Conrad Kissling

(Note: Much of the followiing information comes from the research of Michael E. Keesling.)

(Also note that the surname was spelled Kisling, Kissling and Keesling in tax, court and census records.    It appears various spelling were used by the family.)

Conrad Kissling was born 1762, in Berks County, Pennsylvania.     He was the second oldest of at least nine children born to Johann Georg Kisling and Anna Maria Muller.   Some researchers refer to him as Hugh Conrad Kissling.    We have not yet found him listed as anything other than Conrad or Konrad (with various spellings for his surname).

Conrad served as a Private in the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War in the Continental Army, along with his older brother, George Kissling, Jr.

According to the writings of Harold Charles Keesling, by 1776 Georg Kisling, Sr. had acquired about 600 acres of land and had entered into the liquor business as a distiller.   By 1781, the family owned 2 stills.    We believe that both Conrad and his older brother George, Jr. worked in the business with their father.   

Michael E. Keesling relates that "a supplies tax of Maxatawny township in 1785 was assessed on George Kissling, Sr., George Kissling, Jr., single freeman and Conrad Kissling, single freeman.    A deficiency was allowed to Henry Grim, collector on this tax collection.    This was the last recorded record of George Kissling, Sr. in Pennsylvania.    George, Jr. and Conrad appeared on the 1786 Maxatawny supplies tax; but this was the last record of them in Pennsylvania."

It appears that Conrad's father moved to Montgomery County, Virginia by late 1785.    We believe Conrad and his brother George, Jr. followed their father to Virginia in 1786.

The 1787 Montgomery County, Virginia Personal Property Tax list dated Mar 31, 1787, shows George Keasler (this was Georg, Sr.) taxed on 3 tithes, 4 horses and 4 cattle.    The tithes were listed as George, Sr, George and Konrad Keasler.

  Conrad's father died June 3, 1788.    The 1788 Montgomery County Personal Property Tax list dated Oct 10, 1788, shows Konrad Keasler taxed on 1 tithe and 2 horses and his brother George Keasler (this was George, Jr.) taxed on 1 tithe and 1 horse.    

Michael E. Keesling relates that after their father died in 1788, Conrad's brother George inherited most of their father's farm and property. 

(Note: In the later part of 1789 Wythe County was formed from the portion of Montgomery County where the Kissling family lived.)  

Conrad married Rebecca Ann Kegley in 1790, in Wythe (formerly Montgomery) County.    Rebecca Ann Kegley was born March 2, 1770, in Botetourt (now Wythe) County, Virginia.   She was the daughter of John George Kegley (born 1740, Germany; died after 1830, Wythe Co) and Katarine Catherine Kockhlen (born 1742, VA; died 1824, Wythe Co).  

 In 1796, Konrod Keasler (Conrad Keesling) purchased several acres of land on Mine Mill Creek to add to the land he already owned.    By the time of his death, Conrad owned a great deal of property.      

The 1810 Wythe County census shows Conrad Keesling, a male over 45; one male 16-25; two males 10-15; three males under 10; one female (Rebecca) 26-44; two females 10-15; and three females under the age of 10 years. 

In 1810, Conrad sold his farm on Mine Mill Creek and purchased 50 acres of land on Reed Creek, about two miles east of Max Meadows.   

The Personal Property Tax list for Wythe County, Virginia, list dated March 17, 1818, shows Conrad Keasling taxed on 3 tithes and 9 horses.

Conrad died between March 17, 1818, and May 12, 1818, in Wythe County.     He is buried in Keesling Cemetery,  Grahams Forge, just northeast of Wytheville, in Wythe County.     His grave is marked with a DAR Marker on which is name is spelled Conrad Kisling.

  On May 12, 1818, in the Wythe County court, the will of Conrad Keesling was presented and proved by Hugh McGavock, John Grahm and Joseph Glasglow and was ordered to be recorded. On July 14, 1818, a Probate of the will of Conrad Keesling was granted to James McGavock, Robert Miller and Rebecca Keesling.    Posting the bond were Hugh McGovock, Lewis Kegley and Martin Kegley.    Joseph Glasgow, David Miller and Hugh McGavock were to appraise the Keesling estate.     On January 12, 1819, an appraisal of the estate of Conrad Keesling was returned.   Conrad left a lengthy Will,  and settlement of the estate took years.    Listed in the will was 215 acres and over $4,000 in personal property.    The final settlement of the estate was not made until January 11, 1841. 

