A New Life in America: Peter and Lizzie Kockler

An article by Steven P. Cummins

A Disaster at Sea

The American sailing ship William Nelson left Flushing, Holland on 4 June 1865, with over 1,000 tons of cargo, including 460 immigrants bound for New York. While off the coast of Halifax, 3 weeks later, Captain John Levy was made aware that some passengers had become ill with a fever. With the hope of eliminating any contagions, the Captain ordered the steerage compartments to be fumigated¹.

“Steerage” refers to the lowest-grade accommodations aboard a ship. Millions of immigrants traveled to America aboard ships during the 19^th and 20^th centuries—most in the dank, cramped and dark bowels of ships.² Steerage accommodations were little more than cargo holds, with hundreds of people crammed into very little space, often alongside cargo, like livestock. The William Nelson was carrying 600 tons of iron, along with its passengers.

In attempting to fumigate the steerage compartments, the crew of the Nelson used pots of tar and inserted a red-hot iron, causing steam.³ They were nearly finished when the last pot burst into flame, burning the ship’s carpenter and mate. The fire quickly spread to the passengers’ bedding and soon the entire compartment was engulfed. Flames shot up the hatchway and enveloped the mainmast. With the fire out of control, the Captain gave orders to abandon ship. Only four boats were available for the crew and cabin passengers. These were soon swamped with emigrants, with one boat capsizing three times before getting underway. Captain Levy directed the crew to throw overboard anything that might float, so passengers could assemble makeshift rafts. One such raft was assembled and loaded with people when the mainmast toppled over, landing squarely on the raft and killing nearly everyone aboard.

The Captain stayed aboard his stricken ship until forced off by the flames. He and several crew dove overboard and started swimming to the boats, some distance away. Captain Levy took charge of two boats and ordered them back to the ship to supervise construction of additional rafts. They returned in time to see the main deck collapse into the conflagration, carrying many emigrants to their deaths. In all, nearly 400 passengers in steerage lost their lives in the tragedy.

Among the survivors were newlyweds Franz and Anna Meyer, from Switzerland.⁴ Franz, separated from Anna, managed to scramble aboard one of the boats. Anna was left on the deck where she discovered a 14-day-old infant. Scooping up the baby, she leapt into the water, where she clung to a spar for 2 days. Remarkably, she managed to sustain the infant with her own saliva. She was rescued by the brig Mercury—the same ship that picked up her husband.

The Mercury landed at Le Havre, France, where the local ladies rallied to support 19-year-old Anna, providing the couple with clothing and other goods and paying their passage on another ship to America. The Prussian Consulate took charge of the orphaned infant saved by Anna.

Anna and Franz, along with other survivors of the Nelson disaster, boarded the steamship S. S. Bellona, bound for New York. While en route, Anna gave birth to her first child. Upon arrival in New York on 3 August, ladies organizations took a keen interest in the young heroine and provided her with gifts to aid the family in starting their new life in America.

Among the more than 350 passengers accompanying the Meyer family in steerage was a young cooper named Peter Kockler.

Toward Greater Opportunity

Born on 4 September 1845 in Sankt Wendel, Kingdom of Prussia, Peter was the second child of Johann and Elizabeth Kockler.⁵ Peter’s father was a cooper ⁶ who married Elizabeth Marzen on 27 February 1843.⁷

Once part of France and then the independent duchy of Lichtenberg, Sankt Wendel was sold to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1834. Today, Sankt Wendel is part of the German state of Saarland, on the border with France. The Kockler name may be found in this region, on both sides of the border.

Johann and Elizabeth would have nine children, six of whom lived to adulthood. Most of the family would remain in Sankt Wendel, but three of the sons would make their way to America.

In the 1860s, the population of Sankt Wendel was about 2,000-3,000 people. Johann apparently had a successful cooperage and owned adjacent properties on Hospital Street. Likely, one of these was his business and the other, the family home.

