History of Robert Holstein Family
      Ancestors of Beulah Munshower Kunkle & Emma C. Munshower Espey
      Written by Emma C. Munshower Espey

        
      Buelah Kunkle and Emma Espey



      SWEDISH HOLSTEINS IN AMERICA
      FROM 1644 TO 1892

          Tho following history was taken from a book written by Calvin Knox. It was dedicated to Anna M. Holstein. My grandfather, Robert Holstein had received a letter from Anna M. Holstein of which I, "Emma Espey" have in my possession concerning the Holstein Family record. Anna M. Holstein was from Bridgeport, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

          Matts Holstein, as the name was written in the earliest Swedish records, the ancestors of this long line of decendants, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1644, two years after the second emigration of Swedes to America. Who his parents are we have no means of knowing, but it has been a long family tradition that they came from Sweden with Governor Peter Minuit in the good ship "Key of Calmar".

          Second Generation

          Matts Holstein and wife, Brita Gostenburg Children: Lawerence Holstein born September 15, 1677 Andrew Holstein born January 13, 1681 Frederick Holstein born January 13, 1684 Children to Matts Holstein's second wife: Peter Holstein born January 16, 1691 Henry Holstein born March 29, 1694 Cathrine Holstein born January 10, 1697

          In 1693, Matts Holstein was one of the Swedish congregation of Wicaco, which is an Indian name, meaning pleasant place. In 1693 in the lists of heads of families sent at the request of King Charles XI of Sweden is found Matt Holstein's name with the seven comprising his household, even their date of birth. There is a family legend that the name Holstein decended through a noble line. The Swedes of that primitive time were a thrify industrious people, inclined to farming pursuits more than trade. We can imagine what Philadelphia was like in the 16th century, when our American ancestors of this ancient family were living on the banks of the Delaware, or dwelling peacefully upon their farms that are at present in the centre of Philadelphia.

    ROBERT HOLSTEIN WAS BORN DECEMBER 23, 1846

        He married Martha M. Coulter on August 30, 1874. Martha M. Coulter was born July 24, 1847.

        To this union there were six children.

        Jemina Fulton Holstein...born June 8, 1875
        James Ward Holstein
        Mary Holstein...born September 14, 1881
        Margaret Mytilla Holstein...born August 4, 1883
        Samuel Johnston Holstein...born November 7, 1879
        Sarah Kathryn Holstein...born December 5, 1888

        Robert Holstein was a farmer and a thresher. He was a very religious man. I remember him as a small child, visiting my grandparents. Grandfather had prayers in the morning and in the evening. Once, at harvest time, grandfather was in a hurry to start cutting grain and did not take time for morning devotions. They had just started to cut the grain when a wheel on the binder broke. It took most of the day to repair it. Grandfather said he would always take time for morning prayers in the future as he believed he had been shown that it pays to spend a few minutes in prayer before you start the day's work. I recall the Wednesday evening prayer meetings. They drove to the prayer meeting, Old Toppy pulling the buggy. Grandmother was an active church worker too. I liked to watch her make the communion bread. She always gave me a taste when it cooled.

        Robert and Mattie Hlstein are buried in West Lebanon Cemetery.

        Jemina Holstein married Frank J. Munshower on July 3, 1903.
        They had three children ~ Beulah, Emma and Robert.

        Frank Munshower was a farmer. He also worked in the coal mines and at the steel mill in Vandergrift.

        Our Mother, Jemina Munshower was a very religious person and she made friends very easily. She became ill in January of 1916. She was taken to the Indiana Hospital where an operation was performed to save her life, but she was not strong enough and died February 3, 1916. She left three children, the oldest eleven and the youngest two.

        Dad Munshower was then father and mother to his children and he was a wonderful father. He was never too tired to help any of his children when they needed him. He had very poor health but managed to make a living for his family and saw that they all received a high school education. He spent his last days with daughter Emma, his second child. He died in McGee Hospital May 9, 1941.

        Jemini and Frank Munshower are buried in West Union Cemetery.

        1. Beulah Munshower, born May 30, 1904, married Alex J. Kunkle on June 27, 1933. Beulah was born in South Bend Township. She was a mother to her brother and sister after her mother died. She finished high school and started to teach after spending nine weeks of summer school at Indiana College. She then gave money to help her sister through school. She taught school for ten years before she married.

        Alex and Beulah had three sons, Jay, Robert and Franklin.
        They lived on the Old Kunkle Farm near Girty.

        2. Emma C. Munshower was born February 21, 1906. Emma married Neale Espey October 13, 1935. Emma completed her schooling and taught shool eleven years. Neale and Emma have two children; Faye and William.

        Faye is married, has four children ~ Barbara, John, Cindy and Billy. At this writing, Bill is working in Washington, D.C. Since the family of the Espeys are grown, Emma started teaching again. This makes seventeen years in 1964. The Espeys live in Idaho, PA

        3. Robert Munshower was born November 28, 1912 and married Ruth Richardson November 23, 1933. He graduated from Elderton High School and spent some months at Aviation School at the Butler Airport. He was a school bus driver, mined coal and then a car inspector on a railroad at Kiski Junction. His home was in Freeport, PA. Robert and Ruth had one child, Mildred Louise.