                             Rebecca appeared on the 1819 Wythe County Personal Property Tax list.    She was listed as Widdow Kisling taxed on 2 tithes and 6 horses.  

The 1820 Wythe County census shows Rebecca Kisling, a female over 45; two males 18-25; one male 16-18; one male under 10; two females 10-15; and two females under 10 years of age.    Also listed on the same page of the census were the families of John Kisling, 16-25 years old; John Kisling 26-44 years old; Peter Kisler 26-44 years old; and Rebecca's brother-in-law, George Kisler, over 45 years of age. 

The 1830 Wythe County census shows Rebecca Kesling, a female 60-69; two males 20-29; two females 15-19; and one female 10-14 years of age.    Listed next to Rebecca and next to each other were the families of David Kesling, 20-29 years old; Stephen W. Kesling, 20-29 years old; and George Kesling, 20-29 years old. 

Rebecca died prior to 1840, in Wythe County.   

Conrad and Rebecca Ann are believed to had 16 children, 13 of them living to adulthood.   

(Note: We are unsure which surname spelling Conrad's family used.) 

Children of Conrad Kissling and Rebecca Kegley

1. John Keesling, b. abt 1792, Wythe Co, VA; said to have drowned in 1862, in the Arkansas River, along with one of his sons.    We believe he migrated to Indiana, but we can not positively identify John in census records.

2. Catharine Keesling, b. Apr 15, 1795, Wythe Co, VA; d. July 29, 1865, Wythe Co; m. David Cassell abt 1816, Wythe Co, VA.    David Cassell, b. Jan 7, 1784, Wythe Co; d. Apr 11, 1869, Wythe Co.    Both buried in St. John's Cem, Wythe Co.     Children, all b. Wythe Co, included: (1) Rebecca Cassell, b. June 16, 1817;    (2) Sophia Cassell, b. 1819;    (3) Rosanna Cassell, b. 1821;    (4) Thomas Cassell, b. Sept 1, 1823;    (5) John Cassell, b. 1826;    (6) David Cassell, b. 1828;    (7) Catharine A. Cassell, b. 1829;    (8) Elizabeth Cassell, b. Nov 21, 1831;    (9) Senna Cassell, b. 1833; and    (10) William Cassell, b. Nov 21, 1835

3. Jacob Keesling, b. Apr 11, 1796, Wythe Co, VA; we have been told he d. Jan 12, 1848, Johnson Co, IN; m. Anna Deck.    We can not positively identify Jacob in census records.    

4. David KeIsling, b. 1800, Wythe Co, VA; d. Nov 1838, Anderson Co, TN; m. Frances Booher abt 1818.    Frances Booher, b. Mar 14, 1803, Sullivan Co, TN; d. Sept 5, 1888, Overton Co, TN.     Family appears on 1830 Anderson Co, TN census.     David's will was dated Nov 17, 1838.    Inventory of David Keisling deceased was dated Nov 26, 1838.    Frances moved with their  children to Overton Co, TN after David's death.    Children included: (1) Mary Booher Keisling, b. Nov 19, 1819, Sullivan Co, TN;    (2) Rebecca Keisling, b. July 21, 1821, Sullivan Co, TN;    (3) Catherine Keisling, b. Oct 20, 1823, Sullivan Co, TN;    (4) John Keisling, b. Jan 10, 1826, Sullivan Co, TN;    (5) Charles Keisling, b. Jan 10, 1828, TN;    (6) Jane Keisling, b. 1831, Anderson Co, TN;    (7) Eliza Keisling, b. Mar 13, 1833, Anderson Co, TN;    (8) Alexander Gaston Keisling, b. Aug 3, 1837, Anderson Co, TN; and    (9) Martha Ann Frances Keisling, b. Nov 18, 1838, Anderson Co, TN  

