John C. Clester was born Mar 1840 in Macedon, Mercer County, Ohio; one of ten children born to William and Ellen (Gibson) Clester.

John was united in marriage 13 Nov 1864 in Grant County, Indiana with Amanda Jane Flummer, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Badger) Flummer.

John and Amanda were the parents of four children:

1. Sarah (Ellen) D. born 1867 married Jesse O. Burke
2. Mary Amanda (Dilla) born 1868 married Samuel R. Blakely
3. James (Jim) born 1870 married Adah Paralee Foster
4. Ida Jane born 1872 married O.M. Albert

Amanda passed away in 1874 in Macedon, Mercer County, Ohio at the age of 24 years.

John took for his second wife Ida M. Morse, daughter of Charles and Maragaretta (Hackert) Morse. They were married 05 Jan 1887 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas.

John and Ida added two more children to the family:

5. Jesse Pebble (Peb) born 1887 married Cora Lu "Della" Pierce
6. Arthur William born 1892 married Emma Anna Allison

John passed away 01 Sep 1909 in Peck, Sumner County, Kansas at the age of 69 years. He was laid to rest in Porter Cemetery, London Twp., Sumner, Kansas. John's headstone incorrectly states his death year as 1910, but family records show 1909.

Ida, John's second wife, remarried in 1913 to Henry Nicholas "Nick" Kolb. Family story has it that Nick married the well off widow and gradually sold off the Clester property and drained the assets and disappeared.

Ida passed away in 1926 at the age of 65 years and was laid to rest in the Porter Cemetery, London Twp., Sumner County, Kansas. Her grave is located on the other side of the cemetery from the Clesters.

John's brother and family, Samuel with wife Sarah and son Arthur are located in this cemetery also. Kenneth Clester is the child of Jesse, and would be John's grandson.