I have personally known six generations of the Eppley family tree. I knew my great grand parents, J.L. and Bertha Eppley. I knew my grandfather, Fred Eppley, my father Richard Eppley, and, of course, I am the next generation.

(In the photo are Bertha Eppley, Fred Eppley, Richard Eppley, Larry Eppley with young Lee Eppley — 5 generations together! My second son Jon would be born in a few years later, but would also meet his great, great, grandmother before she died in her 102nd year.)

Jon has two children, my grandchildren. That’s six generations. That means that I personally remember J.L Eppley and Bertha Eppley  who are my grandchildren’s great, great, great, grandparents.

The interesting thing is that if I go up the Eppley family tree, I need only climb 5 generational rungs above my great grandfather J. L. Eppley to find my immigrant ancestor.

J.L. Eppley’s father was Mack Eppley, who was the son of John Finger Epley, the son of Peter Epley, the son of Matthias Epley, the son of John Epley. 

John /johan Epley was born in Baden-Württemberg, Germany on October 30, 1720. He came to the United States around 1740 where he married and had his first son, Matthias.

Did he speak English when he arrived?  Possibly not.  The “Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsche)” area would be settled by German speaking immigrants, some of whom speak German until this day and are known as the Amish.