2013 – Page 2 – A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy

Friday Find: Henry Hoover’s heirs to John Stauffer

Kris Hocker on 18 Oct 2013

I found a deed today that I believe relates to Henry Hoover of Strasburg Township who died before 18 Dec 1833, leaving heirs in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. According to one deed, Henry had eight brothers and sisters.¹ I was able to determine four of them:

Christian Hoover of Franklin County and children: John, Martin, Christian, Abraham, Samuel, Jeremiah, Catharine, and Martha
Feronica “Franey” (Hoover) Brand and sons Samuel and Christian
Elizabeth (Hoover) Zimmerman and son Jacob
Esther (Hoover) Beam

But I was still looking for the other four. I think I may have found three of them…

Know all men by these presents that whereas Henry Hoover late of the township of Leacock in the County of Lancaster in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States of America Carpenter and joiner deceased by his last will and testament in writing bearing the date the ____ day of ___ in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty did among other legacies therein contained give and bequeath unto us John Hoover, Martin Hoover and Daniel Hoover all of the township of Markham in the County of York in the Home District and province of Upper Canada yeomen the sum of four hundred and sixty one dollars and sixteen cents to be divided among us in three fair and equal proportions and of his said will made and constituted John Stouffer of the same township of Leacock miller executor, as in and by the said will may appear Now know ye that we the said John Hoover Martin Hoover and Daniel Hoover do and each of us does confess and acknowledge that we have had and received according to our respective shares of and from the said John Stauffer the legacy or sum of four hundred and sixty one dollars and sixteen cents as aforesaid given and bequeathed unto us by the said Henry Hoover and therefore do and each of us does by these presents aquit release and discharge the said John Stouffer of and from all legacies dues and demands whatsoever which we or any of us our or any of executors or administrators may have claim challenge or demand of or against the said John Stauffer his executors or administrators by virtue of the said last will and testament of or out of the estate of the said Henry Hoover deceased as aforesaid In witness whereof the said Legatees have hereunto respectively set their hands and seals at Markham aforesaid this first day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty six.

John his X mark Hoover
Martin Hoover
Daniel Hoover

In presence
Benjamin Oberholser
Johannes [in German]

Recorded April 1st Anno Domini 1837John Warfel, Recorder²

I need to follow-up to verify this information, but John Stauffer was the executor listed in all the deeds. Additionally, I found Daniel Hoover, Christian Hoover, and Martin Hoover in Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the 1800 census.³ Only Christian is there in 1810 and 1820.

If you have information on this family, please leave a comment below or drop me a line.

John Smith’s Conestoga Tract

Kris Hocker on 13 Oct 2013

On 28 October 1728, the survey of Hans Line’s adjacent property indicates that this land or that warranted to Hugh Patten (or both) was of Christian Prenaman.¹ Five years later, John Goughnour had his adjacent land surveyed and his survey also indicated that this tract was of Christian Prenaman.²

John Smith’s Conestoga Township tract

John Smith was issued a warrant for 200 acres on Pequea Creek on 5 October 1734.³ Bartram Galbraith surveyed 167.5 acres for John Smith on 24 April 1759. Adjoining landholders included Jacob Coghnor, John Lyne, Abraham Beam, Henry Rush, John Hoover, Jacob Hover.⁴

Smith must have either abandoned the tract or sold his interest in it, because Jacob Hoover, owner of an adjoining tract of land, patented these 167.5 acres on 7 September 1759.(see Patent Book A20:346)⁵ Jacob’s son Christian inherited the land from his father on 12 September 1759.⁶

On 26 November 1761, Christian sold this tract to John Jacob Goughnour.⁷ Jacob Goughnour’s heirs—John & Elizabeth Kochenauer, Christian Kochenauer, Henry & Ann Kochenauer, Abraham Kochenauer, Adam Kochenauer, Tobias Kochenauer, Christian & Catharine (Kochenauer) Hess, Joseph & Esther Kochenauer—sold Jacob Gochenour, their brother, 167.5 acres from their father’s estate on 4 November 1780. It adjoined land of the Goughour heirs, John Line, land late of Abraham Beam, Henry Rush, John Hoover, and Jacob Hoover.

Friday Find: Benjamin W. Hocker’s 1920 Census Entry

Kris Hocker on 4 Oct 2013

Last week I posted a photo of Levi F. Hocker from his days in the Pennsylvania cavalry during the Civil War and mentioned that his brother Benjamin W. Hocker had supported his injury claim in his request for a pension in 1892. Going through the records I have on Benjamin W. Hocker, I realized that I’m missing a couple of census records—amongst other records—for him, including the 1900 and 1920 census enumerations. Fortunately, I was able to locate one of those records.

