Archives: Biographies

Adam² Hocker (Unknown¹) was born 19 October 1812 in Hummelstown, Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He died 26 September 1870, at age of 57 years, 11 months, 7 days in Swatara Township, Dauphin County and is buried in the Churchville cemetery, Oberlin, Swatara Township.¹

Adam was married in Salem Lutheran Church, possibly in Lebanon County, on 22 February 1838 to Eve Hamaker.²  She was born 24 June 1817 in Pennsylvania, died 14 November 1892 when age 75 years, 4 months, and 21 days.³  She was buried with her husband. Eve was the daughter of Adam Hamaker Jr., a farmer of Derry township, Dauphin county, and Mollie Snavely.

Adam was a farmer and they were of the Lutheran faith. The family resided in Derry Township through 1850. In 1852, Adam purchased land in Swatara Township from Henry and Mary Miller, and Michael and Elizabeth Frantz.⁴

After Adam’s death in 1870, guardians were appointed for his children as follows: “Upon the petition of Eve Hocker, widow of Adam Hocker… asks the Court to appoint John Hocker, of Swatara township in said county guardian of” Ann Hocker.⁵ The Court appointed Nathaniel Shope as the guardian of Melinda Hocker and Martin Hocker, children over 14 years of age.⁶

Adam Hocker, Jr. petitioned the court to partition his father’s estate in 1870. In the petition he stated that the “decedent left a widow and 9 children, Jacob, John, Adam, Elizabeth Cumbler, wife of George Cumbler, Sarah, David, Melinda, Martin and Anne, all of age except the last 4 named who are minors and have John Hocker and N. Shope for their guardians. All except Jacob, who lives near Fort Union in New Mexico, live in said County Tract situate in Swatara Township adjacent lands of John C. Kunkel, Esq., David Hurst, Henry Zimmerman, David Over and others.”⁷

When Eve Hocker died in 1892, her obituary appeared in the Middletown Journal, as follows:

“Mrs. Adam Hocker, of Oberlin, died yesterday morning at one o’clock, from paralysis. She was seventy-two years of age and was well known, having lived there for many years. Deceased was a good Christian woman and beloved by all who knew her. Eight grown-up children survive her. The funeral will take place on Friday morning at ten o’clock, and the remains will be buried in the Oberlin cemetery.”⁸

Adam and Eve (Hamaker) Hocker had the following children:

1. Jacob H.³ Hocker was born 10 January 1839 in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died 1 March 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jacob married twice, first to Catharine Eshnour in 1859, and second to Barbara Leonhart 31 December 1874 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
2. John Hocker was born 17 January 1841 in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died 18 February 1905 in Oberlin, Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Churchville Cemetery He married Rebecca Brenner 7 November 1861 in Zion Lutheran Church.
3. Adam H. Hocker was born 15 January 1843 in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died 11 June 1902 in Harrisburg. He was buried 14 June 1902 in Churchville Cemetery. He married Martha Shope, daughter of Nathaniel Shope and Martha Garman, circa 1886.
4. Mary Elizabeth Hocker was born circa 1844/45 in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. She married George W. Cumbler 7 February 1866 in Zion Lutheran Church.
5. Sarah Hocker was born 19 September 1848 in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and died 13 April 1930. She was buried in Chambers Hill Cemetery, Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. She married Peter Page 14 September 1871 in Zion Lutheran Church.
6. David R. Hocker was born 1 December 1850 and died 21 November 1887, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was buried in Shoop’s Cemetery, Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. David was a physician. He married Hettie Esther Rudy, daughter of Joseph Frederick Rudy and Hettie Landis, 4 February 1876 in Shoop’s Reformed Church, Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Hettie was born 3 January 1854. She died 11 May 1894 and was buried 14 May 1894 in Shoop’s Cemetery with her husband.⁹
7. Malinda Hocker was born 1852/53 in either Derry or Swatara Townships, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. She probably died in Michigan. Malinda married Wilson Smith, who probably died in Berrien Center, Berrien County, Michigan. No more is currently known about them. [Dauphin County records list a daughter Eve born to Adam and Eve (Hamaker) Hocker 19 Jan 1853 in Upper Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Perhaps the name was an error based on the mother’s name?]
8. Martin M. Hocker was born 15 May 1855, probably in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He died on the 25th of April (year unknown, but after 1920) and was buried in Churchville Cemtery, Oberlin, Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Circa 1872, he married Mary Elizabeth Marburger.
9. Anna C. Hocker was born circa 1859/60, probably in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. She She married twice, first, on 17 Feb 1887 at Steelton, by Rev. Martin Peter Hocker, to Charles Leonhart, son of Jacob Leonhart. When they were married, Anna was age 27 and of Oberlin, Swatara Township, and Charles was age 30, and of Steelton. They divorced in April 1889 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, she was married on 15 September 1889 to William Longenecker. When they married, Anne was age 29, divorced and residing in Swatara Township; William was age 28, single, a steelworker, residing in Steelton.

