DAR #A065138

Nicholas Kern was married to Anna/Catherine Saeger. They were the parents of at least seven sons and three daughters: George, Joseph, Peter, Anna, Wilhelm, Daniel, Maria, Levi, Catharine, and Manasseh. Nicholas died in 2 November 1809, the son of Georg Jacob Kern Sr., and Maria Margaretha. He was born on 2 December 1764, in Egypt, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He married Anna Catharine Saeger on 4 August 1789, in Lehigh, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Nicholas died 1819, in Lehigh, and was buried in the Egypt Cemetery, Egypt, Whitehall Township, Lehig . Anna Catharine was the daughter of Johan Samuel Saeger (#A101481) and Anna Eva Eberhard, born 16 January 1765. She and survived her husband by thirty two years, passing at the age of 86. She is buried with Nicholas in the Egypt Cemetery.

Manasseh Kern was born on 31 October 1809, in Northampton, Pennsylvania, to Nicholas and Anna Catharine. He would marry Caroline Herlan (1820-1909) on 28 May 1840, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. They were the parent of at least six, Frances Albina, Caroline, Mary C, Clarissa Clara Marie, Elizabeth W, and Julis M. Manasseh died on 6 November 1819, in Porter Township, Van Buren County, Michigan and is buried, along with Caroline, in the Kern Cemetery there.

Where most of us need to go back several generations to research our patriot ancestors, Clarissa Clara Marie Kern Bayliss did not have that struggle. She was the granddaughter of two revolutionary patriots, Nicholas Kern and Samuel Seager, and the founder of the General Macomb Chapter NSDAR, on 11 April 1910. Born in Michigan on 5 March 1848, Clara was an American writer and educator and the founder of The General Macomb Chapter, NSDAR, which was admitted to the National Society April 11, 1910. The first meeting was held at the home of Clara Kern Bayliss on May 28, of that same year with twelve members present, only three officers being elected: Regent, Clara Bayliss; Secretary, Isabelle Tunnicliff; Registrar, Eva Stocker. Clara would serve as regent from 1910-1913. Meetings were held three times a year.

The charter members were as follows: Emma Applegate, Elizabeth Lisle Bacon, Clara Kern Bayliss, Clara A. Chandler, Tessa Beaver, Mattie Downing, Mary C. Eads, Anna Knappenberger, Eva H. Stocker, Isabelle Tunnicliff, Emma C. Watson and Anna Vose.

Clara was born March 5, 1848, on her family’s farm near Kalamazoo, Kalamazoon County, Michigan. She was the daughter of Manasseh Kern 1809-1892 and Caroline Herlan Kern. Though unusual at the time Clara graduated from high school and was the first woman to graduate from Hillsdale College in Michigan, in 1871. Clara met Alfred Bayliss while attending college and they married in June of 1871, in Michigan. Alfred’s education was interrupted by the US Civil War and he served as a member of Co. H, 11th MI Cavalry, 1863-65, loyally defending the Union. Receiving an honorable discharge 10 Aug 1865, he graduated from Hillsdale College in 1870. Alfred began teaching in LaGrange, Indiana and while living there Clara taught school. In 1874, she earned her master’s degree from Hillsdale College. Her daughters were born during this period, Clara Kern in 1872 and Zoe Burrell in 1874.

Alfred was selected as the second president of Western Illinois State Normal School in 1906 and the family moved to Macomb. Clara became active in organizing and motivating local women, establishing The Child Culture Center in 1907. She believed that parents must set an example for their children. You cannot live one way and expect your children to be trained in another way.

In 1911, Alfred was thrown from a horse and died as a result. Following his death she would continue to write, speak and organize during the remainder of her life. She was a leader in a group of women who stated to raise money for the local orphanage in 1911. Clara also inspired her daughters to social activism. The girls headed the volunteer effort of supervised, instructed play at the orphanage in 1915. Kernie (1872-1955) went on to become a social worker and Zoe (1879-1951) became Dean of Women at the University of Wisconsin.

Clara died on March 1, 1948, at the age of 99, in Madison, Dane County, Michigan. Both Clara and Alfred are buried in the Oakwood Cemetery, Macomb, McDonough County, Illinois.

Clara Bayliss was included on the “Facing the Storm” monument which was unveiled in Chandler Park, and dedicated to the city of Macomb, Illinois, on September 12, 2015. This statue honors all women of our past, present, and future noted for their humanitarian and social activism. The GFWC Macomb Woman's Club erected this monument with special recognition to the early pioneers of social activism who struggled with opposition to their efforts. Other memorable women honored include Rebecca Ellen Everly, Dr. Elizabeth Miner, Josie Westfall, Rose Jolly, Dr Ruth Tunnicliff, Sadie “Mother” Moon, and Lida Crabb.