About The Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association

The Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association was founded in 1983, when approximately 400 descendants of Jacob and Nancy Christlieb gathered at Philippi, West Virginia, to become acquainted with one another. In celebration of that first family gathering, Barbara Crislip Parry wrote this poem:

A Pilgrimage

We made a pilgrimage in '83
 To a place named Philippi
Where the houses stepped on hillsides
 Guard well her history
				 
A covered bridge stands at her feet
 Where the Civil War began;
  First land battle, man to man -
And she's kept repaired, and
  Painted neat,
 Proud as any in the land.
				 
We came from far and near that day
  Where our heritage began -
Christlieb, Chrislip, Crislip,
 Our first gathering of kin.
			    
Our smiles were broad as the summer sun,
 And handshakes firm, everyone,
And, there was a marked resemblance -
  Of sister, brother, cousin -
 And, a sense of family presence.
			    
Alderson-Broddus College is where
  We all commenced - 
 High on a hamlet hilltop,
  A campus Eagle's Nest.
And, though the weekend was a hot one -
 Discomfort wasn't mentioned.
			    
We mingled with our kinfolk
 Sharing photographs and stories,
And when bedtime came that night
 We drifted off in slumber;
  Children, dormed together
 Like Jacob would have liked.
			   
It was mid July
   And Bachelor's button time -
  Chapel bells atop the tower
   The following misty morn,
  Then, beckoned us together
   To share the breakfast hour.

Mid devotionals and prayers
 As the program then progressed,
We journeyed back to Dürkheim,
  A German province,
 Where our family roots descend.

We viewed slides, too, of our homeland
 With folk songs played and sung -
And how wonderful it was, as distant migrants
 To glimpse where we had come from.

Four hundred strong, in proud attendance
 Time slowed that Sabbath day -
As peace and love abounded
 In West Virginia's quiet boundary.

The morning stretched to evening,
 The highlight of the day -
We followed one another, in cars
 Up a steep and narrow pathway,
To the hidden Chrislip Holler,
 Four winding miles away.

We stood upon the grave site
 Where our early family lay
And read the old inscriptions
 On weathered stones that day -
And, paid respects to brave ones
 Whose hardships smoothed our way.

We acknowledged the distinguished honor
 And dedication of patriot's marker,
  "Jacob Chrislip", somber -
From, American Revolutionary Daughters
 That designates historically -
  The burial site of Jacob, and his Ladder.

As the ceremony ended
 The sunshine turned to rain;
  All, bound safely homeward -
Our Father up in heaven
 Wouldn't dampen our parade.
And memories of Philippi,
 Within our hearts remain.

Barbara M. Parry
17 July 1983

In Honor of Jacob Chrislip
Revolutionary War Patriot
1749–1822

At that first family gathering it was agreed that a national reunion should be held every other year. The Christlieb-Chrislip Crislip Family Association was formally organized in 1985, and incorporated as a non-profit organization. From that time on, biennial reunions were held alternately in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, until other sites were selected.

Through the efforts of many enthusiastic individuals and the support of many cousins, the family history has been pieced together, reported on, and preserved. Many family burial sites have been located. Through the efforts of the Association, the old Crislip/Chrislip cemetery near Philippi, West Virginia, was restored. A plaque placed there tells the story of the first two generations of the American family. Additionally, some members of the Association have maintained the old Crislip Cemetery at Pepper, West Virginia.

Roadside markers, commemorating the lives and work of our immigrant ancestors have been placed in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In Pennsylvania, a marker commemorating family matriarch, Anna Catharina Christlieb, was placed in the graveyard of Big Spring Presbyterian Church at Newville. In Mifflin Township, two roadside markers were erected: One marker commemorates the site of Ziegler’s Church that was founded in the latter part of the 18^th century, largely through the efforts of Carl Christlieb and his half-brother, Georg Bock. The other marks the site of Scouller Mill and identifies it as the employment site of Friedrich Carl Christlieb and his stepson, Georg Bock.

An endearing dialogue was formed with Bad Dürkheim, our ancestral hometown in the German Rhineland. In 1988, 1992, and 2004, Association-sponsored trips made it possible for family members to visit historic sites in Germany pertinent to the family’s history. Additionally, several family members have visited Bad Dürkheim independently. The ancient castle church (Schlosskirche), where progenitors, Friedrich Carl and Anna Catharina Christlieb, were married in 1742, still stands. Dating back to 946 A.D., the church was restored to its Romanesque appearance in 1981. The retired Dean of this historic church, Rudi Weber, became actively interested in the Christlieb family. He and his wife, Hildegard, were honored guests at two of the family’s national reunions.

Over the years, special projects were undertaken through special fund accounts. Donations from generous contributors have made provisions for scholarships, genealogical research, cemetery maintenance, and an endowment fund for the perpetuation of the Association.

The Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association newsletter, Jacob’s Ladder, which has been in continuous publication since 1983, has been honored with several awards for excellence.

Who We Are

Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association

About The Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association

A Pilgrimage

Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip
Family Association