A Brief Family History
Humble Beginnings
"This is not the tale of a family marked by numerous outstanding citizens or by adventurers. Rather, it is the story of a rural family which, through the generations, has made routine contributions to the maintenance of the community and, by producing more than it consumed, has added to the accumulation of wealth that marks the progress of civilization. Occupying language-islands in the west-bound steam of settlement, many of the first four generations did not acquire English, and the family as a whole is so distinctively Pennsylvania German as to be representative of this group of Americans which has contributed so much to the independence and progress of our country."
- William H. Rinkenbach, Oplinger Family Historian
Family History
Read the full story of our family from the 1964 History of the Oblinger-Oplinger-Uplinger Family.
New Research
Do you want to find out about our ancestors before they came to America? Check out the exciting new research into our Swiss Origins by Willard L. "Bill" Oplinger.
(Updated on 9-17-2022: Corrected the baptism date for Christian Stoner/Steiner to 1684).
Also by Bill...
Research into the origins of our Oplinger name!
And more by Bill...
John Oblinger served in the Revolutionary War with George Washington!
A Letter from Behind the Blue Mountain
Nicholas Uplinger (spelled "Oblinger" in this letter) wrote a letter in 1752 to his brother-in-law regarding an inheritance his wife Elizabeth was to receive from her father's estate. (Used by permission: Collection of Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, PA)
And don't miss the article on Colonial Eye Surgery — "Sight to the Blind" about the Nicholas Oblinger (Uplinger) family!
Did You Know?...
Our family is a part of American History! Oplingers were involved int the building of our country— in expanding the frontier, building of roads, service in the military (from the French-Indian war onward!), and in aiding the founding fathers of our great nation.