These pages are devoted to several lines of descendants of two Pennsylvania families of German origin, Klinger and Schwalm.

The progenitor of this Klinger line was Philip Klinger, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1751 and settled initially in Reading, PA, before moving to the area south of what is now Klingerstown, PA, largely in Dauphin County. Philip was a Revolutionary War soldier.

Johannes Schwalm, progenitor of the Schwalm lines, came to America in 1776 as part of a regiment of soldiers from Hesse-Cassel that was hired to support the British army against the rebelling colonists. After being taken prisioner and then being released, he remained in this country, eventually settling in the area just east of Klingerstown. More information about Johannes and his descendants can be found in the book "Johannes Schwalm the Hessian," published in 1976 by the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association (https://www.jsha.org/).

The Klinger and the Schwalm families lived only a few miles apart, although on opposite sides of the Dauphin-Schuylkill County line. In addition to their geographical proximity, in the nearly 250 years since the Revolutionary War, there has been a significant degree of intermarriage between descendants of the two families. These page will focus on a few of the key intermarriages.

The first intermarriage was that of Alexander Klinger, grandson of Philip Klinger and Eva Elizabeth Beilstein Klinger, and Elizabeth Schwalm, daughter of Johannes Schwalm and Ottilia Bobb.

Next, three grandchildren of Philip and Eva (Beilstein) Klinger married three grandchildren of Johannes and Ottilia Schwalm. Specifically, these marriages were:

  • Justina Klinger (daughter of Peter Klinger and Catharine Wiest Klinger) married Jacob Schwalm (son of Frederick Schwalm and Catharina Stein);
  • Israel Klinger (son of Peter Klinger and Catharine Wiest Klinger) married Carolina Schwalm (daughter of Frederick Schwalm and Catharina Stein); and
  • Elizabeth Klinger (daughter of Peter Klinger and Catharine Wiest Klinger) married Samuel Schwalm (son of Frederick Schwalm and Catharina Stein).

In addition, Sarah Ellen Schwalm, a daughter of Frederick S. Schwalm (another son of Frederick Schwalm and Catharina Stein) married Milton C. Klinger, a grandson of Peter Klinger and Catharina Steinbruch and a great-grandson of Philip and Eva Klinger.

These pages focus principally on deceased descendants of these five couples. Many of these descendants, especially in the first several generations, lived in Dauphin, Northumberland, or Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It is intended that non-public, personal details about persons who are or may be living be excluded from these listings.

These family lines can be followed in greater detail by clicking on one of the following links: