Northumberland-Huntingdon-Lackawanna County PA Archives Biographies.....Houck, William A. 1837 - living in 1899

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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 3, 2005, 1:29 pm



Author: Biographical Publishing Co.



REV. WILLIAM A. HOUCK, a prominent clergyman of Mount Carmel, Pa., is a man of

superior mental endowments and of excellent education and character. He is a

native of Huntingdon County, Pa., was born January 25, 1837, and is a son of

Adams and Mary (Clark) Houck.



  The paternal grandfather of our subject was of German origin, and lived in

Virginia; from there he went to Maryland, and thence to Huntingdon County, Pa.,

and was one of the pioneers of that county. One of his brothers, William Houck,

served in the Revolutionary War. Adams Houck, the father of our subject, was

born in Huntingdon County, and followed farming and lumbering in that county

until his death. Our subject's mother was of English origin; her father was

Thomas Clark.



  Rev. William A. Houck, the subject of this biography, was reared and educated

in Huntingdon County, attending the common schools and also the seminary at

Cassville, Huntingdon County. He taught school three winters, also taught in a

select school, and then began the study of theology. In March, 1859, he joined

the East Baltimore Conference and since that time he has preached continuously,

most of his labors having been in what is now called the Central Pennsylvania

Conference. He entered the Union Army in 1864 as chaplain of the 205th Reg., Pa.

Volunteers, and remained with that regiment until it was mustered out, in June,

1865. He was presiding elder of the Harrisburg district for four years. Among

his more prominent appointments have been Williamsport, Danville, Lock Haven,

Bellefonte, Milton, Hazleton, and Mount Carmel. Rev. Mr. Houck has the largest

congregation in Mount Carmel, and the church has had continual and substantial

growth under his charge.



  Our subject married Lydia M. Borland of Blair County, Pa., and several

children have resulted from this union, as follows: Gertrude, the wife of W. B.

Norris, an attorney of St. Joseph, Mo., who at one time held the office of

district attorney; Florence N., the wife of W. T. Hildrup, a manufacturer of

Harrisburg, Pa.; Evangeline M., the wife of Dr. H. M. Stine of Harrisburg, Pa.;

Charles A. B., an electrician at Hazleton, Pa.; Grace B., living at home;

William Herbert S., in the Auditor-General's Department at Harrisburg, Pa.; and

Frank D., in the employ of the Pennsylvania Telephone Company at Lebanon, Pa.

  Rev. Mr. Houck is well known throughout the eastern and central parts of the

state, and is a man of strict principles and splendid judgment. He is highly

respected, and is known to be a man who thoroughly practices all that he

preaches. He is a man of much learning and wide experience, and has done much to

advance the religious welfare of Mount Carmel.





Additional Comments:

Extracted from:



Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District

Published by 

Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)





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