A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy
the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker
Benjamin Franklin Seltzer (1861—1949)
Benjamin Franklin Seltzer, son of Henry Uhland and Anna (Hocker) Seltzer, was born 1 Apr 1861 and died 9 Oct 1949. He married three times: first Elizabeth Litzenberger, second Katie Bealer, and third Matilda Sanders.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
John Hocker was born on 12 Nov 1781 in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, presumably the eldest son of Frederick and Catharina (Fuchs) Hacker.1,2 He was christened on 18 Nov 1781 in Emanuel Lutheran Church, Brickerville, Warwick township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, sponsored by Johannes Zieger and wife Barbara.3 John died in Reamstown, Cocalico township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1847; he was 65.
John Hacker appears on the census for Cocalico township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1810, 1820, and 1830. 4,5,6 On 20 Mar 1812, John-with his brother-in-law, Michael Klein-petitioned the court to award an inquest on his father’s estate.7 John subsequently refused his rights his father’s farm, in favor of his younger brother George.8
John first married about 1804 Salome/Sarah Moser, daughter of Johan Adam Moser (8 Nov 1746-26 Jan 1823) and Christina Prunner (5 Nov 1752-5 Nov 1823), in Pennsylvania. 9 Salome was born on 9 Aug 1783 in Pennsylvania and christened in Muddy Creek Lutheran Church, East Cocalico township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.10 Salome/Sarah died in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, sometime before 1823, possibly as early as 1807. She is referred to as deceased in both her father and mother’s estate documents of 1823.11 She was buried in the Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery, Reamstown, Cocalico township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.
They had the following children:
Sometime before 1823, John married second Susanna Moser, daughter of Johan Adam and Christina (Prunner) Moser, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Susanna was born 3 Aug 1781.12,13 Susanna died in Durlach, Clay township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on 29 Nov 1863; she was 82.14
John and Susanna may have been married as early as 1811, and quite possibly had a son and two daughters, all born between 1811 and 1820. These children are not mentioned in the will of their grandfather Adam Musser as John’s three children with his first wife are named, because their mother Susanna was still living and therefore she was their grandfather’s direct heir.15
Susanna (Moser) Hacker was listed on the census for Elizabeth township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1850, living with Samuel Weich’s family.16 She was listed on the census for Clay township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania in 1860, living with Samuel Wike’s family.17 Samuel’s wife Sarah was likely the “Sara Hacker,” daughter of John and Susanna, born 22 Mar 1822 and baptized at Salem Lutheran church in Reamstown on 1 Jan 1826.18
So, imagine how excited I was to find FamilySearch’s online Record Search. They have created an online search system that allows you to search records from around the world from the convenience of your home.
Volunteers from around the world are pouring through documents and transcribing them into the system in multiple languages. Millions of rolls of microfilm containing census records, vital records, probate records, church records and more are being indexed by individual volunteers, societies and companies. You can search the indices or browse through images that are waiting to be indexed.
I was able to search the records and found birth and marriage records from Rußheim, Baden-Wüerttemborg, Germany—the town where my Hacker ancestors lived. While I didn’t find any information on the people I was researching, I did manage to find Hackers in the village in the early 1900s.
I also search the Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania death records online and found numerous death records from my Hacker/Hocker relatives who lived in Philadelphia.
Researching your family history remotely can be a trying experience. Access to online indices can greatly improve your ability to continue your research. Access to free, searchable indices AND digital images of original records is a dream come true for any genealogist.
While a lot of work has already been done and made available to the public, it’s far from complete. I’m so excited about this opportunity that I volunteered to be an indexer. You can, too.
Now all I have to do is make some time to do some research and then do some indexing, too!
Anna (Hocker) Seltzer house, 1905
Anna (Hocker) Seltzer’s house, about 1905. The last residential information I have places her in North Londonderry township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania in the 1900 census, likely near Palmyra.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
Harry Longenecker (1885—1960)
Harry S. Longenecker, son of Isaac W. and Elizabeth Ellen (Seltzer) Longenecker, about 1899, age 14. Harry was born 28 May 1855 and died Jun 1960. He married Naomi Ulrich.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
Dr. Henry Hocker Seltzer
Portrait of Dr. Henry Hocker Seltzer, about 1922. Henry was the son of Henry Uhland and Anna (Hocker) Seltzer. He was born 28 Aug 1856 and died 7 Aug 1925 in Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
Anna (Hocker) Seltzer
Anna (Hocker) Seltzer, daguther of Martin and Barbara (Smith) Hocker, was the wife of Henry Uhland Seltzer, son of Philip and Maria (Uhland) Seltzer. The couple was married 12 Dec 1850 in Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. She died in 1914 and was buried in the Palmyra Cemetery.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
Elizabeth Seltzer
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
Edgar Arnold Seltzer
Edgar Arnold Seltzer, son of Dr. Henry Hocker and Susan (Arnold) Seltzer.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
Barbara (Smith) Hocker
Barbara (Smith) Hocker was the second wife of Martin Hocker, son of the immigrant Johann Adam Hacker and his wife Maria Elisabetha (Weidman) Hacker. Martin and Barbara married about 1809 and the couple had 9 children, including a set of twin girls Anna and Barbara.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell