My Genealogy Hound

MAHLON D. KOPLIN, a farmer of Upper Pottsgrove township, was born there, June 16, 1847, being the son of Samuel B. and Ellen (Davidheiser) Koplin.

Samuel B. Koplin (father) resided in Upper Pottsgrove township many years. He was from the Swamp originally, and both he and his wife died in Upper Pottsgrove township, he in 1885. She survived him for about nine years, dying in 1894. Both were buried in Pottstown. They were members of the Lutheran church, and were lifelong farmers, being among the most substantial people of their neighborhood. They were blessed with eight children, of who six are now living. Of those who are deceased, Josiah, died at the age of twenty-seven years unmarried: William died at the age of sixty-one years, he was married, and his wife and himself were buried upon the same day, although he died one day previously. The couple lived in Berks county, where he was a highly prosperous farmer. William’s only surviving daughter is Elmira, who married Frank Miller, they living in Upper Pottsgrove township, where Mr. Miller is engaged in the occupation of farming. The living children of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel E. Koplin are: Henry, married Maria Wise, they living in Upper Pottsgrove township, and he having been an invalid for several years, they have two sons; Caroline, married Percival Fryer, and they living in Berks county, where he is a shoemaker, they have two children; Sarah, married William H. Neiman, they living in Pottstown, where he is engaged in the rolling mill business, they have eight children; Mary, married Isaac Albright (deceased), who died about 1873, he being a farmer and living in Upper Pottsgrove, they had in all four children, of whom three are now living; Mahlon, subject of this sketch; Samuel, married Sallie Kerr, they residing in Pottstown, where he is employed in one of the iron manufactories of that borough, they have no children. Mrs. Caroline Fryer is the youngest of Samuel Koplin’s children.

John Koplin (grandfather) resided upon the same property, the old family homestead, which is now occupied by his grandson, Mahlon D. Koplin. He married Sarah Bowman. Both passed away many years ago, and were buried in a Pottstown cemetery. Both were devout members of the Lutheran church. All the family, including the present generation, have been Democrats in politics, and they have generally affiliated with the Lutheran church. Henry Davidheiser (maternal grandfather) married Mary Weidner. They resided in Upper Pottsgrove, where they were engaged in farming most of their lives. Both have been deceased many years.

Mahlon D. Koplin attended school for a number of years, leaving school at the age of twenty, when he engaged in railroading in Philadelphia, remaining in this perilous occupation for about five years. He then abandoned that business and entered one of the rolling mills of Pottstown, occupying a position of this kind for two years. He then found employment in iron works at Colebrookdale, where he remained for several years, and then returned to the home of his parents and engaged in the occupation of farming, in which he is still engaged on the homestead. He took possession of the farm about 1898. Mr. Koplin has very greatly improved the property on which he lives, erecting a number of buildings, among them a barn of very large capacity, and also a large addition to the farm house. In politics Mr. Koplin is a Democrat, and in religious affiliation a Lutheran. He has managed a milk route for himself for fourteen years or more in Pottstown.