Category: Fun stuff

Genealogy Goals for the New Year

Kris Hocker on 1 Jan 2012

At this time of year it seems like everyone is taking a final look back at 2011 and then looking forward and making resolutions for 2012. Genealogy bloggers are no different.

I’m not really a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I’ve made them in the past and I did really well for a month or two and then… This time I think I’ll set some goals—realistic ones that I have a hope of actually accomplishing!

1. Finish a Project

At any given time, I’ve got several genealogy projects going on. These are only tangentially related to the actual family research I’m doing so they often get sidelined. Unfortunately, these are also large projects. They also tend to be somewhat tedious—indexing, abstracting, or transcribing—and I can only take so much before I need a break. The tedium and magnitude of how much more I have to do…well, it doesn’t exactly encourage me to pick it up where I left off.

So, this year to reach the goal of finishing just one project, I’ll set up interim goals—breaking the project(s) into smaller, more manageable chunks. And instead of waiting until the whole project is complete to publish it, I’ll release each section in whatever format I finally choose (print, ebook, and/or online database), then put them all together once I’ve finished the complete project. That leads me to #2.

2. Publish

I’ve been compiling information, building and expanding my knowledge base for a while. It’s time to start sharing it. I’ve done some of that by producing PDF files and sharing them through this site. I even published a book I’d written several years ago with marriage and death information for central Pennsylvania residents from the Harrisburg Chronicle from 1820 to 1834. But I’ve got quite a bit more. The trick will be deciding what will be useful to other researchers and what’s the best format.

3. Combine Passions

I’ve been working as a web designer for years. I’ve designed and programmed all of my own sites, as well as sites for family and friends. I programmed a special page template that allows me to easily link parent and child pages for my family groups. (You can see it in action.)

Why not formalize that into a WordPress plug-in that other bloggers can use, too? Why not go a step further and develop themes for genealogy bloggers who use WordPress to publish their blog? Combining my design and WordPress skills with my love for genealogy? Sounds like fun to me.

4. Family Research

There’s so much to do regarding my own family research, it’s hard to tell where to start. But here are several areas that need attention:

  • Hacker/Hocker Book:
    I’ve been recreating the manuscript for my great uncle’s book “A German-American Hacker/Hocker Genealogy,” reformatting it match genealogical standards and adding reference citations. I need to continue this project. It, like my other projects, is a huge undertaking, so I may need to break it down along family lines and tackle it in smaller sections.
  • Hoover Brick Wall:
    While I’m pretty certain that my ancestor Christian L. Hoover was the son of Philip and Hannah (Thomas) Hoover of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, the evidence so far is only circumstantial. I need to think of some creative ways that I can prove/disprove the connection. 

    Once I can make the connection, I can trace my Hoover family back to the immigrant—Michael Huber (thanks to Richard Hayden for assistance in straightening out the research). The next step will be in tracing Michael Huber’s family in Germany.

  • Matrilineal & Collateral Lines:
    As more records become available online, I want to document the information my grandfather Greulich gave me about my his family. I also want to continue to collect documentation and information on all my family lines, especially those that are further back in my pedigree that I haven’t researched. At this point I have quite a few names on my family tree. It would be nice to add some of the details and experiences that made up their life stories.

So, there are some goals for me to shoot for in 2012. Knowing me, I’ll probably get distracted along some tangential line of research or project work along the way. But at least I’ll have this post as a reminder to get myself back on track!

What are your genealogy goals for 2012?

Fearless Females: How Did They Meet?

Kris Hocker on 5 Mar 2011

William and Ruth Hocker

Today’s entry to celebrate Women’s History Month in the blog meme Fearless Females is:

How did they meet? You’ve documented marriages, now, go back a bit. Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

My parents both went to Pennsylvania State College in Centre County, Pennsylvania. My father was in a fraternity and my mother in a sorority. They met, I believe, through those groups.

William and Ruth Hocker

The Hockers, 1941

When my paternal grandmother was eighteen, she left Pine Glen and took a job as domestic help, looking after the children, the house, etc. for the Bogar family in Harrisburg.  (She’s still friends with Mrs. Bogar!) My grandfather was working with his father, a carpenter, who was doing some work on the Bogar’s house when they met. My grandfather told us that he took one look at grandma and knew she was the woman he’d marry. She made him wait, however, until she was twenty-one and could get her mother’s blessing on the marriage.

I don’t know how my maternal grandparents met. They never talked about their families. I do know that the Greulichs and Wieders lived in neighboring communities in northern Montgomery County. My maternal grandparents were even cousins-by-marriage. My grandfather’s Aunt Katherine Greulich married my grandmother’s Uncle John William Wieder. Perhaps they met through the family. My grandfather’s parents, however, were not keen on the marriage. Apparently, E. J. Wieder, my grandmother’s father had “gone through a fortune” and that somehow made my grandmother a less than stellar match for their only son. Edwin J. Wieder was a jeweler for 30 years in Pennsburg—a business he opened shortly before his marriage in 1905. He was a postmaster for Pennsburg for nine years and a town burgess for eight years. He also served on the town council and as an auditor. It’s quite likely that he lost the jewelry business during the depression (1932-1935).

