Kugler and LeBold Ancestors

      This narrative contains facts extracted , and expanded, from material of a copy of  a Catalog of Kugler Family Memorabilia found among the belongings of Jean Kugler Woodburn shortly after her death on August 25, 1974; arranged by Walter Kugler of Secane PA.  Much of the material is written by George Kugler Jr. The copy of the material was  provided to me some time during the seventies. Now in 1994, I am trying to correlate the facts! - Ann  Smullen

 "The Kuglers were an old family in Montgomery County and originally came from Berlin, German" - George Kugler Jr.

Samuel Kulger and his parents migrated from Berlin, Germany during the period of or before the Revolutionary war  [sometime between 1775 -  1780]. They first settled in Montgomery Co. PA.; then settled in Port Kennedy [which is also in Montgomery Co.] where he died and was buried in the Baptist Church Buring Ground. Samuel seems to be the first one of the line of whom anyone has any recollection. Samuel married a girl whose maiden name was "Scott". Their first child  was George Kugler, born Nov. 7 1807, was the only son of Samuel Kugler. While he was the only son, he had three sisters.

The LeBold family were the Kugler's neighbors. Jacob LeBold was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, March 18, 1778. He married Christiana Singer, of another Montgomery County family of Berlin, Germany stock. Mrs. LeBold was born July 11, 1781. It is thought that Jacob "was by trade a miller". The Labels had many children as recorded by Catherine (Catarine) LeBold. Catherine (Catharine) LeBold was born in 1810. Catherine Lebold grew up to marry George Kugler. Catherine had many brothers and sisters, whose birth dates she recorded. In 1851, Catherine LeBold recorded a list entitled "Ages of my Brothers an Sisters" giving names and birthdays of the twelve children born to her parents, Jacob LeBold and Christina Singer Lebold.

 I guess after ten children, I would start naming them "Mary" & "Joseph"! Christina was nineteen when she gave birth to her first child; she was forty-one when Mary and Joseph were born.

 Also written by Catherine LeBold Kugler .. 'There are two additional items of information: 1), "Mother was 69 last July 11, 1851. 2)"Father's age Jacob LeBold aged 71 years 11 months and 13 days"... leaving it unclear whether he or not he still living.' However, George Kugler Jr. states that Catherine's father, Jacob LeBold " died March 20, 1850 and is buried at Boehm's Church Yard."  Catherina's mother lives until 1872.

On September 28, 1830 George Kugler married Catarine (Catherine) LeBold. George and Catarine had many children during the next years but experienced some sad losses. Many birth announcements claimed the Kuglers to be residents of Norristown. Actually they lived in Port Kennedy, which today is still a Norristown mailing address. Port Kennedy is outside of Norristown; both towns are in in Montgomery County PA. George and Catherine Kugler had ten children:

 It is  also noted in the Kugler bible as a birth  "July 5, 1850,Paterson,Jane, daughter of James & Anne Paterson, Philadelphia." Jane will become George Junior's wife.

During the 1840s life must have been hectic for George and Caterine Kugler. In February 1841, Caterine gave birth to an infant son, who  only lived a few days. With three youngsters at home, Caterine gave birth to another son, Samuel in July 1842. Ann Elizabeth was 11 years old at the time.  In the Kugler Family Memorabilia are two letters which indicate Ann Elizabeth Kugler was visiting her Aunt Ann (Ann Lebold Vanderan, Caterine's youngest sister) in Philadelphia.  Listed in the Catalog of Kugler Memorabilia is the following:  

          'The two letters on a single sheet of paper,  addressed to Mrs. Catharine Kugler, Norristown, apparently folded and mailed without an envelope. There is a Philadelphia postmark but the date is illegible. A tear in the paper suggests that a stamp had been removed.'  

          'The first letter is dated Philadelphia 20th September, no year given, and is addressed to "Dear Mother" and signed "from youre Daughter". The writer must have been Ann Elizabeth, the oldest of George and Catharine Kugler's children. She mentions "Charlie and Jacob" and "Samuel and Martha", and "little Katie", her brothers and sisters. Little Katie was born March 6, 1845 and Ann Elizabeth  died on November 21, 1846, at the age of fifteen, so the letter indicates that Ann Elizabeth is visiting her Aunt Ann in Philadelphia, and is enjoying herself. She mentions "Uncle Constine" who is on a "long journey to South Carolina". Was he the husband of Aunt Ann?'  