In 1880, Benjamin and his wife Margaret were living in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.¹ This household included:

Benjamin W. Hocker, age 33, Farmer
Margaret Hocker, age 32, wife, Keeping house
Minnie S. Hocker, age 11, daughter
Adam S. Hocker, age 9, son
Lora L. Hocker, age 7, daughter
Helen A. Hocker, age 3, daughter
Frank Hocker, age 6 months (born Feb), son
Adam Hocker, age 77, father

I haven’t found Benjamin in 1900, but his wife Margaret and three of their children—Mary [Minnie] S., Helen A., and Morris G.—were living with her brother Frank Beltzhoover in Carlisle.² In 1905, Benjamin received a patent for 160 acres in Berlin, Roger Mills County, Oklahoma and he can be found living there in 1910, working as a stock trader.³ He allegedly died in Berlin in 1925, but I did not find him there in the 1920 census.

Another check of the Bureau of Land Management records showed that Benjamin received a patent for 480 acres of land in Brown County, Nebraska on 13 April 1914.⁴ The land was located in the “south half of the southeast quarter of Section twenty-two, the east half of Section twenty-seven, and the west half of the southwest quarter of Section twenty-six in Township twenty-five north of Range twenty-two west of the Sixth Principal Meridian, Nebraska.” I looked at a map for the county and, based on the BLM’s plat map, determined that this land was likely in Chester or Calamus townships. Scrolling through the 1920 census for these precincts yielded a successful result:

Click to enlarge

B.W. Hocker is listed as a 73 year-old rancher on line 84. He was born in Pennsylvania, owned his own home, and was widowed.⁵ His youngest son was living in nearby Blaine County, Nebraska in 1910⁶ and 1920.⁷

Still looking for his 1900 census record. I’ve located his wife and all his children and he’s not with any of them. I haven’t found him through any of the census indices, so who knows how his name is indexed—if it is. I guess I need to locate all his siblings in 1900. He didn’t receive his land in Oklahoma until 1905, so it’s possible he’s still in Pennsylvania in 1900.

Help Save a 1536 Froschauer Bible of the Schnebly and Bachman Families

Kris Hocker on 27 Sep 2013

Are you a member of the Mennonite Bachman or Schnebly family? You can help save a piece of family history.

A Bible, printed in 1536 by Froschauer in Switzerland, that includes genealogical information for the Bachman family of Saucon, an inscription from Hans Jacob Schnebelli (1696), and a bookplate for Matthias Schnebelli (1708) needs mending and cleaning. You can donate money to help the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, Pennsylvania fund this project through the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. According to the site, this Bible is considered one of Pennsylvania’s top 10 endangered artifacts.

The Bible was originally owned by the Schnebellis of Switzerland, then Alsace, then Ibersheimer hoff in the Palatinate. It was transferred to Maria Schnebelli and her husband Johan Georg Bachman who immigrated by 1727 and settled in what is now Coopersburg, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Watch the video for more information on this item and its history.

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Levi F. Hocker, PA Cavalry

Kris Hocker on 25 Sep 2013

Private Levi F. Hocker of Co. F, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment, in uniform with pistol and sword, on horseback (source: Library of Congress)

Levi F. Hocker, son of Johan Adam and Mary (Hoover) Hocker III, was born 2 October 1843 and died 28 March 1899 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He served in Company F, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil War. He married Frances R. Steigelman on 18 Jan 1866 in New Kingston, Cumberland County.

There were two Levi Hockers from Pennsylvania who enlisted in 1862: Levi F. Hocker who enlisted on 23 Sep 1862, and Levi Hocker who enlisted on 15 Sep 1862. Levi F. Hocker reportedly served in the 17th Cavalry, Company F, which was recruited from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1862. The company fought at Trevillian Station in Virginia between the 11th and 13th of June 1864. Levi F. Hocker reported in his application for invalid pension on 11 January 1878 that he had been wounded on or about the 11th of June 1864 at Trevillian Station. His reply of 10 February 1892 to the government’s denial of the pension was supported by Benjamin W. Hocker of Cumberland County. Benjamin states that he knew Levi intimately and had seen the injury on Levi’s return home in 1864.

