Klock Connections

Issue 12, July 2002

A Klock Family Reunion

A Klock Family Reunion was held in Morley, Michigan at the cabin of Jerry Klock on June29, 2002. This was the first Klock Reunion held in Michigan for the entire Klock family. Attendance was small, but we had a lot of fun. Genealogy was the main topic, at lease for me…. Richard Hayes from Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan was there. He is related through the Klock and Nellis side of the family. Most of his research is on the Nellis side of the family, but he has a lot of information on the Klock side as well. The Klock and Nellis families have many ties to each other starting in the early 1700’s when Barvalis Klock, daughter of Hendrick Klock married Christian Nellis.

Sally and Ralph McCollum attended the reunion as well as John and Debie McGraft. They are related through Benjamin Klock. We have been working on Benjamin Klocks line fro quite a while to find out who his father was so we can find the connection. Benjamin Klock’s family and mine lived in Tuscola County and arrived in Tuscola County about the same time from New York about 1850.

Also in attendance was Henry D. Klock from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. His Grandfather, Henry Klock is buried in South Haven, Michigan. I have been to the grave several times. My parents are also buried in the same cemetery. I have often wondered if we were related. I will have to do some more research and find out. Henry attended the reunion along with his sister Evie (Klock) Mitchell, pictured on the front page. Joseph Klock and his wife Shelia also attended. Joe and Henry are brothers.

We had games for the kids, and the adults played cards and pitched some horseshoes. As usual I was busy running my mouth talking with my new cousins. We also had a fifty-fifty drawing with half of the money going to the winner of the drawing. $132.00 was collected, then Joe donated $20.00 of his winnings back to the pot for Fort Klock. I will be putting a check in the mail this week for $86.00 as a donation.

	<-Melvin and Kathy Klock from Rega, Michigan
	<-Richard Hayes relaxing at the picnic table.
	<-Ralph and Sally McCollum talking wih Henry Klock
	<- Debbie McGraft talking with my sister, Sandy (Klock) Henry
	<-This is a picture of Jerry and Holly Klock
	<-Joe Klock, pitching some horseshoes and Shelia Klock, Joe's wife

Johanguergh Klock 1714-1790

Johanguergh Klock, known as “Old George” or Urie was the son of Hendrick Klock. He was a private in the New York Militia during the American Revolution. His house, pictured above, was built in 1760. The home is in St. Johnsville, New York and now belongs to the Hillenbrand Family. It was built by Captain Christian House and was called Fort House during the Revolution, perhaps to distinguish it from the other two Fort Klocks. Old George cut his initials in the southeast corner of the cellar wall, “ GK 1760 “

“Old George” was a colorful man, it is said he was abusive with the ministers and had been charged with selling rum to the Indians. George married Marcia Catherine Walrath in 1736. (Some sources say her name was Margaretha) They had eight children, Jacob G. Klock who was the Judge I wrote about in the May newsletter, George G., Catharine, Margaret, Elizabeth, Anna, Magdalena and Peter.

“The activities of this man would fill a book of interesting reading, were it written by one who was unbiased in their opinion,” according to Sherman O. Klock. “Probably, no man in the whole Mohawk Valley achieved greater notoriety that he, in his quarrel with that “Grand Old Man” of the Mohawk, Sir William Johnson. When the vituperations of later was heaped on him,” said Sherman Klock.

On June 12, 1753 the Mohawk Chieftain, by the name of King Hendrick appeared before the Colonial Council at Fort George and requested that George Klock be given a license to purchase the lands that the Indians had promised him. Sir Johnston claimed the Indians had already given the land to him. In 1754, George Klock secured the Klock and Nellis Patent and made application for the additional grant for the estimated 40,000 acres. Then in 1761 George purchased 3000 acres from Philip Livingston and then Sir William Johnson accused him of fraud. The acts that Johnson claimed was fraud, was the same kind of acts that he himself practiced to acquire land for himself. The charges against George were never proven, but it started a controversy in the valley that is still talked about today. The moral character of these two men, Sir William Johnson, the educated and highly gifted man of affairs and George Klock, the uncouth, Dutch Farmer is still in debate. All we know about George Klock is what was written by Sir William Johnson. George Klock left no writing to tell his side of the story.

Frank Klock, Professor of Photojournalism

Professor Frank Klock was born in 1950 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is the son of Raymond and Zeta (Babe) Klock. Frank has three sisters; Jackie, Julee and Krisite, all live in Sioux Falls, S.D. His brother Larry died in a car accident in the late 70’s.

Frank Klock is a professor of photojournalism at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. Frank entered his 13th year teaching at the University. “I have taught some exceptional students. Many of which are good photojournalists all over the country now,” Frank told me in a recent e-mail. Professor Klock teaches Basic Photography, Photojournalism and Advanced Photography. He also advises the Journalism Club, one of the department’s most active student organizations. “I am heavily involved with High School Press in this state, the home of which is SDSU. I’m going on my 14th year teaching their high school institute summer photography workshops,” said Professor Klock. Professor Klock also does considerable amount of photo judging for the South Dakota Newspaper Association and for other organizations.

Before becoming a Professor at the University of South Dakota in the fall of 1990, Frank worked as a sports editor, writer, and photojournalist for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

“I have won awards over the years, but the awards I cherish most are the one’s of my former students,” Frank told me. Professor Klock keeps in touch with a lot of his former students, some on a weekly basis. “The South Dakota Klocks have been doing some research ourselves. Our family branch indeed goes back to New York and the Mohawk Valley,” said Professor Klock. Frank has a cousin that has been doing research on the family. (Their seems to be one Genealogy nut in every family) I asked Frank to get me in touch with the one in his so we can compare notes on the family tree.

Professor Klock is presently divorced. He has two children; Frank Andrew, who graduated from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, and living in the Boston area. His daughter, Erika, is a recent graduate of Northwestern University in Illinois.

Professor Mark S. Klock

Mark S. Klock (Benny, Leroy, William, Ezekiah, Henry G., George I., Johannes, Hans Hendrick Jr., Hendrick Klock) was born September 2, 1958. He married Pamela Megna on July 10, 1982. Mark is a Professor of Finance at George Washington University in Washington D.C. He earned a Doctorate in Economics for B.C. in 1983 and a Law Degree from the University of Maryland in 1988. Mark’s expertise is in the area of Investment Analysis, Portfolio Management and Corporate Regulations.

Mark and Pamela have four children, Nathan, Ethan, Justin and Leanne. Mark enjoys keeping Marine fish, scuba diving, deer hunting and karate. Mark and his family live in Maryland. They have visited Fort Klock several times and have enjoyed their visits.

Mark is the son of Benny Klock, the astronomer I wrote an article about in the last issue of the Newsletter.

The last article in this Newsletter was: Genealogy: The Klock Family Registry compiled by George Nellis. This is already on line.