My grandmother was a physical education teacher by vocation, but a musician—a violinist—by avocation. My grandfather once told my mother that grandma’d turned down a career as a violinist to marry him. She likely got her passion for music from her mother Mary Catharine “Mae” Waage, who was a “successful and well liked music teacher” before her marriage.[1 “A Pretty Home Wedding,” Town and County, Apr 1905] Grandpa was also a amateur musician. He played trombone and one summer played in a shipboard band for his passage to Europe. My maternal grandmother also made my grandfather wait for marriage. They waited two years until she got her teaching certificate.

Fearless Females is, a blogging meme, presented by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog in celebration of National Women’s History Month.

Fearless Females: Marriages

Kris Hocker on 4 Mar 2011

Elmer and Lillian (Snyder) Greulich (c 1901)

Today’s entry for Fearless Females is about family marriages:

Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.

Elmer and Lillian Greulich marriage record

Elmer and Lillian Greulich marriage record, 21 Sep 1901

My great-grandparents Elmer Calvin Greulich and Lillian Witmer Snyder were married on 21 Sep 1901 in East Greenville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvnia.1 Elmer, born 6 Aug 1880, was the son of immigrant Karl Philipp (Charles Philip) Greulich and his second wife Caroline Krauss Wolf. Elmer was a cigarmaker. Lilliam, born 26 Oct 1879, was the daughter of Henry D. and Saraphine K. (Witmer) Snyder. She was a teacher.

My great-grandparents Edwin Joshua Wieder and Mary Catharine “Mae” Waage were married on 19 Apr 1905 in Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.2 Edwin, born 29 Mar 1880, was the son of Emanuel and Alavesta Esther (Dillinger) Wieder. Edwin was a jeweler, then a baker and postmaster at Pennsburg. Mae, born 27 Oct 1877, was the daughter of Dr. Charles Theodore and Lydia S. (Eshbach) Waage of Pennsburg.  She was a music teacher and later a postal clerk in Pennsburg. Coverage of their wedding stated:

E.J. Wieder and Mae Waage Marriage Record

E.J. Wieder and Mae Waage Marriage Record

“A Pretty Home Wedding. Amid Profuse Decorations in the Presence of a number of Relatives and Invited Guests Two if Our Young People are Married.

A pretty wedding was solemnized at 3:30 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon at the residence of Dr. C. T. Waage, of Pennsburg, when his only daughter, Miss Mae C. was united in marriage to E.J. Wieder Jr. of Pennsburg. The ceremony was performed by two uncles of the bridge, Revs. O.F. Waage, of Pennsburg, and Rev. Kehm, of Sellersville…

…The bride was attended by Miss Stella Troxell, cousin of the bride, of Philadelphia, and Charles W. Keely, of the firm Dotts & Keely, of Philadelphia, was best man. Miss Gertrude Anders, of Lansdale, presided at the piano, and Dr. Fred Waage, cousin of the bride, was usher…

…The guests present were Dr. and Mrs. C. T. Waage, parents of the bride, Mr. and Mars. E. J. Wieder, parents of the groom, John Wieder [brother], Miss Cora Wieder [sister], Miss Lizzie Bobb [cousin of the bride], Miss Ada V. Waage  [aunt], Mrs. and Mrs. M. K. Gilbert, Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Hunsberger, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Steckel, Misses Vinnie Mensch [cousin’s F.O. Waage soon-to-be bride], Nora Kneule, and Florence Dyson, of Pennsburg; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ott [groom’s cousins], and Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Moyer [groom’s aunt and uncle] and daughter of Limeport; Mrs. Frank [Dillinger] Heller [groom’s aunt] of Standard; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Anders, of Landsdale; Miss Alice Welker, of Red Hill; John Hillegass and Miss Bertha Raudenbush, of East Greenville; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jacoby, Mr. and Mrs. Cressman, Mrs. Dr. Ritter, Harry Kehm [bride’s cousin] and Miss Tillie Cressman, of Sellersville, and George Welker, Mr. and Mrs. F. F. Huber, Mrs. C. F. Schoenly, George Day, Frank Haring, Misses Sarah Weil and Nora Keller, members of the St. Mark’s choir.”3

William and Isabella (Smith) Hocker

William and Isabella (Smith) Hocker

My great-grandparents William Howard and Isabella Aitken (Smith) Hocker were married 13 Oct 1914 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania by Rev. H. Everett Hallman.4 Will, born 17 Aug 1890, was the son of Albert Curtin and Lillian Ainsley (Leedy) Hocker. Will was a carpenter. Isabella, born 4 Apr 1893, was the daughter of William and Eliza Craig (Bonnington) Smith. She was telephone operator in Harrisburg.