Wingeard, I believe, inappropriately attributed him as the son of Peter and Hannah (Reinhold) Hocker of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Given the location of recruitment (Cumberland County) and Benjamin Hocker’s statement supporting Levi’s application, I feel it is more likely that Levi F. was the son of Adam and Mary (Hoover) Hocker, who lived in Cumberland County, than it is that he was the son of Peter and Hannah (Reinhold) Hacker of Lancaster County.

Adam and Mary (Hoover) Hocker were in Cumberland County by 1840 when Adam Hocker appeared as a head of household in North Middleton Township.¹ They were still farming in North Middleton in 1850 where their household included:²

Adam, aged 47
Mary, aged 41
Jeremiah, aged [14?]
Mary, aged 20
Elizabeth, aged 16
Fanny, aged 13
Isemia, aged 9
Levi, aged 6
Benjamin, aged 4

The family can be also found in Cumberland County during the 1860 enumeration of Middlesex Township.³

Meanwhile, Peter and Hannah Hocker can be found consistently in Lancaster County in Ephrata, Elizabeth and Clay townships, respectively in 1840,⁴ 1850,⁵ and 1860.⁶ In 1850, their household included:

Peter, aged 37
Hannah, aged 35
Susanna, aged 13
Jacob, aged 12
Mary Ann, aged 10
Levi, aged 7
Rebecca, aged 4
Elizabeth, aged 2

Both Levi and Benjamin Hocker were living in Cumberland County in 1880—Levi in Monroe Township⁷ and Benjamin in Middlesex Township.⁸ Levi died there in 1899 and was buried in Mount Holly Springs Cemetery.⁹

About Slate River Mill (aka Hocker Mill)

Kris Hocker on 15 Sep 2013

See more info about Slate River Mill (aka Hocker mill), once owned by the Johan Adam Hocker family, including it’s specific location.

Persistence Pays Off? Maybe. Maybe Not.

Kris Hocker on 13 Sep 2013

I wrote previously about finding information that Adam P. Hocker, son of George and Margaret (Prevost) Hocker of Buckingham County, Virginia, had served in the Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry (Lee’s Guards) during the Civil War and died at the Battle of Rich Mountain. However, information I’ve recently located calls that into doubt.

The 1860 census indicates that Adam P. Hocker was a miller.¹ This is fitting as I found an account, dated 8 May 1863, for the purchase of 180½ bushels of wheat by the Confederate Army in which “Mr. A.P. Hocker” was dissatisfied with the price of $487.35.² A further note from 24 July 1863, signed by A.P. Hocker indicates that he received $812.25 for his wheat. On 19 January 1864, Adam appointed William Hocker as his attorney to receive any money due him from the Commissionary department of the Confederate States. So, during the war Adam was working as a miller and supplying wheat to the Confederate army.

Additionally, in looking up the members of Company E, 20th Virginia Infantry, the only name that looks close to “Hocker” was that of “E.T. Hocher.” E.T. signed up for 12 months service in Buckingham County on 20 May 1861 and appears on the muster roll for 30 June to 10 September 1861.³ The Battle of Rich Mountain occurred 11 July through 13 July 1861 in Randolph County, [West] Virginia.⁴ So, he likely would have been a participant at the battle.

I believe that “E.T. Hocher” may have been Edmund T. Hocker, son of George and Margaret (Prevost) Hocker and youngest brother of Adam P. Hocker. Ed reenlisted in the war on 9 February 1862 with Company H, 22nd Battalion of Virginia volunteers to serve the whole war.⁵ Subsequent records show him as Edmund T., Edward T. and E.T. Hocker. The muster rolls show him as serving through 1865 though he was injured 1 July 1863. Ed also survived the war, appearing in the 1880 census with the Nathan Payne family in the Slate River district in Buckingham County, Virginia.⁶ He died 23 December 1891.⁷

Adam’s brother, Amos H. Hocker, also served in Civil War. He enlisted on 7 February 1862 for one year as a private in Company K, 2nd Regiment Virginia Artillery.⁸ This regiment disbanded in May 1862. Amos then enlisted on 28 July 1862 for 6 months in Company C, 25th Battalion VA Infantry.⁹ He actually served through 1865. He was hospitalized for rheumatism from July to September in 1863. He also requested a 25-day furlough on 30 August 1864, but was present with his unit in November and December. He was apparently captured by the Union on 6 April 1865 in Nottoway County, Virginia—possibly at Sailor’s Creek when General Sheridan cut off nearly a quarter of the retreating Confederate Army—and sent to Point Lookout, Maryland. He was released on 13 June 1865.

