lurgan township; Elias married Elizabeth Holler, was a farmer and died at Center, Franklin county; Daniel married Mrs. Daniel Strohm, and was accidentally killed by falling from a load of hay, and was interred in Lurgan township; Solomon married Eva Gilbert, was a farmer and died at Newburg, Hopewell township, where he was interred; Elizabeth married John Zook, and died in Franklin county; Henry married Catherine Holler, and died on the home farm on the State road; Anthony married Susan Covel, went to Illinois, and died on his farm there; Peter married Elizabeth Cope, was a farmer, and died in Florida; John is the subject of this record; and Jacob, a carpenter, married Mary Swiler, and died in Illinois.

John Clippinger was reared on his father’s farm, and was given school opportunities until he was twenty-one years old, attending through the winter sessions only, as is the custom in agricultural localities. He then worked among the other farmers for seven years in Franklin county, and two years in Hopewell township. Cumberland county, making many friends and accumulating some capital. In 1854 Mr. Clippinger married Elizabeth Rebok, daughter of Abraham and Susan (Carver) Rebok, of Franklin county. Buying a fine farm of 180 acres of fertile land, situated along the creek, he erected commodious buildings and made many improvements. There he lived until 1899, when he retired to Newburg, where he is one of the valued and esteemed citizens.

Mrs. Clippinger died at the age of thirty-four years, and was buried in the cemetery at Newburg. She was a member of the Church of God, a good, Christian woman. The children of this marriage were: Susanna died aged one year and eight months, and was buried at Newburg; Abraham, a carpenter, lives at Bellville, Kans.; Willis, a local preacher in the Baptist Church at Harrisburg, married Ida Ward; John died aged twenty-three years, and is buried at Newburg.

On March 22, 1864, Mr. Clippinger married (second) Mrs. Sarah Jane (Vandersaal) Thrush, and their children were: Anna V., born April 28, 1866, is at home; Frank U., born in October, 1869, married Mary Mowery, and lives on the old homestead farm in Hopewell township; Emma L., born Dec. 18, 1871, married C. Chamberlain, and they live in Hopewell township; and Flora Irene, born Aug. 5, 1874, married John R. Riggs, who is in the milling business in Franklin county.

In politics, Mr. Clippinger has always been identified with the Republican party, but has never actively engaged in political life. He has served three years as school director of Hopewell township, and has always given his influence in the direction of education, temperance and morality. Both he and his estimable wife are members of the Church of God at Newburg, in which for over fifty years he has been an officer — seventeen years as deacon, and the remainder as elder. During his younger years he taught in the Sabbath-school, and also was superintendent, and he still takes an interest in that part of the church’s work. Although the snows of seventy-eight years have fallen on his venerable head, he is still active in mind and body, is interested in the movements of the outside world, and ready to help the needy and give the benefit of his long experience to those who value his advice and seek his counsel.