Sept 13 - Where's Harry ?
The thunderstorms have finally abated so we are ready to strike out on the motorcycle in search of some family history. Spent about an hour calling around to cemeteries to locate a couple more relatives and then we headed out.
First stop was the old pioneer Highland Cemetery established in 1888 atop a slight hill overlooking Wichita. I had discovered online that Gary’s great grandparents were buried there. We had a general map and were on our own as there was no one in attendance to help with gravesite location. Within 15 minutes we had located a large monument to “Stocker” marking the graves of Allen Frederick Stocker (1853/1923) and Ella Cora Stocker (1857/1922). We were surprised to find another adjacent stone commemorating their daughter (Gary’s grandfather’s sister), Edith Gold Stocker Bush (1895/1939). We have 1922 pictures of all these people so finding their graves was more personal…not just a name but a face to go with it. We were pleased to see that their monuments are very nicely done, obvious that there is someone in the family who has recently had these redone.
The online cemetery directory had listed Edith’s brother, Harry Stocker (1882/1935) as being very close to the other family graves. We searched and searched to no avail. This cemetery is not well maintained so we were going stone to stone brushing away cut grass and overgrown grass to read each stone in our search for Harry. No luck!
I felt a special drive to find Harry’s grave since he was “special”. According to census records, in 1910 (age 28) he was living with his parents here in Wichita. In 1920 (age 38) he was attending a State Training School in Walnut township and it was disclosed that he could not read or write. We have a reference from 1923 (age 41) that he was living in a home for the “feeble minded” in Winfield, Kansas. He died in 1935 at age 53. Perhaps we will never know more of the story but I was sorry his grave was not well enough marked for us to find it.
Next stop was the White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Garden of the Christus. This is where my phone research had indicated that we would find the graves of Edith’s brother Bob Stocker (1887/1972) and his wife, Louise (Lucy) Kase Stocker (1892/1991). Being a newer cemetery, they had good mapping available for us to go right to these graves. These were nicely done and well kept, complete with silk flowers in a vase. They had two daughters and I suspect that one lives locally for the site to be that well maintained.
Bob and Lucy were the great cousins that Gary’s brother Steve visited in 1971. We knew that Bob had died the following year, but had not known until we saw the headstone that Lucy had lived to be nearly 100 years old. Again, I suspect that her daughter must be around to have cared for her all those years after Bob’s death…more research to be done on that.
Next stop was a home on Ohio street where the 1910 census had indicated Allen and Ella Stocker had lived. We were disappointed to round the corner and find that the address is now the parking lot of an office building.
Next we proceeded to the famous “porch” house at 1002 McCormick Avenue. Success this house is still there. I call it the porch house as we have a 1922 picture with Allen & Ella Stocker together with several of their children are posing in front of the porch. We also have another photo taken by Gary’s brother, Steve, taken in 1971 of Bob and Lucy on that same porch. I am brave; I knocked on the door and was greeted with the sound of a very large dog barking. No question that if the people were at home they would know someone was at the door. When no one came, I left a note and perhaps will have a phone call from them if they are interested or just curious about the history of their residence.
All in all it was a very productive day…and I even got in a quiet nap after we got back to the motor home. Tornado warnings again tonight so we tucked the motorcycle away in the trailer away from any minor damage. Major damage…oh well, if we end up in Oz, at least we will have a pretty red motorcycle and side car to get around!
First stop was the old pioneer Highland Cemetery established in 1888 atop a slight hill overlooking Wichita. I had discovered online that Gary’s great grandparents were buried there. We had a general map and were on our own as there was no one in attendance to help with gravesite location. Within 15 minutes we had located a large monument to “Stocker” marking the graves of Allen Frederick Stocker (1853/1923) and Ella Cora Stocker (1857/1922). We were surprised to find another adjacent stone commemorating their daughter (Gary’s grandfather’s sister), Edith Gold Stocker Bush (1895/1939). We have 1922 pictures of all these people so finding their graves was more personal…not just a name but a face to go with it. We were pleased to see that their monuments are very nicely done, obvious that there is someone in the family who has recently had these redone.
The online cemetery directory had listed Edith’s brother, Harry Stocker (1882/1935) as being very close to the other family graves. We searched and searched to no avail. This cemetery is not well maintained so we were going stone to stone brushing away cut grass and overgrown grass to read each stone in our search for Harry. No luck!
I felt a special drive to find Harry’s grave since he was “special”. According to census records, in 1910 (age 28) he was living with his parents here in Wichita. In 1920 (age 38) he was attending a State Training School in Walnut township and it was disclosed that he could not read or write. We have a reference from 1923 (age 41) that he was living in a home for the “feeble minded” in Winfield, Kansas. He died in 1935 at age 53. Perhaps we will never know more of the story but I was sorry his grave was not well enough marked for us to find it.
Next stop was the White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Garden of the Christus. This is where my phone research had indicated that we would find the graves of Edith’s brother Bob Stocker (1887/1972) and his wife, Louise (Lucy) Kase Stocker (1892/1991). Being a newer cemetery, they had good mapping available for us to go right to these graves. These were nicely done and well kept, complete with silk flowers in a vase. They had two daughters and I suspect that one lives locally for the site to be that well maintained.
Bob and Lucy were the great cousins that Gary’s brother Steve visited in 1971. We knew that Bob had died the following year, but had not known until we saw the headstone that Lucy had lived to be nearly 100 years old. Again, I suspect that her daughter must be around to have cared for her all those years after Bob’s death…more research to be done on that.
Next stop was a home on Ohio street where the 1910 census had indicated Allen and Ella Stocker had lived. We were disappointed to round the corner and find that the address is now the parking lot of an office building.
Next we proceeded to the famous “porch” house at 1002 McCormick Avenue. Success this house is still there. I call it the porch house as we have a 1922 picture with Allen & Ella Stocker together with several of their children are posing in front of the porch. We also have another photo taken by Gary’s brother, Steve, taken in 1971 of Bob and Lucy on that same porch. I am brave; I knocked on the door and was greeted with the sound of a very large dog barking. No question that if the people were at home they would know someone was at the door. When no one came, I left a note and perhaps will have a phone call from them if they are interested or just curious about the history of their residence.
All in all it was a very productive day…and I even got in a quiet nap after we got back to the motor home. Tornado warnings again tonight so we tucked the motorcycle away in the trailer away from any minor damage. Major damage…oh well, if we end up in Oz, at least we will have a pretty red motorcycle and side car to get around!
posted by Linda @ 7:15 PM
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