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Susanna (Younkin) Schrock was born in 1814 near Kingwood, Turkeyfoot Township, Somerset County, PA, the daughter of "Yankee John" and Nancy (Hartzell) Younkin, On Dec. 12, 1841, when she would have been 27 years of age, Susanna married 34-year-old Andrew Schrock (1807-1889). The identity of his parents is not yet known. The Schrocks are said to have borne seven children, but tragically only two grew to adulthood, Perry Schrock and Ephraim Schrock. The others, who died young, may have included David Schrock, Sarah Schrock and Caroline Schrock, although this is not yet confirmed. In 1850, they resided along what is now Hexie Road in Upper Turkeyfoot Township, west of Kingwood. That year, Susan’s 56-year-old father resided under their roof and worked as a laborer, while her 16-year-old sister also was in the household. Two houses away lived Daniel and Elizabeth Williams, whose daughter Amanda married Martin Miner, and a few houses further away were cousins Charles and Adaline (Harbaugh) Minerd.
Susanna's sister and brother-in-law, Polly and Henry Minerd, left Kingwood in the mid-1850s and took their family to the northern panhandle of Virginia (today's Marshall County, WV). In doing so, they allowed their son Ephraim, a teenager, to remain behind in the care of the Schrocks. He remained with them until his Civil War service and then marriage, and he is believed to have purchased their farm and built his own house there in the 1890s. The United States Census of 1860 shows the Schrocks in Upper Turkeyfoot, with Susanna's aged father Yankee John Younkin living under their roof in addition to 20-year-old spinster Elisabeth King.
During the Civil War, the Schrocks corresponded with their nephew Ephraim Miner,
a Union Army private with the 142nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, who was recovering
from injuries suffered at the Battle of Fredericksburg. In calendar year 1864, the Schrocks sent
him at least five letters, which Ephraim noted with tick marks in the back of his diary. (The page is reproduced in the book Well
At This Time: The Civil War Diaries of Ephraim Miner, authored by the
founder of this website.)
Their farm was located steep hills and valleys.
Andrew is among a number of Younkin cousins mentioned by name as an early member of the Old Bethel Church of God in Hexebarger near Kingwood. In a history of the church penned in the 1880s or early 1890s, Harrison Grant King wrote that as a result of preaching, tent-meetings and evangelism by visiting preachers, a Christian spiritual interest "sprang up with the result that a Church of God was organized... We are sure that Elder Davis was pastor in 1859 and perhaps a part of 1860. His labours were blessed by the addition of between thirty and forty new members to the church and among them Andrew Schrock and Ephraim Minor." The Schrocks' membership in the Old Bethel congregation also is mentioned in the 1906 book History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, Volume 2, authored by E. Howard Blackburn, William Henry Welfley and William H. Koontz,
In about 1879, the Schrocks relocated to Milford Township, Somerset County. They are said to have had a small burying ground on their farm which later was owned by Elmer Pletcher. They are reputed to have had a son David, who drowned in Laurel Hill Creek, and is buried here.
Andrew died on the Fourth of July 1889, at the age of 82 years, eight months. His remains were placed into eternal rest in the church yard of the Kingwood Church of God. No obituary for him has been found in the Meyersdale (PA) Commercial in Somerset County.
His grave marker is seen here, as photographed in August 2013, but it is fading badly.
Susanna lived for another two years as a widow. In 1887, her son Perry sold the family farm of 107 acres to cousins Samuel and Ann M. (Younkin) Phillippi. The Phillippis held the acreage for about three years before selling it to Ephraim Miner for $1,003.50. The farm bordered the properties of Ephraim Schrock and the Williams family and included stands of white oak and dogwood. During the mid-1890s, Ephraim Miner built a two-story frame house on the property that still stands today. It was passed down to Ephraim's daughter and son-in-law, Minnie and Jacob Gary, and today is owned by descendants. The founder of this website visited this house in the summer of 1978 and met the elderly Minnie Gary.
Susanna passed into eternity at the age of 76 on May 24, 1891. They are interred together in the Church of God Cemetery. Andrew is named in the 2020 masterwork of authorship of Mark Terry Youngkin, of the family of John Harrison and Eliza Jane (Coble) Youngkin, entitled Youngkin Ancestry - Genealogy and History of the Jesse Herbert Youngkin Family. The 456-page volume is solely distributed in Portable Document Format (PDF) from the digital library called the Internet Archive in San Francisco, CA, which contains the latest book version. View/download the web-optimized version of Youngkin Ancestry on DropBox [60MB in size] or the full, high-resolution version on the Internet Archive [360MB].
~ Son Perry Schrock ~ Son Perry Schrock (1846-1911) was born on Dec. 11, 1846. His first name has been given as "William," and "Perry" may have been a middle name. He was united in holy matrimony with a cousin, Christianna "Christina" Dumbauld (1842-1924), daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Dull) Dumbauld of New Centerville, Somerset County. They produced a dozen children -- Susan E. Flanigan, George Newton Schrock, John Hudson Schrock, Albert Andrew Schrock, Cora Sechler, Elizabeth Dull, Charles E. Schrock, Harry Beecher Schrock, Jennie Wilhelm, Dr. Edward Schrock, Erastus Schrock and Jane Savannah Schrock. In about 1879, the Schrocks along with his parents relocated from Upper Turkeyfoot Township to nearby Milford Township, Somerset County. There, they planted roots and stayed for good.
In June 1897, Perry erected a barn on his farm with the help of "a crowd of several hundred friends and neighbors," said the Meyersdale Republican newspaper. The new structure measured 40 feet by 90 feet. "The frame work prepared under the direction of Jacob Gerhart was perfect in every detail and slipped into place without a single hitch. An excellent dinner was served to all present." Perry suffered a stroke in November 1911 and endured several weeks of suffering. He also was afflicted with uremic poisoning, possibly caused by an enlarge prostate. He died on Dec. 17, 1911, at age 65. He was buried at the Kingwood Church of God Cemetery, following a funeral officiated by Rev. W.J. Umstead. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier noted that he was "one of the best known residents of Milford township." Christianna outlived him by 13 years but was "an invalid for some time," said the Republican, "and used a wheeled chair to get around." She was a "faithful member of the Church of God." While visiting at her daughter Susan Flanigan's home in Confluence on Mother's Day 1924, she was stricken with a stroke of paralysis, and never recovered consciousness. She passed away on June 13, 1924. Her obituary was printed in the Republican, and her funeral was held at the Kingwood Church of God, led by Rev. Shemp.
They are buried in the Kingwood Church of God Cemetery. Their grave marker inscriptions were recorded during the Great Depression by laborers of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Today the impressive marker is still standing and the texts are very legible. Daughter Susan E. Schrock (1863-1942) was born on Jan. 22, 1863 (or 1869). In about 1891, when she was 28 years of age, she married 31-year-old Charles Norton Flanigan (1860-1933), son of John and Sophia (Butler) Flanigan of near Johnson Chapel, Henry Clay Township, Fayette County. Their marriage lasted for 42 years until the separation of death. Their four known offspring were Erma Humbert, Alta Flanigan, Christine Frantz Hardman and Felicia Flanigan. Charles had settled in Confluence as a young man and "was engaged in the lumber business practically all his life," said the Meyersdale Republican, "for a number of years being in business for himself." They lived on Oden Street in Confluence. Charles initially earned a living as a lumberman with Kendall Lumber Company, Caddell Lumber Company and later with J.B. Davis & Sons. In February 1914, the Republican reported that Charles and his partner W.H. Deeter of Meyersdale had "started on a timber cruise through the South last Sunday, going down through West Virginia via the Greenbrier route. These two well known lumbermen intend to acquire more timber holdings before the forests of the Appaelachain [sic] range are entirely denuded." Then in July of that year, the Republican noted that he was "in the northern part of Canada for several weeks, looking after timber lands." Charles was a school board director in Confluence Borough for one term and was a longtime board director of the First National Bank of Confluence. They also were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1924, Susan's aged mother died while staying at their home. Charles developed prostate cancer and died at age 72 on Jan. 7, 1933. Following funeral services in their home, burial was in Addison Cemetery, with his pastor Rev. W.L. Morgan officiating. A lengthy obituary in the Republican said that he was: ...a loyal and liberty supporter of all the various activities of the church. he lived the life of a Christian in his home, in his church and in all his dealings with his fellowmen, at all times adheering to the precepts of the Golden Rule. He was a most popular member of the Men's Bible Class of his church, and while modest and unassuming as a member of that organization, his presence in the class was always an inspiration to his teacher. For many years he was a member of the official board of the church, and his advise and counsel was much sought after. One of his near neighbors, upon hearing of his death, stated: "I have had the pleasure of being his close neighbor for many years, and am in a position to know his worth. It can truly be said that Charlie Flanigan was a true and lovable neighbor. The word 'No' was foreign to him when anyone asked of him a favor. His answer was always 'yes' with a cheerful open hearted smile. Charlie Flanigan's place in the community and the church will be hard to fill. Susan survived him by more than nine years. She was afflicted with a variety of heart ailments, and died on June 8, 1942 at the age of 73. She was laid to rest beside her husband in Addison Cemetery.
