Person Page - 1

     Alexander Klinger was born on 16 September 1797, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA.^1,2 He was the son of Alexander Klinger and Magdalena Haag. Alexander Klinger was baptized on 29 October 1797, Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA. He married Elizabeth Schwalm, daughter of Johannes Schwalm and Ottilia Bobb. This was the first marriage between the Johannes Schwalm family and the Philip Klinger family. Mary Klinger said that Alexander and Elizabeth "lived with his parents [on] the homestead of the late Joh. Philip, who died in 1811. Alexander his father received this section when Philip shared his 1000 acres among his children."³ The 1820 Census lists Alexander and Elizabeth's household in Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA, as including 1 male (Alexander) 16-25 years old, 1 female (Emi) under 10, and 1 female (Elizabeth) 16-25 years old. The household is listed next to 5 other Klinger households, under the names of Peter, Alexander, George, Philip, and Philip Jr. The census listing supports the idea that Alexander and Elizabeth lived on the Philip Klinger homestead after his death in 1811.⁴ Alexander Klinger died on 22 July 1827, Hubley Township, Schuylkill County, PA, at age 29; Mary Klinger's book, p. 352, recounts the following story: "Legend has it that Alexander, on his way to his father-in-law's homestead, which was east of his but on the other side of Pine Creek, crossed it at Steh Eck, which was a whirlpool, around the rocks, and after a thundershower, high water, and slipped and was sucked under and drowned. A Carell (Carl), a peddlar, retrieved the body. This was . . . just 2 months after his baby David S. was born and 2 months after his thirtieth birthday. The intervening years have changed the flow of the creek and pacified the sucking hole!"^5,3,6,7 He was buried at Zion (Klinger's) Church, Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, PA; Tombstone reads: "Hier ruhet Alexander Klinger, sohn von Alexander Klinger, Er war geboren 16 ten Sept. 1797 am Ober Bergs Taunschip, Dauphin County; gestorben den 22 den Juli 1827; Ist alt worden 29 yahre, 10 monata und 6 tage."⁵