Generation 1    Jacob Eitel was the immigrant ancestor, coming to America from Germany via England in approximately 1725, according to my grandfather.  I have not found his immigration record as most of the books start in 1726.

Generation 2    John Eitel, one of Jacob's sons, is my next ancestor.  A John Eitel and his wife Agnes are recorded as members of the Indian Field  Lutheran Church in Montgomery County, PA in 1755 and 1756. There is also a Johann Eitel in Berks Co. PA in the late 1700s, but the link is not established.  Jacob had other sons but we do not know their names.

Generation 3     Martin Idle, son of John,  is the ancestor which I have been able to document back to 1778 in Hilltown, Bucks Co. PA.*  Martin seems to have been the one to Anglicize the name.   He served in the PA Militia during the Revolutionary War.  It is said he was a tailor.  There is a web page on Martin Eitel but I do not agree with some of the information contained in it.

Generation 4    Henry Idle, was born December 23, 1785, as recorded in Indian Creek Reformed Church records of Montgomery County, PA..  Henry grew up in PA and VA and was married at an early age to Elizabeth Robinson. He had two small daughters in the 1810 census.   Elizabeth died around 1813, about the time Henry's family left for OH.   However Henry did not go with them at this time.  He moved to Montgomery County VA where he married his second wife, Caty Trump.     Henry and Caty and their seven children eventually joined the rest of the family in Champaign County OH around 1830.  Caty died either in VA or shortly after coming to OH and Henry married a third time, Susannah Roberts.   He and Susannah had twelve more children, one of which was my great, great grandfather, Elijah Idle.  Henry was in the War of 1812 according to the family, but the national archives refused Susannah's pension application.  He died at his farm in Champaign County OH in April, 1865

Generation 5   Elijah J. Idle, born December 18, 1843 in Champaign County OH.  At the age of 18, he joined the OH 12th Volunteer Cavalry, Company C,  in the Civil War.  I have his papers from the National Archives  They describe him as 5 foot 8 inches tall, light hair and complexion and blue eyes.  Elijah was a contractor/builder and married Margaret Sarah Stephenson, August 31, 1869 in Champaign County OH.   Margaret's first husband, Samuel H. Curry, had deserted her and it  was believed he died in the Civil War.  Elijah and Margaret had three children but two died as babies.  Only my ancestor, Herschel Idle survived. Elijah died in March 1915 and is buried in Huntsville cemetery in Logan County OH.  Margaret survived until 1930.

Generation 6    Herschel Zemery Idle was born August 22, 1878 in Harrison Township, Campaign County OH.  He grew up in DeGraff and Belle Center OH and moved to Huntsville OH in 1905.  He was a farmer and a foreman at an autobody shop.  He married Iva Columbia Morton in 1900.  They had five children, one of which died as a baby.  I am the daughter of their eldest son, Emil Morton Idle.  Herschel lived to the ripe old age of 96, dying in March 1974.  Iva died in 1970.  See the picture on the home page for Herschel and Iva and family.

Generation 7     Emil Morton Idle was born November 8, 1900 in Belle Center, Logan County OH.  He attended business college and was preparing to apprentice in law when they passed the law requiring additional schooling.  He became a color supervisor for Crowell Collier magazine in Springfield OH where he met the daughter of one of the pressmen.  He married Frances May Nicklas in September 1824 in Clark Co. OH and lived there till his death in 1985.  Morton (as he preferred to be called) and Frances had only one child--ME!