A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy
the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker
David Elmer Hocker and Pretzel truck
David Elmer Hocker was listed as a baker in the 1910 US census and as a baker for the Butter Pretzel Baking Co. in 1930. According to the above photo, David Hocker was the proprietor of the Butter Pretzel Baking Co. in Harrisburg. His sons were also employees of the company in 1930.
Christiana (Miller) Hocker (1778—1858)
Christiana MILLER, daughter of Christopher and Maria Barbara (STOBER) MUELLER, was born 1 Jan 1778 in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania and died 29 Oct 1858. She was the wife of George HOCKER, son of Johan “Hans” Adam and Maria Elisabetha (WEIDMAN) HACKER. Christiana was buried in the Emanuel Lutheran Church (originally the Warwick Congregation) Cemetery in Brickerville, Pennsylvania.
David Elmer and Carrie May (Baker) Hocker family
David Elmer Hocker, son of Jacob L. and Susanna (Etzweiler) Hocker, was born 12 Aug 1880 in Buck county, Missouri and died 8 Sep 1945 in Pennsylvania. He married Carrie May Baker, daughter of Henry J. and Sarah A. (___) Baker, on 15 Oct 1867 in Halifax township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. David and Carrie had two sons: Chester Earl Hocker (1898—1979) and Clyde Dewey Hocker (1900—1957).
This extraction is taken from the last will and testament of George Hocker (1794—1873). The will was dated 13 Sep 1783 and probated 14 Nov 1873. 1
George HOCKER devised as follows:
“#1 To my widow Catharine, all household and kitchen furniture in the house, except what belongs to daughter. Margaret and son George, she to have choice of 2 cows, 2 hogs, and I give her $500 cash out of my Government bonds, to be paid 1 month after my death.
#2 To widow during her lifetime, the house and buildings, garden, etc., where I now live in Swatara township, adjacent my farm and the land of Josiah ESPY, also the interest on $5,000 paid to her yearly out of my farm.
#3 The balance of my bonds, notes, stocks, etc. to my daughter. Margaret and during her lifetime, after my widow’s death, the house, etc., and after her died to son George in fee simple.
#4 My farm on the Harrisburg and Ephrata turnpike, adjacent Josiah ESPY, J. SNAVELY, Samuel GRAY and others containing, except for above devised, about 117 acres to my son George HOCKER, Jr., and his heirs and assigns, with the right to water at the pump where I live, he paying ‘-2 the expense of upkeeping the pump.
#5 I give to my widow $2,000 on said farm for her use and son George, or whoever holds said farm, I charge the farm $5,000 and to pay my widow interest on said $5,000. at 6%.
#6 After my widow’s death, the above $5,000 to be paid as follows: $500 to daughter Isemiah WAGNER, wife of Henry WAGNER, the next year $500 to my son Levi, 3rd year, like son, to Mrs. Wagner and then $500 a year to Levi until he gets $2,000 and then the remaining $2,000 to be paid to my said daughter Margaret in payments of $500 each and additional payments by son George to Margaret to make her share out of my whole Estate $7,000 in payments of $500 per year, after the other payments aforesaid.
#8 To son Levi, 10 acres of mountain land in West Hanover township
#9 I give less to Isemiah and Levi because I previously gave them from my Estate
#10 daughter Margaret and son George to be my Executors.”
George’s widow was his second wife Catherine COCKLIN, daughter of Jacob and Mary Margaret (HOOVER) COCKLIN. George had two children with his first wife Mary Magdalena LANDIS, daughter of Henry and Catherine (___) LANDIS: Isemiah (1821—aft 1880), wife of Henry WAGNER, and Levi HOCKER (1824—1876). George had three children with his second wife: David (1838—1862), Mary Margaret (1842—1906), and George Jr. (1848—1927). David, having predeceased his father, was not named in the will.
Jacob L. Hocker children
Jacob L. Hocker, son of John Peter and Nancy (WELPMER) HOCKER, was born Jun 1850 and died sometime between 1920 and 1930. He married first Susanna (___), and second Ida May MUTTERSPAUGH. Jacob and Susanna had at least eight children, as follows:
Fuhrman Hocker marriage announcement
Elizabeth HOCKER, daughter of Martin and Barbara A. (SMITH) HOCKER, married John FUHRMAN Jr. (also FOREMAN), son of John and Mary (___) FOREMAN, on 15 Sep 1833, probably in Derry township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania.
The Martin Hocker Homestead circa 1896
The Martin Hocker homestead in Derry township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania about 1896.
