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Klock Connections A Klock Family Newsletter Issue 119 July 2011
Klock Connections, Linking the Past Present and Future Publisher: David Klock Email: [email protected]
P.O. Box 273 Web Page: www.klockconnections.com St. Johnsville, New York 13452 Phone: 5185689933 or 5185687779
Augustus Klock Augustus Klock was born April 03, 1880 in
Fonda, New York, the son of Jacob Klock (Jacob J. Jr., Jacob J., John J., Johannes and Hendrick Klock) and Mary E. Showerman.
In Issue 46 of Klock Connections I had some information on Augustus Klock. At the time I did not have his line or know how he was connected to the family. I now have more information on Augustus Klock that I wanted to share.
Augustus married Bessie Balwin Wheeler about 1904. They had four children; Dorothy Evelyn April 28, 1905; Donald Melvin on Christmas day1906; Betty Balwin, January 10, 1912 and Robert Alden was born September 20, 1913. They resided in Yonkers, New York. Dorothy married Willard DeShazo, Donald married Henrietta Clark and Betty married Lawrence S. Bierds. I do not know who Robert married.
Augustus was a high school science teacher
at the Fieldston School in New York City. Fieldston, is a private school and a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League. In the words of its founder, Felix Adler: "The ideal of the school is to develop individuals who will be competent to change their environment to greater conformity with moral ideals." To earn extra money, Augusta tutored Robert Oppenheimer. The Klock family would spend the summer on the Oppenheimer Estate. In Oppenheimer’s book, Science and Common Understanding, published in 1954, Augusta Klock is credited with creating the interest in science, and particularly in physics. Robert Oppenheimer made important contributions in the development of atomic bombs which was used against Japan in WWII ending the war in the Pacific. Oppie, as he was called by his friends, and the Klock’s remained good friends with Robert Oppenheimer throughout his life.
Several of students that attended Fieldstom School excelled. “The school had some outstanding teachers. Mr. Klock, who had also been Oppenheimer’s teacher, taught me the fundamentals of chemistry and of scientific attitudes—both in the lab and the classroom.” wrote E.D. Courant, another of his brilliant student who attended Fieldston, in an autobiographical article. Check the following site on the internet for a very interesting forty page autobiography. The Courant’s were also friends with the Oppenheimer family.
( http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/a nnurev.nucl.53.041002.110450).
In April I received an email and a photo from Carol Sicherman. She also sent me the above Internet link to the Ed Courant autobiography.
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Augustus Klock Continued.
She wanted to know if the man in the photo next to her father, Harry J. Marks, was Augustus Klock. Harry J. Marks was another student of Augustus Klock who had excelled. Like J. Robert Oppenheimer, her father had keep in touch with his teacher and mentor for decades after graduation. Carol is writing a book about her father. “I am now selecting photos for a book stemming from my father's papers.” Carol told me. Harry J. Marks was the author of several books and articles. He was a member of the American Historical Association, American Association of University Professors and New England Historical Association.
Carol wanted to know if I recognized the man sitting next to her father as Augustus Klock. The boy on the right is Carol’s father. Of course, I didn’t; I had never seen a picture of Augustus Klock.
Is the man in the middle with the big smile Augustus Klock?
I contacted Donald Klock who lives in New York City. Donald is the grandson of Augustus Klock. Donald did not think the man in the photo was his grandfather. “I could not find any photos of him with hair and the facial features do not seem right,” Donald told me in his email. August and his wife Bessie did accompanied Carol’s father and some other students from Fieldston on a European field trip in 1926. Augustus and his family made several trips to Europe according to ship passenger lists I found on Ancestry.com.
Bessie was born October 04, 1878 and died March 17, 1961. Augustus died October 05, 1963, both are buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fonda, Fulton Co., New York.
John and Mary Alice Neeck
John Ernest Reynold Neeck was born June 24 1876 in Poznan, Germany. He was the son of Carl August Wilhelm Neeck who was born October 5, 1828 in Pyritz, Pommern, Prussia or Germany and died September 19, 1912 in Little Black, Wisconsin and Ernestine Wilhelmine Gloege Neeck. She was born in Feb 1837 in Germany and died 8 Apr 1922 in Winona, Minnesota. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1883.
John married Mary Alice Klock in Polo, Illinois on April 5, 1904. Mary was the daughter of Martin Klock (Archibald, Cornelius, Jacob George, Johanguergh and Hendrick Klock)and Maria Kenyon. (pronounced Mah Rye Ah), according to her great granddaughter, Marie Neeck Sikorra. Martin served in the Civil War in Company H. Fifth Regiment, New York Volunteers, and was discharged June 25, 1865.
John Neeck was a travelling auditor for the Chicago and Northern Railway Co. for 45 before retiring in 1945. After retirement he took a job in a business office in St. Mary’s College retiring again seven years later in 1952. He was a member of the Veterans Association of the Railroad Company and Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.
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John and Mary Alice Neeck Continued
In December 1953 they made their home with their youngest son, Robert, in Milwaukee. In 1954, John and Mary were honored at an open house in celebration of their golden wedding anniversary at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Katherine Lambert.
