#24 Benjamin C. Knepper◊ ( William C. Knepper◊ • Godfrey Knepper◊ • Johann Gottfried "Gottfried" Knepper◊ • Clemens Knepper◊ • Hans Peter Knepper◊ • Tilmann Knepper◊ )
Benjamin was born 7 Sep 1834 in Summerhill, Cambria Co., Pennsylvania. He died 3 Apr 1907 in Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania from heart disease and pernicious aenemia. He was buried 6 Apr 1907 in Fairview Cemetery, Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania.
[Wig] gives the birth date as shown. The 1900 census of Altoona, Pennsylvania gives it as Jan 1838. He is shown still working as a conductor for the railroad. [Wig] gives the death date as 11 Feb 1907. His death certificate and grave marker have it as shown.
On the 1850 Federal Census of Summerhill, Cambria Co., Pennsylvania, he is living with his parents and working as a laborer.
On the 1860 Federal Census the family is in Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania and he is working as a day laborer.
On the 1870 Federal Census the family is in Derry, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, with the name spelled Nipper. Benjamin is now a conductor for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
On the 1880 Federal Census he is back in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with his name spelled Knipper. He is a conductor for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
On the 1900 Federal Census of Altoona he is still shown as a conductor.
The following is his obituary from the Altoona Mirror:
Benjamin Charles Knepper, who for a period of almost thirty-three years served as passenger conductor on the branch railroad, and who was one of the best known railroad men in the service of the Pennsy, died this morning a few minutes before 9 o'clock at his home, 1603 Seventh avenue, of an attack of pneumonia, after an illness of about four weeks. He was stricken down with an attack of grip during the early part of March and several weeks later sustained a relapse which developed into pneumonia. His wife and several children were at his bedside when the end came.Benjamin C. Knepper was born at Summerhill, Cambria county, September, 1834. He received such an education as the community afforded and was employed near his home until he was 22 years of age, when he started railroading, at which he was employed continuously until his retirement, over two years ago, at the age of seventy. He was married twice, his first wife being Mary Ellen McCarty. Sixteen children were born to this union, eight of whom are living. They are: William B. of Greensburg, Calvin M., Albert E. and M. Edward of Altoona, Harry H. of Pittsburg, Mrs. Eliza Vaughn of Kittanning Point, Mrs. W. H. Shaffer of Pittsburg and Miss Leona Knepper of Greensburg. His first wife dying about twenty years ago, he was remarried September 13, 1891, to Carrie E. Welsh, who survives him, as do also two brothers and one sister - William B. Knepper of Clairton, Pa., Abraham Knepper of Philadelphia and Miss Lucinda Knepper of Summerhill.
Mr. Knepper with possibly one or two exceptions holds a longer and more varied record as a railroader than any other employee of the Pennsylvania company, having been in almost continuous employment for a period of forty-seven years. His services date from January 27, 1857, when he entered the employ of the company as a freight brakeman on what was then called the Mountain division. June, 1861, he was promoted to the position of flagman, which position he held for one year, when he was promoted to the position of freight conductor. While employed in this capacity during the month of October, 1863, he was thrown from his train and sustained injuries which compelled him to lay off work for one month. He returned to work, assuming the position of extra brakeman. December 10 of this same year he quit the services of the Pennsylvania railroad company and ten days later entered the services of the United States government as a member of a construction corps. During his service with the government he served as a conductor on a pay train which followed the union armies in various parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. August 15, 1864, he was honorably discharged from the service of the government. October, 1864, he again entered the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad company, being given the position of local freight conductor. One year later he was promoted to the position of baggage master on the mainline with a run between Altoona and Pittsburg. December 31, 1866, he was promoted to a passenger conductor and was employed on the mainline in this capacity until the year 1871 when he was transferred to the Henrietta branch. He was conductor on the branch from that date until his retirement September 1, 1904, a period of almost thirty-three years. His retirement last September two years ago was marked with the proper observance; a number of prominent railroad men being present at the ceremonies held in connection with the event.
Conductor Knepper served under Andrew Carnegie, at the time he was superintendent of the Pittsburg division and was a personal friend of Mr. Carnegie for a number of years. He was one of the few railroad men of this city who drew a pension from the Carnegie pension fund established a number of years ago by Mr. Carnegie.
Mr. Knepper was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal church ever since he had been a resident of the city. He served for a long period of years as a vestryman of the church, being re-elected to that office at a meeting held by the congregation Sunday night. He was superintendent of the Sunday school conducted with the church for a number of years. He was prominent in Masonic circles, being connected with Mountain lodge, No. 281, Free and Accepted Masons, and Mountain Chapter, No. 181, Royal Arch and Mountain Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar. He was also a member of Jaffa Temple, Mystic Shrine, and the Ben Davis lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was also a member of the Railroad Relief. The funeral notice will be announced later.
There is a family story that Benjamin, a Protestant, made a deal with the Catholic Mary McCarty: if he could raise the first son Protestant, she could raise the rest of the children as Catholics. The story has a bit of an apocryphal feel to it but certainly my line, from the first son, is Protestant, and at least one other branch of descent from them is Catholic.
