JOHN K. KNAPPENBERGER
FAMILY OF CHARITON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Johan Michael
(1709-1751)
V
Conrad
(1748-1818)
V
John
(1774-1863)
V
Henry
(1798-1854)
V
John K.
(1829-1902)
V
H. Arabella (1853-1854)
James Edward (1856-1943) > 2 Children
William Albert (1861-1893) > 3 Children
Harry Douglas (c1859-1862)
Meredith Archer (1864-1939) > 2 Children
Nellie O. (1865-1944)
Eva L. (1868-1928)
Robert (1871-1877)
GENERAL INFORMATION
John K. Knappenberger was born 13 October 1829 in Westmoreland County, PA and died 21 October 1902 in Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri. John was the first one in his family to leave Westmoreland County, PA and moved to McDonough County, Illinois in 1851. There he met and married Mary Jane ROSS on 11 January 1853. Mary Jane was born 30 October 1835 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana and died 20 February 1907 in Chariton County, Missouri. While living in Illinois, John was a builder/carpenter and was elected county treasurer and held this office from 1855 to 1865. In 1866, the family moved to Chariton County, Missouri where John maintained a real estate business and was a lawyer. In 1871, he was elected to the office of Mayor of Brunswick in Chariton County, Missouri. This couple is buried in Elliott Grove Cemetery, Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri. John and Mary Jane had eight children. Many of the children are also buried in Elliott Grove Cemetery.
CHILDREN
H. ARABELLA KNAPPENBERGER (1853-1854)
H. Arabella was born in 1853 in Blandinsville, McDonough County, Illinois and died on 30 December 1854 in Blandinsville, McDonough County, Illinois. She is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, McDonough County, Illinois.
JAMES EDWARD KNAPPENBERGER (1856-1943)
James Edward was born April 1856 in McDonough County, Illinois and died January 1943 in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. James first married Bertha R. “Bertie” WILLIAMS on 15 June 1882 in Carroll County, Missouri. Bertie, daughter of V. and Sophia Williams, was born September 1861 in Carroll County, Missouri and died 1903 in Carroll County, Missouri. Bertie is buried in DeWitt Cemetery in Carroll County, Missouri with her two sons. The Williams family originated from Kentucky.
James E. married a second time to Willie Mae SINGLETON, daughter of Benjamin L. and Belle Singleton. Willie was born 1876 in Carroll County, Missouri and died December 1959 in Oklahoma. In the 1920 census, J.E. Knappenberger and Willie Mae were living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. James and Willie Mae are buried in Grace Lawn Cemetery, Edmond, Oklahoma.
1. Ross Merrick Knappenberger was the son of James and Bertie. He was born 28 July 1883 in Carroll County, Missouri and died 1945 in Carroll County, Missouri. He is buried in DeWitt Cemetery, Carroll County, Missouri. He is listed in the 1920 census for Kansas City, Missouri with his wife Lillian H. TAYLOR, daughter of TAYLOR and Helena A. Holmes. Lillian was born 15 October 1895 in Oklahoma County, OK and died January 1977. This marriage ended in divorce. Lillian remarried on 23 June 1922 to Gerald Robert Thomson. No children were born to Ross M. Knappenberger that we know of.
2. Harry Hagee Knappenberger was the son of James and Bertie. He was born 13 February 1886 in Carroll County, Missouri and died 4 August 1951 in Carrollton, Carroll County, Missouri. Harry is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Dewitt, Carroll County, Missouri. Harry married Mona STUCKER, daughter of John W. and Bunnie B. STUCKER, in 1905. Mona was born April 1886 in Carroll County, Missouri and died 1968. She is also buried in Evergreen Cemetery but there is no marker. In the 1920 census, this family was living in Kansas City, Missouri where Harry was listed as a telegraph operator. They had one son.
a. John Knappenberger was born 19 February 1907 in Carroll County, Missouri and died May 1973 in Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri. He married Kathryn Mary WORTHINGTON, daughter of Thomas Estell Worthington and Katie Francis Deppish, on 6 June 1930 in Jackson County, Missouri. Kathryn was born 27 February 1907 in Pueblo, Colorado and died 23 September 1995 in Kansas City, Missouri.
HARRY DOUGLAS KNAPPENBERGER (c1859-1862)
Harry Douglas was born about 1859 in McDonough County, Illinois and died there on 8 April 1862. Harry is listed in the 1860 census as 1 year of age and born in Illinois. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, McDonough County, Illinois.
WILLIAM ALBERT KNAPPENBERGER, MD (1861-1893)
William Albert Knappenberger, MD was born 12 February 1861 in McDonough County, Illinois and died 19 October 1893 in Chariton County, Missouri from typhoid. He married Margaret “Elizabeth” HEISEL, daughter of John Jacob Heisel and Elizabeth Bondy, on 22 June 1886. Elizabeth was born 13 July 1861 in Chariton County, Missouri and died 16 October 1957 in Chariton County, Missouri. They are buried in Elliott Grove Cemetery in Chariton County, Missouri. William and Elizabeth had three children. Their third child was born five months after William’s death.
When William died, his two eldest children went to live with their paternal grandparents, John Knappenberger and Mary Jane Knappenberger, for a time. They returned to live with their mother sometime prior to 1910. [John Knappenberger died in 1902 and Mary Jane Knappenberger died in 1907.] Previous to marrying William, Elizabeth had been married to Richard Hoffman by whom she had a son named Jacob C. Hoffman known as “Jake”. Elizabeth also married after William’s death to a William Henry Finch in 1899.
