On Frederick Overrocker, Sr.'s Siblings and Some Reconciliations

From  Amsterdam Recorder, January 24, 1949.

Obituary

Miss Sadie Overrocker

Miss Sadie Overrocker died Sunday night at the Willisonian Convalescent

Home, Fultonville. where she had been a patient since June.

Miss Overrocker was  born in Cohoes April 24. 1878,

but had always lived in this vicinity and was

a member of Grace Methodist Church of Fort Johnson.

Her kind and generous nature attracted a wide circle of friends and she was

held In warm regard by all who knew her. Surviving are one brother,

Frederick Overrocker, Fort Johnson; two sisters. Miss Mary Overrocker,

Willard, N. Y., and Mrs. Eber Yell, Amsterdam; one nephew,

 Frederick Overrocker Jr.. and a niece, Mrs, Lewis Casline, Fort Johnson

This would say my grandfather Fred Overrocker, Sr. had at least three sisters…Mary, Sadie and  Mrs. Eber Yell.  The wife of Eber Yell was Hazel Overrocker and Mary also went by Mamie Overrocker). We went to Grace Methodist Church in Fort Johnson up to time it closed/merged with larger Church in Amsterdam, N.Y. I interviewed Eber Yell in the 1980’s

My first post on this blog (Casline Family Blog-Alan’s Version) was on a relative, James Reilly. He was a family “black sheep” but also a “swashbuckler”. He took a second wife while living in Nevada without divorcing the first and was shot and killed in a gunfight. The first post accounts this and other information. I had always thought his connection was as a distant uncle or cousin. After re-reading Ruth Clark’s genealogy, I find the connection much closer. James Reilly was my Great Grandfather. There is family information on James in the articles written about him that differs somewhat from Ruth Clark’s. The U.S. Government did an investigation to see if James’ Civil War Pension should go to his second wife, Elizabeth Doyle. Here are some dates from that investigation.

James Reilly   born March 18, 1839……………………..Ruth Clark had “born 1828”

                       ‘murdered” March 18, 1886

Jame Reilly’s father John Reilly  born 1811 in Ireland….Ruth Clark had born 1800

  James Reilly’s mother Mary    born 1816 in Ireland……Ruth Clark had born 1805

John reilly immigrated to New York 1839-1840………….Ruth Clark had left for America 1937

Joh Reilly’s son John was born 1840……………………..Ruth Clark had born 1828

Great Grandfather married Mary Soper on November 24, 1855 in Perth, N.Y….Ruth Clark wrote he married the Mohawk, Mary Young. Ruth Clark said they had three children and the other account says there were four children  Mary E. Soper Reilly is identified as giving a deposition as Mary Kline of Akin, Montgomery Co.. “Kline” is German for “Young” and Akin is the early names for Fort Johnson—so this adds up. Her family name seems to be Soper. Mary Kline is given the age of sixty-three in 1902, so was born 1839 or 1840. I had been told there was a familyconnection to the Kline/Young Family of early settlers Palatine Dutch in the Mohawk Valley.

Catherine Reilly Cassidy (Ruth Clark’s Grandmother) is identified as being four years younger than James, so would have birthday 1843 (same as Ruth Clark’s date of birth)

I think we are talking about the same people. Hard to say whose Birthday’s are correct. I lean to the U.S. Government investigation dates.  Shouldn’t be too hard to find out with a little looking.