∞ Benjamin married first #33 Mary Ellen McCarthy◊. She is the daughter of Michael & Catharine McCarthy.
Marriage notes |
They married 22 Feb 1857. |
Other names for Mary: Mary Knepper◊, Mary E. McCarthy◊, Mary McCarty◊.
Mary was born 18 Oct 1838 in Maryland. She died 4 Jul 1890 in Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania. She was buried in St. John's Cemetery, Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania.
The 1850 Census lists her birthplace as Maryland. Her son's death certificate places it in Harpers Ferry, Maryland but Harpers Ferry is actually just across the Potomac from Maryland in what was then Virginia and is now Jefferson Co., West Virginia. Her son, Calvin's, death certificate says she was born in Cambria Co., Pennsylvania. I've gone with the earliest-recorded location.
So far, I have found no McCarty/McCartey/McCarthy families living in Maryland on the 1840 Census. Since only the heads of households are named on that census, the family may have been living with an older relative on Catherine's side. Or, they may have already moved to Pennsylvania since there are at least five Michael McCarty families in that state.
Mary is buried with her son, Albert.
Children of this relationship:
| #35 | M | i | William B. Knepper◊ | (7 Mar 1858–7 Dec 1913) |
| #46 | F | ii | Louise H. Knepper | (Abt 1858–Bef 5 Dec 1917) |
| #37 | F | iii | Mary Elizabeth "Eliza" Knepper | (14 Sep 1858–15 Jul 1937) |
| #36 | M | iv | Albert E. Knepper | (3 Apr 1861–5 Dec 1917) |
| #47 | M | v | Charles Mc. Knepper | (Abt 1864–Bef 5 Dec 1917) |
| #39 | M | vi | Calvin Francis Knepper | (1 Dec 1866–1 Aug 1946) |
| #40 | M | vii | Harry H. Knepper | (Abt 1868–Aft 1904) |
| #49 | F | viii | Annie Knepper | (May 1870–Bef 5 Dec 1917) |
| #44 | M | ix | Edward M. Knepper | (Abt 1872–) |
| #48 | F | x | Daisy Knepper | (Abt 1877–) |
| #43 | F | xi | Leona Knepper | (Abt 1878–Bef 5 Dec 1917) |
| #41 | F | xii | Mary Cornelia Knepper | (–Bef 5 Dec 1917) |
| #45 | U | xiii | «Unknown» Knepper | |
| #50 | U | xiv | «Unknown» Knepper | |
| #51 | U | xv | «Unknown» Knepper | |
| #52 | U | xvi | «Unknown» Knepper |
∞ Benjamin married second #34 Carrie Elizabeth A. Eller.
Marriage notes |
They married. |
Other names for Carrie: Carrie Knepper, Carrie Welsh.
Carrie was born 9 Jan 1836 in Blair Co., Pennsylvania. She died 17 Oct 1914 in Blair Co., Pennsylvania. She was buried in Upper Claar Cemetery, Queen, Bedford Co., Pennsylvania.
Her father was German and her mother born in Pennsylvania. The 1930 Census shows her with three of six children still living. Given that she was 63 years old and had only been married to Benjamin for nine years, we can assume that these children are from a previous marriage. Her birth year is variously given as 1836 and 1837.
Her name is given as Carrie Welsh in Benjamin's obituary. I assume this was her first married name.
"OLD-TIME CONDUCTOR DEAD" , obituary, Altoona Mirror, Altoona, Pennsylvania, 3 Apr 1907.
1850 U.S. Census, Allegheny Twp., Blair Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009, Roll: M432_755; Page: 265A; Image: 534.
1850 U.S. Census, Summerhill, Cambria Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009, Roll: M432_761; Page: 92A; Image: 189.
1860 U.S. Census, Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009., Roll: M653_1078; Page: 619; Image: 623; Family History Library Film: 805078.
1870 U.S. Census, Derry Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009., Roll: M593_1465; Page: 110A; Image: 220; Family History Library Film: 552964.
1880 U.S. Census, Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S., Roll: 1102; Family History Film: 1255102; Page: 153A; Enumeration District: 157; Image: 0640.
1900 U.S. Census, Altoona Ward 6, Blair Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004., Roll: 1380; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0054; FHL microfilm: 1241380.
Benjamin C. Knepper death certificate, no. 34283, registered no. 232 (3 Apr 1907), Bureau of Vital Statistics, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Benjamin C. Knepper will, (14 May 1904) Altoona, Blair Co., Pennsylvania. There is no indication if the will was recorded.
Benjamin Knepper, funeral notice, Altoona Mirror, Altoona, Pennsylvania, 4 Apr 1907.
Carrie Elizabeth A. Eller Knepper, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #113735206.
Clifford T. Wig & Dorothy H. Wig, The Knepper Family Tree, (unpublished, Apr 1997). Ref. as [Wig].
Mary E. Knepper, cemetery notes, www.findagrave.com, #88644664.
Personal knowledge of Ruth Leona (Knepper) Copeland as related to Tad Deffler.
William B. Knepper, death certificate, no. 119327, registered no. 561 (9 Dec 1913), Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health, Pennsylvania.
Line Generation: 7
Relationship: Great-Great-Grandfather