John Hocker (1815-1882)

John2 Hocker (Unknown1) was born 6 July 1815 in Hummelstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and died 21 January 1882 in Churchville, now Oberlin, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Churchville Cemetery, Oberlin, Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.1 John’s occupation, according to census records, varied from brick-maker to farmer to shoemaker.

He married on 3 December 18352, probably in Hummelstown, Sarah Beinhower, daughter of Peter Beinhower (30 November 1787-25 November 1853) and Mary Ann Smith (8 April 1790-4 April 1877). She was born 12 January 1814 in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died of pneumonia on 12 November 1901 in Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania where she had gone to visit relatives.3 Sarah was buried 15 November 1901 in the Churchville Cemetery, Oberlin, Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania with her husband.4

John Hocker’s will states:

“I, John Hocker, of Churchville, Swatara Township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. Item; I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Sarah, all my estate real, personal and mixed for her use during her natural life, to use the same or any part thereof for her support and whatever is left at her died is to go to the children of my deceased daughter, Mary Ann, share and share alike.”5

Sarah Hocker’s illness was news in the local papers in Middletown.

“Mrs. Hocker Very Sick— Mrs. Hocker, widow of the late John Hocker, of Oberlin, came to visit her grandaughter, Mrs. C.P. Longenecker at East Middletown bridge, a week ago last Sunday. While there she took sick and her trouble soon developed into pneumonia. At this writing there are no hopes for her recovery. Mrs. Hocker is 87 years old and for many years resided near Good’s fulling mill in Lower Swatara.”6

“Mrs. Hocker, an aged and highly respected lady of this place, and widow of the late John Hocker, died on Tuesday afternoon at 4 o’clock in the 89th year of her age. Mrs. Hocker has gone to visit relatives near Middletown, and while there contracted an attack of pnuemonia which resulted in her death.

The funeral which took place from her late residence in this place on Friday morning at 9:30 was attended by many. Services were held in the United Brethren church, of which she was a consistent member for many years. Interment was made in the cemetery of this place.”7

John and Sarah (Beinhower) Hocker had one child:

  1. Maria Anna/Anna Maria3 Hocker was born 2 January 1840, baptized 2 April 1840 in the Zion Evangelical Church, and died 11 September 1873 or 1883.8 She married Christian A. Gingerich circa 1864.

This John Hocker was incorrectly attributed to the family of John4 Hocker (Johan Adam3, Johan Adam2, Christoph1) and Catherine Sterling in William Wingeard’s “A German-American HACKER-HOCKER Genealogy.” John4 did, in fact, have a son named John. However, my research shows that his son John removed to Ohio with the rest of his family. Additionally, this John Hocker was born approximately 19 years before John4‘s son, John K. Hocker.

If you have any information on this family, please share.

Footnotes

  1. John Hocker gravestone, Churchville Cemetery, Oberlin, Swatara township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, Photographed by Kris Hocker, 7 April 2002.
  2. John Hocker and Sarah Beinhower marriage announcement, The Democratic State Journal, Volume I, No. 40: Page 3, Wednesday, December 15, 1835.
  3. Sarah Hocker gravestone, Churchville Cemetery, Oberlin, Swatara township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, Photographed by Kris Hocker, 7 April 2002.
  4. Sarah (Beinhauer) Hocker obituary, The Middletown Journal, Middletown, Pennsylvania, 16 Nov 1901, Page not recorded.
  5. John Hocker Last Will & Testament, Dauphin County Will Book K, Vol. 1: page 4628, Feb 1882; Dauphin County Courthouse, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
  6. Sarah (Beinhauer) Hocker, “Mrs. Hocker Very Sick,” The Middletown Journal, Middletown, Pennsylvania, 16 Nov 1901, Page not recorded.
  7. Sarah (Beinhauer) Hocker obituary, The Middletown Journal, Middletown, Pennsylvania, 16 Nov 1901, Page not recorded.
  8. Mary A. Gingerich gravestone, Churchville Cemetery, Oberlin, Swatara township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, photographed by Kris Hocker, 7 April 2002.

Cite This Page:

, "John Hocker (1815-1882)," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 24 Mar 2016 (https://www.krishocker.com/john-hocker/ : accessed 28 Mar 2024).

Content copyright © 2016 Kris Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.

2 Replies to “John Hocker (1815-1882)

  1. Hello. I have been doing some research on my ancestors who lived many years in Oberlin, Pa. One of my ancestors, Jacob Boyer married Catherine Beinhower. She lived from 1818 to 1884. Could she be the sister of Sarah Beinhower?

    1. According to the information I have, Sarah did have a sister Catharine who married Jacob Boyer. [Kelker, Luther Reily, History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (1907), Volume III, page 308) Peter Beinhauer, their father, was a blacksmith at Churchville (now Oberlin). He was born 30 Nov 1787 in Lebanon Township, Lancaster County and died 25 Nov 1853 in Swatara Township, Dauphin County. He was baptized as Schaefferstown. He married Mary Ann Smith, born 8 Apr 1790 and died 4 Apr 1877. Both were buried in Oberlin Cemetery.

      They had nine children:

      Jacob, b. ca 1812, d. bef 1908, m. Catharine (___)
      John, d. bef 1907
      Peter, moved to Ohio
      Adam, d. bef 1907, 1 child, served in Civil War
      Isaac, b. 4 Dec 1803, d. aft 1907, m. Wilhelmina Hessler
      Elizabeth, d. 6 Nov 1855, m. Frederick Page
      Sarah, b. 12 Jan 1814, d. 12 Nov 1901, m. John Hocker
      Catharine, m. Jacob Boyer
      Susan, m. George Roop

      Peter was likely the son of Peter and Christina (Stober) Beinhauer. His sister Christiana married Martin Hocker, son of Johan “Hans” Adam and Maria Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker. John Hocker may have been a relative of some sort; I haven’t been able to find the connection.

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