In the mid-19^th century, Prussia wanted to take its place as a dominant force in Europe. After significant defeats at the hands of the French earlier in the century, Prussia set about reforming its society, including its military. In 1814, Prussia adopted universal military service.⁸ The law now required every male to serve 3 years in the Army, followed by 5 years in the reserves, beginning at age 20. After service in the reserves, each man was enlisted in the militia, known as the Landwehr, until 40 years of age. As Prussia built up its military capability, France was the dominant military power in Europe. As the inevitable tension between France and Germany increased, it was only a matter of time before these two squared off. Of course, the breaking point was reached in 1870 with the Franco-Prussian war, resulting in a startling and overwhelming Prussian victory.

It was in this environment that Peter Kockler neared his 20^th birthday. With conflict on the horizon, he likely opted for opportunity in America, rather than become embroiled in the coming showdown with his neighbors in France. Family legend has it that Peter was smuggled out of Prussia, dressed as a girl. While there is no evidence this is true, he almost certainly left Prussia for France with intent to board a ship for the New World prior to his 20^th birthday and mandatory service in the Prussian Army.

Peter’s Siblings

Three of Peter’s siblings sadly died young: Elisabetha, Johann (at age 9) and Peter Karl (at 1). Two of Peter’s sisters, Barbara and Johanetta, remained in Sankt Wendel, where they married and raised families. Older sister Barbara, who married Martin Riotte, died in 1926, the day before her 83^rd birthday⁹ after raising 10 children. Johanetta married Heinrich Brachetti on 15 January 1870. She passed away in 1928, at age 78, in Neunkirchen, Germany. Peter’s second-youngest brother, Philipp Jakob was born in June 1860.¹⁰ Philipp, named for his father’s brother, married Katherine Thome on 1 May 1887. Philipp followed his sisters in death in 1929.¹¹ Two of Peter’s brothers followed him to America. Nicolaus (Nicholas) was born on 19 July 1848 in Sankt Wendel.¹² At age 18, he arrived in the port of New York on 28 September 1866 aboard the Vera Cruz.¹³ The passenger manifest inexplicably lists Nicholas as a farmer, along with many others sharing the voyage. Like his father and older brother, Nicholas was a cooper. From New York, he made his way to Titusville in Crawford County, Pennsylvania,¹⁴ very near his older brother. Doubtless Nicholas was drawn there by the oil industry. Nicholas continued working as a cooper and living on Mechanic Street in Titusville¹⁵ until his death in 1886.

Josef (Joseph) Johann Kockler arrived in the world on 2 April 1855 in Sankt Wendel.¹⁶ On 5 January 1882, he married Maria Kaferma. Little more than a year later, Joseph emigrated to the United States.¹⁷ It remains uncertain whether the couple separated or Maria tragically died. Joseph likely arrived in Boston and settled in Worcester, Massachusetts.¹⁸ Like his father and brothers, Joseph worked as a cooper. For more than 20 years, he plied his trade in a barrel shop on Quinsigamond Avenue.¹⁹

In April 1888, Joseph applied for citizenship²⁰ and was naturalized in October.²¹ In 1891, he briefly left Worcester for New York City, where he met and married Mary A. Carje,²² a German immigrant 19 years his senior. By 1904, he was back in Massachusetts, this time in Nantucket. It was while here that Joseph applied for a passport,²³ possibly to visit his family in Germany. In his late 40s, Joseph stood 5 feet 10 inches tall, sporting brown hair and gray eyes.

Six years later, Joseph and Mary were back in Worcester, with Joseph returning to the barrel shop. Apparently, in 1913, Joseph passed away at 58 years of age.

Peter in America

At 19, Peter left home for Le Havre, France, where he boarded the steamship Bellona in July 1865.²⁴ After 16 days at sea in the cramped steerage compartment, Peter came ashore in New York City²⁵ to begin his new life in America. He was fortunate to have the support of his uncle, Philip, who came to the United States about 7 years prior. Philipp Jacob Kockler was the younger brother of Peter’s father, born in 1828 in Sankt Wendel.²⁶ Philip began his new life as a gunsmith in Philadelphia in about 1862.²⁷ He served in the Union Army during the Civil War, likely in the militia. By 1868, he had married a woman named Henrietta and settled in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.²⁸ Philip purchased the business of another gunsmith, a F. Beerstecher, and set up shop.