William Albert Knappenberger,
mid 1860s, Macomb, Illinois
[photo provided by Bill Lutz]
1. Adele Jean Knappenberger known by “Jean” was born 3 March 1887 in Wentzville, Missouri and was a teacher. She died 20 September 1964 in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas. Jean married James “Taylor” HUNT 8 December 1912 in Jackson County, Missouri. James was born about 1886 in Missouri and died prior to 1964. In the 1930 census, they were living in Jefferson County, Alabama. Jean and James had four children:
a. Ralph Taylor Hunt born 15 June 1916 in Idaho and died 4 April 1997 in Santa Clara County, California.
b. William Francis Hunt born about 1917 in Jackson County, Missouri.
c. James Edgar Hunt, known as “Tom”, was born about 1920 in Jackson County, Missouri and died September 1990.
d. Betty Jean Hunt born about 1923 in Jackson County, Missouri.
2. William Ralph Knappenberger known as “Ralph” was born 27 March 1890 in Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri and died 15 January 1979 in Denver, Colorado. William married Willie “Maureen” POGUE, daughter of Oscar Pogue and Della Lane, in September 1922. Willie was born 2 August 1901 in Blum, Texas and died September 1962 in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas. In 1930, this family was living in Chicago, Illinois. This couple had two daughters:
William Ralph Knappenberger with
is daughter, Mary Sue Knappenberger
[photo provided by Bill Lutz]
a. Mary Sue Knappenberger (born 11 September 1924 in Cook County, Illinois and died 12 June 2012) married John George Lutz, Jr. on 3 March 1951 in Cook County, Illinois. John was born 18 June 1919 in Cook County, Illinois and died 1 November 1986 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
b. Nancy H. Knappenberger (born 1932) who married Norman Lee Markman.
3. Willie Alberta Knappenberger [named after her father who had died five months earlier] was born 21 February 1894 in Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri and died 27 October 1957 in Wasco County, Oregon. Alberta married Bernard “Ben” R. LITFIN, son of Frank and Emma Litfin, about 1916. Ben was born 2 February 1887 in Stillwater, Washington County, Minnesota and died 24 November 1950 in Wasco County, Oregon. This family was living in The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon in the 1920 and 1930 census. They are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. They had two sons:
a. Frank Litfin was born and died July 20, 1917 in Wasco County, Oregon. He is buried with his parents in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon.
b. Richard Albert Litfin was born 9 September 1918 in Wasco County, Oregon and died 25 October 1996 in San Mateo County, California. He married Marie A. FOLEY who was born 2 April 1920 in Oregon and died 28 May 1996 in San Mateo County, California.
MEREDITH ARCHER KNAPPENBERGER (1863-1939)
Meredith Archer was born 7 October 1863 in McDonough County, Illinois and died 10 March 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri. He married Mary “Grace” PARKER, daughter of John H. Parker and Katherine Brady Grace, on 15 June 1892 in Chariton County, Missouri. Grace was born 17 February 1869 in Lafayette County, Missouri and died 11 June 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri. They are buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri. They had two children.
1. Inez “Ruth” Knappenberger was born 16 March 1893 in Chariton County, Missouri and died May 1979 in Shawnee Mission, Johnson County, Kansas. Ruth married James Albert TESSON, MD, son of Noah Albert Grant Tesson and Maud Ina Morrison, on 10 July 1917 in Jackson County, Missouri. James was born 24 June 1892 in Jackson County, Missouri and died August 1976 in Johnson County, Kansas. They had two daughters: Ruth Maxine Tesson (born 1923) and Juana Leta Tesson (born 1925).
2. John Meredith Knappenberger was born November 1895 in Chariton County, Missouriand died 28 May 1935 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was a World War I veteran and a graduate of the University of Illinois. He committed suicide. His burial location is unknown.
John Meredith Knappenberger,
1918 Senior Photo from his
University of Illinois Yearbook
NELLIE O. KNAPPENBERGER (1865-1944)
Nellie O. was born August 1865 in McDonough County, Illinois and died 1944 in Chariton County, Missouri. Nellie married John Franklin KENNEDY known as “Frank”, son of Granville D. Kennedy and Elizabeth Blue, on 16 December 1885 in Chariton County, Missouri. Frank was born 28 April 1862 in Chariton County, Missouri and died 17 February 1933 in Chariton County, Missouri. There is no information about any children born to this couple at this time. In 1930, this couple was living with Nell’s younger sister, Eva [see below] in Brunswick, Missouri. This couple is buried in Elliott Grove Cemetery, Chariton County, Missouri.
EVA LUCY KNAPPENBERGER (1868-1928)
Eva Lucy was born 21 September 1868 in Chariton County, Missouri and died 30 December 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri. Eva married John “Edward” FOGGIN, son of John E. Foggin and Hannah Morton, about 1909 in Missouri. The 1910 census indicates that both of them had been married previously and that they had been married less than one year. Edward was born 31 May 1868 in Missouri and died 13 July 1926 in Randolph County, Missouri. The 1920 census for Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri lists John E. Foggin as 50 years of age and his wife, Eva L., as 48 with no children. In 1930 census, Eva Foggin is listed as a widow. This couple is buried in Elliott Grove Cemetery, Chariton County, Missouri.
ROBERT KNAPPENBERGER (1871-1877)
Robert was born 1871 in Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri and died 1877 in Brunswick, Chariton County, Missouri. He is buried in Elliott Grove Cemetery, Chariton County, Missouri.
Do you have information you’d like to share on this family? If so, please contact us at jsappleton@windstream.net.
SPECIAL THANKS
Mary Sue Knappenberger Lutz (1924-2012) and her son, Bill Lutz