So, it doesn’t look like Adam served in Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry and didn’t die in the Battle of Rich Mountain. So, what happened to him?

The answer may lie in his brother Amos’ letter requesting a furlough in August 1864. Here’s what he wrote:

Camp 25 Va Batt

Chaffin’s Farm/30 Aug 1864

Col.

I respectfully ask a Furlough for Twenty-five Days under the following circumstances, to go to Buckingham County [?] my Father died during last year & willed me an amount in money, one third of which [I know not] between $5000 & $6000 I have already lost by reason of the act of Congress reducing the currency & my not being able to obtain a Furlough at the time to make an investment, one of my brothers has since died & left important business requiring my attention; the remnant of money left me was invested in Court Bonds, which the Shff informed me will now be paid & has avised [sic] to come & received the same I desire to make a permant [sic] investment of these funds which is the object of this application. I saw Genl. Ewell on yesterday & stated these facts to him who voluntary consented to approve Furlough for the time asked.

Very Respectfully

Yr Obs. Svt.

A.H. Hocker

Co. C 25 VA Batt

Did you see that? He wrote: “one of my brothers has since died…” Both of his younger brothers George W. and Edmund T. survived the war. Thus, Adam P. Hocker—his only other brother—died sometime shortly before 30 August 1864.

Persistence does pay off; but often it’s in unexpected ways.

Wordless Wednesday: H.W. Hocker Manufacturing Company

Kris Hocker on 11 Sep 2013

H.W. Hocker Manufacturing Company, Lewes, Delaware; image from the Library of Congress

I came across a series of photos from the H.W. Hocker (Harold Willets Hocker) Manufacturing Company of Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware during a search at the Library of Congress’ website. You can go see more images there.

Harold Willets Hocker, son of John William and Georgia (Tunnell) Hocker, was born 23 April 1892 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in December 1981 in Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware. He was a descendant of Johan Georg Hacker of Erdenheim, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Mystery Monday: In Search of My Hershey Family Connection

Kris Hocker on 9 Sep 2013

I’ve been focusing recently on some of my female ancestors for whom I have little or no information. With surnames like Leedy, Frantz, Landis and Hershey, these are well-established—and I would have thought—well-documented families. When it comes to my ancestors, not so much.

Take my 5x great grandmother Mary (Hershey) Hocker, for example. According to my information, “Sophia Maria Hershey” was born on 5 August 1769 and died sometime after her husband Johan Adam Hocker Jr. (died 1821), but before the final settlement of his estate on 1 April 1839.¹ I’ve only seen her as “Mary Hocker” in documents, so I’m not sure about the name Sophia. I’ve been able to find out nothing about about her family.

About Adam and Mary

Although, I presume she and Adam were married prior to December 1787—their first child was born in August 1788—I do not have a marriage date or location for them. Adam was living in Harrisburg by that time.² However, they could have met in Lancaster County before he left home.

Between their marriage and the late 1790s, Adam and Mary lived in Harrisburg.³ Adam was listed as a tavern owner, cordweiner, and tanner in tax lists during this period.⁴ They had five children before 1800: John, Anna Barbara, George, Jacob, and Benjamin.⁵

By 1797, the family had likely moved out of town to Derry Township as their fourth son Jacob was baptized on 12 February 1797 in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hummelstown.⁶ Adam owned a farm near Hummelstown, along Swatara Creek. The couple had three more children while living in Derry Township: Johan Adam (III), Benjamin, and Elizabeth.⁷

Adam died in November 1821.⁸ In Dec 1821, Jacob Hocker was appointed guardian of his younger brothers, Adam and Benjamin.⁹ Adam’s estate was divvied up amongst his heirs with land in Derry Township going to sons John and Jacob, and land in Swatara Township going to sons George and Adam. John and Jacob eventually sold their piece to their youngest brother Benjamin before they left Pennsylvania for Ohio.¹⁰

Religion

Adam Hacker was a Lutheran. He was baptized in Emanuel Lutheran Church in Brickerville and was confirmed there in 1780.¹¹ He was a deacon at Salem Lutheran Church in Harrisburg in 1790 and 1793. His connection to the Lutheran Church is consistent throughout his life.