Son George "Newton" Schrock (1866-1937) was born on Feb. 9, 1866. He was twice married. On Aug. 22, 1895, at the age of 29, he was joined in the bonds of wedlock with 27-year-old Cora Belle Weller (Sept. 18, 1865-1902), daughter of John and Sarah (Critchfield) Weller. The couple traveled to Kentucky for their wedding ceremony, held in the residence of J.M. Oliver in Covington, Kenton County, by the hand of Rev. John M. Oliver, pastor of the local Methodist Church. The two known children born to this union were Maude Kathryn Hastie, RN and John Weller Schrock. The couple initially lived in the Gebharts community near New Centerville, where Newton operated a general store and served as a postmaster. Grief cascaded over the family when Cora Belle died in 1902, three months after the birth of their son John. In about 1907, he relocated into the city of Somerset, where he remained for good. Their address was 220 West Patriot Street. Circa 1911, he served as a field deputy and constable in Somerset, named to the post by Sheriff William C. Begley. Among other law enforcement work, Newton was active in arresting unlicensed brewers. Newton later was a furniture store merchant in Somerset. In 1914, he and friend A. Kent Miller founded the popular monthly community market day sales which continued until his death. When his uncle George Dumbauld died in 1928, Newton was well-known enough to be named in the news obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier. The Somerset newspaper once called him a "veteran auctioneer and pioneer of the Community Market Day Sales in Somerset.... one of the best known residents of Somerset county." Newton in September 1915 organized a family reunion for more than 100 people. In reporting on the event, the Meyersdale Republican said:
In 1912, Newton eloped to Winchester, VA to marry Nellie (Woolley) Lucas (Feb. 2, 1877-1971), daughter of James W. and Harriet (Keel) Woolley. Their marriage endured for 22 years until cleaved apart by death. Newton contracted cancer of the prostate and liver and quit working on July 2, 1936. Seven months later, he died on Jan. 31, 1937, just eight days shy of his 71st birthday. He was laid to rest in Somerset. Nellie outlived her husband by decades. She was spirited away by the spectre of death on May 11, 1971.
Son John "Hudson" Schrock (1867-1947) was born on May 19, 1867 in Somerset County. Circa 1898, when he would have been age 20 or 21, he was united in holy matrimony with Vinnie Mae Newman (Dec. 15, 1879-1977), sometimes spelled "Binnie," and the daughter of Josiah and Ellen Jane (Baker) Newman. The two sons the couple produced were Dewey Edwin Schrock and George Alvin Schrock. In 1901, their home was in Listie, Somerset County, where he worked as a merchant in a general store. Circa 1911, the Schrocks made their residence in the coal mining patch town of Ralphton, Somerset County, near the town of Boswell. While in Ralphton, Hudson was employed as a clerk in the Christ Brothers store, selling a stock of general merchandise. Hudson and Vinnie divorced by 1920, with Vinnie moving to Altoona, Blair County, PA and taking back her maiden name of "Newman." Hudson and their teenage son George lived together in 1920 on a farm in Milford Township, Somerset County, with two others in the household -- 31-year-old divorced servant Etta Meyers and her young daughter Mary. In about 1921, he relocated to Somerset, the seat of Somerset County. He spent many years living on West Patriot Street in Somerset. He contracted blood poisoning and lockjaw in April 1935 and was admitted to Memorial Hospital in nearby Johnstown, Cambria County. The news of his hospitalization was printed in the gossip columns of the Somerset Daily American. Fortunately, he survived and lived for another dozen years. Stricken with uremia and an enlarged prostate, Hudson died on June 30, 1947, at the age of 80. Interment was in Husband Cemetery in Somerset. Vinnie dwelled in Altoona, PA, circa 1965 and in Friedens, Somerset County in 1977. She endured the heartache of the death of her two adult sons in 1964-1965. Sadly, Vinnie passed away in Berlin, Somerset County at the age of 97 on Sept. 17, 1977. Her obituary was published in the Daily American. Many years later, on July 22, 2015, a vintage photograph of Hudson was printed in the Daily American, shown working at the Crist store in Ralphton, where he was said to have been a "store clerk for many years."
