John Houck Family

John Houck 1779 to 1856

First Generation

John Houck was born March 19, 1779 perhaps in Holland. He died December 29, 1856 in Lower Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co. Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Mullar (Miller), who was the daughter of Valentine Mullar (Miller) & Susanna Laubach, on May 2, 1801 in Northampton Co., Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was born February 10, 1784 in Williams Twp., Northampton Co., Pennsylvania and died October 12, 1861. They are buried in the Old Union Cemetery at Stone Church, Upper Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania. These facts are recorded in the Houck Family Bible, now in my possession. The Bible has a publication date of 1844, but inscribed inside is, "This is the property of John Houck in the year of our Lord, 1856."

Perhaps the Bible was bought the year John died to record family history. The Bible is entitled "Die Ganza Heilige Schrist" and is written in German. There are two different handwritings on the family records pages. One that records the births of John Houck and Elizabeth Mullar and their marriage is written in the old German script. The other, which may be that of daughter of Anna Houck McEwen, records their deaths as well as the births of the two youngest Houck children, Joseph and Catherine. Also recorded on these pages is the birth record of Anna. The Houck Family Bible was located in the attic of my grandparents, Homer and Eliza McEwen about 1976. It was stored with a collection of family Bibles of different branches of the McEwen family.

John Houck is located on the 1840 census in Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. There are a number of people in the family including a young boy living there who was probably his grandson, William McEwen and a woman aged between 30 and 40 on the census who was probably Anna Houck McEwen, his widowed daughter. It is probable that Anna went to live with her parents after her husband John died in 1832.

The 1850 census record is a little confusing, as ages of all but 18 year old William Houck (McEwen) are incorrect. For one thing it looks like William used the family name Houck at this time. He was probably raised in the Houck household all his life and grew up with his mother's younger brothers. At age 18, if he was the person the census taker spoke to, he may not have known correct ages of the others.

The record of John's marriage to Elizabeth Miller on May 2, 1801 is written in the Houck Family Bible. It appears in the old German script. Elizabeth was the daughter of Valentine Miller. Her birth record is also in the Houck Family Bible written in the same old German script as John's birth record and their marriage record. Elizabeth was born February 10, 1784 in Williams township, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania. Elizabeth was 17 years old when she married John Houck.

Together they had ten children, eight of whom lived to be adults. The records of their births are recorded in the Church records of the Lutheran and Reformed Congregation at Mount Bethel.

They were:
Johann Jacob, born January 25, 1802, his sponsors were his maternal grandparents. Valentine and Susanna Mueller. He married Sarah. He died in 1887.
Susanna, born November 14, 1803, married Frederick Weaver and died January 6,1861.
Anna, born January 12, 1807. She married John McEwen and died about 1874.
George, born January 16, 1809, married Hannah and died November 5, 1886 .
Christian, born October 10, 1813, married Sarah and August 25, 1895.
Maria, born January 24, 1816, died before 1856.
Michael, born November 25, 1817, married Louisa d. September 30, 1909.
Johannes, born December 29, 1820, died before 1856.
Catherine, born March 15, 1823, married Reuben Schoch and died September 30, 1863.
Joseph, born December 4, 1824, married Maria Weaver.

Elizabeth is found on the 1860 Census record living in Lower Mount Bethel with her daughter Anna McEwen. They are next door to Elizabeth's son Michael and his family.

John and his wife Elizabeth Miller Houck buried in the Old Union Cemetery at Stone Church in Upper Mount Bethel township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

For more about other family history pages researched and created by me, please see Cynthia's Family Lines. Also I am writing a blog called Who's Your Grammie. Each entry tells the story of a grandmother in our family tree. Look around. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

This page and all contents belongs to Cynthia H. Smith. Please email me with any additions or corrections. [email protected]

Genealogy is a work of the Heart