U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Kniseley Family ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Ritchie County by Minnie Kendall Lowther Wheeling News Litho. Co., Wheeling W.Va., 1911 Pages 570-572 The Kniseleys. George and Annie Eib Kniseley, both of Holland descent, emigrated from Pennsylvania to Harrison county shortly after the American Revolution, as did the Eib family. Their family consisted of ten children, namely, Jacob, George, John, Washington, Abraham, Mary, Margaret, Susan, and Lucy. George married Miss Nancy Loveland and went to Illinois. Jacob married and remained in Harrison county. Abraham lived single until he had reached the age of near sixty- five years, when he married a Harrison county lady, and shortly after, was thrown from a horse and killed. Mary was the late Mrs. Isaac P. Cox, of the Pocotaligo river, this state. Susan married Philip Cox and died in this county in 1886. Margaret was the late Mrs. Samuel Sheets, of Harrison county. And Lucy was Mrs. Noah Smith, of Simpson's creek. Washington Kniseley married Miss Sarah Heckart and settled near Troy, in Gilmer county, many years ago. Here, he died about 1880, and in the Auburn cemetery he lies at rest, by the side of his two companions. His last wife, Mrs. Anna Cox Kniseley being laid by his side in 1909. His daughter Sarah was the late wife of Oliver Cox, of Cox's mill: and his sons were John, and Daniel, of the Auburn vicinity, who passed on a number of years ago, and Henry Kniseley. John Kniseley, who was so long prominently identified with the business affairs of this part of the county, was married to Miss Julia McKinley, in 1839, and settled on Hacker's creek, in Lewis county, where he remained until the early seventies, when he came to Auburn and purchased the Timothy Tharpe and the Andrew Law homesteads, and took up his residence on the latter. Being a man of great energy, he was one of the most prosperous farmers and stock-dealers in this section of the country. He took an active interest in church affairs, and was a generous contributor to the cause. The pretty Methodist Protestant church home of this town, which was burned to the ground, on Sunday, December 13, 1909, was chiefly the work of his own hands. When the weight of years forced him to give up his business pursuits, turning his beautiful old homestead over to his son, Thomas, he removed to a little home in the north of this town, where he resided until this home was broken up by the death of his aged companion, near the year 1896. He died during the month of February, 1898. Both sleep in the Auburn cemetery. This venerable couple celebrated their golden wedding during the early summer of the year 1889 — an event which has been recorded in the lives of comparatively few of the citizens of this county. They were the parents of five children; viz., Edward, Abraham, Thomas, Julia, and Sarah. Edward remained in Lewis county. Sarah Kniseley was first married to Francis Swisher, of Lewis county, and the two daughters of this union are Mrs. Laura Glover, wife of Dr. J. R. Glover, and Mrs. Julia Cookman Peirpoint. After the death of Mr. Swisher, she married Mr. Smith, of Weston. Julia Kniseley married Israel Cookman, of Lewis county, in 1869, and with her parents, they came to Auburn and took up their residence on the Tharpe homestead, where they still live. They have long been pillars in the Methodist Episcopal church, and are classed among the best citizens of the town. Their only child is John Cookman, the well known cashier of the Auburn bank. Later. — Mr. Cookman died on April 10, 1910, at he age of eighty years, and was laid at rest in the Auburn cemetery. Abraham Kniseley, who was also prominently known in business circles, was married to Miss Ida Hall, of Lewis county, and died here a number of years ago, leaving two daughters — Minnie, who is now the wife of the Rev. William Lloyd, of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Miss Sarah Kniseley, who, with their mother, are now of Illinois. Thomas Kniseley married Miss Alice Stout, of Lewis county, and after selling the old homestead here a few years since, returned to Lewis county, where he now resides. His children are two in number: Georgia, a daughter, and Fred, a son. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Ritchie County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/ritchie/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------