Great-grandson J. Robert Schrock (1929-2009) was born on Aug. 14, 1929 in Somerset. After graduation from high school, he served in the U.S. Air Force. Later, he was employed by WVSC Radio in sales and broadcasting. In time he assumed ownership of his father's service station in town. He married Jo Ann Koontz (June 27, 1931-1986), daughter of Lloyd and Emma Koontz. The couple dwelled in Somerset and were the parents of Barry L. Schrock and Linda Jo Suter. At one time Jo Ann earned a living working at Somerset Community Hospital. They appear to have spent their winters in Florida in the mid-1980s. Sadness blanketed the family when Jo Ann succumbed to death in Sarasota, FL on March 12, 1986. As a widower, Robert remained in Somerset. He is said to have been an avid reader, a student of the Civil War and a sports fan. His favorite social hangout was Crazy Alice's. For years, on the anniversary of Jo Ann's passing, the family placed an advertisement in memoriam in the local newspaper. He died at home at the age of 80 on Nov. 30, 2009. In an obituary in the Somerset Daily American, the family asked that any memorial donations be made to the Humane Society of Somerset. Son Albert Andrew Schrock (1874-1947) was born on Christmas Eve 1874. He wed Alice Asdale (1880-1957), daughter of James A. and Sara Ellen (Hunter) Asdale of Pittsburgh. They lived in Pittsburgh in the 1911-1920s, where Albert earned a living with a wallpaper and paint company. They were the parents of one daughter, Virginia Miller. Their address in 1947 was 633 South Negley Avenue in Pittsburgh. Albert suffered from prostate cancer and acute kidney disease passed away on June 19, 1947 at the age of 73, with burial in Pittsburgh's large Allegheny Cemetery. Alice survived him by a decade and lived with her married daughter at 1525 Orchardview Drive in Green Tree. She died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 77 on Oct. 28, 1957.
Daughter Cora Schrock (1871- ? ) was born in about 1871. As a young woman, she dwelled in Milford Township. On New Year's Day 1893, when she was 21 years of age, she married 25-year-old Charles O. Sechler (Jan. 20, 1868-1943). He was the son of George and Minerva (Boucher) Sechler of Milford Township. Their wedding was held in the bethel of the Church of God, with Rev. S. Woods officiating. The Meyersdale Republican once called Charles "a prominent Milford Township farmer." The Sechlers produced six known children: Fleda Sechler, Althea Scott, Claude Sechler and Charles Sechler and two who died in infancy. Their residence for decades was in Milford Township. Charles suffered with an infection of the skin on his neck and face -- "erysipelas" -- and was swept away by the Grim Reaper at age 75 on Dec. 29, 1943. His remains were lowered into rest in Somerset County Memorial Park.
Daughter Elizabeth Schrock (1873-1935) married a cousin, George Brinton McClellan Dull ( ? - ? ) of the family of William and Margaret (Flick) Dull. See their entry for more. Son Charles E. Schrock (1876-1957) was born in on Oct. 4, 1876 in Somerset County. On Oct. 5, 1899, at the age of 23, he married 25-year-old Cora Schrock (1874- ? ), daughter of John and Mary Schrock of Jefferson Township, Somerset County. The nuptials were led by Rev. C.F. Gephart, pastor of the Lavansville Lutheran Church, and held in the church's parsonage. It's not known whether husband and wife were closely related. They produced three sons -- Clarence Schrock, Theodore S. "Speedy" Schrock and Ernest Leslie Schrock. Charles was a farmer in early adulthood but eventually became a liveryman in Somerset. By the 1950s, their address was 805 North Center Avenue in Somerset. Charles endured heart disease and fibrillation for years. He succumbed at the age of 80 on New Year's Day 1957, while at home. Burial was in Somerset County Memorial Park.
Son Harry Beecher Schrock (1881-1964) was born on June 6, 1881 in Kingwood. He wed Lulu Hay ( ? - ? ). Their offspring were William Schrock, Ray Schrock and Anna Barclay. The Schrocks were farmers. In 1911-1924, their home was in Jefferson Township, Somerset County. Later, they moved to a a residence at 393 West Broadway in Rockwood, Somerset County. Harry spent the last few years of his life fighting prostate cancer. After the disease spread to other parts of the body, he passed into eternity at the age of 83 on Oct. 20, 1964. His remains were interred in Somerset County Memorial Park.
