The Origins of Johan Anton Hork and his Ancestors – 12 for ’26

Johan Anton Hork (1843-1906) was my great-grandfather. He immigrated to the United States in 1870, married Julia Ann Sievert in 1872, had ten children, worked as a tailor, and died in Wyoming in 1906. I wrote about his life in The Family of Johan Anton Hork & Julia Ann Sievert – 12 for ’26.

Now is time to cover his origins in Germany. He was born on 9 November 1843 in Oberhundem, Westfalen.[1] It is a very small village in Kreis (District) Olpe. This area is now in the German state Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhein Westphalia). His baptism record was found and from there, working backward, his parent’s marriage and their baptism records were found. These records were found using microfilm at the Family History Library. Digital images are available now, but only at a FamilySearch Center. This is on my research plan the next time I am there. I want to update my source citations to the online images. For now, the reference will be to the microfilm number.

On the name change. The name seemed to settle unto the spelling of Hork, but I found it spelled as Horoch and Horock in earlier records.

Generation 2: Johan Anton’s Parents
Joseph Heinrich Horoch and Maria Catharine Trösster were married on 2 August 1835 in Oberhundem. Joseph’s parents were named Johann Horoch, a tailor, and Anna Gertrud Sommer from Altenhundem. Maria’s parents were Johan Joseph Trösster (Menning) and Maria Elisabeth Dobener. Both of her parents were noted as deceased, that a guardian gave permission for 21-year-old Maria Elisabeth to marry. Johan Heinrich was 30.[2]

Joseph died on 5 October 1857 of dysentery. He was 53 years, 8 months, and 3 days old.[3] Two of their children died a couple of days previously. Catharine lived another seventeen years, dying on 18 January 1874 from pneumonia.[4]

Joseph Heinrich’s baptism was found in Kirchhundem, a community a few miles from Oberhundem. He was born on 2 February and baptized on 3 February 1804. His parents were Johan Horoch and Anna Gertrude Sommer. Godparents present were Joseph Sommer from Kirchhundem and Anna Margarete Horoch from Meggan.[5] The godparents are likely related.

Maria Catharine Trösster was born on 25 December 1813 in Oberhundem and was baptized the next day by Peter Sommer. Her parents were Johann Joseph Trösster Manning and Maria Catharine Döbbener of Oberhundem. Godparents were Johann Ebargard Dobbener and Maria Rolgarina Trösster, both of Oberhundem.[6] Again, the godparents are likely related.

Joseph and Catharine had ten known children, found by browsing page by page in the baptism records:

• Johann Joseph Horoch (28 Jan 1836 -- )[7]
• Frederick Wilhelm Casper Horoch (3 Mar 1838 -- )[8]
• Maria Carolina Horoch (20 Jan 1840 -- )[9]
• Franz Joseph Horoch (11 Sep 1841 --  )[10]
• Johan Anton Horoch, who became John A. Hork (9 Nov 1843 – 15 Aug 1906)[11]
• Johan Joseph Carl Horoch (11 Oct 1845 – 1 Oct 1857)[12]
• Joseph Albert Horoch (5 Jan 1848 – 6 Mar 1850)[13]
• Maria Clementina Horoch, who became Clementine M. Hork (9 Aug 1851 – 5 Sep 1928)[14]
• Johann Albert Horoch, who became Albert M. Hork (10 Aug 1853 – 26 May 1912)[15]
• Maria Elisabeth Horoch (25 May 1856 – 2 Oct 1857)[16]

The children highlighted in blue are known immigrants to the United States. Only Johan Anton married and had children. Albert became a Catholic priest. Clementine lived her life in New York City as a dressmaker. Frederick and Franz had known marriages. I have not attempted to locate more records of the other siblings.

Generation 3: Johan Anton’s Paternal Grandparents
His paternal grandparents were Johan Horoch and Anna Gertrud Sommer. They married at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Kirchhundem on 22 April 1798. The marriage record named their parents. Johan’s was Rottger Horock and Dorothea Voß. Gertrude’s parents were Johannes Sommer and Catharine Harnishmacher. Also present at the marriage were Rottgers Horoch, likely the father, and Joe Adames Sommer, perhaps a relative of Dorothea.[17] This document is difficult to read and I likely had a research specialist read it to me. It seems a mixture of Latin and German.

Johan was born 15 August 1773 in Altenhundem, based on his age at death.[18] I have not found his baptism yet. He died 18 October 1826 and was buried on 20 October. He was a tailor at Altenhundem and a widower. He had two adult children and two minor children. The cause of death was tuberculosis.[19]

I have Anna Gertrud Sommer being baptized on 25 June 1770, but I neglected to record the source or location. The witnesses were Johann Heinrich Muller of Altenhundem and Anna Gertrud Leisen of Olpe.[20]

They had five known children born between 1799 and 1814.