Christian L. Hoover was born sometime between 1820 and 1826 in Pennsylvania.¹ His son, Simon’s death certificate is more specific. It states that Christian was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.² It is likely that Christian was the son of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover of Plumcreek township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.³ 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 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 Covington township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania on 11 Feb 1877; 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) married Emma Clara Coleburn (1845—1912), daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (___) Coleburn
2. Samuel Thomas Hoover (1857—1930) married Victoria Walker (1858—1938), daughter of Jacob C. and Mary (Eckley) Walker
3. Simon Edward Hoover (1864—1933) married Ida Christina Watson (ca 1867—1940), daughter of Shemei and Mildred (East) Watson
4. George I./J. Hoover (1865—1930) married Anna Meade (1881—aft 1930)

I have had some difficulty 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 township.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) and George (born 1865), 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).”⁸ Documents for Caroline’s estate also include claims against B.F. Kinnard, L. Kunkle, and W. Mansfield.⁹ William Mansfield married Christina Kinnard and Sibeas Kunkle married Sarah Anne Kinnard, daughters of Thomas and Maria (Fisher) Kinnard. These documents connect our Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover as 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 1865 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.^11,12 And according to tax records a Christ Hoover was included in the 1858 taxables list also for Henderson township.¹³ 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 did they come to Jefferson county? When and why did the family leave Jefferson county? What made them come to Clearfield county? These are still questions to be answered.

After Caroline’s death, 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.¹⁴ Mary died sometime after the 1920 census.¹⁵

Christian and Mary had one child:

5. Eva Edith Hoover (1887—?) married William J. Orr (1886—?)

The couple may have had another child as an Ida Hoover (1885-1894) is buried beside Mary Ann in Falls Creek, Washington Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. If so, she was not identified in Christian’s estate papers that I have found.

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 David Fry, her new husband, by 1900—though only three of those children—Johny, Lottie, and Lizzie—were still living by that year.¹⁶ By 1920, Mary’s second husband, David, was dead. Mary had a business on Main street—a general store—which she shared with another widow.¹⁷

Christoph¹ Hacker (Stephen^A), who Herr Heil called a “cowboy and shoemaker,” was a shoemaker in Rußheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany where he was christened on 2 May 1697. His sponsors were Sebastian Neesz, a shoemaker from Rußheim; Christian Weickh, of Graben, and Anna Barbara Krebs of Linckenheim.¹  He died in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania some time after 1775. It is likely that he was buried on his son Adam’s farm in the vicinity of the village of Lincoln (now part of Ephrata Borough) in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

On 9 February 1723, when Christoph was 25, he married Anna Margaretha Jock, daughter of Thiebold/Diebold Jock (29 August 1659-3 March 1707-1708) and Margaretha Hausser (14 August 1669-14 January 1714/15), in Rußheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ²  Born in June 1696 in Rußheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Anna Margaretha was baptized in Rußheim on 29 June 1696 by Pastor Paul Frederick Voegtlin. Her sponsors were Maria Barbara Hager, Maria Barbara Boltzin, and Hans Geusz.³  She died in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania after 1773. She too was likely buried on their son Adam’s farm.

This couple desired to move from Rußheim to the town of Gräben, where she was born and raised, but the villagers rejected them. It was this rejection that caused them to apply for emigration to America. Christoph and Margaretha Hacker sailed on the ship Rawley, captained by George Grove, from Rotterdam, Holland, last from Plymouth, England (British ships were required to stop at a British port before sailing to the Colonies), arriving in Philadelphia, Penn’s colony on 23 October 1752 with 133 listed passengers.⁴  Christoph and his wife were both in their mid 50s when they left their homeland to settle in the Pennsylvania colony. Their daughters Christina and Margaretha and their husbands accompanied the couple on the trip. Their sons Adam and George had already come to the new world and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Children of Christoph and Margaretha (Jock) Hacker, all born in Rußheim:

1. Christina² Hacker was born on 25 December 1723 and died in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, date unknown. She married Michael Lang in Rußheim on 8 November 1746 and came to America with her parents in 1752.
2. Maria Catharina Hacker was born on 4 September 1725 died as a child in Rußheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on 21 November 1726 at the age of 1 year, 2 months and 17 days.
3. Johan Adam Hacker was baptized on 27 October 1727. In 1749 he immigrated to the United States and settled in Lancaster County. There he married Elisabetha Weidman in 1752. He died circa 1782 and was probably buried on the family farm.
4. Anna Margaretha Hacker was born 24 December 1730 and died 12 April 1807 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She married in Rußheim circa 1751 Lorentz Haushalter. The couple came to America in 1752 with Margaretha’s parents.
5. Johan George Hacker was born 4 April 1734 and died 14 October 1821 at his family home “Erdenheim” in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He married circa 1754 Margaretta Weidman, sister to his brother Adam’s wife, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.