Daughter Jennie Schrock (1879-1966) was born in about 1879. She lived in Gebharts, Somerset County as a young woman. On April 3, 1904, at the age of about 25, she married 24-year-old Harry E. Wilhelm (Feb. 9, 1880-1950), son of Mitchell and Emma Susan Wilhelm, stepson of Aaron Shannon and a native of Ursina, Somerset County. Rev. J.C. Cunningham officiated the nuptials, held at Gebharts. The couple produced one known daughter, Christine Judson. The Meyersdale Republican once referred to Harry as a "well known civil and mining engineer." At the time of marriage, Harry worked as a surveyor, having been employed in the engineering department of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad with offices in McKeesport, near Pittsburgh. They resided in Clearfield, PA in 1911, worked on Baltimore and Ohio Railroad improvements in Somerset circa 1912 and were in Kingwood, Preston County, WV in 1922-1924. They returned to Somerset, Somerset County in 1933, with Harry accepting an engineering position with a water softening and sewage disposal facility. They lived at 158 East Church Street. In February 1938, Jennie hosted an all-day quilting party in their home for her sister Susan Flanigan and friends. They were members of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, where Harry was superintendent of Sunday School and an elder and clerk of session. He also was a member of the Masons and Lions Club in Somerset. As time passed, Harry also provided professional expertise as a consulting engineer in highway and mining applications. Harry contracted prostate cancer which he endured for 20 months. It metastisized and it claimed his life at the age of 70 on Dec. 11, 1950. Burial was in Husband Cemetery, with Rev. W.T. Doncaster leading the funeral service. Jennie survived her spouse by 16 years. In her latter years, Jennie was admitted to the Mennonite Home in Grantsville, MD. There, she died on or about May 22, 1966. A short notice of her death appeared in the Republican.
Son Dr. Edward Schrock ( ? - ? ) married Virginia Range (?) ( ? - ? ). He established a medical practice in St. Louis and was there in 1911 when his father died. He later relocated his practice to Wisconsin and lived there in 1924-1937. Son Erastus Schrock (1877- ? ) was born in 1877. His fate is not yet known. Daughter Jane Savannah Schrock (1879- ? ) was born in 1879.
~ Son Ephraim Schrock ~ Son Ephraim Schrock (1852-1920) was born on the Fourth of July 1852 near Kingwood. When he was age 17, Ephraim attended the marriage of his first cousin Marcellus Andrews to Ruena Snyder. Justice of the peace Jacob Gerhard officiated the Sept. 26, 1869 ceremony held at Middlecreek Township, Somerset County. In 1878, at age 25, Ephraim was united in holy matrimony with a cousin, 20-year-old Eleanor Josephine "Ellen" Younkin (May 13, 1858-1938), daughter of Jacob C. and Lucy A. (Weimer) Younkin of Kingwood. Husband and wife were six years apart in age. The Schrocks produced a family of 10 children, of whom nine are known, born over the sweep of years between 1879 and 1903 -- Annie Melissa Cramer, Minnie Etta Schrock, George Reed Schrock, Ira Ephraim Schrock, Elva Mary Sembower, Della Mae Schrock, Ida Marie Schrock, Glenn H. Schrock and Harold "Harry" Schrock. Two of the children were deceased by the year 1900. They were longtime tenant farmers and members of the Kingwood Church of God.
