Columbia-Philadelphia County PA Archives Biographies.....Kleim, Christopher A. 1847 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 6, 2005, 6:25 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. CHRISTOPHER A. KLEIM is one of the enterprising and influential citizens of the town of Bloomsburg who is held in high esteem by the citizens of that community, and is proprietor of the leading drug store of that town. He was born in the city of Philadelphia August 30, 1847, and is a son of Henry and Dorotha (Eicholtz) Kleim. Henry Kleim, the father of our subject, was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, and during his boyhood days learned the trade of a shoemaker which he followed until 1846 when he and his family immigrated to the United States and located in Philadelphia. In 1857 he moved to Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Pa., and for a short time followed his trade but soon gave it up and conducted a grocery store on East street; later he disposed of his grocery store and put in a full line of hardware at Mt. Carmel and carried on that business until he retired from active life. Mr. Kleim was united in the bonds of wedlock to Dorotha Eicholtz, a native of Saxony, Germany. As a result of this union the following children were born to them: Christopher A., the subject of this sketch; Annie, the wife of C. McArthur of Wilkesbarre, Pa.; Henry F., a highly respected resident of Wiikesbarre; and Lizzie, deceased, who was the wife of C. A. Prentiss and resided in New Brunswick, N. J., at the time of her death. The father and mother of our subject were both popular members of the Lutheran Church of which Mr. Kleim was treasurer for many years. Our subject first attended the public schools of Philadelphia and when his father moved to Bloomsburg, he finished his education in the classical schools conducted in that town by Henry Carver. He then entered the drug store of Moyer Brothers and remained in their employ four years. In 1872 he embarked in the drug business and bought out E. P. Lutz; later he purchased the brick block where Saltzer's music store is now located and there our subject conducted his business until 1894 when he purchased a vacant lot on West Main street and erected a handsome brick store. The store is a three-story structure, the first floor being used for his drug store and the second and third floors as a dwelling by our subject and family. He carries a complete line of drugs and conducts the largest and best kept drug store in Bloomsburg. He is popular with his fellow-citizens and by his honest and straightforward dealings has succeeded in establishing a large patronage. He also has done considerable building; in 1884 he bought the Buckalew house on West Main street, which he enlarged and remodeled and later sold; in 1885 he built the Reuben Hess residence on Third street; in company with C. W. Runyon he built on Pine alley a large double house; he owns a tenement house at No. 260 East Fifth street. Mr. Kleim chose for his life-companion Clara J. Seasholtz, a daughter of C. B. Seasholtz, and they were wedded in 1872. She passed from this life leaving one child, Harry C., born in 1873, who is clerking in his father's store; he was a graduate from the public schools and later graduated from the Bloomsburg High School. Our subject formed a second matrimonial alliance September 9, 1884, with Addie Johnson, a daughter of Wesley Johnson, a resident of Jerseytown, Columbia County. Two children blessed this union, Helen D., born in October, 1891, and Florence, who died in infancy. Mr. Kleim firmly advocates the principles of the Democratic party and has served as secretary of the Democratic county committee two terms and as overseer of the poor and school director. He is also vice-president of the Farmers' National Bank of Bloomsburg and is a director of the Rosemont Cemetery. Mr. Kleim and his family are members of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of Bloomsburg. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 4.4 Kb