5. George Keesling, b. Mar 31, 1801, Wythe Co, VA; d. July 2, 1876, Wythe Co; m. Almeda Cassell on Nov 29, 1825, Wythe Co.    Almeda Cassell, b. abt 1808, Wythe Co; d. bef 1831, Wythe Co, daughter of John Cassell and Margaret Etter.    After Almeda's death, George m. her sister, Matilda Cassell abt 1831, Wythe Co.    Matilda Cassell, b. July 7, 1814, Wythe Co; d. May 1, 1887, Wythe Co.    George is buried between his two wives, in Keesling Graveyard, near Max Meadows, Wythe Co, VA.    Children of George and Almeda, all b. Wythe Co, included: (1) Mary Keesling, b. Oct 22, 1826; d. Feb 5, 1867, Wythe Co; m. John F. Fink;    (2) John Keesling, b. Sept 22, 1827; and    (3) Eliza Jane Keesling, b. May 30, 1830; d. Sept 19, 1860, Wythe Co; m. Henry Blessing.     Children of George and Matilda, all b. Wythe Co, included: (4) James Harvey Keesling, b. Jan 30, 1832;    (5) Ephraim C. Keesling, b. June 11, 1833; d. Feb 24, 1862, in POW hospital at St. Louis, MO, from a gunshot wound in the Civil War; buried Jefferson Barracks Nat Cem, St. Louis, MO;    (6) Melvina E. Keesling, b. Nov 16, 1836;    (7) Harriet Maria Keesling, b. Mar 10, 1838;    (8) Almeda C. Keesling, b. Aug 17, 1839;    (9) Gustavius Keesling, b. Mar 17, 1840;    (10) Martha E. Keesling, b. Dec 15, 1841;    (11) Joseph E. Keesling, b. July 15, 1843;    (12) Robert Thomas Keesling, b. May 10, 1845; and    (13) Virginia E. Keesling, b. Aug 5, 1852

6. Martin Keesling, b. May 11, 1802, Wythe Co, VA; d. Dec 16, 1867, Delaware Co, IN; m. Corace Rees(e) on July 21, 1831, Delaware Co, IN.    Corace Rees(e), b. Apr 3, 1810, OH; d. aft 1880, Delaware Co, IN.     Children, all b. Delaware Co, IN, included: (1) Morrison H. Keesling, b. 1832;    (2) Lewis Keesling, b. 1834;    (3) Sophia Keesling, b. 1836;    (4) Mary Keesling, b. 1839;    (5) Mahala Keesling, b. 1841;    (6) George Keesling, b. 1843;    (7) Lee C. Keesling, b. 1845;    (8) Henry Clay Keesling, b. 1848; and    (9) Stephen Keesling, b. 1850

7. Joseph Keesling, b. 1804, Wythe Co, VA; d. bef 1870, Bourbon Co, KS; m. Mary "Polly" Moyers on Feb 24, 1824, Wythe Co, VA.    Mary Moyers, b. 1806, VA; probably d. bef 1870, Bourbon Co, KS.     The family appears on the 1850 Lawrence Co, MO and the 1860 Bourbon Co, KS, census.    Children included: (1) William Keasling, b. 1827, TN;    (2) Elizabeth Keasling, b. 1835, MO;    (3) Joseph Keasling, b. 1842, MO; and    (4) Mary E. Keasling, b. 1842, MO 

8. Sarah Keesling, b. 1806, Wythe Co, VA; m. Henry Lewis.    We can not positively identify Henry and Sarah in census records.  

9. Barbara Keesling, b. 1807, Wythe Co, VA; d. bef 1860, Pike Co, IN; m. John Robert Penner abt 1824, Wythe Co, VA.    John Penner, b. 1798, VA; d. Nov 14, 1867, Pike Co, IN.    On  Nov 15, 1830, John obtained 80 acres of land in Johnson Co, IN.    On Oct 1, 1840, he obtained 40 acres of land in Pike Co, IN.    The family appears on the 1840 & 1850 Pike Co, IN census.    John and some of the children appear on the 1860 Pike Co census.    Children of John and Barbara included: (1) Hugh Penner, b. Nov 28, 1824, Wythe Co, VA; d. 1898, IN;    (2) John Penner, b. Sept 5, 1827, Wythe Co, VA; d. Nov 5, 1854, Pike Co;    (3) Peter Penner, b. 1829, IN;    (4) Joseph Penner, b. Nov 23, 1830, Johnson Co, IN; d. 1895;    (5) Mary Penner, b. 1833, Johnson Co, IN;    (6) James Penner, b. 1834, Johnson Co, IN; d. Dec 28, 1862, Pike Co, IN;    (7) Malinda Penner, b. 1836, Johnson Co, IN;    (8) Abraham Penner, b. May 21, 1837, Johnson Co, IN; d. Mar 18, 1870, IN;    (9) Emeline Penner, b. 1840, Pike Co, IN;    (10) Lucinda Penner, b. 1844, Pike Co, IN; and    (11) Martha Penner, b. 1848, Pike Co; d. bef 1860, Pike Co (She was listed as Marthew, 2, female, on the 1850 Pike Co census.)