The federal census enumeration for the year 1900 shows the family making its home on a farm in Upper Turkeyfoot. At that time, the couple had been married for 23 years, and had borne nine children, of whom eight were living. The census records also disclose that their teenage son George provided farm laborer for his father, that the two men worked for 10 out of the dozen months of the year, and that the younger children attended school for six-and-a-half months during the year. In 1910, when the federal census was enumerated, the Schrocks dwelled on a farm in Upper Turkeyfoot Township, with Ephraim's work listed as "truck farm." When his longtime friend and cousin Jacob Phillippi died in 1914, Ephraim and his brother-in-law cousin Wesley D. Younkin stepped forward to help the widow obtain her husband's Civil War pension payments. Ephraim at the age of 67 continued to farm as of 1920, with the census-taker that year recording his work as "diversified farming." In their home at that time were son Harold, who laborerd in a local lumber yard, and daughter Della, a public school teacher. Ephraim suffered a massive stroke on the first of July 1920. He lingered for 41 days but could not recover. He died in Kingwood on June 10, 1920, at the age of 67. His remains were interred in the Kingwood Odd Fellows Cemetery. Ellen outlived him by 18 years, and moved into Connellsville, Fayette County. On May 13, 1934, she was guest of honor at a party for her birthday and Mother's Day in the home of her son Harold of Carson Street in Uniontown. Reported the Uniontown Daily News Standard:"A delicious chicken dinner was served and the color motif was prettily carried out in a pink scheme. Covers were laid for all children and grandchildren except one son who is living in the west. Words of greetings and best wishes from him made the day complete for Mrs. Schrock." Those attending included Mr. and Mrs. W.G. Snyder and their children Eleanor and Robert of Rockwood; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Fike and Anna Cramer of Somerset; George Schrock and his daughter Thelma, and Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Reese of Johnstown; Ruth Snyder and Wynn Critchfield of Rockwood; and Della Schrock of Connellsville.
Ellen died at her daughter Della's home of a heart attack at the age of 79 on Jan. 21, 1938. At her death, reported the Connellsville Daily Courier and the Daily News Standard, she was survived by 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Her obituary was republished in the Younkin Family News Bulletin newspaper (edition of April 30, 1938). Daughter Annie Melissa Schrock (1879-1973) was born on Sept. 2, 1879. At the age of 26, on Nov. 5, 1905, she wed Lorenza D. Cramer ( ? -1929). The ceremony was held at the family home, led by Rev. S. Fulmer. News of the marriage license was printed in the Meyersdale Republican. They resided in Somerset. Lorenza passed away in July 1929, and among those attending the funeral were Annie's brother Harold and his wife and children. Annie outlived her first spouse by more than four decades. In January 1931, she traveled to Florida to spend the winter months. Later, Annie married Harvey Heiple ( ? - ? ) and remained in Somerset. She died at the age of 93 on Feb. 27, 1973. Daughter Minnie Etta Schrock (1881-1966) was born on Sept. 11, 1881. On Sept. 27, 1903, when she was age 22, she was joined in matrimony with Wilson Grant Snyder ( ? - ? ). Their five children were Ruth Luella Critchfield, Florence Margaret May, Hazel Fern Fike, Robert Schrock Snyder and Eleanor J. Aust. The family made its home in Rockwood and Kingwood. The Somerset Daily American said she was a "life long member of Kingwood Church of God." Later, Minnie moved into the home of her married daughter Hazel Fike in Somerset. Minnie died May 15, 1966, with burial in the Kingwood IOOF Cemetery. Rev. Earl Show and Rev. Darrah officiated.
Son George Reed Schrock (1883-1969) was born on May 9, 1883. He married Ada De Lozier ( ? - ? ) and had three children, Leroy Perry Schrock, Ida Reese and Thelma Ellis. He lived in Johnstown, Cambria County, PA. In September 1951, they hosted a visit from George's brother Harold and family from Uniontown. George died in Johnstown on Nov. 12, 1969, with burial in the city's Westmont Cemetery.
Son Ira Ephraim Schrock (1885-1955) was born on Sept. 14, 1885. At the age of 22, in 1907, he and his brother George set out to make their fortune in California, and eventually secured employment there with the Arizona Copper Mines. After a year, Ira decided to stay, while George returned to Western Pennsylvania. Ira remained away for the next 47 years. He eventually took a job as conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad Company of California, in Sacramento, a position from which he retired in the early 1950s. In May 1953, he "decided it was time he visited his family and arrived in Johnstown May 10 in time to help celebrate George's 70th birthday anniversary," reported the Uniontown Morning Herald. "Harold Schrock was about 4-years old when his brother left for the Coast. He had no idea who Ira was when he appeared at his home. The reunion was a happy occasion and will be long remembered by the Schrock family." Also attending the gathering were his sisters Della Colflesh, Anna Heiple, Minnie Snyder and Ida Miller. He died in Sacramento two years later, on June 3, 1955, at the age of 70. Daughter Elva Mary Schrock (1889-1943) was born on July 8, 1889. She married Jacob Arthur Sembower (1884-1923) on July 5, 1912, in Pittsburgh, when she was 23 years of age and he 28. He was the son of Adam J. and Elizabeth (May) Sembower. They resided in Rockwood, where Jacob was employed as a telegraph operator, possibly for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Sadly, Jacob contracted pneumonia and tonsillitis and died at the age of 39 on Oct. 31, 1923. Elva survived him by 19 years. Suffering from incurable cancer of the bowels, she was admitted to the Somerset State Hospital in about 1924. She remained there for the rest of her life, a span of 18 years, seven months and 11 days. She died on March 30, 1943, at the age of 53. Burial was in the IOOF Cemetery in Kingwood.
