John W. S. Wolf, Stone Mason & Civil War Soldier

Roster of Ohio Troops: John & Joseph Wolf

John W. S. Wolf

b, September 1841; 

Son of Johan Franklin Wolf & Elisabeth Burkholder; 

John was a stone mason.

This is a unique obituary.

 "John W. S. Wolf." Medina County Gazette 25 September 1908: 8.

John W. S. Wolf was born Sept. 24, 1841, in York county, Pa. When he was 12 years old he came to Ohio. Here he grew up to manhood, and at the call for volunteers in the Civil war he enlisted and served three years, belonging to the 120th O. V. I. In 1867 he married Elizabeth J. Anderson of Dalton, O. To them were born five girls and four boys. One son died in infancy. The rest survive him.For the last two years of his life, Mr. Wolf was a great sufferer, but bore it patiently to the end. He was blessed with an ambition for work which outlived his strength, desiring in his last years to do work which his strength would not allow. The family and neighbors did all in their power to relieve his suffering, but to no avail, and on Sept. 13 his spirit took flight to that better world.Funeral services took place at the family home near center Guilford on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 9:30 o’clock, conducted by Rev. Leith of the Presbyterian church of Seville. Our beautiful American flag showing trueness, bravery and purity, was draped over his casket. He was laid at rest in Woodlawn cemetery, aged 66 years, 11 months, 19 days.Relatives present from afar were: W. Wolf and wife, H. Shelley and wife, G. Thordyke and wife, all of Akron; John Anderson of Ottobein; Joe Wolf of Dundee; and J. Anderson and wife of Canton.
Card of ThanksWe wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all the friends and neighbors who assisted in the sickness and death of our beloved husband and father; also the singers and those presenting the beautiful floral tribute. Mrs. Elizabeth Wolf and family.

Children of John W. S. Wolf & Elizabeth Jane Anderson:

Eliza J. Wolf b. c. 1870 married William Shirley

William E. Wolf b. c. 1871; d. 23 August 1934

John Franklin Wolf b 7 September 1873; d. 4 April 1951

Sarah Emma Wolf b. 8 August 1875

Anna May Wolf b. 3 June 1878

Samuel Harvey Wolf b. 13 January 1880; d. 30 March 1926

Mary B. Wolf b 23 April 1883; d. 1 May 1936 married Arthur Dunham in 1906

George B. Wolf b. 7 July 1884; d. 3 August 1884

Susan A. Wolf b November 1885 married Grant H. Thorndyke in 1908

John W. S. Wolf was the grand Uncle of Ivy Regina (Mark) Brown; brother of Esther Barbara (Wolf) Gruissy.

The data in this blog post may not contain the most recent research.

For updated information check recent posts related to this family or go to my website.

Owen Andrew Mark

Owen Andrew Mark

24 May 1915 - 12 October 1993

Son of Thomas K. Mark & N. Regina Gruissy

Husband of Blanch Bowers

Owen wrote this letter to his sister, Ivy Regina (Mark) Brown c. 1944. He was a farmer & a blacksmith. Owen had enlisted in the Army in 1943.  He mentions the birth of her youngest child, William Brown, b. 22 May 1944 in N.Y.S. 

35049862

Sgt. Owen A Mark
993     H. A. M. Co
A P. O. 350
c/o Post Master, NY, NY

Dear Ivy,

Received your letter. Was a bit surprised to hear you had a 10 lb. Boy. You certainly have a nice family. You have a Basket Ball Team of Boys all your own. Kids are nice to have on hand when you are older I guess. Never thought much about it. The folks were riding Bee because she has a Dog and no Kids. So she doesn’t go home much anymore. What was it to them, after all I am in the army! The same old lady will never learn. She is jealous as well. Bee likes Dad a lot and likes to take them Places if only Mom would be still. However this is between us, Remember the fun we had as Kids? I was a mean Brat! But you never told on me Like the other girls when Bill and I would get into a fight or something. I still can’t remember or picture you as a silver haired lady. I like to Remember you as I remember you I guess, blond, blue eyes, always seeing the funny side. I figure on seeing you all and those Beautiful Catskills and rivers (They say). I am just gonna sit in the Sun and see who can spit the farthest. The way I feel now, I’d make a perfect Bum. How’s Roy? Never hear about him. Wish I had a bottle of whiskey like he used to get. Well keep your chin up and I Hope you’re feeling Great, Owen.

Owen wrote this letter in 1954. He mentions his oldest sister, Isabell (Mark) Nee, his brother Clarence W. Mark, and his nephew, Harold J. Nee.

Jan 13, 1945
Sgt. Owen A Mark
993     H. A. M. Co
A P. O. 228
c/o Post Master, NY, NY

Dear Brownies:

Received your letter of Aug, 23/44 recently. It must have taken one heck of a time to get out of those Rip Van Winkle Hills. Glad you and Isabell had a Good visit. I Frankly was worried about you. I heard some rumors you were ill and so was Billie. Hope you’re doing fine. Guess Billy is on his first Legs by now. Yes, Bee is OK. Proof – she can’t stand Mama but loves Daddy and he is OK. You said it, he is Tops. I am fine and living good. But want to see the states. I kinda like to see you all and the hills when I can. Will win the war on this side one of these Days. I got it all figured. It will be sudden and surprise most of people when we do. For Heavens sake look at my address. The last few times and your Box were to a very old address. I have had 3 APO’s since the address you had. But write if it’s in care of RFD. Your box was very welcome and I thank the Brownies for it. I write to Harold every week But haven’t got together yet. I wonder what’s gonna happen when we come home. Things aren’t gonna be smooth. How’s Clarence? I wish he had got in medics here rather than in the hospital in the states. But he is safe anyway. That’s a lot. Well must close and Love to you all – Owen.

