The Hovers

Most of the information I have found pertaining to the Hover/Hoovers was found in the Historical Society Library in the town of Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The Society gave me copies of a couple of letters about the Hovers written by a Norris C. Burdette in 1993. Mercer County is directly connected to Butler County at its northwest corner. I do not know exactly how William B. Miller came to know Catherine Ann Hover. Catherine Hover's mother's maiden name is Barnhart and that name pops up often in the Miller history in America. William's grandmother (married to Joseph Miller) was Susannah Reis/Rice. The Rice/Reis families were intermarried with the Barnhart/Barnhardt families in Westmorland County and I suspect therein lies the connection. There were Barnharts living in Hannastown (before it's destruction by British allied American Indian raids in 1782), Westmoreland Co., PA, where Millers and Barnharts lived next door to each other. Also, the names Rice, Hover and Barnhart are all of German extraction and these families may have traveled to the USA during the 18th and 19th century's "great migration" of persecuted German and Swiss Palatine families of "Reformed Faith" from the "old country". These families may have settled near each other because of their common faith and Germanic bonds. Hence the "Pennsylvania Dutch/Deutsch" history of our family. Click here to read more about the Barnhart/Barnhardt/Bernhart Families

1. JOHN HENDRICUS HUBER (JOHN HENDRICK¹ HOVER) was born ABT 1705 in Switzerland. Death: 1756 in NJ On 22 JUN 1745 Joined Ref. Dutch Church of Smithfield, Fayette Co, PA . He married SUSANNA HOHLEYS in 1737. She was born 1710 in Smithfield, Huntington, PA.

2. Hendrick(HENRY) HOVER I (JOHN HENDRICUS¹HUBER or JOHN HENDRICK HOVER)) was born April 4, 1740, came to Shenango Valley in Mercer Co. PA about 1797. He died 1804 in Wheatland, Hickory Twp., Mercer Co., PA. He is buried at Disciple Cemetery, Hubbard, Ohio just west across OH/PA state line. In 1776 Henry was Lieut. then Capt. in 3rd NJ Battalion attached to Washington's Army

He married (1) CORNELIA CARTWRIGHT/Cortright Abt. 1765. She was born JUN 1749 in Walpeck , Sussex, NJ.

i. HENRY HOVER, II, (HENRY², JOHN HENDRICUS¹ HUBER or JOHN HENDRICK HOVER) was born 12 JUL 1766

1. WILLIAM HOVER, born 1793, New Jersey. (See his children below in Generation 4, *1)

2. Edward HOVER, born 1802, New Jersey. (See his children below in Generation 4, *2)

v. JONATHAN HOVER, Sr., born 23 Dec 1775, Walpack, Sussex Co, NJ; d. Aft. 1855, West Salem Township, Mercer

4. JONATHAN HOVER Sr. (HENRY², JOHN HENDRICUS HUBER¹ or JOHN HENDRICK¹ HOVER)) was born 23 Dec 1775 in Walpack, Sussex Co, NJ, and died Aft. 1855 in West Salem Township, Mercer Co. PA. He is found on the 1820 census living with his wife and 11 children in W. Salem, Mercer Co., PA He married ELIZABETH HASTINGS. She was born 1775, and died Aug. 25, 1847 in West Salem Township, Mercer Co. PA. Both are buried at Rock Ridge Cemetery, West Salem, Mercer, PA

Notes for JONATHAN HOVER: Jonathan Hoover Sr. is listed as living with his son Jonathan Jr. and his wife Alice on the 1850 Census taken in Green Township, Mercer Co., PA. (The name is spelled HOOVER on this 1850 census.)

●Census: 1840 Lived in West Salem Twp., Mercer Co., PA. They live next door to sons Samuel and David

●1840 Census, pg: 203 Jonathan Hoover (listed as head of household)
w. males: 1: 15-20 / 1: 60-70 /
w. females: 1: 15--20 / 1: 20-30 / 1: 40-50/

●Census: 1850 Is living in Green Twp., Mercer PA with son Jonathan and family.

I have found in my research that the name Hover/Hoover is unexplainably interchangeable. It may be that when folks said the name "Hover" it sounded like "Hoover".

It seems that the Hovers took a similar pathway to western Pennsylvania as the Millers. Both Hovers and Millers start off life after immigration in New Jersey and come together later in western PA.

*3 JOHN HOVER (JONATHAN³, HENRY², JOHN HENDRICUS HUBER (JOHN HENDRICK¹ HOVER)) was born 08 Mar 1800 in Pennsylvania, and died 12 May 1860 in Cadiz. Green Co, WI. and is buried there. He married CATHERINE A. BARNHART (Our GGG Grandmother) in 1821 in West Salem, Mercer Co., PA. She is the eldest daughter of ADAM BARNHART and ELIZABETH LININGER/Leininger. Catherine A. was born 18 Nov 1804 in York Co, PA, and died 04 Jan 1891 in Hartington, Nebraska. She is buried at Hartington City Cemetery. (See her Gravestone) Catherine, as a widow, goes to live with her daughter Catherine and her husband, William B. Miller, our Great Grandparents.

