OBIT: KLANCKE, Mary Freeze; 1912; Cambria Cnty., PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _________________________________________ Cambria Freeman Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, 21 Jun 1912 Volume 45, Number 25 Romance of War Death Recalls in Incident that Occurred in 1863 Mrs. Alexander Klancke, Native of Carroll County, Dies in Germany Long After Marrying a Soldier who Appealed to Her for a Drink Westminster, Md. Information has just been received in this city of the death of Mrs. Alexander A. C. Klancke, a native of this county, at her home in Weisbaden, Germany, an event which calls to the minds of some of the elderly residents of the county an interesting romance in connection with her marriage to Mr. Klancke. Mrs. Klancke's maiden name was Mary Freeze and she was related to some of the leading people of this county. In the summer of 1863 she was visiting her aunt, Mrs. Joshua Smith, mother of the late Judge John E. Smith, on East Main street, this city, when the Sixth corps of the United States army passed through here on its way to Gettysburg. Two officers of the corps, one of whom was Mr. Klancke, halted at the Smith residence and asked for water to quench their thirst and it was Miss Freeze who handed a glass of water to the man who afterward became her husband. As it was the dinner hour, Mrs. Smith hospitably invited the officers to dine with her family, an invitation which was accepted with alacrity, especially by Mr. Klancke who had promptly fallen in love with the pretty resident from whose hand he had received the water. The sequel proved that the admiration of the officer was reciprocated and ere he resumed his march, he had won Miss Freeze. Though it was a case of love at first sight, the lovers were faithful and soon after the close of the Civil War they were married in Ascension Episcopal church, this city, by Rev. Dr. James W. Reese. Mr. Klancke was for a time a government official in one of the department at Washington, but soon after his marriage, resigned and with his American bride, sailed for his home in Germany. It had then transpired that he was a gentleman of wealth and noble family, one of his near relatives having married a German princess. He lived but a few years and died childless. Devoted to her husband's memory, Mrs. Klancke made her permanent home in Weisbaden, where she was near his grave. She occasionally visited her relatives here and always kept herself well posted on local affairs in this county by correspondence and by subscription for a county newspaper.