Norman Lester Best

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR N. Lester Best is not in my direct ancestry. The Best family of Salem Twp., Clarion County, PA. is linked by marriage to the family of David Beels. The Beels family is possibly distantly related to our Jacob Bealsfamily. No relationship has been established, and the Beels family believe there is none.

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	8 Feb 1891 ; 1892	PA
Marriage	30 Nov. 1910		To Nellie Elizabeth Kline (born~ 1894)
Death	16 Oct 1961
Burial

Ancestry chart segment

   Generation 2              Generation 3           Generation 4                    
                                                     +-- Reuben E. Best                 
                                                     |                                         
                        +-- Norman Lester Best ------+                         
                        |   (1891-????)              |                               
                        |                            +-- Mary Femlee
    Eugene Kline Best --+                                    
                        |                            +--George Emanuel Kline              
                        |                            |
                        +-- Nellie Elizabeth Kline --+
                            (1894-????)              |
                                                     +-- Olive Irene Wyse/Wise
                                              
     
 
Sources:

Children

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Ralph O. Best	M	~1911	Richland Twp., Venango Co., PA
Mary O. Best	F	~1926	Richland Twp., Venango Co., PA
Eugene Kline Best	M	~(Jan ?) 1928	Richland Twp., Venango Co., PA	Donna Mae Beels

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Beaver Twp.,Clarion Co. PA	by 1900
Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA	by 1910-1930

Photos

Lester Best as a child

Best family farmhouse, Nickleville,Venango Co. PA

Early image, Best family home, Nickleville, Venango Co. PA

Nellie E. Kline as a child

gravestone for Lester Best & Nellie Kline at Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA

Mary Femlee as young woman

Mary Femlee (Best) as elderly woman

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1900 U.S.Federal Census, Beaver Twp., Clarion Co. PA, Lower Precinct, Enumeration District 3, Pg. 9. Date of census: 13 & 14 June. Lines 2-5: Reuben E. Best age 38, born May 1862, married 18 yrs; wife Mary M. age 35, born Nov. 1864, married 18 yrs, mother of 2 children, both living; daughter Bertha M., age 18, born Dec. 1881; son Norman C. (sic), age 9, born Feb. 1891. All, and all parents, born in PA. In the previous household (Pg. 8, Lines 97-100 and pg. 9, Line 1) is Godlieb Best, age 60, born Mar. 1840, married 33 yr; wife Elizabeth age 57, b. Nov 1842, married 33 yr, mother of 8 children, 5 living; daughter Sarah F. age 20, born Sept 1879; daughter Laura C. age 17, b. Feb. 1883. All, & all parents, born in PA.
2	1910 U.S.Federal Census,Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA, Enumeration District 0141, pg. 7 ancestry.com, date of census 21-22 April 1910. Lines 46-48: Ruben Best, head,age 49, married 28 years, owns farm, with mortgage; Mary M., wife, age 44, married 28 years, 2 children born, 2 living. Lester, son, age 19, farm labor, home farm, attended school; Mattie May Goughler, niece, 9, attended school. All and all parents born in PA; all speak, read & write English. Lines 42-45: Perry Wile, head, 30, married 3 years, driller, oil wells, rents house; May, wife, 28, married 3 years, 2 children born, 2 living; Eugene, son, 2; Helen, dau., 4 months. , All and all parents born PA. Adults can read, write and speak English.
3	1920 U.S.Federal Census, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA, Enumeration District 139, pg.22 ancestry.com, date of census 23 Feb 1920. Lines 9-12: Ruben Best, head,age 56, owns farm; wife Mary age 52. son Lester age 28; daughter-in-law Nellie age 26. All born in PA; all read & write.
4	1930 U.S.Federal Census, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA, Enum. Distr. 61-40, p. 15 ancestry.com. Date of census: 19 Apr. 1930. Lines 16-22: Ruben E. Best, head, age 67, married at age 25, owns home, farm, owns radio. farmer, general farming. Mary M, wife, age 65, age 23 at marriage. Lester N., son, age 38, age 19 at marriage. Nellie E., daughter-in-law, age 36, age 17 at marriage. Ralph O., grandson, 19; Mary O., granddaughter, 4 1/2; Eugene K., grandson, 2yr & (3?) mos. (part of age is smudged)
6	Marriage Permit and Certificate of N. Lester Best and Nellie E. Kline. N. Lester Best 19 years of age and never herertofore married and consent of Father filed and nellie E. Kline 16 years of age and never heretofore married and consent of mother filed, 30 Nov. 1910. I, Ref. A. M. Himes hereby certify that on the thirtieth day of November (1910) at Lamartine, Penna, N. Lester Best and Nellie E. Kline were by me united in marriage in accordance with License issued by the Clerk of the Orphans Court of Clarion County, PA, numbered 5816. Signed Rev. A. M. Himes
7	Gravestone of Norman Lester Best & Nellie Kline Best, Salem Lutheran Cemetery, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA; transcribed June 2009 by Elizabeth Wilson Williams. BEST, Norman Lester 1892-1961; Nellie Kline 1894-1988
8	Eugene Kline Best and Donna Mae Beels (Best) interviews, June 2007 and June 2008, by E. W. Williams. Information included family members' names in various generations; photo portrait copies; a scrap book of obituaries, etc. Reuben Best married Mary Femlee (or Mary Wiegraff(?) buried at Salem, lower drive, Reuben to left, son Lester to right. Children of Reuben & Mary: Mae Best married a Wile; Lester Best married in 1910 Nellie Kline, daughter of George Kline & Olive "Ollie" unknown (George & Olive buried at Salem, front). Lester & Nellie Best were parents of Eugene Kline Best & Tom Best.
9	"Descendants of Johan Jacob Klein" research manuscript by descendant Kelly Fulcher, correspondant 2008-ongoing. Sources include various histories and documents, as well as family interviews. Nellie Elizabeth Kline b. 22 Aug 1894 in Nickleville, Richland Twp., Venango Co. PA; d. 13 Nov 1988 in Franklin, Venango Co. PA; m. Norman Lester Best (b. 08 Feb 1891 in PA; d. 16 Oct 1961). Their children: Ralph Othol Best b. 12 Apr 1911, m. Esther Barger (b. 09 Oct 1911, d.25 Nov 1975) Thomas Best Mary Olive Best b. 02 Dec 1925, m. Elgar Jackson "Jack" Fisher (b. 05 Aug 1924) Eugene K. Best b. 12 Dec 1927, m. Donna Mae Beels (b. 08 Apr 1930); 5 children living. Line of descent: Johannes Jacob Kline (1796-1861) & Susanna Weeter (1808-1861) > Harry Kline (1829-1903) & Barbara Slaugenhoupt (1836-1889) > George Emanuel Kline (1861-1910) & Olive Irene Wyse/Wise ((1865-1931) > Nellie Elizabeth Kline (1894-1988) & Norman Lester Best (1891-1961)

Source Notes

• 1900 census: this appears to be Reuben & Mary Best, parents of Mae and N. Lester Best. The Godlieb Best living next door is of an age to be Reuben's uncle or father.
• Ralph, son of Lester & Nellie Kline Best, does not appear in the 1920 census, although born ~1911.