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William Kohl
August 28, 1816–June 14, 1901 |
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William Kohl was born in Berks County, PA, Aug. 28, 1816 and died in Jones County, Iowa, June 14, 1901, age 84 years, 9 months and 16 days. He was married to Hannah Fitterling Oct. 28th, 1838. He settled on a farm in Berks county where he remained until 1846, then he moved west into Lancaster county, the above named state, where he lived on a farm till the spring of 1855 he made sale and sold what little property he had and moved to what was then called the far west and settled on the farm where he died. He had to struggle hard to support his family there being 13 children, 7 boys and 6 girls, and most of them too young to do much work on the farm. After he had put up a small house and fixed so he could keep his family quite comfortable and was on the way to good fortune, on the third day of June, 1860, he was made homeless by a cyclone that went through this state and left death and destruction in its path, but there was none of the family killed. He was thankful to God for the mercy bestowed upon him and his family. Although left in poverty, he took courage and commenced anew and rebuilt his house. When he had started again in the way to support his family, in the year 1861 the war of the rebellion broke out, and three of the boys that were his main help left him and went to war; thus he was left without any help on the farm. So his wife and the girls and small boys had to go out and help do farm work. But the Lord was merciful to him as he was to one of old, and blessed him with this world's goods, and with sons and daughters, so his later end was better than the former. There are ten children left to mourn his death. He was a member of the United Brethren Church for sixty years and active in the work up to the time that he was confined to his room. He did a great deal by way of support in the church and his home was always open for the ministers. In 1858-59 he put seats in his beautiful grove on his farm and had a two day meeting each year. His wife and three of his children have crossed the River of Death and awaited his arrival, and the rest of the family expect, by the help of God, to meet them in that sweet bye and bye, where they will re-unite and live in peace forever; where there will be no cyclone to molest, no war to mar our peace, and no separation; but where God will wipe away all tears, and where father and mother, brothers and sisters will reunite to live in peace forever.
Submitted by: Marthann Kohl |
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