The Krimminger/Crimminger family was probably German Lutheran. Frederick Krimminger Sr.’s father-in-law Johann Christoph Layrle was a member of the Organ Church in Rowan County where Reformed and Lutherans worshipped. In his will, Layrle refers to the “the chest, with all the linen, and the clothes that I brought along from Germany.”¹ They first appear in Rowan County in the 1770s where the records use the spelling Grimminger or Griminger.

Frederick Krimminger Sr’s mother was named Catherine. She had remarried to a Mr. Kelion/Killian Erenhart (also spelled Ehrenhardt or Earnhardt) but was described as a widow in her nuncupative will dated 9 Jan 1798. She stated: “It is my will that Adam Teem shall sell all my personall property – and forty pounds thereof shall be paid to my sons Frederick Grimmingers decd two sons Christopher and Frederick, and the ballance of all shall be paid to Kelion Erenhart Junior.”² It is not known how long Catherine was married to Killian Erenhart, but it appears he was formerly in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and his family were of German origin as well.

One possible clue as to Frederick Krimminger/Grimminger Sr’s father comes from the German ship lists to Pennsylvania. Frederick’s future father-in-law Johann Christoph Layrle came to Philadelphia on the ship Richard and Mary which arrived 30 Sep 1754.  “The Foreigners whose names are underwritten imported on the ship Richard & Mary John Moore Master from Rotterdam and last from Cowes? Inhabitants of the Dukedom of Wertenberg did this day take the usual oaths and declarations.” Among the passengers of this same ship was a “Friderick Raminger.” The name “Raminger” doesn’t seem to appear in records after this, so it’s likely this was a misspelling of another name and could therefore be another Frederick Griminger/Grimminger and candidate for Frederick Sr.’s father.³

Frederick Krimminger Sr.

Frederick first appears in the records of North Carolina in March 1779 when he had a record of his land made in the Rowan County Land Entries book under the name “Griminger.” It was described as “300 acres of land in Rowan County on the big south fork of Crane Creek joining Nathan Morgan, Simeon Mayer, and George Tucker including the improvement made by Michael Cook.”⁴

According to a statement by his son Frederick Jr. in the Revolutionary War Pension Application, Frederick Krimminger was married to Catherine Layrle in 1782 in Rowan County, North Carolina.⁵ Jacob Shupins, a younger cousin of Catherine Layrle who testified for the pension application about Frederick, stated that “he recollects the time of his marriage from the fact that he acquired a whipping on that day from his father for crying to go with him & my mother to the weding.” The Pension record states that Frederick served both in the militia and continental army. It alludes briefly to his involvement in the siege of Charleston which took place in 1780, where he was captured and later paroled. He went home and joined the army under Gen. Greene under whom he fought at the battles of Camden in August 1780 and Guilford Courthouse in March 1781. He apparently alluded capture after these battles, but some of his countryman were not so lucky. After the battle of Camden, Lord Cornwallis discovered that their prisoners included some of the same men he had paroled after the siege of Charleston and had them hanged. However, Frederick was captured at Guilford Courthouse. The book Krimmingers of Cabarrus cites a list of captured soldiers from Guilford Courthouse where Frederick’s name appears.⁶ Cornwallis apparently paroled them all as he was in need of supplies and couldn’t support more prisoners. Frederick’s next service began in 1781, when he “volunteered and was chosen Captain of a Company which he commanded during a three Months Campaign to Wilmington, North Carolina, which was Commanded by Gen. Rutherford.” Finally, Frederick Jr. stated that he “heard his father often say he was at Yorktown when Lord Cornwallis surrendered & was detached to accompany him to the Ship which was to carry him off.”

On 8 May 1782, Rowan County Court minutes reported that an orphan named Phillip Rouch had been apprenticed to Frederick “Griminger” to learn shoemaking.⁷ In 1787 after Frederick’s death, Phillip was bound out to Phillip “Aaronhart,” possibly a relative of Killian Erenhart, to learn blacksmithing.⁸

Frederick and Catherine had two sons, Christopher, born in 1783,⁹ and Frederick, born in 1785.¹⁰ They were named as Frederick Sr.’s children in the will of their grandmother Catherine Erenhart mentioned above.

