CRAWFORD COUNTY OHIO - BIO: HENRY FLOCK (1881) *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Submitter: Tina Hursh Email: ribbit@clubnet.isl.net Date: 25 May 2002 *********************************************************************** >From the The Ohio Biographies Project http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html a part of The U.S. Biographies Project http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html Transcribed by Bonnie Walsh. --------------- CRAWFORD COUNTY HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY AND OHIO BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, p.739 CHICAGO BASKIN & BATTEY, HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS 186 DEARBORN STREET 1881 BUCYRUS TOWNSHIP, CRAWFORD COUNTY, OHIO HENRY FLOCK, farmer: P. O. Bucyrus, is the eldest son of Stephen and Catharine Flock: born in the Rhein Province of Bavaria Dec. 14, 1815: educated in the schools of his native State. and at an early age was sent to work in order to assist in supporting the family: the wages received by laborers were very low, and Mr. Flock worked many a day for 20 cents. Wood was scarce and it was necessary for him to haul fuel or fagots nearly ten miles on a wheelbarrow, consequently the stoves were seldom overly hot. The peasants were not permitted to cut green timber. They provided themselves with fuel by breaking off the dead limbs and it was generally necessary to climb the trees to secure these. Once Flock became so numb with cold while in a tree that he nearly fell to the ground and this fact led him to considering whether he had not better emigrate to America. When he became of military age, he was too short to enter the service and they put him back one year expecting he would grow, but as he failed to do so they rejected him altogether. Flock desired to get married and secure a home: finding the outlook in Bavaria was not very promising he emigrated to America in 1839, and settled in Bucyrus. He first worked for Abraham Hahn proprietor of what is now the Sims House. He remained with Hahn for three years, and received $7.50 each month: during this period, although he was sick six months. He managed to save $158; the first $45 of this amount he sent to Germany in order to pay the passage of Miss Catherine Slicker to America, and some two years after she arrived at Bucyrus, they were married. After leaving Kahn's employ, Flock worked for three years for other persons, and then acted as clerk in Dr. Willis Merriman's store for nearly seven years. In March, 1853, he removed to Wyandot and formed a partnership with James H. Reinicker. They embarked on the mercantile business, and after Flock bought his partner's interest, he continued the store until 1870, when he transferred it to his son. While a resident of Wyandot, he served as Postmaster of the village for nearly seventeen years and while a clerk in Merriman's store was Treasurer for one year of Bucyrus corporation. In 1870, he settled on his present farm of 80 acres, just southeast of town, where he has resided during the past decade. He was married to Miss Catherine Slicker on Sept. 22, 1842. This lady was born Jan. 20, 1820 in Bavaria, and in 1840 emigrated to America with Peter Geiger and family. The result of this marriage was the following children: Mary Flock, now Mrs. William Welsh, near Wyandot; Daniel Flock now a merchant at Wyandot; Kate Flock, now Mrs. Peter Bair, of Todd Township; Louisa Flock, now Mrs. John B. Welsh of Wyandot; and Caroline Flock, now Mrs. John Gordon of Todd Township. His first wife died Oct. 11, 1862 and on Nov. 6, 1864 he was married to Miss Mary Jane Clark, who was a teacher in the schools of Bucyrus for several years. She died Jan. 25, 1875 and he was married to his present wife, formerly Miss Lena Hooker, on Oct. 11, 1877. Mr. Flock joined the Evangelical Church, in Bavaria at the age of 13 and since then has been an exemplary member of some religious society. When he settled in Bucyrus he united with the German Lutheran Church, in which congregation he served as a Deacon for many years. He is at present connected with the St. Paul's English Lutheran Church of Bucyrus.