10. Christina Keesling, b. Sept 28, 1809, Wythe Co, VA; d. May 16, 1871, Johnson Co, IN; m. Peter Doty on Feb 17, 1831, Johnson Co, IN.    Peter Doty, b. Nov 13, 1800, VA; d. May 1, 1871, Johnson Co, IN.    The family appears on the 1840, 1850 & 1860 Johnson Co, IN census.     Children, all b. Johnson Co, IN,  included: (1) William Doty, b. 1831;    (2) Rebecca Doty, b. 1833;    (3) Mary Margaret Doty, b. 1835;    (4) Jacob Doty, b. 1836;    (5) Sarah Ann Doty, b. 1838;    (6) Harrison Doty, b. 1840;    (7) Jane Doty, b. 1840;    (8) Christina Doty, b. 1843;    (9) Peter M. Doty, b. 1845; and    (10) Morrison Doty, b. 1848

11. Daniel Keesling, b. Dec 28, 1810, Wythe Co, VA.    We have been unable to positively identify Daniel in census records.   

12. Rebecca Keesling, b. May 13, 1813, Wythe Co, VA; d. Aug 13, 1863, Madison Co, IN; m. Daniel Kisling on Jan 1, 1833, Delaware Co, IN.    Daniel Kisling was a distant cousin, b. Aug 7, 1811, Wayne Co, IN; d. Oct 12, 1892, Madison Co, IN, son of Jacob Kisling and Catherine Shaffer.    Family settled in Madison Co, IN prior to 1840.   Children, all b. IN, included: (1) Mary Ann Kisling, b. Aug 12, 1837;    (2) Martin L. Kisling, b. Oct 25, 1838;    (3) Catherine Lucinda Kisling, b. 1841;    (4) Sophia Sylvania Kisling, b. July 20, 1842;    (5) Ma linda Kisling, b. Mar 14, 1844;    (6) William Jasper Kisling, b. Mar 1845;    (7) Rebecca Jane Kisling, b. June 7, 1848;    (8) Daniel Boone Kisling, b. 1849; d. Apr 11, 1850, Madison Co, IN; and    (9) George Reiley Kisling, b. 1852  

13. Sophia Keesling, b. Oct 20, 1816, Wythe Co, VA; d. Feb 27, 1903, Delaware Co, IN; bur. South Whitley Cem, Whitley Co, IN ; m. Bowen Rees(e) on Apr 28, 1836, Delaware Co, IN.    Bowen Rees(e), b. May 30, 1814, OH; d. Dec 17, 1888, Whitley Co, IN; bur. South Whitley Cem, Whitley Co.     Family appears on the 1840 & 1850 Delaware Co, IN census, and on the 1860, 1870 and 1880 Whitley Co, IN census.    Children (b. Delaware Co, IN, except for two youngest) included: (1) Robert H. Reese, b. June 28, 1840;    (2) Rebecca Ann Reese, b. Apr 13, 1842; m. John Keesling;    (3) William Reese, b. June 18, 1843;    (4) Charles Willard Reese, b. Apr 10, 1846;    (5) Samantha Reese, b. Mar 25, 1848; m. George Washington Gibson;    (6) Hiram Bowen Reese, b. Dec 17, 1851;    (7) Morrison Reese, b. Nov 25, 1856, Whitley Co, IN; and    (8) Mahala Hester Reese, b. June 30, 1862, Whitley Co, IN