Frederick “Greminger” appears in the 1784 tax lists for Rowan County. One of the tax districts was the Greminger district that year, possibly meaning that he helped with the tax collection.¹¹ He died sometime from 1784 to 1786, since administration of his estate was granted in May 1786 to John Rantleman and Conrad Kyger.¹²

In May 1792, the court reported that Frederick’s orphaned son Christopher had chosen Adam Team as his guardian. Adam Team was also appointed by the court as guardian for the other son Frederick, who was still a minor at the time.¹³

Frederick Jr. noted in the Revolutionary War Pension Record for his father that the widow Catherine died 17 July 1843, but almost nothing is known of her life after Frederick’s death.

Frederick Krimminger Jr.

While this family’s name was generally spelled Griminger or Krimminger in North Carolina, records in South Carolina generally use the spelling Criminger or Crimminger.

Frederick Jr. moved to the area of Heath Springs in Lancaster County, South Carolina about the year 1815. The name Frederick Criminger appears in a list of letters remaining for pick up in the Camden post office dated 1 July 1816.¹⁴ He appears to be the Frederick “Scrimgerger” listed on the 1820 census in Lancaster County¹⁵ and is also listed on the census in 1830¹⁶ and 1840.¹⁷ In 1840, he was listed next to John Reeves and two doors down from Mrs. Marjory Love. His neighbors indicate that he lived in the general area of Heath Springs to Hanging Rock.

Although the Krimmingers had been Lutheran, Frederick Jr. appears to have been associated with the Methodists in Lancaster County. This may be how he met the Love family. An item in the Camden Gazette announced his marriage to Mary Love of Hanging Rock in 1816.

Frederick bought 166 acres from William Ingram in 1818¹⁸ and 519 acres from Robert Mehaffey in 1819.¹⁹ This land was just to the north of present day Heath Springs. According to notes compiled after interviewing his grandson Willie Crimminger, Frederick owned a general store just to the north of present day Heath Springs where a water tower later stood.²⁰ This matches the Mills Map for Lancaster County which gives the name “Crimeger’s” just above the curve in the road where Heath Springs is located (current day Main St. which turns into Flat Rock Rd.).

According to further information from Grandpa Willie Crimminger, Frederick owned turkeys on some of his land and would invite folks to hunt there with him. According to his grandson, he never owned slaves and never farmed, instead making his living from the general store he operated.²¹ However, the 1830 census reports that there were two slaves living with him, a man or boy age 10-24 and a woman age 24-36.

In 1838, Frederick deeded 3 1/2 acres of land to the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church for use as a church.²² The land was located on the other side of the street not to far from where Frederick’s place was marked on the 1820 Mill’s Map. This site was known as Salem campground where revivalist services were held, known as camp meetings. The original Salem Methodist Church was organized before 1820, but built a building on the land Frederick gave them in 1840. This building was used until 1897. Viola Caston Floyd reported in her book Lancaster County Tours that the this church building stood just to the west of the tombstone of Robert Crimminger.²³ Although he gave the land for the Salem Methodist Church, Grandpa Crimminger stated that Frederick and Mary attended the Hanging Rock Methodist Church.

According to the family, there were consecutive years of crop failure while Frederick lived in Heath Springs. This lead to farmers being unable to repay their debts to Frederick’s store and he went bankrupt and lost everything to Jack Adams who held the mortgages. The records indicate a slightly different story. There are a number of mortgage records and sales involving Frederick Crimminger, his mother-in-law Margaret Love and sherriff John Adams. Margaret Love was the one who actually declared bankruptcy in 1842, but Frederick was involved in the deeds mortgaging Love land and other goods that year. It may be that his business was tied to his mother-in-law’s farm. (See Analysis of Love Land and Property for a listing of these deeds.)

Frederick moved back to North Carolina around 1843. He left his son Robert to take care of his aging mother-in-law Margaret Love. She died within a couple years, but Robert decided to stay in Lancaster County rather than move up to where his father was.