Daughter Della Mae Schrock (1893-1984) was born on Feb. 8, 1893. She was a graduate of Indiana State Teachers College and Pennsylvania State College. She is mentioned by name in a list of Rockwood school teachers in the booklet Rockwood Centennial 1857-1957. Della lived in Brookvale in 1938. She married later in life, to a cousin, widower Dr. Joseph Herman Colflesh (1886-1969), son of John F. and Sarah Jane (Younkin) Colflesh of Ursina and grandson of Rev. Harmon and Susanna (Faidley) Younkin of Paddytown. Their wedding took place on Jan. 31, 1941 in Somerset, when she was age 48 and Joseph 55. Interestingly, the couple requested that news of their marriage license not be published in local newspapers. Della was a longtime history teacher, and retired from the Trotter School in Dunbar Township in June 1958, with her photograph gracing the front page of the Connellsville Daily Courier. Joseph was a veterinarian and "practiced in the Confluence and Somerset area for many years, and in Connellsville from 1953 until his retirement in 1967," said the Daily Courier. "His career spanned 53 years." He also was a member of the King Solomon Lodge of the Masons, Pittsburgh Consistory of the Syria Shrine and the Otterbein United Methodist Church. Their home was on 124 Wood Street in Connellsville. John died in Connellsville State General Hospital on Nov. 11, 1969, at the age of 83. He was buried in the Kingwood IOOF Cemetery, with Rev. Lester Crum and Dr. Elmer A.R. Schultz officiating. Della passed away in Connellsville in August 1984. Daughter Ida Marie Schrock (1895- ? ) was born on March 19, 1895. At the age of 21, on Oct. 5, 1916, she married Harry Park Miller (1892-1962) in a ceremony held at Kingwood by Rev. F.O. Eakin. They had one son, Dean Leo Miller, and their home was in Kingwood in 1938-1960s. Park died in Kingwood in February 1962, and was laid to rest in the Kingwood Odd Fellows Cemetery. Motoring to attend the funeral were Ida's brother Harold Schrock and sister Della Colflesh and their families. Ida later moved into Connellsville as a widow.
Son Glenn H. Schrock (1898-1901) was born on Aug. 8, 1898. Grief blanketed the family when the boy died at the age of three years, three months, in November 1900 (or 1901). He is buried next to his grandparents in the Kingwood Church of God Cemetery. Son Harold "Harry" Schrock (1903- ? ) was born on Jan. 5, 1903 in Somerset County. There was a 24-year age gap between him and his eldest sister. He grew up in Upper Turkeyfoot, helping his father with farm labor. Harold married Ruth Ellen Romesburg ( ? - ? ). They resided in Uniontown, Fayette County circa 1934-1966, and had two children: Betty Jane Neville and Harold H. Schrock Jr. Their address was Carson Street, Uniontown. Beginning in February 1925, Harold was employed as a motorman with West Penn Railways in Uniontown. "For several years, he operated a trolley on the Brownsville-Uniontown route," said the Uniontown Morning Herald, "and later followed the conversion to bus operation." The family enjoyed traveling, and spent many weekends with family in Somerset County. They also enjoyed taking in Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games at Forbes Field and the Ice Capades at the Duquesne Garden. In July 1930 they took a six week's driving trip to the west, where they saw Yellowstone National Park, Pike's Peak "and many other places of interest," said the Daily News Standard. In 1932, they attended the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. In August 1934, Harold and Ruth, as well as his sisters Anna Cramer and Della Schrock, motored to Chicago to view the Century of Progress exposition. Their trip in 1936 was to Junction City, KS to visit Ruth Ellen's stepmother, Mrs. Edward Liston. Circa 1960, Harold worked for Hankins-Paulson Co. Many of their family activities were covered in the gossip columns of the Uniontown newspapers over the decades. Harold is believed to have died in Uniontown in October 1980, at the age of 77.
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