Philip advertised mechanical repairs and coopering services in May 1868, indicating he had a couple of experienced workmen. Doubtless, Peter was one of these coopers. In October of that year, Peter entered some items in the Union County Fair, winning a $1.00 prize in the “manufactured articles” category for two washtubs and buckets.²⁹

Peter remained in Lewisburg through at least the following year when he applied for citizenship. He was naturalized on 6 October 1869.³⁰ Two years later, he voted in the first election held after passage of the 15^th Amendment to the Constitution. He also participated in the 1872 Presidential general election which saw Ulysses S. Grant elected as 18^th President of the United States. Peter documented the first three times he voted on the back of his naturalization papers.

By 1871, Peter had moved to Sugarcreek in Venango County, likely drawn by the booming oil industry in that region. Oil production became the driving force in Venango and Crawford Counties once Edwin Drake drilled a producing oil well at a depth of 69 feet in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on 27 August 1859.³¹ As oil production quickly ballooned to millions of barrels each year, the need for barrels and coopers to build them dramatically increased. Interestingly, Michael Heisman was part owner of a cooperage in Titusville shortly after Drake hit Black Gold. His son, John W. Heisman became a football player and coach, for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.

Peter worked as a cooper in the oil industry from 1871 until his retirement in 1916. For 24 years, he worked at the Galena-Signal Oil Works in Franklin.³² Galena-Signal developed revolutionary lubricants for use by railroads. In 1878, the company was purchased by Standard Oil and went independent again after the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911. Galena-Signal then became part of Valvoline in 1931.

In 1872, Peter met and married Harriet Elizabeth Farrah.³³

Lizzie

Born on 3 August 1855 in Venango County,³⁴ Harriet Elizabeth Farrah experienced a difficult childhood. She was the fourth child born to Hazzard C. Farrah and Serepta A. Williams in a family where Harriet had five sisters and one brother. Harriet preferred her middle name and went by “Lizzie” for most of her life.

Lizzie’s father was a farmer, born in Ohio but raised in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. He married Serepta Williams in about 1850, at which time the newlyweds were living with Hazzard’s parents in Sandy Lake.³⁵ By 1863, Hazard and Serepta had sold 50 acres of land in Mercer County to Hazzard’s brother³⁶ and another 38 acres to his sister.³⁷ These sales likely financed Hazzard’s move to Frenchcreek in Venango County.

At this point, the story becomes bleak as, by 1870, Serepta had died and the children were split up among relatives. Hazzard returned to Ohio where he took work in a sawmill³⁸ and remarried—on 5 March to Sarah M. Greenwood.³⁹ This union did not last long, as Sarah left her husband a year later,⁴⁰ while the couple were living in Clarksville, Ohio.

Eight years later, Hazzard married again, this time to Rachel C. Merricle,⁴¹ in Pueblo, Colorado. Hazzard and Rachel remained in Pueblo through 1885⁴² but, by 1892, Hazzard had apparently passed away.⁴³

Even before the death of her mother, 4-year-old Lizzie was living with her grandparents in Sandy Lake in 1860.⁴⁴ Ten years later, Lizzie and her younger sisters, Mary Wilhelmina and Helen Ann, as well as her younger brother, John Hazzard, were living with another relative, Rosine Farrah, in Frenchcreek.⁴⁵ At the same time, her oldest sister, Serepta was a domestic servant for a farmer named Brown in Sandy Lake.⁴⁶

By 1880, Lizzie’s older sister, Hannah, was living in Frenchcreek with her husband, William Flickner and three young children.⁴⁷ Hannah would add a fourth child before she and William divorced in 1891. The following year she married James H. Snyder⁴⁸ and moved to Oil City, where she lived until her death from a stroke in 1912.⁴⁹

Lizzie’s sister Sarah married David Collins in about 1874. David was a Civil War veteran who was likely wounded during the conflict. In 1880, he applied for and received an invalid pension based on his service.⁵⁰ That same year, David and Sarah were living in Foster Township in McKean County with their two children.⁵¹ Most likely, the Bradford oil boom drew the family there, as David was working as a driller. By 1897, the family had moved back to Venango County and were living there when David passed away at 54 years of age.⁵² His early death likely resulted from injuries sustained during the Civil War. After David’s death, Sarah applied for a widow’s pension. These usually amounted to $8 per month. In 1910, Sarah was running a farm in Mineral, Pennsylvania with one of her daughters.⁵³ Subsequently, in about 1912, Sarah gave up the farm and bought a house in Sugarcreek on Venango Street,⁵⁴ where she lived for the remainder of her life. Sarah passed away due to heart disease on 31 August 1924.⁵⁵