Generation 3: Johan Anton’s Maternal Grandparents
His maternal grandparents were Johan Joseph Trösster and Maria Elisabeth Döbener. They married on 22 January 1809 in Kirchhundem after the proclamation was done on 17 November 1808. They received a dispensation from the bishop due to being related in the 4th degree. Johan was the single son of Johan Troster, deceased, and Agnes Schulte, and was 30 years old. His bride, Elisabeth Dobener, was sixteen, the daughter of Caspar Dobener, a farmer, and Anna Elisabeth Schuer. The witnesses were Johannes Troster, the groom’s brother, a colonel fighter, and Caspar Dobener, the bride’s father.[21] A great clue about their relationship. According to research online, they may have been first cousins.

Johann Joseph was born 2 February 1778 in Oberhundem. He died on 30 September 1831.[22] Maria Elisabeth Dobener was born on 4 November 1792. I do not have her death date.[23]

They had eight known children born between 1810 and 1831.

Conclusion
This ends the discussion of the Horoch/Hork family and the Sievert family for the month of February. I have some work cut out in researching the Horoch family in German church records, which I can do the next time I am at a FamilySearch Center.

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[1] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem (Oberhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Kirchenbuch, Taufen (baptism) 1826-1847, p. 139, no. 36, Johann Anton Horoch, 1843; FHL Intl 1257842.  

[2] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem, (Oberhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Heiraten (marriages) 1826-1867, p. 9, Joseph Heinrich Horoch & Maria Catharine Troster, 1804; FHL film, Intl 1257843.

[3] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem (Oberhundem, Kr Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Toten (deaths) 1848-1878, p. 33, Joseph Heinrich Horoch, 1847; FHL Intl 1257843. Ibid, p. 33, Johan Joseph Carl Horoch. Ibid, p. 33, M. Elisabeth Horoch.

[4] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem (Oberhundem, Kr Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Toten (deaths) 1848-1878, p. 105, Maria Cath. Hork, 1874; FHL Intl 1257843.

[5] Katholische Kirche Kirchhundem, (Kirchhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Taufen (baptisms) 1779-1808, p. 210, 1804, Josepbus Henricus (Joseph Heinrich) Horoch; FHL film, Intl 1257833.

[6] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem, (Oberhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Taufen 1808-1825, p 37?, Maria Catharina Trösster; FHL film, Intl 1257842.

[7] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem, (Oberhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Taufen 1826-1847, p. 15, Johan Joseph Horoch, 1836, FHL 1257842.

[8] Ibid, p. 87, no. 7, Frederic Wilhelm Casper Horoch, 1838.

[9] Ibid, p. 104, no. 4, Maria Carolina Horoch, 1840.

[10] Ibid, p. 120, no. 34, Franz Joseph Horoch, 1841.

[11] Ibid, p. 139, no. 36, Johann Anton Horoch, 1843.

[12] Ibid, p. 152, no. 32, Joh Joseph Carl Horoch, 1845.

[13] Katholische Kirche Oberhundem, (Oberhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Taufen 1848-1874, p. 1, no. 3, Joseph Albert Horoch, 1848; FHL Intl 1257843.

[14] Ibid, p. 16, no. 34, Maria Clementina Horoch, 1851.

[15] Ibid, p. 27, no. 31, Johann Albert Horoch, 1853.

[16] Ibid, p. 42, no. 12, Maria Elisabeth Horoch, 1856.

[17] Katholische Kirche Kirchhundem, (Kirchhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Heiraten (marriages) 1782-1807, p. 319, Johan Horoch and Anna Gertrude Sommer, 1798; FHL film, Intl 1257833.

[18] Age calculated from age at death: 53 years, 2 months, 3 days on 18 October 1826. See death: Katholische Kirche Kirchhundem (Kirchhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Tote (deaths) 1826-1855, p. 5, #48, Johann Horoch, 1826; FHL film 1257825 i2.

[19] Katholische Kirche Kirchhundem (Kirchhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Tote (deaths) 1826-1855, p. 5, #48, Johann Horoch, 1826; FHL film 1257825 i2.

[20] Next time I’m at a FS Center, I need to revisit this entry.

[21] Katholische Kirche Kirchhundem (Kirchhundem, Kr. Olpe, Westfalen, Germany), Heiraten (marriages) 1808-1826, p. 4, Johan Joseph Troster & Elisabeth Dobener, 1809.

[22] I received this information from Tobias Mettbach from a Facebook message. Using this information, I should be able to locate the baptism and burial information the next time I’m at the FamilySearch Center.

[23] Ibid.

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