In 1715, Johann George Klein was born to Jacob and Maria Klein in South Germany. At the age of 23, George sailed to America on the ship Glasgow with 348 other passengers. Unbeknownst to him, this passenger list included his future wife, Dorothy Rebman.
Once married, Dorothy and George settled in New Jersey and, later, Pennsylvania, where many other German Palatines had sought refuge just 30 years prior. The two raised six sons and one daughter, include my 6th great grandfather, David Klein.
Throughout the next six generations, the Kleins (later, Klines) passed down their German heritage through the Pennsylvania Dutch language. In fact, over 270 years later, my father still remembers his grandparents arguing over supper in this hand-me-down tongue.
