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.