William Otis Branfield Sheffer

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR William Otis Branfield Sheffer is not in my direct ancestry. He is related by marriage in the following ways: Husband of Beulah Gladys Kline Son-in-law of John Abram Kline and Elizabeth Anna Frederick

William Otis Branfield Sheffer had a brother, J. Austin Sheffer, and a sister Stella Sheffer. They were the children of George M. Sheffer and Sarah Elenore Myers.
Branfield married Gladys Kline and had three children,one who died at birth, William Otis Branfield Sheffer, Jr. who died at age 10, and Dorothy Kline Sheffer.
Gladys died from a cerebral blood clot in 1925, when son Branfield was seven years old and Dorothy was four. The children stayed at times with the families of their aunts, Winnie Kline Beals, Annie Kline Sheffer, and Branfield's sister Stella Sheffer Wonderling.
In 1928, when Branfield Jr. was ten years old, he drowned in the Allegheny River where he and a few friends had gone to swim under the Emlenton bridge. He is buried in the Sheffer plot at Emlenton cemetery. Dorothy stayed with Aunt Stella Sheffer for a time, with her Grandfather Sheffer, and then with a guardian until she married.
William Otis Branfield Sheffer's father, George Sheffer, was a Civil War Veteran who heard President Lincoln deliver the Gettysberg Adddress. He would recite the Address at local Decoration Day (Veterans Day) programs. He had a machine shop,and held patents on several inventions. He was also a singer, violinist and pianist., and music ran in the family.

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	27 June 1887	Emlenton, Venango Co., PA
Marriage	3 Apr 1916		To Beulah Gladys Kline at parsonage, Oil City Evangelical church by Rev. E.A. Miles
Death	6 Oct. 1922	at home, Hill St., Emlenton, PA
Burial		Emlenton Cemetery

Children

(all children with William Otis Branfield Sheffer)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
infant Sheffer	?	1917			d. 1917
William Otis Branfield Sheffer	M	18 May 1918		unmarried	died 13 Sept. 1928, age 10 Emlenton cemetery
Dorothy Kline Sheffer	F	26 Feb 1921		married 26 Apr 1953 to Edward Ennis Barry (b. 5 June 1914 - d. 9 Oct 1990)	died 15 Mar 1988

Photo Gallery

Family plot at Emlenton Cemetery

Gravestone of William Otis Branfield Sheffer & Beulah Gladys Kline, Emlenton Cemetery

gravestone of W.O. Branfield Sheffer (Jr), Emlenton Cemetery

Emlenton Cemetery gravestone photos 1991 by E W Williams

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of origina
3	1920 United States Federal Census, District 110, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 4. Census dated 6,7 Jan 1920. Lines 57-59: William O.B. Sheffer, 31, owns home with mortgage, bookkeeper, Steam RR Dept; Gladys B., wife, 29; Oatis, 1 year 9 months. All and parents b. PA. All can read, adults can write and speak English. The family lives on Hill Street.
4	1930 United States Federal Census, District 6, San Luis Obispo, Atascadero Co, CA, page 30. Census dated 18 Apr 1930. Lines 86-88: Silas M. Wonderling, 62, first married at age 22, owns home, value $3500, no radio, carpenter, building trade, not a veteran; Stella S., wife, 47, first married at age 46; Dorothy K. Sheffer, 9, niece, in school. All and parents b. PA, adults can read, write, all can speak English. This is Dorothy Sheffer living with her Aunt Stella and Mr. Wonderling after the death of her parents and brother.
5	Obituary for Beulah Gladys Sheffer, who died on Sunday, 19 Jul [year missing]. She died at the home of her sister, Mrs. J. E. Beals, following an extended illness. She was born on 28 Nov 1890 in Richland Twp., Venango Co., PA. Her parents were John A. Kline and Ella Frederick Kline. She was married to W. O. B. Sheffer on 3 Apr 1916 in Oil City, PA. Her husband died on 6 Oct 1922. She is survived by two children: Otis Branfield Sheffer and Dorothy Kline Sheffer, as well as four siblings: Mrs. J. A. Sheffer of Emlenton, Mrs. J. E. Beals of Richland Twp., Fred E. Kline of Rimersburg, PA, and Mrs. Harold Fillgrove of "near town." Beulah Gladys Sheffer was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Emlenton. She was buried in a cemetery in or near Emlenton.
6	Gravestone transcriptions, Emlenton Cemetery, Venanto Co. PA, 1991 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams. William Otis B Sheffer 1887-1922, Gladys K Sheffer 1890-1925 O. Branfield Sheffer 1818-1928
7	Personal correspondence with Ed Barry, 2006 ongoing; grandson of Beulah Gladys Kline and W. O. B. Sheffer.
8	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Winnifred May Kline.	N/A