OUR KIN
BEING A HISTORY
OF THE
Hoffman, Rhyne, Costner, Rudisill, Best,
Hovis, Hoyle, Wills, Shetley, Jenkins,
Holland, Hambright, Gaston,
Withers, Cansler, Clem-
mer and Lineberger
families
------
BY
LABAN MILES HOFFMAN
OF DALLAS, NORTH CAROLINA
------
REPRINTED BY
Gaston County Historical Society
GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA









BALTIMORE
GENEALOGICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
1968




                     Chapter 17
                            ------
 LINEBERGER (LEINBERGER)
   The Lineberger family was established in this section of North
 Carolina by three brothers who came from Germany to England
 and reshipped to America, landing at Philadelphia and for a time
 like the other German immigrants remained in Pennsylvania
 near York and Lancaster. They then came south and settled. I
 think, all in what is now Gaston County. The names of these
 brothers were Peter, Lewis and John Lineberger. Their parents
 whose names I have not learned accompanied them from Ger-
 many to England and on the ship from England for America.
 They had a most tempestuous and distressing voyage being
 tossed and driven about on the ocean for eighteen months—an
almost incredible statement when we consider the fact almost as
 strange that the trip may now be made in less than a week. The
parents of these adventurous young men both died and were
buried at sea—never reaching the longed for shores of the new
world. The tradition is that the family had a trunk with a con-
siderable amount of gold in it but that this was all appropriated
by the ship's authorities, so that when the young men landed they
had only brave hearts and strong healthy bodies with which to
begin their lives in the wilderness of the untried new world. I
don't know the exact date of their coming but I think it was about
the time the other Germans came. It was some time prior to
1768. In that year Peter Lineberger sold to Frederick Lineber-
ger, who I suppose was the son of Lewis Lineberger, 200 acres
of land on the east side of Kuykendahls Creek. This indicates
not only that they had settled here long enough to have acquired
homes before 1768 but that these brothers themselves had fami-
lies—Lewis' son, Frederick, being old enough to buy land. Sept.
6, 1769, Jno. Lineberger bought from N. Crowder and wife,
Calamia, 200 acres of land on Long Branch of Killian's Creek
                             575


above the shoals and above Joseph Sailor's place. In 1770 Peter
Lineberger bought 300 acres of land from Michael Master on the
north branch of dark's Creek adjoining the lands of Geo. Posey.
So that soon after settling Peter and John Lineberger made their
homes in Lincoln and Catawba Counties or rather in that section
now included in those counties.
   1 Lewis Lineberger settled permanently about four miles a
little northeast of Dallas on a branch of Hoyle's Creek near the
road leading from Dallas to Stanley where for several genera-
tions he was succeeded by his descendants. The house substan-
tially built still stands but is in disuse. The descendants of these
three brothers in course of time grew apart and the separation
interrupted their intercourse and even acquaintanceship. Almost
without exception the Linebergers of Gaston County are de-
scended from Lewis Lineberger. Some of Peter Lineberger's
 descendants live in and near Iron Station. So far as I have
 learned the families of Peter and John Lineberger are not related
 to us and lack of time has prevented my gathering the descend-
 ants of these two worthy old fathers. Lewis Lineberger was
 Captain of his District or Company and was a man of strong per-
 sonality and unblemished character. He was a prosperous citi-
 zen and is distinguished from the other Lewis Linebergers by his
 title of Capt. During the Revolutionary War he was engaged
 in farming and cattle raising and was murdered by the notorious
 murderous, plundering patriot, Pat Carr, of Georgia. Carr came
 to his house to buy cattle and asked Mr. Lineberger to show them
 to him. They went out to the pasture or woods to find them and
 in the walk Carr dropped behind him and shot him dead. This
 is said to have occurred where the road passes Frank Rhyne's
 house, leading from Hoyle's Bridge to Stanley. The wife of
 Capt. Lewis Lineberger was Barbara Anna Maria Spanheimer
 and their children were :
   2 Frederick, m. Eve Wills, daughter of Garrett Wills, pioneer;
   2 John, m. Elizabeth Costner, daughter of Peter Costner;
   2 Lewis, m. Fanny Rhyne, daughter of Peter Rhyne;
   2 Catharine, m. Fredk. Uppercough and John Stull;
   2 Mary, m. Jacob Kinder;
   2 Barbara, m. Michael Dellinger;
    2 Susan, m. Adam Kinder.
                                576


  2 For descendants of Frederick Lineberger, see Eve Line-
  berger, page 480, et seq.
    2 For descendants of John Lineberger, see Elizabeth Line-
  berger, page 236, et seq.
    2 For descendants of Lewis Lineberger, see Fanny Lineber-
  ger, page 175, et seq.
    2 Catharine Lineberger first married Frederick Uppercough.
  He died without issue. She then married John Stull and moved
  to Maryland. She had one son: 3 John Stull, Jr.
    2 Mary Kinder and her husband, Jacob Kinder, and her sis-
  ter, Susan Kinder, and husband, Adam Kinder and two brothers
 of the Kinders, John and Conrad, moved to Southeast Missouri.
 I found many people of that name there, descendants of the above.
 In Jackson, Mo., I found some nice people, descendants of John
 Kinder, and one gentleman, a grandson of Conrad Kinder, but I
 found no one who could give me the descendants of Susan Line-
 berger and husband, Adam Kinder.
   2 Mary Kinder (see page 258). Her children were: 3 Henry,
 m. Nancy Costner, daughter of Andrew Costner; Israel, m.
 Fanny Costner, daughter of Andrew Costner; and Mary Ann.
 m. David Hanks.
   3 Henry Kinder's children: 4 Mary, m. Alonzo Bowman,
 Bessvilie, Mo.; Sally, m. George Miller; and Mahala, m. George
 Zimmerman.
   4 Mary Bowman's children : 5 Ellen, m. Hon. Marion Welker;
 Sophronia, m. Polie Lempo (c).
   5 Ellen Welker's children: 6 Ira, m. Mary Arthur (c) ; and
 Webster, s.
   4 Sallie Miller's children: 5 Sarah, m. Esto Arthur (c) ;
Henry, m. Idora Hahn and has two children.
   4 Mahala Zimmerman's children: 5 Sarah, m. Wm. Kitchens
 (c) ; Elmira, m. Adolphus Gibbs.
  5 Elmira Gibbs' children: 6 Ervin, Russell, Etta, Myrtle,
Nora, and Geo. d. s.
  3 Israel Kinder's children: 4 Jacob, s. See Andrew Costner,
page 258.
  3 Mary Hanks, see page 258.
  2 For descendants of Barbara Dellinger, see Michael Dellin-
ger, page 335.
                              577

  In conclusion, I am constantly reminded that it is time to close
my work in this line. I am sorry that I have not been able in the
time and with the opportunities I have had to make the later
Chapters of these sketches as full and complete as I desired but
with satisfaction that so much has been done and with gratitude
to those who have assisted me with much information and will-
ingness to help in the publication of the book, I dedicate these
memorials of our first American sires and of their descendants,
our worthy departed fathers and mothers, to the great and ever
increasing hosts of their posterity with the wish and hope that
we who live and those who shall come may ever emulate their
virtues and honor and reverence their lives and memories; and
if some mav have been less worthy that our unselfish, helpful,
worthy and righteous lives may reflect honor upon these and in
some measure make amends and atonement for their faults and
follies; and to this end, cousins, "I commend you to God and
to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give
you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."
                                          L. M.HOFFMAN.
                             578