An American Family History

Henry Kessler and his wife, Barbara, were probably married in the 1770’s in Pennsylvania.

Their older children were christened at St. Paul's Church in North Codorus, Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Henry Kessler was born in 1776, Simon Kessler was born in 1778, Barbara Kessler Beary was born in 1780, Catherine Kessler Smith was born about 1780, Mary Elizabeth Kessler Baker was born in 1782, and Mary Magdaline Kessler Myers was born in 1786.

Before Anna Maria Kessler was born on June 3, 1794, they moved to Rockingham County, Virginia where their older children married. Barbara married in 1798, Mary Elizabeth and Catherine married in 1803, and Mary Magdalene in 1804.

They were associated with Frieden's Church.

They do not appear in the 1810 census of Rockingham County. The family moved to Champaign/Clark County, Ohio in about 1813. They acquired two quarter sections in Champaign/Clark county in the Cincinnati district. On December 23, 1813, Henry Kesler of Champaign County, Ohio bought the north east section of 160 1/2 acres between the Miami Rivers (NE 1/4 Section 21, Township 4, Range 10) for $2.00 an acre from the land office for a total of $323.00. Barbara Kesler bought the northwest quarter (NW 1/4 of Section 21, Township 21, Range 10) from Lewis Huffman for the same price. They finished paying for the land on May 7, 1816.

Henry Kessler (Kesler) was in the 1820 census in Clark County in German Township as were Idaburey Kesler and John Kesler. On September 17, 1823, Henry and Barbara sold part of NE Section 21, Township 4, Range 10 to John Kessler. On November 3, 1824 Henry and Barbara sold NE 1/4 Section 21, Township 4, Range 10 to Abraham Rust.

In 1830 Barbara Kessler (Kesler) appeared alone in German Township in the Ohio Census as one female between 70 and 80. She was a close neighbor of John Kesler who was between 40 and 50 years old. He was married and had seven children at home.