Photo courtesy of Jessica Bell
George HACKER (1766—1846)
George HOCKER, son of Johan “Hans” Adam and Maria Elisabetha (WEIDMAN) HACKER, was born 9 Oct 1776 in Cocalico township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania and died 12 Sep 1846, age 79 years, 11 months, 3 days. He was buried in the Emanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery in Brickerville, Pennsylvania.
Johan Adam Hacker's Land Warrant
This is the land warrant for one of Adam HACKER’s properties in Cocalico township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. I originally found it at the Lancaster County Courthouse, but you can also find the warrant indices and copied Warrant book online at the Pennsylvania State Arcives website.
I also found records for George HACKER, Adam’s brother; Martin WEIDMAN, Adam and George’s father-in-law; and Lawrence HOUSEHOLDER, Adam and George’s brother-in-law, in Lancaster county. In Fayette county, I found records for Andrew HOOVER, Jacob HOOVER, and George HOOVER, sons of Andrew HOOVER Sr.; and William KERNS, George HOOVER’s son-in-law. Armstrong county records yielded the warrants for Christian and Philip HOOVER, son and grandson of George HOOVER.
In researching my Hoover family line, I’ve always hit a brick wall at my great-great-great-grandfather Christian Hoover. He seemed to appear almost from nowhere. Family history regarding Christian and Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover was vague and sometimes contradictory. Here’s what the older family members recall about the Hoover family, specifically regarding Christian:
I was able to verify points #7 and #8 through my research in census reports, vital records and the estate records of both Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover and Christian Hoover.
I have a picture of a house that I’m told belonged to Christian Hoover and deeds of sale for property in Covington township, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania after Christian’s death in 1888. The property is referred to as the “Dodge lands” from warrant 5404, but that’s the best I can identify/locate the property.
The closest I’ve come to locating parents for Christian was when I found a census record for 1850 for the Philip Hoover household in Plum Creek township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.1 The family is listed as follows:
Philip’s son Christopher is the correct age to be my Christian. The death certificate of Simon Hoover, son of my Christian Hoover, lists Christian’s birth place as Armstrong county. Additionally, Christian’s wife Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover was the daughter of Thomas and Maria (Fisher) Kinnard of Armstrong county.2 So, I have circumstantial evidence that Christian is the son of Philip and Hannah, but no real proof—no baptism or marriage record, no mention of siblings or parents in any of the information on Christian.
To further frustrate me, in the late 1870s Philip sold his property in Armstrong county and moved west with his son Jacob to Kansas where he died and was buried in 1882. The likelihood of his having left estate papers naming Pennsylvania heirs is slim. Jacob, meanwhile, continued his westward migration until the family finally settled in Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, Washington. Jacob married Julia Ann Rupert, I believe daughter of Isaac/Israel Rupert and Christina (___).
I know little on the other children of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover. Mary Ann may have married a Fisher and died in Kansas. William may have been in the 62nd 63rd Regiment, Company C G during the Civil War with his brother Ralston, who died on 18 Jun 1862 at the Baltimore Cross Roads in Virginia.3
However, if Christian is the son of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover, then points #1, #2, and #4 are not quite correct. I was far luckier in researching Philip than I have been with Christian. There is a manuscript at the Pennsylvania State Library by Luella Schaumberg Hoover entitled “Some Descendants of Andrew Hoover.” Her research was invaluable to fleshing out Philip’s ancestry.
Philip’s grandfather (George) and great-grandfather (Andrew) immigrated to the United States in 1754 along with the rest of the Andrew’s family. They first settled near Leitersburg, Frederick county (now Washington county), Maryland. Then about 1769 moved to Fayette county, Pennsylvania.4
So, yes they came to Clearfield county from the south, but not from York county.5 They came to this country some 63 years before the family’s estimate and Christian was most likely not the son, but the great-grandson and great-great-grandson of the immigrants.
Update! Additional research has shown that Christian’s grandfather George Hoover was the son of Michael Hoover, not Andrew Hoover. While I don’t have a year of immigration, tax records put them in Derry Township, Dauphin County by 1758. They remained there through at least 1763 when Rosannah Hoover was baptized. The family moved south, settling near Hagerstown, Maryland by 1773—and, ironically, near Andrew Hoover’s family—for some time before moving west to Bedford (now Somerset) County in the spring of 1773, then Westmoreland County by 1779. George and, likely, his sons, moved north again about 1800 to Armstrong County to land on Crooked Creek in Plum Creek Township. Unlike many Huber/Hoover families, this family did not practice the Mennonite faith. They were Lutherans.