History of the Franz Joseph and Maria Sofia Holker family


Excerpted from the History of the Hoelker, Vogelsang, Peine, Weintraut Families
by Florentine Hoelker, Treasurer, Franklin County, 1937


Franz Joseph Holker was born on January 17, 1829 in Vinnenberg, province of Westphalia, Germany near the capital city of Munster. We have no record of his parents, only that he had an uncle, a doctor Holker, M.D. and two brothers, Anton and Bernard. Joseph, as he was called, was a tailor by trade.

King Frederick William lV of Prussia was attempting to reunite the German States. Revolution had started and Catholics were persecuted and a wave of emigration started for free America. Joseph decided to go also to the new land of freedom and paved the way for his family. He landed in the port of Boston, Massachusetts in 1848 or 1851 at the age of 20 years. James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States. His destination was Cincinnati, Ohio where there already was a large settlement of Westphalians. He soon found employment as a tailor and soon accumulated enough money to pay for the ocean voyage for his sweetheart, Sophia Vogelsang, her parents, Henry and Barbara, two brothers Bernard and Anthony and Sophia's only sister whose name near as I can trace, was Barbara. Maria Sofia was born in Ostbevern, Westphalia on July 4, 1832.

Soon after the arrival of the Vogelsang family in March 1852, Joseph, at the age of 24 and Sophia, age 20, were married. The wedding day and Sophia's 20th birthday was July 4, 1852 at St. Paulus Church, Cincinnati, OH by Fr. Fernading. Joseph and Sophia set up housekeeping and Joseph continued working at his trade in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Land agents were very active. They soon sold Henry Vogelsang 40 acres of land, Northeast quadrant, section 28, in Franklin County, Ray Township, Indiana, 4 mi. north of the new German Catholic settlement then called New Oldenburg, (at this writing owned by Jacob Werner) where the Vogelsang's took up farming. (We shall take up this family further on)


The couple moves to Lafayette, Indiana in 1854.

Joseph and Sophia lived in Cincinnati Ohio for two years when he decided to open his own tailor shop at the growing city of Lafayette in Northwestern Indiana in St. Boniface parish of which the Cincinnati Franciscan Fathers had charge and lived just a square from the fine church. Lafayette was their home for the next 14? years. Seven children were born to them during these years. Two sons, Bernard and Joseph, died in infancy. Four daughters, Veronica, Catherine, Anna, Josephine, and the third, a son, William 1. Willey as they called him, who alone was destined to carry on the Holker name.


The family moves to Oldenburg, Indiana, 1868

When William was four years old in the year 1868, the family moved to Oldenburg, Indiana, a booming industrial town, and where Sophia's parents and the children's grandparents were located. Here Joseph, the tailor, was offered the promising position as manager of the tailoring department of St. Joseph's Woolen Mills, which was a prosperous concern as it manufactured fine quality worsted cloth (and blanket) from the raw wool grown in the community. Wool from the sheep's back into the finest custom-made men's suits, from the sheep's back to the men's back in the same building.


Life in Oldenburg, the family grows

Joy and sadness as time goes on.

Their first residence in Oldenburg was a one-story four room stone house on the corner of Main and Indiana streets. Second residence in a one-story frame on West side of Pearl Street across from the brick church, at present the site of Mrs. Anna Suhre's home. He resigned his wool mill job and again opened his own shop next door and moved the third and last time into the two-story building adjoining the shop (Peter Kellerman). In addition to his tailor business he also operated a saloon, the town at that time boasted of exactly 14 of them. But no joke, Holker had the best location.

Daughter Josephine dies

Josephine at the age of 12, was preparing to receive her First Holy Communion when she became ill and the Lord called her to eternal rest.

Five more children were born to Joseph and Sophia at Oldenburg, namely Rose, Eleanor (who died in infancy) Elizabeth, Sophia and Anna. 12 children in all. Three boys and nine girls. Eight girls and one son living. All had red hair except three had black. This included William l.


