CASPER HEPLER JR. PAGE

Casper served in the military forces of the Revolutionary War. There is "A General Muster of Northampton County Militia" for 14th of May 1778 extant, listing Captain Joseph Kooken in command of the First Company and showing Casper as one of ten members of Class 1st (Casper's brother Christopher is listed as Class 5th). This unit appears to have been a home constabulary, with no known battle participation.

The occupation of Casper Hepler Jr. was not farmer, but cordwainer, a term used to identify him in 1783 and 1794 land transactions. it is an old term for shoemaker, derived from the archaic word for Cortwoven leather.

The distribution of the original 115 Hepler acres among the sons had occurred by 1783, when two fifths were granted to Christopher. This is known because of the sale of 46 acres within two months to his brother Casper, for five shillings, probably a normal price. Casper held this land for eleven years before selling it to Balthazar Schultz, a yeoman (free man) from Montgomery County for 212 pounds.

Early in 1795 Casper left Upper Milford Township and traveled 50 miles westward to the Upper Mahantongo Valley, then in Berks County, but now in Schuylkill County. This verdant Pennsylvania valley is approximately ten miles long and three-four miles wide, with protective ridges on the north and south and a dependable stream in the center, and is well suited for agriculture. Casper's oldest son, John may have first worked the new land: the Plymouth Tract of 487 acres in the Mahantongo Valley, surveyed April 10, 1792 and originally owned by Isaac Yarnell, was bought by Casper and John Hepler on April 8, 1775, but in Decemberof the same year Casper gave his rights to John: then in 1799, the situation reversed and John transferred the property to Casper for 335 pounds 4 shillings 4 pence. On April 24, 1798 Casper bought 486 acres and later that year 393 acres.

In all Casper owned more than a thousand acres of land. On this land the Hepler homes were built and most of it is today owned by the Hepler families. The first log school was built on the Hepler farm and the first teacher, a man named Bressler. The first church was also built on the Hepler farm and named Zion, perhaps after the one in Northampton County.

The first death in the new settlement was that of little Benjamin Hepler,

aged 11. A cemetery was started on the Hepler farm. It was named "Gottes Acker" (God's Acres)

and this little grave was the first in a long row of Hepler graves. In this little grave was buried Casper, his wife, 2 daughters, 5 of his 7 sons, 5 daughters-in-law, grandsons, etc. Twenty three in all. The Hepler Association erected a beautiful monument

of Vermont marble on Casper & Anna Maria's graves. In the foreground

in the small picture are seen the original stones. Every year the clan gather here to honor not only Casper, but his brothers Jacob, Christopher and George as well, to pay tribute to the 4 patriots.

The Heplers prospered greatly. As the children married more land was acquired, new homes were established. The entire valley from the top of the Taylorsville Mountain on the east to what is now the village of Pitman on the west, and from Line Mountain on the north to Mahantongo Mountain on the south was owned by Casper and his sons and sons-in-laws. The Kehlers owned the land east of the Hepler tract and they married Heplers. The daughters Catharina & Susanna married George and Johannes Kehler. Johannes married Maria Catherine Maurer, Christopher & Peter married Catherine and Maria Wagner. George married Salome Beisel. Heinrich had four wives- Salone Bolich, Eva Kuder, Elizabeth Dunkelberger & Eva Wentzel. Anna Maria married Jacob Reitz, Anna Margaretha married Peter Brosius. Lydia married Michael Ferster and 3 of her daughters married Rebucks. Many of these families came from the rich Swabian Creek.

Casper Hepler died in 1816, still in possession of a "250 acre plantation". This farm is in the Hepler family today. Henry the youngest son of Casper was it's next owner. It was then passed on to his son William, and later to his son William Jr. Today the son of William Jr. - Irvin Hepler is the owner.

Children
Johannes Hepler	b. 4- Apr 1774	d. 14- Feb 1834
Peter M. Hepler	b. 4- Jan 1775	d. 8- Oct 1843
Christopher Hepler	b. 10- Jul 1777	d. 18- Nov 1847
Catharina Hepler	b. 23- Jan 1779	d. 1830
Susanna Hepler	b. 31- Dec 1779	d. 2- Dec 1847
Anna Maria Hepler	b. 4- Apr 1784	d. 3 Sept 1857
Anna Margaretha Hepler	b. 19- Jul 1786	d. 27- Apr 1838
Benjamin Hepler	b. 1787	d. 22- Sept 1798
Jacob Hepler	b. 26- Oct 1788	d.
George Hepler	b. 22- Jun 1790	d. 24- Feb 1867
Lydia Hepler	b. 27- Nov 1792	d. 17- Jan 1858
Heinrich Hepler	b. 12- May 1795	d. 5- Jul 1864
Gertrude Hepler	b. 14- Oct 1801	d. 28- Jan 1821

Click on one of Casper's children above to continue the Hepler story or
click on one of the ships below to sail back to a previous page!

Source: The Hepler Family History, by Avice Hepler Morgan. First Edition, Gateway Press Inc., Baltimore, 1986. Pg. 431-432.

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CASPER HEPLER JR. 1751 - 1816

CASPER HEPLER JR.
1751 - 1816