John Farrah married Sarah L. Hays in 1882 in Venango County.⁵⁶ John became a farmer, buying 42 acres of land in Frenchcreek from his in-laws.⁵⁷ He continued farming until after his wife’s death from kidney cancer in 1916.⁵⁸ In 1920, he was living with his son Claude and his family in Frenchcreek,⁵⁹ where he remained until his death in 1930, on his 71^st birthday (2 February).⁶⁰

Lizzie’s younger sister, Mary, married at 19 in about 1880. She and husband James L. Card were then living in Bradford, Pennsylvania, where James was working the oil fields.⁶¹ By 1884, the couple was back in Venango County when James was arrested and convicted of abusing his wife in an alcohol-fueled altercation. He was fined $5 and sentenced to 10 days in jail.⁶² It remains undetermined if there were further incidents, as James continued working in the oil industry until his death at 63 in 1910. Mary sadly followed on 29 October 1911 at only 51.⁶³

In 1880, the youngest Farrah girl, Helen, was working as a domestic servant for farmer David Palm in Frenchcreek.⁶⁴ The following year, she married the farmer’s son, Thomas.⁶⁵ Thomas was a stone mason and the couple had six girls and a boy. From at least 1910, the family live in Polk in a series of rented houses. Thomas died in 1932 and Helen stayed in Polk for the next 20 years until her death at age 90.

Peter and Lizzie

In 1880, Peter and Lizzie were living in Siverly Township with their son, Charles.⁶⁶ Charles was their fourth child and the first to survive infancy. In all, Peter and Lizzie had 15 children, with only 6 reaching adulthood. The survivors comprised Charles Harry, Laura Paulene, Joseph Earl, Frank Arnold, Dora Cathryn, and Philip Edward. Today, it is hard to imagine the loss of a single child, let alone nine. Infant mortality between 1870 and 1880 was dreadfully high due to epidemic diseases, like smallpox, as well as other risk factors like poor nutrition. After 1880, the mortality rate improved but significant survivability beyond age 20 was not realized until after 1900. Losing the majority of their children was a sad, but common, burden of life that Peter and Lizzie had to shoulder.

After marrying, the couple initially settled in Sugarcreek but moved around, likely chasing oil work. They went from Sugarcreek to Petroleum Centre⁶⁷ to Siverly,⁶⁸ before finally settling in the Bleakley Hill neighborhood of Franklin.⁶⁹ By 1899, they had settled into their longtime home at 18 First Avenue in Bleakley Hill. The mortgage on the house was paid off by 1910.⁷⁰ The children were likely educated in Rocky Grove schools in Franklin. Peter was clearly successful at work, having paid off his mortgage in about 10 years. He also gave back to his community through involvement with the benevolent Order of Owls organization in Franklin.⁷¹

Just 3 years after retiring, Peter fell ill and died on 17 October 1919 at 74.⁷² A funeral was held 2 days later at his home and officiated by Rev. T. W. Pearson.⁷³ Peter was laid to rest in Franklin Cemetery.

Widowed at 64, Lizzie remained in the Bleakly Hill home for the rest of her days, living with her son Philip. In 1921, she made out a will, leaving all her clothing to her daughters and the house to Philip.⁷⁴ She bequeathed each of her children the sum of $25, to be paid by Philip from her estate. Two years later, Lizzie was stricken with stomach cancer and died on 22 October 1923.⁷⁵ Like her husband, Lizzie’s funeral was held at home on 24 October. She is buried beside Peter in Franklin Cemetery.