In addition to Katherine and Robert, they were the parents of five sons and one other daughter. Namely; Ernest who resided in New York City; Kenneth and George who lived in Winona, and Ellwood, Charles and Mrs. A.J. (Nora) Kulas who resided in Milwaukee.
John died in July of 1959 in Sobeck Nursing Home in Winona, Minnesota.
Mary Alice was born August 03, 1883 in Polo, Ogle, Illinois. Mary had two sisters; Katherine who married Oscar Martzler and Ann Nora Klock. She also had a brother, Charles E. Klock. Charles never married. He was a barber. He was born April 12, 1876 and for many years resided in Polo Illinois. He was 71 when he collapsed on the street and was taken to the hospital suffering from a heart attack in 1947.
Mary was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, its Rosary society, and was organist more than 25 years, a member and past president of Women’s Relief Corps, Degree of Honor Winona Lodge 2, and life member Minnesota Soldiers Home Board. Alice died May 07, 1975. At the time of her death, Mary Alice Klock Neeck had 20 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren and four greatgreat grandchildren. Both John and Mary are buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Winona, Minnesota.
Enterprise and News
I was looking through some old St. Johnsville newspapers that Skip had brought down to the fort the other day. Old newspapers can provide a wealth of information for people doing genealogy. I was looking for obituaries, wedding, birth or anniversary announcements in an issue of the Enterprise and News published September 7, 1938.
There was this article about the 50 th wedding anniversary dinner of Elmer Fox and Melissa Timmerman. I figured with a name like Fox and Timmerman, there was a good chance there
was a Klock in their background somewhere. “Elmer Fox and Melissa Timmerman, both
descendants of pioneer family of this section, were married on September 4, 1888, at Fort’s Bush in the town of Minden.” according to the newspaper article. The ceremony was performed in the parsonage of the Universalist church by Rev E. W. Fuller, then pastor. Elmer and Melissa had spent their entire life in
the Mohawk Valley. “For many years Mr. Fox was the proprietor of a motion picture circuit, showing in Middleville, Newport, Hinckley and many other places in this section,” according the newspaper article.
What is a motion picture circuit? I had to call Anita Smith on this one. Anita lives in St. Johnsville and is the Village Historian. She is a very knowledgeable person on the history of St Johnsville. She told me that Mr. Fox had a movie projector and would go from place to place (making the circuit) showing movies in towns and out of the way places that did not have a movie theater. “He also was proprietor for several years in the old Whyland opera house which was razed by fire some years ago.”
Razed by fire? Anita told me that razed, meant destroyed. The Wayland Opera House was largest building in St. Johnsville, built in 1902 and destroyed by fire on 1914.
(For a picture of Wayland Opera House and information on the fire check the following
link, http://ajberry.com/opera.htm
Elmer Fox also conducted a movie theater in St. Johnsville for many years.
I had Elmer Fox and Melissa Timmerman on my tree. Elmer Fox was the son of David Fox and Margaret Smith. David was born January 08, 1845 and died 1920. Margaret was born December 29, 1844 and died 1929. I don’t have the line of David Fox, but I did have the parents of Margaret Smith. She was the daughter of Henry Smith and Lucinda Nellis. I didn’t have the line of Lucinda, but Henry Smith was the son of Abram Smith and Margaret Klock. Margaret was the daughter of Jacob J. Klock (John J., Johannes and Hendrick Klock.) and Anna Devendorf. There are probably more connections back to Hendrick Klock that I don’t have on my tree, at least right now.
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Enterprise and News Continued Accidents happen all the time and
whenever something bad happens to someone, it usually makes the papers. The following clipping was published in the same paper and on the same day.
Ouch! I think Chester should have called in sick that day.
Chester was born December 02, 1898 the son of Frank A. Nellis and Amanda Staley. Frank was the son of Nathan Nellis and Mary M. Bauder. Mary was the daughter of Eligh Bauder and Margaret Crouse. Eligh was the son of Ludwig Bauder and Catharine Klock. Catherine was the daughter of Honjost Klock and Catharine Krauss (Crouse) and Honjost was the son of Hendrick Klock. That is one line back to Hendrick Klock, There may have been others ways to go back to Hendrick Klock with the names of Bauder and Crouse in his line. Chester married a Ruth. I have them with three children; Marie, Ruth and Dorcas Nellis. Chester survived this brush with death and passed away July 12, 1962 at the age of 64. Checking the rest of the newspaper; I found
an obituary of Arch Crouse. I could not find him on my tree, I need to do some more research on him to find out if he is connected.