Frederick ad Mary lived in Cabarrus County on a farm until they passed away. The house was an L-shaped log house with large rooms. There was a separate building that served as a kitchen in the rear. According to a 1982 interview with Pierson Shinn who later owned the farm Frederick lived on, Frederick died while in South Carolina. The date was 25 May 1861.²⁴ He may have been visiting his son Robert. His body was placed on a wagon and taken back to North Carolina with a team of four horses. They arrived late at night and the casket was left on the wagon until the morning. He was buried that next day in the family graveyard next to his wife Mary.²⁵

Robert Adam Crimminger

Robert was born 18 Jul 1820.²⁶ When his father Frederick moved back to North Carolina, he was left behind to take care of his aging grandmother Margaret Love. She died by early 1846, but Robert decided to stay in Heath Springs and lived the rest of his life there.

Robert attended school at Heath Springs. His teachers were named Dr. Morrison, Mr. Allen Croxton, and Mr. Spence. Dr Morrison took some kind of medicine which turned his face green. Robert was good in arithmetic and wrote a beautiful hand. He was an impatient man and was rather hard on his wife and children. And although of the Methodist persuasion he never attended church and disliked his children attending. He was a drinker.

Robert married Mary Jane Cato(e) 3 Feb 1846. According to their son Grandpa Willie Crimminger, they were first cousins. Their mothers were both Loves, children of Samuel and Margaret Love, although the names of Mary Jane’s parents are unknown. Robert and Mary Jane had ten children.

Aunt Ola Crimminger Nettle’s DAR application includes a copy of the information from Robert Crimminger’s Family Bible which lists the information on their entire family as follows:²⁷

Robert A. Crimminger was Born July 18th 1820
Mary Jane Cato was Born Feb 14th 1824
Margaret M. Crimminger was Born Aug 20th 1847
Columbus Crimminger was Born May 16th 1849
Catherine C. Crimminger was Born July 30th 185(1?)
Samuel P. Crimminger was Born Sept 21, 1853
Mary S. Crimminger was Born Nov 25th 1854
Jane A. Crimminger was Born Feb 17th 1856
Susannah T. Crimminger was Born April 18, 1857
Laura Ann Crimminger was Born May 29(?) 1859
Robert F. Crimminger was Born Apr 13th 186(0?)
William L. Crimminger was Born Feb 3rd 1864

Childrens Death’s
Mary Serena Crimminger Died May 31st 1855
Jane Adline Crimminger Died June 8th 1856
Susannah Tempaton Crimminger Died Oct 2nd 1857

Father & Mothers Deaths
Robert A. Crimminger Died July 11 1902
Mary Jane C Died Jan 19th 1904

Marriage
Robert A. Crimminger and Mary Jane Catoe was married Feb 3rd 1846

Robert was a farmer and owned around 400 acres of land. However, he did not believe in slavery and owned none. Instead he had several black families who lived and worked on his farm in later years including the family of John Frasier.

Robert appears to have been involved in the Civil War under two different companies at different times, although he didn’t believe in slavery or the war. He said “Boots and broadcloth made the war and copper britches had to fight it.” He said he short red hot bullets all night in Charleston. First, he served as a private in Co. B, 4th Regiment South Carolina State Troops, enlisting 3 Sep 1863 until Feb 1864.²⁸ Next, he enlisted 5 Nov 1864 as a private in Co. C, 12th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers. He was captured at Five Forks on 3 Apr 1865 and was kept prisoner at Hart’s Island, New York until being released 16 Jun 1865.²⁹ Once released, he came to Charleston by boat, then rode the train to Orangeburg and walked home from there. By the time he got home, Mary Jane had sold the previous years cotton and had a new crop already started.

While away during the war, some Yankees under General Sherman came to steal corn and grain from the barn. Mary Jane sent two of the younger children, Laura and Frank, to beg the Yankees to save them something to eat. One of them said, “Listen men, it is time to stop when the children beg us to leave them something to eat.” They took several of the animals including a horse named Ball and several mules. Grandpa Crimminger was in his cradle in the yard when the soldiers came. The commanding officer threatened to make his horse step over the cradle, presumably a threat to obtain supplies. Mary Jane said “If you do, I will report you to your higher officer,” and so the officer refrained.