          'The other letter, addressed to "Deare Sister" is signed Ann Vanderan, or Vanderon, who is evidently Catherine Kugler's younger sister.' [ I have concluded that  Ann LeBold, born 1816 married Constine Vanderan  (Vanderon) and settled in Philadelphia. ]

Samuel Kugler died before 1850. George Kugler Jr writes,  "My grandfather, Samuel Kugler, lived at Port Kennedy, Montgomery County, Pa and died before I was born in 1850. My Grandmother Kugler, whose maiden name was Scott, I have no recollection of at all."

By 1860, George and Catarine Kugler's family were grown; John was seven years old, George Jr. was 10, and his sister's Caroline and Catharine were 12 and 15.  Charles Nassau Kugler had married Kate M. Conrad in 1855.  Martha Jane Kugler  had married Thomas S. Morris and moved to Trenton NJ.

Samuel had gone off and joined the Union Army as a Private Co. B. 4th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.  Jacob left to become a southern colporteur only to windup joining the Confederate Army.  A colporteur is a peddler of devotional literature.

Jacob received a Second Class Certificate [what ever that means?] from Norristown High School on January 1, 1851. In the Kugler Family Memorabilia is a leather-bound notebook, on the fly-leaf is inscribed Jacob L. Kugler Journal Commenced November 25th 1858. There are regular entries until December 13, 1858 during which time he left his home in Trenton NJ, visited friends and relatives in Philadelphia and Norristown. Entries also tell of Jacob going to Savannah GA. by ship, and to Gainsville GA. by train. There are also entries for  April 8 through 12, 1860 and November 29 through December 3. During April Jacob says he has "discontinued the work of colportage". "On December 3 he enters the "school of Mr. Lewis" in Columbia Alabama, apparently to study the ministry. This ends the journal. There follows, in the notebook, a seven page essay entitled  Thoughts in a Prayer Meeting. Beginning at the other end of the book is an eight-page essay entitled Liberty which is a defense of the institution of slavery, and which may have been copied from a book or magazine.

This explains why Jacob became a Chaplin the 10th Alabama Confederate Army. Jacob was killed March 12,1862 in a train accident near Mobile, Ala. Of course George and Caterine Kugler were grief stricken to lose their son to the Confederate Army and then to have him killed. Meanwhile their other son was fighting in the Civil War as a soldier in the Union Army.

Items in the Kugler Memorabilia indicate that the conditions of Jacob's death were heart rendering. Maybe the heartbreak was too much! George Kugler died on August 2, 1862 at the age of 55. George  is buried at Boehm's Church Yard, Blue Bell, Montgomery Co. PA. Blue Bell was originally called "Pigeon Town".  An entry in the Kugler Memorabilia is an accounting by Catherine Kugler as Executrix of her husband's estate filed January 8, 1864. it appears from an item in this statement that George Kugler died at Trenton NJ. It may be that at the time of his death, Catherine and George were visiting their daughter, Martha Jane, who married Thomas S. Morris and lived in Trenton NJ.

Listed in the Catalog of Kugler Family Memorabilia  are several letters which describe the agony Christina and George must have experienced after their son Jacob's  death. The item are the following:  

          'An  envelope contains two letters. The envelope is addressed to Mr. George Kugler, Norristown Pa., postmarked Selma Alabama November 29. On the back of the envelope is a return address: Rev E. Anderson Summerfield Ala. ...'  

          'The first letter is dated August 28, 1861 and the salutation is  

             "My Dear Father, Mother, Sisters and Brothers"  and concludes

             "I remain truly your Son and Brother Jacob L. Kugler".  

          'The letter was written when Jacob enlisted in the Confederate Army. He left the letter with Mr. Anderson with the request it be mailed in the event of his death.'  