I’m not certain about Mary’s religion. Her children were baptized Lutheran—Anna and George in Salem Lutheran in Harrisburg¹² and Jacob in Zion Evangelical Lutheran in Hummelstown—and she was buried with her husband in the Lutheran church cemetery in Hummelstown. However, the early Hershey family were known to be Mennonites. Given her birth year of 1769, Mary would have been born to the first or second generation of Pennsylvanian Hersheys. It’s very likely that she grew up in a Mennonite household, assuming, of course, that her maiden name actually was Hershey.

Not all the Hersheys remained Mennonites. For instance, Johannes “John” B. Hershey was the son of a Mennonite minister, was himself a Mennonite minister, but left the faith to become an integral part of the United Brethren in Christ church. What’s particularly interesting about this is that Adam and Mary Hocker’s eldest son John left the Lutheran church—his two eldest children were baptized at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hummelstown¹³—and became a minister for the River Brethren (aka Brethren in Christ) in Randolph Township, Montgomery County, Ohio.¹⁴

While I don’t believe these are the same church, they both originated in the German spiritual revival of the late 1700s and the leaders of both were originally Mennonites.¹⁵ I wonder what led John Hocker to change religions. Obviously, he felt very strongly to not only leave the church he was raised in, but to become a minister in his new church, too. Perhaps, he was influenced by a member of his mother’s family? It’s certainly something to think about.

Conclusion

I’ve not been able to find a “Sophia Maria” or even an unidentified Mary in available Hershey family information. I don’t know that she actually was a Hershey since I have no source for Wingeard’s information.

If you have information on Mary’s parentage or insight into the Hershey family, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Update

Looking through my database, I found an interesting bit of information. John Hocker’s daughter, Christianna, married John Hershey, son of Jacob and Maria (Hertzler) Hershey, in Montgomery County, Ohio on 21 Oct 1852. John Hershey was a descendant of Jacob and Barbara (Hiestand) Hershey of Lancaster County and his parents Andrew and Maria (Acker) Hershey.

Persistence Pays Off

Kris Hocker on 30 May 2013

In working through my Hocker family research, I’ve eventually come to George Hocker of Slate River Mills and his family. George’s two eldest sons have provided me with more than their fair share of speculation and frustration.

The 1850 census for District 2, Buckingham County includes George and his family:¹

The household was comprised of:

George Hocker, 49, Male, Farmer, $13,000, b. Buckingham
Evalina Hocker, 35, Female, b. Buckingham
Adam Hocker, 26, Male, Miller, $25, b. Buckingham
Howel Hocker, 23, Male, Miller, $25, b. Buckingham
Amanda Hocker, 18, Female, b. Buckingham
George Hocker, 15, Male, None, b. Buckingham, attended school within the year
Edmund Hocker, 14, Male, b. Buckingham, attended school within the year
Margaret Hocker, 12, Female, b. Buckingham, attended school within the year
James Sudbury, 25, Male, Farmer, b. Buckingham, person over 20 years who cannot read or write

In 1860, George and family and his son Adam are living in two adjoining households.²

Adam Hocker, 33, Male, Miller, $0, $4600, b. Virginia
George Hocker, 50, Male, Farmer, $15,000, $13,450, b. Virginia
Evaline T. Hocker, 45, Female, b. Virginia
George [W?] Hocker, 29, Male, Manager, b. Virginia
Edmund T. Hocker, 24, Male, b. Virginia
Margaret G. Hocker, 22, Female, b. Virginia

I haven’t been able to locate [Amos] Howell in the 1860 census. Since Adam’s age is more in line with Howell’s from the 1850, I’ve wondered if this is not Adam, but Howell, but census ages are notoriously inaccurate, so…

In 1870, I’ve found Amos Howell Hocker. He was working as a farm manager in 1870 in Maysville, Buckingham County, Virginia.³ But I haven’t been able to locate Adam in 1870.

The 1850 census is the only record I’ve seen of there being two sons of George named Adam and Amos Howell. In my most frustrated moments, I’ve wondered if there really were actually two sons. Since I can’t find both of them in census records in the same year after 1850…

Well, I may have found my answer. Searching the web for random mentions of either, I hit upon “Buckingham County: The Battle of Rich Mountain” on the slate river ramblings… website. It quotes a speech supposedly prepared in 1884 in which the name “Adam Hocker” is listed amongst those Buckingham County men killed at the Battle of Rich Mountain on 11 Jul 1861.

Adam, an unmarried man in 1860, would have been likely to volunteer to fight a year later. If he died in 1861, that would explain why I’ve never found him in later census records.

Next steps: to prove that Adam joined Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry (Lee’s Guards).

Year: 2013

About Adam and Mary

Religion

Conclusion

Update