On this day, Birth of William Cyril Hork, July 10, 1899

William Cyril Hork was my paternal grandfather. He was born 10 Jul 1899 in Hamilton, Ravalli County, Montana to John Anton Hork and Julia Sievert.[1]

He was baptized at St. Francis Xavier Church in Missoula, Missoula County, Montana on 16 Jul 1899 by J.B. Carroll, S.J.[2] His parent’s names were listed as Casper A Hork and Juliana Civert.

So had he been born in Hamilton and then the family traveled six days later to Missoula to be baptized? Or had he really been born in Missoula?

The birth certificate for William Cyril was created in 1941 as a delayed birth registration. Three pieces of evidence was used to support his birth date:

• Family Bible, dated 1866, showed William Cyril Hork born July 10, 1899 at Hamilton; his father  John Anton Hork born in Germany and his mother Julianna Sievert born in Joliet, Illinois; and that he was the tenth child listed in the bible.

• Mabel M. Lindstadt, Superintendent of Schools of Ravalli County, signed and dated 10 Sep 1941 that Cyril Hork’s name appeared on the school census list of Hamilton School District no. 3 and showing date of birth as Jul 10, 1899, and mother as Julia Hork.

• Copy of Baptismal Certificate issued on certificate form of church, signed by Rev. Russell White, S.J., pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church, Missoula, stating “Cyril William Hork, child of Casper A Hork and Juliana Seivert was born July 10, 1899 and baptized July 14, 1899.”

These were all sworn before the notary public, E.M. Tucker on 18 Sep 1941.

Once I saw this birth certificate I was anxious to find a copy of the bible. I did finally discover which family line had the bible and they sent digital images of the pages. Now that I see the reference to school records, I need to seek out those, too.

So the baptism record answered the question of where he was born. It stated the birthplace as Hamilton. St. Francis Xavier was opened October 9, 1892.[3]  St. Francis Church in Hamilton began in 1896, and the first eleven years, priests from Missoula's St. Francis were in charge.[4] So it is quite possible that William Cyril had been baptized in Hamilton but the sacrament was recorded in the Missoula church's records.

Baptism, William Cyril Hork, St. Francis Church, Missoula, 1899

Happy 118th Birthday!

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[1] State of Montana, Birth Record of William Cyril Hork (certificate copy), 1899, File No. 1266 in Helena, recorded Sep 1941.

[2] Baptism of William Cyril Hork, St. Francis Xavier Church, Missoula, Montana , 1899, Item #1418.

[3] "History," St. Francis Xavier, http://www.sfxmissoula.org/about-st-francis-xavier-parish/history/.
[4] "About Our Parish," St. Francis Church, http://www.stfrancishamilton.org/parish-life/about.

Copyright © 2017 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.