Johannes Peter Wolf of Germany

In tracing our Wolf family line backwards through time and across the ocean to Germany I have attempted to find the father of Johan Jacob Wolf (b. 1694 in Germany).  I used Ancestry.com to look at Wolf family web sites. Different sites claimed different fathers for Johan Jacob Wolf and I could find no actual sources for their claims.

In my visit to the York County Heritage Society; 250 East Market Street, York, Pennsylvania I looked at the family files for the Wolf surname. There was an amazing amount of information, not all linked to ‘our’ Wolf family. Among the piles of papers in the files was a photocopy of page from a book, a book in their holdings:

Bugert, Annette Kunselman. Eighteenth Century Emigrants from German - Speaking Lands to North America. Volume II: The Western Palatinate. Birdsboro, Pennsylvania: 

The Pennsylvania German Society, 1985.

The book discusses emigration from the Western Palatinate section of Germany. As an example it focuses on the Ulmet parish. The oldest church there dates back to 1091. “Ulmet parish provided an unusually large number of emigrants to Pennsylvania.” On 24 May 1632 a battle of the Thirty Years’ war was fought there. Emigrants who appear in the Ulmet Parish records after the Thirty Years’ War include: Jacob Wolf & Joh. Peter Wolf. A later list of inhabitants “reflects the surnames that remained in these villages after the emigration period”. One Wolf family remained in Ulmet parish.

Johannes Peter Wolf & his wife, Susanna, are among the many families detailed in this book. They were the parents of Johan Jacob Wolf, b. 3 May 1694. He married Anna Barbara, daughter of Hans Jacob Orth, in May 1716. Residents of Ronneberg. Their children were: 

Maria Magdelena b. 3 Feb 1717; 

Maria Barbara b. 29 October 1718; 

Joh. Peter bp. 1 Nov 1720; 

Joh. Ludwig bp. 5 Mar 1723, died.; 

Anna Maria b. 10 June 1724; 

Johannes bp 18 May 1726; 

Johann Nickel bp 4 Nov 1728; 

Maria Barbara bp 27 Dec 1730; 

Maria Christiana b 12 Jan 1733; d 16 Jan 1733; 

Joh. Friederich b. 16 Aug 1735; bp 21 Aug 1735.

“Jacob Wolff of Ronneberg moves with wife and children to America.”
“Descendants of Johannes Wolf were prominent citizens of Western York county. The family name became attached to a union church in West Manchester township near York. A plaque at the door of the Reformed Congregation retains the name.”

This information matches with other information I had already unearthed about our family and clearly shows Johannes Peter Wolf & Susanna as the next generation back in the family branch.

The data in this blog post may not contain the most recent research.

For updated information check recent posts related to this family or go to my website.

Adam & Ottilla Dick in York County, PA

Johan Adam Dick

1 Apr 1709 Germany - 29 Sep 1785 PA

Anna Ottilla Knack

4 Nov 1711 Germany - 20 Oct 1782 PA

On a gently sloping hill in the Pennsylvania farm country I found my sixth great grandparents*, Adam and Otilla Dick. A rugged stone fence encloses the Upper Conewago Church of the Brethren Cemetery at 372 Mummert Road in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania. The carefully tended cemetery has many very old tombstones.‎ Three rows back from Mummert Road is a row with several Dick tombstones: 

Adam Dick, 1 April 1709 – 29 September 1785; 

Ottilla Dick, 4 November 1711 – 20 October 1782; 

Sophia Dick, 13 May 1783 – 15 October 1784; 

Catharina Dick 28 December 1774 – 16 January 1792; 

Catharina Dick 1743 – 1800 (daughter in law, wife of Christian Dick).

In York County Heritage Trust, 250 East Market Street, York, Pennsylvania there are many records on the Wolf family. One helpful resource is: Wolfe, J. Arthur. Jonas Wolf of Berwick Township, York County, Pennsylvania: A History and Genealogy of a Colonial Ancestor and Some of His Descendants. Privately Published: 1987.

“Adam Dick was born in Germany 1/4/1709. The record of his parentage or the area of his homeland is unclear. He is listed as an immigrant to America, 11 September 1738, arriving at Philadelphia. Adam was a passenger on the Ship Rob & Alice, Walter Goodman Master, from Rotterdam.”

“Ottilla Knoak, his wife of about a year, accompanied hm.  Appollona, the first child of this emigrant ancestor was born on the ocean voyage near the time of arrival in America.”

“Adam Dick was born in Germany, 1 April 1709. He died 29 September 1785. He was married to Ottilo Knoak 1737. She was born 4 November 1711. She died 20 October 1782. They are buried in the Mummert’s Meeting House Cemetery in Hamilton Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania”.

The book lists these children of Adam and Ottilla Dick:

Appollona, b. 14 – 8 – 1738; d. 26 – 6- 1791 m. Jonas Wolf, b. 12 – 4- 1739; d. 7 -9 - 1787

Christian, b. 2- 1- 1740; d. 1810, m. Catherine Naugle, b. 28 – 6- 1743, d. 4- 5- 1800

Catharine m. George Bittinger

Christina m. Jacob Brown

Susanna m. John Horner

In neighboring Adams County I visited the Adams County Historical Society at 111 Seminary Ridge Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I found more evidence of Adam Dick.

Hively, Neal Otto. Original Pennsylvania Land Record Series: Berwick, Oxford, Hamilton, Reading, Tyrone, Huntington and Latimore Townships. Volume II. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: The Adams County Historical Society, 2009.


In Hamilton Township Adam purchased 176 acres of land on 17 March 1770. He called his home "Pleasant Level."

The data in this blog post may not contain the most recent research.

For updated information check recent posts related to this family or go to my website.