David Hillegas
History of Montgomery County Page 320 &321
Hillegas, David, St. Johnsville, was born where he now resides, June 18, 1808, and is a son of Conrad and Sophia (Klock) Hillegas. His grandfather, Peter Hillegas, came from Germany and settled in the west part of the town, where he died. During the revolution he was captured by the Indians while acting as a scout, and taken to Canada, whence he escaped after some months, and returned home in midwinter. He was a tailor, and was twice married. By his first wife he had one son and three daughters, and by his second wife, three sons and two daughters. The father of our subject was the only son of his mother and was born at St. Johnsville in June 1761 and died in February 1847. He was a tailor in early life, and afterwards followed farming. He was a captain of militia, a Whig, and an active member of the Dutch Reformed Church. He was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Timmerman, by whom he had four children: Adam, Jacob, and two daughters. Our subject’s mother, the second wife, had four children: Eve, Nancy, David and Lucinda. She died in October 1846. David Hillegas has always lived on the homestead, to which he has added until he owns 350 acres. He is a Democrat, and has been assessor. He married Sally A., daughter of James and Jerusha (Blood) Curran, and had the following children: James of Michigan; Mary, wife of Tom Underhill of Dakota; Eliza, deceased wife of Alfred Nellis; George; Milcena, widow of Harlan Walrath; Alfred of Chicago; Mulford, deceased.
Additional Information: David Hillegas was the son of Conrad Helligas and Sophia Klock Hillegas. Sophia was the daughter of George G. Klock (Johanguergh and Hendrick Klock).
Cemetery List Continued From Last Month
Information for this cemetery list comes from several different sources and therefore may not be completely reliable. If you have additions or Corrections, please let me know.
Riverside Cemetery Town of Cape Vincent
Jefferson County, New York
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Cemetery List Continued
Sheley, Emma (Klock) 18641948, wife of William. Additional Information: Emma Klock was the daughter of Theron H. Klock and Sarah E. Shuler. Theron was the son of Henry G. Klock and Elizabeth “Betsy” Klock. Henry G. was the son of George I. (Johannes, Han Henrich and Hendrick Klock) and Barbara Bauder. Elizabeth was the daughter of John J. Jr. (John J., Johannes and Hendrick Klock) and Elizabeth Lampman.
Sheley, W. Rollins, d. March 22, 1890, son of William and Emma. Additional Information: See Line above.
Sheley, William R. 18631899, spouse of Emma, son of William W. Additional Information: William R. Sheley married Emma Klock above.
Thurso, Grindston Island Clayton Cemetery
Accessible Only by Boat Jefferson County, New York
George N. Klock, b. Jan 3, 1862 d. June 27, 1901 married July 4, 1885. Additional Information: George N. Klock was the son of Nathaniel Klock (Harvey, George G.I., George I., Johannes, Han Henrich and Hendrick Klock) and Mary J. Parker.
Watertown Cemetery Watertown, Jefferson County, New York
Cagwin, Margaret E. (Klock) b. Oct 20, 1914,,d. April 25, 1997 wife of Eldon. Additional Information: Margaret Klock was the daughter of Elmer Edison Klock (Henry D., Adam, Jacob Adam, Adam, Adam, Adam Johannes, Adam, Col. Jacob and Hendrick Klock) and Fanny Sanford. She married Eldon Cagwin and had four children.
Klock Arthur, 18361899, Additional Information: Arthur was the son of Daniel Klock (Joseph G., George G., Johanguergh Klock and Hendrick Klock) and Anna (Nancy) Devendorf. Arthur married Charity Van DeWalker. Arthur and Charity had three children.
Klock, Arthur C. born Nov.1, 1905, died Oct. 14, 1962, married May 20, 1925 Additional Information: Arthur C. Klock was the son of Cady H. Klock (Theron H., Henry G., George I., Johannes, Han Henrich and Hendrick Klock) and Blanch L. Knight. Arthur married Evelyn D. Lucas.
Klock, Barbara J., maiden name Fulton, 1942 Nov. 21, 1989, daughter of G.P. & Ruth. No Information
Klock, Cady H., 1877May 21,1930. Cady H. Klock was the son of Theron H. Klock and Sarah E. Shuler. Theron was the son of Henry G. Klock who married Elizabeth ”Betsy” Klock. Henry G. was the son of George I. Klock (Johannes, Han Henrich and Hendrick Klock) Elizabeth was the daughter of John J. Jr. Klock John J., Johannes and Hendrick Klock.) Cady Henry Klock married Blanche L. Knight.
Klock, Charity, 1834d.21 Jan 1909, wife of Arthur Klock. Additional Information: Charity Van DeWalker married Arthur Klock (Daniel, Joseph G., George G., Johanguergh Klock and Hendrick Klock)
Klock, Estella M., 1877 1975 No Information
Klock, Grace D. (Payne) b. Aug. 16, 1916, d. Aug. 30, 1996, wife of Wesley H. Additional Information: Grace D. Payne married Wesley H. Klock, the son of Earl E. Klock (Thomas Cade, George Henry, Thomas A., George I., Johannes, Han Henrich and Hendrick Klock) and Olga Hollenbeck. Wesley and Grace had five children.
Klock, Leonard R., 1886 1920 No Information
Klock, Nathan G., 1893 Sept. 12, 1976. Additional Information: Nathan George Klock was the son of George N. Klock (Nathaniel, Harvey, George G.I., George I., Johannes, Han Henrich and Hendrick Klock) and Lucy Johnson. He married Lottie M. Ackerman. Nathan was married twice, his first wife was Irene Rosanmont Burnett. Nathan and Irene had three children. His second wife was Lottie Ackerman. No children with Lottie.
Continued Next Month in Klock Connections
