PETER LEROCK FAMILY
(Ann Watkins provided the following information 8/26/03)
ann.watkins@csun.edu
Name: Peter Lerock (La Rock)
Birth: Apr 1845 Quebec, Canada
Death: 3 Jan 1913 Alton, Osborne Co, KS
Burial: Alton Cem, Alton, Osborne Co, KS
Occupation: Worked in Gaunt lumber yard in Alton, Laborer1
Residence: QUE>NY 1866>Bull City/Alton KS Nov 1878
Father: Joseph Lerock (Larocque)
1880 U.S. Census for Sumner township, Osborne Co, KS
Enum Dist 213, page 24
Lerock
Peter WM 33 Laborer, Born Canada, Father born Can, Mother born Can
Catherine W F 30 Keeping house, NY, Ire, Ire
Mary W F 5 NY
Joseph W M 3 NY
Christina W F 1 KS
All children have father born in Canada and mother born in NY.
Died of "la grippe" (influenza).
June 1880 census lists his age as 331.
According to 1880 census, both parents born in Canada.
Living in Berlin, NY when married.
1900 census says he came to the United States in 1866.
Became U.S. citizen 8 Oct 1878 in Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY. Living in
Kinderhook then.
From "The History of Bull City 1870-1970" published by the Osborne
County Farmer Newspaper, Osborne, KS, page 61:
"The Peter LeRock and Tom Conklin families were early day settlers of
Alton."
Listed with his family in 1880 census, taken 23 June, in Sumner
Township, Osborne Co, KS on page 24 Enumeration District #213. James
Conklin and Thomas Conklin families were listed in adjacent dwellings.
Garth LeRock says the location was about a mile north of Alton and a
little west.
Joined Methodist Church in Alton in 1899.
Buried in Alton Cemetery:
LeRock, Caroline, no dates
LeRock, Catherine, none, 4 Jan 1928
LeRock, Freda, 1892-1966
LeRock, Hettie Jane, 23 Jul 1878, 3 Nov 1938
LeRock, Joseph 1 Feb 1877, 24 Mar 1944
LeRock, Peter, none, 3 Jan 1914
LeRock, Thomas, none, 2 Dec 1908
LeRock, William H. 1888-1959
Marriage: 24 Jun 1872 Berlin, Rensselaer Co, NY
Spouse: Catherine Conklin
Birth: 18 Apr 1853 Albany, Albany Co, NY
Death: 14 Jan 1928 San Diego, San Diego Co, CA
Burial: Alton Cem, Alton, Osborne Co, KS
Occupation: Keeping house1
Residence: NY>Bull City/Alton KS Nov 1878>San Diego CA abt 1926
Father: James Conklin (1817->1880)
Mother: Peggy Gorman (-<1870)
Peter's obituary said he and Catherine had nine children, four of whom
died before Peter. Catherine's obituary said there were a total of
eight. So possibly three children died as infants.
In the Alton Cemetery, Alton, Osborne Co, KS are buried a Caroline
LeRock (no dates) and Hettie Jane LeRock (23 July 1878 - 3 November
1938). Hettie is the wife of Joe LeRock.
June 1880 Census lists her age as 301.
Census 1920 KS--Wichita, Sedgwick, KS
Lerock, Katherine 66 NY
She was blind as an old lady and smoked a clay pipe. Garth remembers her
sitting in a high-backed rocking chair and smoking.
Marriage may be 22 June 1872. Living in Berlin, NY when married.
Marriage by Gospel minister (on marriage certificate).
Listed with her family in 1880 census, taken 23 June, in Sumner
Township, Osborne Co, KS on page 24 Enumeration District #213. James
Conklin and Thomas Conklin families were listed in adjacent dwellings.
Catherine lived with son William after Peter died before moving to
California. (Did she live with the Hamiltons in Wichita? Rex writes of
Grandma there.)
Children
1 F: Mary Ann Lerock
Birth: 9 Oct 1874 Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY
Death: 28 May 1961 San Diego, San Diego Co, CA
Occupation: Ran restaurant while living in OK
Spouse: Cornelius Ami Hamilton
Marriage: 14 Jun 1899 Alton, Osborne Co, KS
2 M: Joseph (Joe) Lerock
Birth: 1 Feb 1877 New York2,1
Death: 24 Mar 19442
Spouse: Hettie Jane
3 F: Christina (Tiny) Lerock
Birth: 1878/1879 Bull City/Alton, Osborne Co, KS1
Death: 12 Aug 1942/1943 age 64 at death
Spouse: William A. (Will) Gillespie
4 M: Thomas (Tommy) Lerock
Birth: aft 1880
Death: 2 Dec 1908 Alton, Osborne Co, KS
Story from Garth LeRock in 1996: Tommy got into an argument over
cheating at cards in a saloon in Alton. As he got up to leave, he was
shot in the back. The killer was locked in a garage in Alton. When
William heard of it, he was determined to kill the killer and went into
town with a gun. He was jumped and restrained by men of the town.
William never got over this and kept track of the location of the killer
long after he got out of prison.
From "The History of Bull City 1870-1970" published by the Osborne
County Farmer Newspaper, Osborne, KS, page 38:
"Back of the Hinkley Pool Hall, Tom LeRock was killed by Albert Hinkley.
Although the latter was sent to the penitentiary, he was parolled after
ten years. While he was held in the Osborne County Jail, being an expert
whittler, he created, out of wood, a beautiful piece of work which he
gave to B. P. Walker, editor of the Farmer. They had become good
friends, and it was said that his parole was granted largely through the
efforts of Walker."
5 M: William (Will) Henry Lerock
Birth: 6 Nov 1888 Alton, Osborne Co, KS2
Death: 2 Dec 1959 Alton, Osborne Co, KS2
Census 1920 Jan 2: Alton City, Osborne, KS p. 1A
Lerock, William H. (R) 31 KS CAN ENG
Fredy E. wife 27 KS KS NY
Garth W son 1 2/12 KS KS KS
Spouse: Freda Evelena Strange
Marriage: 2 Jan 1917 Osborne Co, KS