          'The second letter is dated Summerfield November 15 and is signed by E. Anderson. It had been Jacob's request, he says, that the letter be forwarded "on return of peace" [or] if he, Jacob, failed to survive the war. Mr. Anderson says Jacob had been studying for the ministry under the care of his, Mr. Anderson's, Presbytery, and quotes the report of Jacob's death issued by that body on April 17, 1862. The letter tells that Jacob fell between the cars of a moving train on which he had been riding, and only lived a few minutes. This letter cannot be firmly dated.'  

Before 1864, Catherine Lebold Kugler apparently moved to Philadelphia with her four youngest children. Charles was now eleven years old, George Jr. was fourteen and the girls were sixteen and nineteen. Other entries in the catalog indicate that Catharine Kugler continued to have to suffer the memories of her son's death for the next six years, while still handling the early years of widowhood of George dying in 1862.  

          'An envelope addressed to  Mrs. Catherine Kugler, 2138 Christen Street, Philadelphia. The enclosed letter is dated Selma November 1866. It is addressed "My Dear Madam" and is signed "Your Bro. in Christ E. Anderson".  Catharine Kugler had written to Mr. Anderson for further information on Jacob.  Mr. Anderson says he has given her letter to someone - unnamed- who may be able to supply it.'  

          'A letter dated Centerville May 30, 1868, addressed to Mrs. Kugler and signed H.A. Smith.  He says that Mr. Kenneth Morrison of Columbia, Shelby County, wishes her to know that he has her son's books and other things , and knows where Jacob is buried.'  

          'A letter to Catherine Kugler from K.L. Morrison, Columbia, Alabama, dated July 1, 1868. He acknowledges receipt of Catharine Kugler's letter of June 15, and says he has sent her a box of books and a trunk belonging to Jacob. Here is the letter's closing paragraph: 

"J.L. Kugler belonged to Company C, 25th Infantry. He was killed on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad  by accidentally falling between the cars in attempting to step from one car to another. It was on or about 12th of March 1862 some 20 or 30 miles above Mobile Ala. He was buried a grave yard in the country nearby the sad accident. The men that was left to bury him are both dead."  '

Meanwhile life goes on for the surviving Kugler family.  In May of 1865 the last Confederate Troops surrendered. The Civil War was over. Samuel returned home from the war. Catharine Kugler born, married John Glanney in March 1868.  Caroline Kugler born, married Samuel Bagot in July 1868.  In 1869, at the age of 27, Samuel Arron Kugler married  Francis (sic) Phillipps. After Francis died in 1875, Samuel re-married Margaret S. Taylor in 1877. In April, 1891, Samuel was granted a pension. The pension, being for Rheumatism, Piles, and of heart, was signed John W. Noble, Sec'y of Interior, counter signed Andrew Davison Acting Commissioner of Pensions. Samuel died in 1912, age 70, at the Soldier's Home Hampton Road. The youngest boys, George Jr. and John, continued to live in Port Kennedy. George Jr. will marry Jane Patterson in March of 1872. John will marry Kate Dickel  in January 1879.  Kate was born in 1858 and is the adopted daughter of Nicholas  Roberts.

On March 25, 1872 George Kugler Jr. married Jane (Jennie) Paterson. The ceremony was held by Rev. George Van Deurs (of Troy NY) at the residence of the bride's father in Philadelphia. The  groomsman  was Harry G. Rees Esq. and the  brides maid was Sabine Sterling both of Philadelphia. The certificate of marriage  states the address as 1627 Christian Street, Philadelphia. A family bible was published in 1872 which belonged to George Kugler, Jr.

At the time of the wedding George Kugler Jr.'s grandmother, Christiana LeBold,  was ninety-one years old. She died November 5, 1872 and is buried at Boehm's Church Yard, Blue Bell, Montgomery Co. PA. Blue Bell with the other Kugler's. 

It appears from a typewritten copy of Catharine Kugler's will, dated 1892, that Martha Jane Kugler Morris lived in Trenton, and Catharine Kugler lived with her for a while; and that John Lebold Kugler lived in Philalphia. The will bequeaths the 1820 bible to George Kugler Jr.