A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy
the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker
You can learn interesting things about your ancestors in the most unexpected places. Take this entry from a 1779 Hereford Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania tax assessment.
The third line refers to Daniel Bobb, my 5x great grandfather: “Danl Bob a Miller drinks too much.” Then there’s the next line about John Bower who apparently has a young hooligan for a son.
Tax records can include the darndest things.
In honor of the newspaper article I posted on Halloween about the “Mock Wedding Features Scotch Hallowe’en Party,” I’m posting a photo of Aunt Jessie and Uncle Lou’s house in Harrisburg where the party most likely was held for this month’s Wordless Wednesday.
Home of Lou G. and Jessie Orr in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
According to the article, Jessie and Lou lived at 2017 Foster [Forster?] Street in 1915. The 1910 census and 1920 census both show them living in the attached 2019 Forster Street with their daughters Alice, Agnes, and Jessie L.
Given the approximate ages of the children in the photo, if it’s of the Orrs, it should be from this period. I can’t say the house there looks anything like this, though.
Jessie’s parents, Robert and Allison (Whitelaw) Trotter, were from Scotland. Jessie was born in 1870, making her a contemporary of Eliza Craig (Bonnington) Smith, who like Jessie’s mother married and started a family in Scotland, then immigrated to the United States where she settled and raised her children.
I’d always perceived Jessie as great grandma Isabella (Smith) Hocker’s friend from the way Aunt Jean spoke about her. But I guess I was off by a generation.
This month I’m sharing a picture from Facebook for Wordless Wednesday. This image is from the Lions David House Heritage Museum. It shows Green’s Lumber camp in Pine Glen, Burnside Township, Centre County about 1906.
The people in the photo are: Mr. Bill Green, Mrs. Bill Green, Lilly (Green) Decker, Elwood Comely, Clyde Hoover, John Green, Burt Beightol, Rube Green, Ira Green.
Clyde Hoover, son of Samuel and Victoria (Walker) Hoover, was my great grandfather. He married Nora Malinda Houdeshell, daughter of George and Lovina (Force) Houdeshell, about two years after this picture was taken. He grew up in Pine Glen. After his marriage, his family lived in Clearfield where he worked as a lumberman. After they moved back to Pine Glen, he also farmed the family property.
Update: Scheduling oops! Guess there’s an extra “wordless wednesday” post on a Monday. That’ll teach me to pay more attention to what I’m doing. ;^)
Aunt Jean used to make reference to her “Aunt Jessie” and “Uncle Lou” Orr. They weren’t really her aunt and uncle; they were close friends of her parents. In honor of Halloween today, I thought I’d share an article about a Halloween party they held 103 years ago.
Telegraph article from 30 October 1915
In 1915, Will, Isabel and their infant daughter Bonnie attended the party at the Orr’s house with a host of other people. They included:
Mrs. Sandy Wallace, Mrs. Arthur Reid, Mrs. A. P. Kitchen, Edith Mayhew, L.G. Orr, Johanna Dwyer, Martha Ross, Ruth Youtzy, Mary Ditmer, Janet Wallace, Ruth Kline, Marion Black, Belle Sanderson, Agness Orr, Janet Sanderson, Mary Sanderson, Catherine Sanderson, Louise Orr, Alice Orr, Arthur Reid, Foster Kitchen, Bessie Black, Mr. and Mrs. George Charters, Mr. and Mrs. James Sanderson, Mrs. E. Cochran [Isabel (Smith) Hocker’s mother], Mrs. Allison Trotter, Sandy Wallace, Robert Smith [Isabel’s brother], Archie Black, A.P. Kitchen, and Mrs. L.G. Orr.
As kids, my sister and I—along with our pony Christopher Robin—competed in a number of horse shows at the farm our aunt managed. This is a photo from the summer of 1980 from the Costume Class. I was the Mad Hatter (left), Christopher was the March Hare, and my sister was Alice. We hung a tape recorder around Christopher’s neck with a recording of “I’m late! I’m late for a very important date” and played it while we were in the ring.
Christopher could be as stubborn as a jackass, but he was a really good sport about the costumes. At various times we were 49’ers with our mule (California or Bust), Alice & crew, three blind mice, a rabbit (Christopher) & two carrots (kids), Dumbo (Christopher) & friends, and so much more. And that’s just with us. Christopher had a long career as a class horse for kids who took lessons at the barn and he competed with most of them.
On 24 September 1941, William “Bill” Hocker Jr. married Ruth Hoover at Olivet Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg.
Anna Hocker, Ruth (Hoover) Hocker, William Hocker, Don Hoover outside Olivet Presbyterian Church
William’s sister Anna stood up with the couple, as did Ruth’s brother Don. Anna later married another of Ruth’s brothers, Willard “Boots” Hoover, almost a year later in 1942. Bill and Ruth were married for 66 years—a most excellent adventure.
In honor of the recent Hoover family reunion, here’s a family photo from about 90 (wow!) or so years ago. I love the candid family photos. Here the family members are sitting by railroad tracks, possibly above a creek, near a railroad marker (C 34).
Peg, Don, Bob, and Ruth Hoover
My grandmother identified this photo as being “Aunt Annie, Peg, Don, Bob, and Ruth.” However, Aunt Annie—Anne Belle Houdeshell—died in 1924. Bob was born the following year.
I’m terrible at estimating children’s ages, but I’d guess the youngest child in the photo to be around two years old. I’m pretty sure Grandma could recognize herself and her siblings, so that places this photo around 1927 or 1928, give or take. The trees are bare, but the family is not bundled up. I’d guess spring or a warm fall day.
I wonder what they’re all looking at.
Here’s an almost Wordless Wednesday post in honor of the moon landing which happened 49 years ago this month.
Photo of the televised 21 Jun 1969 moon walk by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (photo by my dad)
In July 1969, I was still a baby, so I don’t remember this at all. At the time, my family was living at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. We got to see the launch of the Apollo 11 rocket at the Kennedy Space Center and watched the landing on television. My father took this picture from that broadcast.
L-R: Lillian Allen, Mary “Mamie” (Curran) Hocker and son, Levi “Lee” Hocker, and Ethel “Jeff” Allen
I’ve got a big birthday coming up. So, in honor of that, here’s an almost wordless Wednesday photo of me, Mom, and my best boy Major a looooong time ago at our home in Florida.
Major, Me and Mom