Frantz Joseph, the father, dies December 31, 1885

Joseph, the father, died on December 31, 1885 at the age of 57 years. He is buried in Holy Family cemetery on the East side of entrance. A tall marble monument marks the family burial lot. On it you will read in German, Frantz Josef Holker born 1828, died December 31, 1885 at the age of 57 years.

The widow Sophia continues the saloon business

Not a well fitted business for a woman to operate, but a living had to be made for some of the children were still of school at age. The older girls, all skillful tailors, having acquired the craft from helping their father, found employment in the Woolen Mills. Willey at the age of 10 ? quit the commercial and music class at the parish school and obtained work as bookkeeper for Sellmeyer's General Store and Tannery. They got along fairly well. Mother Sophia, out of goodness of heart with all hardships and having had 12 children of her own took to rear a young orphan girl, Carrie Pistner, whose parents had died from the cholera epidemic. She continued the business for several years when she became disabled and sold the saloon to her son-in-law, John Baumer, Catherine's husband.

Sophia dies April 17, 1910

On April 17, 1910 Sophia died after several years of lingering illness at the age of 77 years 9 months 13 days. She was buried alongside her husband, Joseph, and on the same stone is the German wording, Sophia Holker, born Vogelsang born on July 4, 1832 died April 17, 1910.


The 12 children of Joseph and Sophia Holker

Born at Lafayette, Indiana Bernard, died in infancy, Joseph, died in infancy, Veronica, married Henry Decker, Catherine, married John Baumer later August Hackman, Anna, married Joseph Quatman of Fort Loramie, OH, Josephine, died age 12, William, married Magdalena (Nellie) Peine.

Born at Oldenburg, Indiana Rose, married Ben Wahman, Eleanora, died in infancy, Elizabeth, married George Eckel, Sophia, married Joseph Rudolph then John Rill, Emma, married John Rudolph (brother to Joe). Carrie Pistner, married Mr. Camerin, Middletown, Ohio.

Louise Emma Holker born August 19, 1875 died in June 27, 1962, Cincinnati Ohio. John H. Rudolph born March 3, 1871 died April 29, 1932, Cincinnati Ohio. Married in Holy Family Church, June 11, 1894.

Grandchildren of Joseph and Sophia Holker

Decker -- William, Edward, Fora, Harry, Rayman. Baumer -- Edward, died at age 11 or 12. Quatman -- William, Alfred, Ella, Ida, Julius. William Hoelker -- Florentine, Verena, Edmund, Joseph, Cleopha, Angela, William, Louis. Wahman -- Isabella, Veronica (Fanny), Estella, Alma, Linus, Hugo, Evelyn. Eckel -- Hilda, Bernadette, Clarence, Rose, Viola, Florentine, Cora, Irma, Loretta. Sophia and Joe Rudolph -- Arthur, Joseph. Sophia and John Rill -- John. Emma and John Rudolph -- Marion d.1902, Ethel d.11/7/46, Carrol d. 5/30/69, Ernest, Dorothy, Katherine (became Sr. Joseph Francis, O.F.M., Oldenburg).


Notes of Interest

Brothers and cousins of Frantz Joseph Holker who followed him to the United States later on located in the Central West. One can find Hoelkers in St. Louis, Missouri, Anton, Illinois, Anton, Iowa, and a town in northeast Texas. It was called Munster before World War I, but it now has a different name, but I don't know the new name. Some also emigrated to South America in Brazil in the state of San Paulo. My father, William Hoelker, corresponded at one time with the Hoelker’s of St. Louis. They were businessmen, one was in the office of Star Brand of Robert Johnson Rand shoe company. Another was with Schebley Hardware Company. The Texas Hoelkers had a grocery called Hoelkers Brothers Grocery. A traveling salesman from Iowa sold us some merchandise about 15 years ago at the store. He wrote our name right off the bat, he said you don't have to spell the name for me, Iowa is full of them. FJH


