John Sipe Christlieb
1847–1954
John Sipe Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4) [923], born 23 May 1847 near Lexington, Illinois; died 15 February 1954; married Mary Margaret Heath, born 27 June 1853 in Lexington, Illinois; died 29 June 1931, Emporia Kansas.
“John Sipe Christlieb was a preacher and in his later years got a job on the Railroad. He was to be paid $100 a month, which was good wages in those days. They were digging a pit beside the railroad and he fell into it. George and Bessie couldn’t go, so they sent another son, Charlie, who was unmarried and had fewer responsibilities. By the time he got there, his father had died. They sent the body back for burial in a cemetery near Madison, Kansas, where his wife is also buried.”
“Meredith Christlieb recalls “Grandpa Christlieb built the United Brethren Church in Virgil (he was a carpenter) and preached in it. Meredith also recalls hearing of how John Sipe and his family homesteaded a tract of land near Humboldt, Kansas. And Meredith recalls going with his father George and family in their old Model T to see where his grandfather had homesteaded.”
“Seems like it was northeast of Humboldt. Dad went to school in Humboldt. Grandpa built a house there, they planted an orchard and got the ground broke to grow crops. The first house burned down. And Grandpa built a second house. The Railroad came in and served papers and moved them off. It seems that the R.R. got every other section of land and they had homesteaded on the wrong section. So everyone was mad at the Railroad.”
“Meredith also remembers hearing his father tell someone about one of the first Christliebs to come over to America. The story went that on the boat coming over, the men were gambling and wanted Uncle Joe to join in, but he wouldn’t, he just guarded their belongings. So the gamblers waited until they were in sight of land, and then picked him up and threw him overboard, and took his belongings. Uncle Joe swam and swam and thought he wasn’t going to make it, but finally reached shore after swimming what he thought was 25 miles.” Daisy Christlieb Martin, Cunningham, Kansas.
John Sipe Christlieb
The above story seems to be a variation of what happened to one of the Christlieb sons after the family docked at Baltimore. Perhaps the Uncle Joe in the story was, in fact, Friedrich Carl and Anna Catharina’s elder son, Jacob. He would have been an uncle of the Pennsylvania side of the family. Ned Crislip.
Children of John Sipe Christlieb and Mary Margaret Heath
Elmer J. Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4, John Sipe Christlieb5) [923], born 24 June 1873, McLean County, Illinois; died 30 May 1874 “as a toddler.”
George Francis Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4, John Sipe Christlieb5) [924], born 23 May 1875, near Lexington, Illinois; died 15 February 1954, Emporia, Kansas; married, 4 June 1907, Bessie Gertrude Lovern.
Charles Benton/Benjamin Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4, John Sipe Christlieb5) [929], born 29 July 1878, McLean County, Illinois; died 29 January 1936. Unmarried.
Ida Mae Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4, John Sipe Christlieb5) [929], born 1 January 1881; died 6 November 1892 at Severy, Kansas of diphtheria.
Addie Alice Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4, John Sipe Christlieb5) [929], born 6 May 1887; died 24 April 1960 in Eureka, Kansas; married, 24 January 1907, George Marion Brown, born 29 January 1879 near Rushville, Missouri; died 5 July 1952.
Edgar Elzie Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb1, Carl Christlieb2, George Christlieb3, William Christlieb4, John Sipe Christlieb5) [930], born 13 February 1894, Mound Valley, Kansas; died 15 November 1956, Topeka, Kansas; married, 30 March 1917, Grace May Morse, daughter of Walter S. and Ettie A. (Devoe) Morse, born 10 May 1894; died 31 May 1944. Glen R. Christlieb, Lobelville, Tennessee.