Robert would make trips in covered wagon in the fall and spring to Monroe and Camden to buy supplies and sell cotton, corn and other items. In later years, grain was grown and carried to Monroe where it was ground into flour. The farm had large fruit orchards and a cider cellar to make cider from the apple trees. At various times, he raised wheat, oats, sweet and Irish potatoes, corn, cotton and chufas for his dogs.

Robert was rather hard on his children and whipped them often. Once when Grandpa (Willie) Crimminger was supposed to be clearing some ground and piling up brush and roots, his father got frustrated with him, took him over to the spot and said “You ought to be killed and thrown over in there.”

Robert died on 11 Jul 1902 and his wife a couple years later. They were buried in Salem Cemetery in Heath Springs.

William Leslie Crimminger

Grandpa Crimminger was born 3 Feb 1864 according to the Family Bible record mentioned above. According to his daughters, he married Lorena Jane Lyles 6 Dec 1883. She went by Jane. They rode horseback from their home to the home of Rev. John Croxton, about four miles from her house, to be married. They were attended by Willie’s sister Laura, Jane’s sister Sallie, a friend Wesley Mackey, and a cousin of Jane’s named Baxter Blackmon. Afterwards they went back to the Lyles house for a wedding meal.

His daughter Buena related the following concerning Grandpa Crimminger: “Dad became a Christian on the first Sunday in April in 1884. He used to go to the Dispensary in Kershaw and get whiskey for Grandpa. He would drink about a gallon a week. Many people thought he never got drunk, but Dad saw him stagger into the hog pen many a time with a basket of corn to feed the hogs – drunk. When Dad was converted the sermon was preached about the parable of the talents. The preacher said if one had only one talent and did not use for the Lord it was buried. Dad thought about it all the way home. When he went to feed the mules he got down on his knees and prayed; he promised to live a Christian life all the rest of his days.”

Grandpa and Grandma Crimminger (sometimes spelled Criminger by the family) were charter members at Flint Ridge Baptist Church near Heath Springs which was organized in 1903. “Uncle Willie,” as he was called by many in the community was a pillar of the church.

Grandpa Criminger worked long hours on his farm, usually from daylight to dark. He was a nervous man, impatient and serious and showed little affection for his children. When surprised or upset, he was would use expressions such as “dear me,” “bless my time,” “my time and life,” and “my starnes and life” (my stars alive). He enjoyed reading and often would read the Bible and study religious literature. He had an almost photographic memory and retained much of what he read.

Willie and Jane had a farm where they grew fruits such as apples, peaches, plums, figs, cherries, concord grapes and strawberries. Blueberries, black muscadines, black berries and strawberries grew wild in the fields and some cultivated in the garden. They had a house with five rooms, a porch and three fireplaces. Grandpa Criminger planted three huge water oak trees in the front and side yards in 1903 which stood for many decades. His daughter Buena related that he would take corn every Saturday to Mr. Jesse Mobley’s mill on Hanging Rock Creek to get it ground. After that, he would go to Pleasant Hill to get the mail. In later years, he would go to the mill village in Lancaster to sell his produce once a week. Each season, he would save the best of the crop for next year’s planting.

Willie remarried to Mrs. Gertrude Williams Truesdale in 1938. Willie died in 1946 and Gertrude two years later. Willie, his first wife Jane, and daughter Bertha were buried in the Flint Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery.³⁰

Mary Gertrude Crimminger

Willie and Jane’s eldest child, Mary Gertrude, was born 17 Sep 1884. She married Henry Oscar Reeves in 1901 and was the mother of twelve children.

While she could read, her husband Oscar could not. Every night, she would read from the scriptures. Oscar had an excellent memory and thus learned much scripture through her reading and could quote it at length. She passed away in 1957, her husband Oscar outliving her by nine years.

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