I never knew Grandpa Joe Holker, from inquiries from Dad, Aunt Kate, and old men of the town and pictures found, he was a very short man, just a little over 5 ft. tall, a corpulant figure and wore a goatee beard. He had a very pleasing personality, a natural jovial disposition, was considered always well-dressed, and never failed to wear his silk stovepipe hat to make himself appear taller. Due to a short, fat figure his friends nicknamed him Humpty Dumpty. Florent

Once I asked my Grandma Peine, about Grandpa Holker. She said she recalled seeing him in church on Sundays. He always wore his dark frock coat and gray striped trousers and black silk plug hat and a gold knob cane, usually sat above center of church in long pews on right side. He usually came in a little late. He never used a prayer book for it was generally known that he had committed the entire mass to memory. F. J. H.

Joe Holker’s political views as related by Grandma, Sophia Holker

Joseph was a staunch Democrat as were all citizens of Oldenburg community at that period. In his saloon political views were freely and loudly discussed. In the year 1860 war between the Northern and Southern states was imminent. Politics was red-hot in the presidential election. The great Democrat, Stephen Douglas, and upstart, Abraham Lincoln, were candidates. In Joe Holker's opinion, Lincoln was a scoundrel and a war monger, absolutely unfit for the presidency. Joe and his fellow citizens still hoped the differences between North and South could be settled without a war. The Lincoln party was called Black Republicans because of their sympathy for the Negroes of the South. It was unsafe for any republican to appear in Oldenburg. He was ordered out of town or else.

The German settlers in Southeastern Indiana were known to be sympathetic to the Southern cause and organized the Knights of the Golden Circle that met secretly to help the Southern cause. Southern intelligence soon relayed this to the Confederate General Morgan who raided the Southeastern counties of Indiana with the object to destroy Northern property and to get financial help. The Oldenburgers got plenty excited by the news that Morgan was coming headed for the town. Morgan got as far as New Alsace when for some reason he turned South toward the Ohio River. A stone marker was erected at this point to commemorate the events.

Oldenburg furnished not a volunteer for Lincoln's army, so they had to be punished for their political belief. Indiana Republican war governor, Morton, cracked down and drafted many men out of Oldenburg community greatly out of proportion and comparison with the rest of the county. The General Morgan event and governor Morton probably did not change the political views, but henceforth the citizens were not prone to broadcast them. The first republican votes to appear in Oldenburg were from returning civil war soldiers who felt obliged on account of their monthly war pensions.

Joe Holker, a civic leader and organizer.

As related by Frank C. Scheper, a young man at that time.

When the news came that General Morgan was heading north from the Ohio River toward Decatur, Ripley and Franklin Counties, Joe and his friends organized a home guard. These men were stationed in shifts at the South entrance of the town known as Batesville Hill. The men were armed with muskets, shotguns and rifles, pitchforks and jugs of whiskey. They drank to keep up their spirits and courage. These men loudly boasted of their gallantry all in the Low German language. They had orders to send messengers into the town should Morgan's men be approaching, ring the fire bell to alert the citizenry, all women and children to go into hiding.

The guard was to hold off Morgan's riders long as possible. But luck was with the home guard. Morgan changed his mind and turned South at new Alsace. It is not known whether Joe Holker was in the lead of the Guardsmen directing with his gold knobbed cane. But it is certain that much of the spirits came from his saloon. FJH



Addenda

In “The Chronicle to the Genealogy Hoelker” compiled by Rudolf F. Hoelker, published by Hoelker-Selm Verlag, Boston, MA, 1983, Franz Joseph Holker’s lineage is traced to Johannes Theodor and Gertrud Holcker, Osnabrueck, Germany, circa 1680. Rudolf Hoelker’s cousin, Dr. Karl Fester, conducted the research on the family history prior to World War II. His research extended 36 generations from his own representing a direct bloodline to Charlemagne.
Ed Hoelker Jr

As related to me by Louis R. Hoelker, Franz Joseph always bid at the annual church auction for a pew well up in the front. As Florentine related, Franz Joseph came late for Mass so that the congregation could see the tailoring of which he was capable. Ed Hoelker Jr