Tag: Family Photo

The Greulich Farm Buildings

During a recent cleaning jag, I found a stash of photos. Among those photos were some old (circa 1970-1980s) photos from the Greulich family, featuring the farm. These photos are the first I’ve seen of the farmhouse and barn up at the farm where they’re actually still standing. These photos show the farmhouse and barn, but there were several other buildings, including a summer kitchen and additional sheds.

Greulich farm house-front

Greulich farm house (porch)

In the photo below you can see the stone walls of the house where the external plaster has fallen off. Mom tells me the walls were nearly a foot thick. Access to the root cellar was through the doors shown here.

Greulich farm house

Greulich farm house (back)

The barn appears massive in this photo—larger even than the house. From what I’ve read this is not at all unusual for German-style farms in Pennsylvania. The section on the left looks to me like a newer addition.

Greulich farm barn

Barn

I’m not sure where this photo was taken from. You couldn’t see the farm buildings from Third Street because of trees, nor could you see them from Schoolhouse road (see next photo). Perhaps this was taken from a road on the Perkiomen School grounds?

Greulich farm

Barn and house

This is the view from Schoolhouse Road. You can see the buildings of East Greenville in the background along the horizon.

Greulich farm from the road

Greulich farm from Schoolhouse Road

I’m not entirely sure when these building were erected. Given the style and use of stone, I wouldn’t be surprised if they dated back to Gottfried Wißler’s ownership, starting in the 1790s.

Heinrich Schneider purchased the farm from his father-in-law’s estate in the 1830s and sold it to his son Joseph in 1861. Joseph sold it to pay off the mortgage, but had purchased it back in 1877. His son Henry got it from the estate in 1899 and passed it to his daughter Lillian (Snyder) Greulich in 1928. It was finally sold to the Perkiomen School after Russell Greulich’s death.

On the Subject of Dogs

My dogs are a big part of my life. I’ve lived with pets all my life. When I was born, my parents had two cats and a dog, so my sister and I grew up with pets in the house. Thinking about that made me curious about whether or not dogs were a part of my ancestors’ lives.

I already knew about some of the dogs my grandparents had. So, I went looking through the various boxes of photos I have from both sides of my family to see if I had photos of them. Sure enough, I do. Here’s a gallery of some of the images I found.

I found photos with dogs from the Hocker family that go back to my great grandfather William H. Hocker Sr. On the Greulich side, the photos only go back to my grandfather Russell R. Greulich’s youth. I don’t know if his parents’ families had dogs and didn’t have any photos of them, or just didn’t have dogs. The Snyders were farming folks, so maybe they had one.

Looking at the photos, I noticed that dogs played a very different role in the Greulich family versus the Hocker family. The photos of my grandfather Greulich’s dogs show them as pets, companions. These dogs lived with the family in the house. The choice of dog breeds—Boston Terrier and American Eskimo Dog—is also indicative of their roles.

The Hockers’ dog were hunting dogs as shown by the “catch-of-the-day” style photos. That the Hockers chose hounds (Beagles, I think) is further evidence that their dogs were working dogs. They lived in a dog run in the yard. It wasn’t until my family’s dog Major, a German Shepherd/Elkhound mix, went to live with my grandparents when my Dad was stationed overseas that they allowed a dog to live in the house with them.

Today, we have Golden Retrievers. While they’re trained to be hunting and retrieving dogs, they’re family pets. They perform in agility and obedience competition, and serve as models for my sister—an excellent dog photographer. And they rule the house.

“Trey and I,” featured image shows author and her Golden Trey. Photo © Karen Hocker Photography. 

Wordless Wednesday: H.W. Hocker Manufacturing Company

H.W. Hocker Manufacturing Company, Lewes, Delaware

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.

Happy Memorial Day!

William Hocker Jr. in his Navy uniform

William Hocker Jr. in his Navy uniform

In honor of those who have served and those still serving in our nation’s military, happy Memorial Day! May we never forget your service and sacrifice.

Wordless Wednesday: Henry & Saraphine (Witmer) Snyder

Henry & Saraphine (Witmer) Snyder

A photo of Henry D. and Saraphine K. (Witmer) Snyder, possibly taken in front of the Greulich home in Landsdale, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, circa 1912. The Snyders owned and lived on a farm on School House Road just outside East Greenville, Pennsylvania near the New Goshenhoppen Church.

Tombstone Tuesday: Levi Hocker family

Levi & Anna (Frantz) Hocker gravestone

Levi & Anna (Frantz) Hocker & children Michael, George and John

Levi Hocker, son of George and Mary Magdalena (Landis) Hocker, was born 17 January 1824 and died 31 October 1876. He was buried in Oberlin Cemetery, Dauphin County on 29 April 1877. He married Anna Frantz, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Walters) Frantz, on 6 February 1851. She was born 13 September 1828 and died 3 February 1918. She was buried with her husband on 7 February 1918.

Their second son Francis Michael Hocker was born 26 January 1854 and died in 1919 in the Pennsylvania State Asylum in Harrisburg. Son George Warren Hocker was born 8 December 1858 and died 12 May 1868. The youngest son John Edward Hocker was born 14 October 1869 and died  in 1873. All three are buried with their parents at Oberlin Cemetery.

Tombstone Tuesday: Horace & Mary (Breish) Witmer

Horace Witmer (1864-1926) & Mary (Breish) Witmer (1870-1944)

Horace Witmer (1864-1926) & Mary (Breish) Witmer (1870-1944)

Horace Witmer, son of Edward J. and Lydia (Kline) Witmer, was born 21 Dec 1864 and died 5 Dec 1926. His wife, Mary A. C. (Breish) Witmer, was born 8 Jan 1870 and died 31 Mar 1944. They are buried in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Red Hill, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Wordless Wednesday: At Home in Edinburgh, ca 1914

Peter Bonnington Family

Peter, Christina, and May Bonnington and Jessie (Alexander) Bonnington

The back says: “Taken a week past Sunday when up. That is Roy [Rog] next door sitting on Crissie’s knee” and also “Peter Chrissie May Jessie & a little boy that always with May.”

Tombstone Tuesday: Edward & Lydia (Kline) Witmer

Edward Witmer (1833-1912) & Lydia (Kline) Witmer (1836-1926)

Edward Witmer (1833-1912) & Lydia (Kline) Witmer (1836-1926)

Edward J. Witmer, son of John and Rachel (Jones?) Witmer, was born in Quakertown 13 Oct 1833 and died near Finland 24 Jan 1912. His wife, Lydia Amanda (Kline) Witmer, daughter of Philip and Lydia (Markly) Kline, was born 26 Mar 1836 near Pennsburg and died 30 Mar 1926 in Red Hill.

Wordless Wednesday: At Camp, 1924

Hocker Hunting Camp, circa 1924

Hocker Hunting Camp, circa 1924

A photo taken at the Hocker hunting camp in Perry County, Pennsylvania circa 1924. I’m not completely certain of the folks in the photo, but I think it’s—Isabella (Smith) Hocker, Lillian (Leedy) Hocker, unknown teenager [possibly Lillian or Ethel Allen], Anna Hocker, William Hocker, Bonnie Hocker and Betty Jean Hocker.