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Endnotes

1. “The Loss of the Ship, William Nelson,” report, London Standard, 15 July 1865, 6; online image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : downloaded 27 December 2025) ↩︎
2. Tom Hutchinson, “The Steerage Experience,” Tom Hutchinson, The Only Way to Cross, 11 February 2018 (https://oceanlinersblog.wordpress.com/ : accessed 27 December 2025) ↩︎
3. “The Loss of the Ship, William Nelson,” 6 ↩︎
4. “The Burning of the William Nelson,” report, Rochester Daily Union and Advertiser, 7 August 1865, 1, Anna Meyer; digital image, Newspaper Archive (https://newspaperarchive.com : downloaded 26 December 2025) ↩︎
5. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany, birth certificate no. 144 (6 September 1845), Peter Kockler; Mayor’s Office, Sankt Wendel, Germany, Find a Grave, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com : ↩︎
6. Ibid. ↩︎
7. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany, “Marriages 1843,” 1843, 17-18, 17, Johann Kockler-Elizabeth Marzen, 27 February 1843; City Archives, Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany ↩︎
8. Michael Howard, The Franco-Prussian War (New York: Dorset Press, 1961), 11 ↩︎
9. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany 1926, C2, vol. 7, 63, 58, Barbara Riotte, 30 April 1926; Landesarchiv des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken-Scheidt, Germany, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com  : ↩︎
10. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany, “Marriages 1887 Sankt Wendel,” B, 36, 16, Phillip Jacob Kockler, 1 May 1887; Landesarchiv des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken-Scheidt, Germany, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
11. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany, “Death Register 1929,” C, 69, 64, Philipp Jakob Kockler, 22 June 1929; Landesarchiv des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken-Scheidt, Germany, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
12. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany, birth certificate no. 85 (July 1848), Nicolaus Kockler; Mayor’s office, Sankt Wendel, Germany ↩︎
13. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897, microfilm publication NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives), Vera Cruz, 28 September 1866, Nicholas Kockler; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
14. Titusville, Oil City, and Franklin Directory for 1874 (Titusville, Pennsylvania: J. H. Lant, 1874), 58, Nicholas Kockler; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 1 December 2025) ↩︎
15. Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Warren Directory for 1885 (Titusville, Pennsylvania: J. H. Lant, 1885), 54, Nicholas Kockler; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 28 December 2025) ↩︎
16. Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany, “Marriages for the year 1882 Sankt Wendel,” B, 6, 1, Josef Johann Kockler, 5 January 1882; Landesarchiv des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken-Scheidt, Germany, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
17. “Passport Applications, 1795-1905,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 3 December 2025), Joseph J. Kockler, passport no. 89703, roll 656, image 193, 15 Jun 1904-21 Jun 1904; National Archives and Records Administration ↩︎
18. The Worcester Directory (Worcester, Massachusetts: Drew, Allis & Company, 1888), 225, Joseph J. Kockler; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 29 December 2025) ↩︎
19. 1910 U.S. Census, Worcester, Massachusetts, population, Worcester, 19B, Enumeration District (ED) 1915, 8 Tufts St., dwelling 7, family 412; NARA microfilm publication T624, 633, John J. Kockler; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
20. Joseph J. Kockler, naturalization petition, Volume 3, 1887-1888, Central District Court of Worcester County, Massachusetts; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; National Archives, Boston, Massachusetts; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
21. Joseph J. Kockler, naturalized 2 October 1888, 58, Central District Court of Worcester; Returns of Naturalizations; Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, Massachusetts; FamilySearch International, FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org : ↩︎
22. New York City, Department of Records, New York City Marriages, 1866-1937, 1892, 7608, Joseph J. Kockler, Mary Carje, 18 May 1892, Municipal Archives, New York, New York; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
23. “Passport Applications, 1795-1905,” digital image, Ancestry, Joseph J. Kockler, passport no. 89703 ↩︎
24. “Foreign Ports,” notice, New York Times, 2 August 1865, 8, Bellona departure; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : downloaded 31 December 2025) ↩︎
25. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, 1820-1897, microfilm publication NARA microfilm publication 237 (Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration), Bellona, 4 August 1865, Pierre Kockler; Internet Archive, Internet Archive, https://archive.org : ↩︎
26. Kate McFate, “Find A Grave”, Philip Kockler, 1828–1883, Memorial ID: 97462933, Lewisburg Cemetery, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, https://www.findagrave.com : , created: 20 September 2012, accessed on 14 November 2025 ↩︎
27. McElroy’s Philadelphia City Directory for 1862 (Philadelphia: E.C. & J. Biddle & Co., 1862), 365, Philip Kockler; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 30 December 2025) ↩︎
28. “Philip Kockler,” advertisement, Lewisburg Chronicle, 17 July 1868, 3, Philip Kockler; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : downloaded 14 November 2025) ↩︎
29. “Premiums Awarded at the late Union County Fair,” notice, Lewisburg Chronicle, 16 October 1868, 2, Peter Kockler; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : downloaded 14 November 2025) ↩︎
30. Naturalization record, Kockler Family Artifacts, Union County Court of Common Pleas, Peter Kockler naturalization petition and decision, privately held by Carolina Kockler, Otto, McKean, Pennsylvania, 1996 ↩︎
31. Jim Messer, Growing Up in the Bradford Oil Fields, (Xlibris, 2008), 12 ↩︎
32. “Peter Kochler,” obituary, Franklin News-Herald, 17 October 1919, 6, Peter Kockler; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : downloaded 8 November 2025) ↩︎
33. 1900 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Sugarcreek, 87, Enumeration District (ED) 168, dwelling 203, family 209; NARA microfilm publication T623, 1491, Peter Kockler; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
34. Harriet E. Kockler, death certificate 105556 (22 October 1923), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
35. 1850 U.S. Census, Mercer, Pennsylvania, population, Sandy Lake, 576, dwelling 124, family 124, Hazard Farrah, NARA microfilm publication M432, 796; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
36. Mercer, Pennsylvania, Mercer County Deed Records, U2: 17, from Hazzard and Serepta Farrah to Edwin Farrah, 4 October 1863, 25 August 1866, Recorder of Deeds, Mercer, Pennsylvania; FamilySearch, FamilySearch International, digital image, https://www.familysearch.org : ↩︎
37. Mercer, Pennsylvania, Mercer County Deed Records, B3: 254-255, from Farrah to Farrah, 16 December 1863, 30 July 1870, Recorder of Deeds, Mercer, Pennsylvania; FamilySearch, FamilySearch International, digital image, https://www.familysearch.org : ↩︎
38. 1870 U.S. Census, Defiance, Ohio, population, Milford, 10, dwelling 67, family 68, Hazard Farrah, NARA microfilm publication M593, 1195; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
39. Steuben, Indiana, marriage records index, Marriage Records Book A No. 1 – 6 1837 – 1899, Hazzard Farrah, Sarah M. Greenwood, Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Fort Wayne, Indiana; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
40. “Caution,” notice, Defiance Democrat, 1 April 1871, 2, Hazard Farrah; digital image, Newspaper Archive (https://newspaperarchive.com : downloaded 5 December 2025) ↩︎
41. Colorado, Marriage Record Report, Marriage Book 1: 254, Farrah-Merricle, Division of Vital Statistics, Denver, Colorado; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
42. 1885 Colorado State Census, Pueblo, population, Pueblo, 13, ED 6, dwelling 96, family 97, Hazard Farrah, National Archives, Washington, D.C.; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
43. Probate Court, Defiance, Ohio, 2 August 1882, Will Book 3: 556-559, Webster Farrah will; FamilySearch International, FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org : ↩︎
44. 1860 U.S. Census, Mercer, Pennsylvania, populations, Sandy Lake, 176, dwelling 1255, family 1215, Isaac Farrah, NARA microfilm publication M653, 1140; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
45. 1870 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, French Creek, 21, dwelling 146, family 141, Rosine Farrah, NARA microfilm publication M593, 1459; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
46. 1870 U.S. Census, Mercer, Pennsylvania, population, Sandy Lake, 8, dwelling 63, family 63, Serepta Farrah, NARA microfilm publication M593, 1374; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
47. 1880 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Frenchcreek, 30, Enumeration District (ED) 243, dwelling 156, family 157; NARA microfilm publication T9, 1199, Hannah Esther Farrah; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
48. Venango, Pennsylvania, marriage licenses/applications, 6: 2112, Snyder-Flickner, Orphans’ Court, Franklin, Pennsylvania; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
