Christian Hoover

Kris Hocker on 9 Jul 2009

Christian L. Hoover was born sometime between 1820 and 1826 in Pennsylvania.1 His son, Simon’s death certificate is more specific.2 It states the Christian was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.3 It is possible that Christian was the son of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover of Plumcreek township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. Christian died in Covington township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania on 1 Oct 1887; he was 67. 4 According to family sources he was probably buried in probably Oak Hill or Old Oak Hill (also known as Bridgen’s) cemetery, Karthaus township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania.

Sometime around 1852-1854 Christian first married Caroline Kinnard, daughter of Thomas Kinnard (ca 1798 — bef 4 May 1857) and Maria Fisher (ca 1808 — bef 14 Sep 1865), probably in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. Caroline was born in 1830-1831 in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.5 She died in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania on 11 Jul 1883; she was 53. 6 Family information provides multiple burial locations for Caroline. According to one source, she was buried on the Hoover farm, Covington township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania because the weather was so bad at the time of her death that the family could not get her to the cemetery. Another family source states the Caroline was buried with Christian in either the Oak Hill or Old Oak Hill cemetery.

Christian and Caroline had the following children:

  1. Reuben Hart Hoover (1853-1900)
  2. Samuel Thomas Hoover (1857-1930)
  3. Simon Edward Hoover (1864-1933)
  4. George I./J. Hoover (1865-1930)

I have had some difficulty in documenting this couple. Census information on this couple is limited. According to the census for Jefferson county, Pennsylvania in 1860, Caroline, Reuben and Samuel were living with a “Catherine” Hoover in Henderson county.7 To date, this is the only census information I’ve been able to find on either Christian or Caroline after their marriage.

It is, however, consistent with other research that places the family in Jefferson county in the late 1850s and 1860s. Both Simon (born 1864)8 and George (born 18659, the younger sons of Christian and Caroline, indicate in official records that they were born in Jefferson county. Legal documents from the Kinnard family also place the family in Jefferson county. According to a “Petition of Benjamin F. Kinnard for Partition of the Estate of Thomas Kinnard deceased,” Thomas and Mary had seven children who were still living at the time of his death in 1858, including “Caroline, married to Christopher Hoover (in Jefferson county).” This document connects our Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover to the daughter of Thomas and Maria (Fisher) Kinnard of Armstrong county.

Additional information seems to place the couple in Jefferson even earlier. A Christian Hoover was drafted in Dec 1864 from Gaskill township in Jefferson county.10 Gaskill township is the next township over from Henderson township. Additionally a Christian Hoover was elected as a school director in Henderson township in 1857.11 And according to tax records a Christ Hoover was included in the 1858 taxables list also for Henderson township.12 If this proves to be our Christian Hoover, then it is likely that Samuel and possibly Reuben were also born in Jefferson county.

So, when and why did the family leave Jefferson county? What made them come to Clearfield county? When did they come to Jefferson county?

After Caroline’s death in 1883, Christian married for a second time in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. His second wife was Mary A. Conaway. She was born in Mar 1863 in Pennsylvania.13 Mary died sometime after the 1940 census.

Christian and Mary had one child:

  1. Eva Edith Hoover (1887-1967)

After Christian’s death in 1887, Mary sold her rights to the family farm to her step-son, Samuel Hoover. She apparently moved to Jefferson county and remarried as she was listed on the census for Falls Creek Borough, Washington township, Jefferson county, Pennsylvania in 1900 with her new family. According to the 1900 census, Mary had 8 children with Daniel Fry, her new husband, by 1900—though only three of those children—Johny, Lottie, and Lizzie—were still living by that year. 14 By 1920, Mary’s second husband, Daniel, was dead. Mary had a business on Main street—a general store—which she shared with her partner, Albert B. Tudor.15

Footnotes

  1. “Petition of Benjamin F. KINNARD for Partition of the Estate of Thomas KINNARD dec.,” 4 Dec 1865, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, Orphan’s Court Seatet #1210, Collection of Kristen Hocker. ↩
  2. “Certificate of Death (Simon Edward Hoover),” 31 May 1933, Davis, Tucker County, West Virginia, Mrs. L. H. Mott, State of West Virginia, Collection of Kristen Hocker; According to Simon’s death certificate, Christopher was born in Armstrong county. ↩
  3. 1850 United States Census, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania (Plum Creek Township), 16 Oct 1850, FamilyTreeMaker CD #305, Microfilm Roll 749, 28 May 2001, 25 year old Christopher Hoover may be our Christian. ↩
  4. “Letters of Administration – Christian Hoover Estate,” Will Book, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, Volume D, File # 2393, D.R. Fullerton, Pennsylvania State Archives, Microfilm Roll 7354, Date of death listed as 1 Oct 1887. ↩
  5. “Certificate of Death (Simon Edward Hoover),” 31 May 1933, Davis, Tucker County, West Virginia, Mrs. L. H. Mott, State of West Virginia, Collection of Kristen Hocker; Caroline was born in Armstrong County. ↩
  6. “Letters of Administration – Caroline Hoover Estate,” Will Book, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, Volume C, Page 123, George M. Ferguson, Pennsylvania State Archives, 7 Apr 2001. ↩
  7.  Catharine Hoover household, 1860 United States Census, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Brown’s Mills post office, Henderson Township, page 165, dwelling 334, family 334, lines 31-34; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 118, viewed 7 Apr 2011. ↩
  8. “Certificate of Death (Simon Edward Hoover),” 31 May 1933, Virginia. ↩
  9. “Certificate of Death – George Hoover,” 21 Jan 1930, Cameron county, Pennsylvania, File number 1799, F.G. Judd; Certified copy, Collection of Kristen Hocker. ↩
  10. Kate M. Scott, History of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, (D. Mason & Co. Publishers. 1888), Page 209. ↩
  11. William James McKnight, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania – Her Pioneers & People 18000-1915( J.H. Beers & Co. Chicago. 1917), Volume 1, page unknown. ↩
  12. McKnight, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1.  ↩
  13.  Daniel Fry household, 1900 United States Census, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Falls Creek, Washington Township, enumeration district 82, page 8A/133, dwelling 148, family 168; index and image, FamilySearch, “United States Census, 1900″(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6719-VJT : accessed 15 January 2016); citing NARA micropublication T623, roll 1417, FHL microfilm 1,241,417.  ↩
  14. Daniel Fry household, 1900 United States Census, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. ↩
  15. Mary Fry household, 1920 United States Census, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Washington Township (Falls Creek Borough), enumeration district 146, sheet 8A, family 177; index and image, Ancestry.com, “1920 United States Census” (https://www.ancstry.com : viewed 20 Apr 2001; citing NARA micropublication T625, roll 1575 ↩

Cite This Page:

, "Christian Hoover," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 15 Jan 2016 (https://www.krishocker.com/christian-hoover-2/ : accessed 25 Apr 2024).

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