Clyde and Nora (Houdeshell) Hoover

Clyde and Nora (Houdeshell) Hoover

My great-grandparents Clyde L. and Nora Melinda (Houdeshell) Hoover were married 16 Apr 1908 in Dubois, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.5 Clyde, born 30 Oct 1886, was the son of Samuel Thomas and Victoria (Walker) Hoover of Pine Glen, Burnside Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. Clyde was a lumberman. Nora, born 26 Oct 1891, was the daughter of George W. and Lovina Caroline (Force) Houdeshell. Nora, aged 16, was a cook at a lumber camp. Her father apparently told all his daughters at age 16 to either get married or get a job. Nora, I’m told, refused to give her consent to a marriage for any of her daughters who didn’t wait until they were 21 years old.

 

Fearless Females is, a blogging meme, presented by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog in celebration of National Women’s History Month.

Fearless Females: Sharing First Names

Kris Hocker on 3 Mar 2011

Anna (Frantz) Hocker

I’ve always been told that I was named after a German actress. So, I’ve never had any expectation that it was a family name. Until my family moved to New England when I was 10, I’d never even met anyone with the first name Kristen and even then it was more often spelled Kristin.

There are actually two others—Kristen and Kristin—in my family tree. One from my father’s side, the other from my mother’s side. Both were born after 1900. It is unlikely that either of my parents even knew about either—the relationship was that distant.

However, I have seen related names in my family history. In my research I’ve most often seen the name as Christina or Christiana. My eldest, direct immigrant ancestors Christopher and Anna Margaretha (Jock) Hacker had a daughter named Christina. She married Johann Michael Lang (Long here in the U.S.) in Rußheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany on 8 Nov 1746. This couple came to the U.S. in 1752 with Christina’s parents. They had children: Johann Michael Jr. and Anna Christina. Their daughter married Johan Wilhelm Stober in Lancaster County circa 1777. This couple moved to Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Christopher’s son Johan Adam, my ancestor, and his wife Maria Elisabetha Weidman had two daughters named Christiana. The eldest died as a child. The younger girl married Henrich Fetter on 26 Jun 1781 at Christ Lutheran Church in Stouchsburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania. They had children: Catharine, born 4 Jun 1782;  George, born 10 Aug 1785;  John, born 19 Sep 1789;  Anne Marie, born 18 Sep 1791; and Elisabeth, born 2 Feb 1794.

The name isn’t found again in my direct line until me.

Fearless Females is, a blogging meme, presented by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog in celebration of National Women’s History Month.

Genealogy on TV

Kris Hocker on 15 Feb 2010

This spring is the TV season for the genealogy buff. There are two new programs for family historians to enjoy on television.

The first—Faces of America—debuted last Wednesday on PBS from 8 to 9 p.m. ET and will run through March 3rd. It features Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a Harvard scholar and will use the latest tools of genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 famous Americans:

We watched it last weekend and it made me ponder on the life experiences of my ancestors in a way I never really had before. Fascinating stuff!

The second—Who Do You Think You Are—is produced by Lisa Kudrow and will be airing on NBC for seven episodes on Fridays starting in March. This show is an adaptation of a popular English television series. It, too, features celebrities on voyage of discovery through an examination of their family histories, including:

Here’s a trailer for Who Do You Think You Are, featuring Brooke Shields and Sarah Jessica Parker (please excuse the commercial content…).

Genealogy Blog Memes

Kris Hocker on 22 Mar 2009

When I first started this blog, I’d never actually visited another genealogy blog. As I began posting, I started wondering about what I should be posting—besides my research findings, that is. I got curious. What were other family researchers posting? Just their research? Genealogy news? Helpful how-tos?

While surfing from blog to blog, I came across the idea of a blog meme. Now I don’t consider myself a newbie, but I’d never heard of a meme. What is it? you ask. Well, you’ve probably already seen one, but just didn’t know what to call it. Chris Garrett on his blog about the business of blogging and new media defines it like this:

“For bloggers Memes have become synonymous with internet quizzes, surveys, and novelties that people link to and pass around on their blogs, forums and via email…”

The interesting ones that caught my attention, however, were the themes of genealogy posts for days of the week. Geneabloggers had a list, with tips on what to do if you want to participate. The memes are suggested by various bloggers and passed around. Bloggers post content to their site that corresponds with the theme all on the same day. Here’s some of the topics that were suggested:

  1. Tombstone Tuesday (yep, photos of grave stones)
  2. Wordless Wednesday (just the photo, please)
  3. Madness Monday (the ancestor who drives you crazy)
  4. Saturday Surnames (tweeting the names you’re researching)

Aren’t they great? I love the idea of a “regularly scheduled feature,” with additional posts as available. I also got to thinking of other ideas (at 3 a.m., of course in lieu of sleeping):

  1. Friday Finds (unexpected or gratifying research finds)
  2. Monday’s Memories (remembrances, yours and those passed on to you)
  3. Theory Thursday (the latest research theory you’re following)
  4. Sunday’s Sources (new or helpful sources of information, site/book reviews, etc.)

Of course, I don’t have to post anything. I’ve never been one to do what everyone else was, just because they were doing it… But I did see a lot of good ideas on my tour of the blog-o-sphere, so don’t be surprised if you see some of them popping up here. :^)