Biographies
EMANUEL M. KISSELL. The main incidents in the life career of this well-known resident of Springfield are essentially as follows: He was born in Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pa., April 1, 1822, and is the son of Jacob Kissell, a native of Lancaster County, that State. His paternal grandfather, George Kissell, was born in the town of Lietetz, Lancaster County, and the latter's father was a native of Germany and emigrated to America as early as 1718, being a member of the Moravian Colony which founded the town of Litetz. The hill just south of the place upon which he first settled is still called "Kissell Hill," and there the great-grandfather of our subject spent his last days.
Grandfather George Kissell was reared at his father's homestead and after his marriage resided there a number of years. About 1800 he removed to Franklin County, Pa., where he purchased a tract of land, engaged in farming and remained there until his death. He was a devout member of the Lutheran Church, of whose doctrines he was a warm defender and in which he carefully reared his children. His son, Jacob, the father of our subject, spent the early years in Lancaster County, Pa., where he learned the trade of a miller and was married. He, however, preferred farming to milling and devoted himself to the latter the greater part of his life. A few years after his marriage he removed to Franklin County and purchased a farm three miles south of Chambersburg upon which he lived until 1857. That year witnessed this advent into the Buckeye State, when he sold out his interests in Pennsylvania and transferred them to Clark County, Ohio. He bought a farm three miles south of Springfield and taking up his abode resided there until called hence in 1863.
The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Sarah Line. She likewise was a native of Lancaster County, Pa., and the daughter of Jacob Line who died there. She survived her husband some years and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Eliza Allen, in Springfield, in 1869. She, like her husband, belonged to the Lutheran Church. There was born to them a family of nine children, all of whom lived to mature years and three are still surviving.
The subject of this notice was reared in his native county and remained under the parental roof until a youth of eighteen years, when he commenced learning the trade of a harness-maker. He served an apprenticeship of three years and then worked as a journeyman four years. In 1851, leaving his native haunts he came to Springfield, this State, and embarked in the grocery business in which he continued seven or eight years. He then turned his attention to farming for a time, but later was employed as a traveling salesman, handling agricultural implements and introducing new machinery in the cultivation of the soil. In the pursuance of these duties he traveled through the States of Pennsylvnaia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Tennessee, New York and Kentucky. He thus secured a competence and for the past two years has lived in retirement from the active labors of life.
Mr. Kissell was married September 20, 1847, to Miss Abigail Day. This lady was born in Clermont County, this State, April 1, 1823, and is a daughter of Daniel and Phebe (Broadwell) Day who were natives of New Jersey. Her parents came to Ohio in 1798, and settled near Cincinnati. There have been born of this union two sons only — Cyrus B. and Daniel D. The first-mentioned married Miss Lucretia McCune and has two children — Harry S. and Blanche A. Mr. and Mrs. Kissell are members in good standing of the Lutheran Church and are people greatly respected in their community. They occupy a pleasant home at No. 68 West Washington and enjoy the society of its leading people.
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Greene and Clark Counties, Ohio, Chapman Bros, Chicago. 1890. Page 132-133