49. Hannah E. Snyder, death certificate 95597 (26 October 1912), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
50. National Archives and Records Administration, “Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934”, Record Group: 15, Series: T288, Roll: 91, David Collins Pension Card, 23 Jun 1880; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 11 December 2025) ↩︎
51. 1880 U.S. Census, McKean, Pennsylvania, population, Foster, 71, Enumeration District (ED) 77, family 718; NARA microfilm publication T9, 1153, David Collins; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
52. Doris Hartman, “Find A Grave”, David C. Collins, 1843–1897, Memorial ID: 100975237, Saint Patrick’s Cemetery, Franklin, Pennsylvania, https://www.findagrave.com : , created: 20 November 2012, accessed on 9 December 2025 ↩︎
53. 1910 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Mineral, 247, Enumeration District (ED) 124, dwelling 122, family 125; NARA microfilm publication T624, 1423, Sarah A. Collins; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
54. Directory of Oil City, Including West End Boro and Franklin 1912-1913 (Oil City, Pennsylvania: Derrick Publishing Company, 1912), 48, Collins; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 10 December 2025 ↩︎
55. Sarah A. Collins, death certificate 77558 (31 August 1924), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
56. 1910 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Frenchcreek, 185, Enumeration District (ED) 119, dwelling 26, family 26; NARA microfilm publication T624, 1423, John H. Farrah; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
57. Venango, Pennsylvania, deed books, 145: 10-11, from John & Sarah Hays to John H. Farrah, 25 August 1884, 1 September 1884, Recorder of Deeds, Franklin, Pennsylvania; FamilySearch, FamilySearch International, digital image, https://www.familysearch.org : ↩︎
58. Sarah L. Farrah, death certificate 103871 (20 October 1916), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
59. 1920 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Frenchcreek, 178, Enumeration District (ED) 117, dwelling 54, family 54; NARA microfilm publication T625, 1656, John H. Farrah; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
60. John Hazzard Farrah, death certificate 20349 (2 February 1930), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
61. 1880 U.S. Census, McKean, Pennsylvania, population, Bradford, 10, Enumeration District (ED) 78, dwelling 83, family 91; NARA microfilm publication T9, 1153, James Card; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
62. “Sudden Death,” report, Oil City Derrick, 6 June 1884, 7, Mary W. Card; digital image, Newspaper Archive (https://newspaperarchive.com : downloaded 13 December 2025) ↩︎
63. Mary Card, death certificate 94378 (29 October 1911), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
64. 1880 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Frenchcreek, 28, Enumeration District (ED) 243, dwelling 134, family 135; NARA microfilm publication T9, 1199, Helen Farrah; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
65. 1910 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Polk, 200, Enumeration District (ED) 120, Erie St., dwelling 62, family 65; NARA microfilm publication T624, 1423, Thomas A. Palm; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
66. 1880 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Siverly, 54, Enumeration District (ED) 238, dwelling 454, family 468; NARA microfilm publication T9, 1199, Peter Kockler; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
67. Naturalization record, Kockler Family Artifacts ↩︎
68. 1880 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Siverly, ED 238, 54, dwelling 454, family 468, Peter Kockler ↩︎
69. Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Warren Directory for 1883 (Titusville, Pennsylvania: J. H. Lant, 1883), 246, Peter Kockler; digital image, Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 7 November 2025) ↩︎
70. 1910 U.S. Census, Venango, Pennsylvania, population, Sugarcreek, 232, Enumeration District (ED) 146, dwelling 15, family 16; NARA microfilm publication T624, 1424, Peter Kockler; Ancestry.com Operations Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
71. “Peter Kochler,” obituary, Franklin News-Herald, 17 October 1919, 6, Peter Kockler; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : downloaded 8 November 2025) ↩︎
72. Peter Kockler, death certificate 101610 (17 October 1919), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎
73. “Peter Kochler,” 6, Peter Kockler ↩︎
74. Harriet E. Kockler, Last Will and Testament, Register of Wills, Franklin, Pennsylvania ↩︎
75. Harriet E. Kockler, death certificate 105556 (22 October 1923), Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com : ↩︎