Notes for JOHN and Catherine Barnhart HOVER: By 1850 Census John and Catherine Hover have moved to Wayne Township, Lafayette Co. Wis. They have several relatives (or not) living with him. See below.

i. JOSIAH HOVER, born Abt. 1822, West Salem, Mercer Co., PA; d. 19 Apr 1892, perhaps Dixon Co. NE. In 1850, Josiah lives in Mineral Point, Iowa Co., WI. In 1880 he is found in Daily , Dixon Co. NE. He married (1) Eliza (b.abt. 1824) and had 7 children, all born in Wisconsin. He married (2) Mary Jane Hostrauser (b. abt, 1849). They had 6 more children, first two born in Iowa, coincidentally in Jesup Buchanan Co., IA where his sister Catherine and William Miller lived. Their other children were born in NE.

ii. ELISABETH HOVER, born Bet. 1825 - 1826, West Salem, Mercer Co., PA. She married John Madrell, b.1820 in England. They have 7 children all born in Wisconsin.

On the 1950 Census Benjamin Hover at age 23 is living with his mother and Father in Wayne Twp., Lafayette Co., Wisconsin. His sister, Catherine below▼(age 11) and his brother Uriah (age 13) live with them along with several other persons: George Daniels (age 9), Charles Kane (age1), Sarah Kane (age 19), Catherine Madrell (age 2), Elizabeth Madrell (age 25) and William J. Madrell (age 1). The others are probably unidentified relations. In 1852 he went to Placerville, California with his brother-in-law, Anderson Peter Kane to mine gold. On the 1860 Wisconsin Census he is listed as a "miner".

iv. PHEBE HOVER, born 1830, West Salem, Mercer Co., PA. She married Walter Best on 14 May 1848 in Lafayette Co., WI. AKA.- she is listed as "Phebe Hover" on the marriage document. Walter was born abt. 1819, Muskingum, Oho. They had one child, born 1849. In 1850, she is found living in Bad Ax, Crawford Co., WI.

v. SARAH HOVER, born. 28 Mar 1831, Greenville, Mercer Co., PA; d. 14 Dec 1901, buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Jo Davies Co., Ill., m. ANDERSON PETER KANE on May 8, 1848 in Mohawk Valley , NY. He died February 18, 1897. They had 11 children all born in Wisconsin.

Notes for Sarah Hover Kane Sarah Hover Kane is our great grandmotherCatherine’s sister, married to Anderson Peter Kane and Charles Kane is probably their son. Where Anderson Peter is on the 1850 Wisconsin Census record?? Perhaps in California mining for gold. I was unable to find him on any subsequent census records. I found her and her son Charles on a 1900 Illinois census but no mention of Anderson Kane. Sarah is the G.G. Grandmother of Andrea Mastrianni who graciously supplied me with a great deal of information regarding the Hovers and the Kanes.

vi. URIAH HOVER, born 1837, West Salem, Mercer Co., PA. He married Mary Jane Powell on May 17, 1857 in Lafayette, Co., Wisconsin. She is born 1840 in Ohio. They have 5 children, the first born in Ohio and the last born in Illinois. They are found on the 1850 in Wayne, Lafayette Co., WI. and on 1870 census in Mendon, Adams Co., Il.

vii. CATHERINE ANN HOVER, our GG Grandmother born Jun 1839, West Salem, Mercer Co., PA; d. 1913, Hartington, Nebraska, buried at Hartington City Cemetery; m. WILLIAM BENJAMIN MILLER, Bet. 1856 - 1857; He was born Jul 1837, Butler County, Pennsylvania; d. 1927, Hartington, Nebraska and is buried at Hartington City Cemetery.

Notes for WILLIAM BENJAMIN MILLER and CATHERINE ANN HOVER MILLER: On the 1880 Census, William, Catherine and family are living in Jesup, Westburg Township, Buchanan Co. IA. On the Iowa 1885 Census the family is living in the most NW county of Iowa, Lyon County. (Yes, Iowa did take a state census at that time.)

According to the 1900 Cedar Co., Nebraska, Census, William and Catherine Miller have had 16 children, 9 of whom were still living in 1900. At the time of the 1900 Nebraska census, Charles, age 34, William, age 28, and Alta, age 17, were still living with their parents. To read more about William Benjamin and Catherine Miller, click here.

*4 HENRY HOVER (JONATHAN³, HENRY², JOHN HENDRICUS HUBER (JOHN HENDRICK¹ HOVER)) was born 1805 in Pennsylvania. He married ELIZABETH Barnhart She was born 1810, the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Lininger Barnhart.

Iii. WILLIAM HENRY. HOVER, born. 1835. d. Nov.28, 1910 Fredonia, Chautauqua Co., NY He married Sarah G. (last name unknown) b. May 1845 in PA

*5 JONATHON HOVER, JR. (JONATHAN3, HENRY2, JOHN HENDRICUS HUBER (JOHN HENDRICK1 HOVER)) was born 1807 in Pennsylvania, and died 1871 in West Salem Township, Mercer Co. PA. He married ALICE "ALLE" FRAME. She was born 1810.

*6 ELIZABETH JANE (called "Jane") HOVER (JONATHAN³, HENRY², JOHN HENDRICUS HUBER (JOHN HENDRICK¹ HOVER)) was born 1815 in Pennsylvania, and died 1888 in California. She married HENRY GREEN.

Rev. William Henry Hover

Rev. William H. Hover, son of Henry and Elizabeth Bernhard (Barnhart) Hover, was born in West Salem, Pa., May 13, 1835, and died at his home in Fredonia, N. Y., Nov. 28, 1910. He had been in failing health for some time, so that the end was not wholly unlooked for.

Brother Hover was one of the fine, sweet-spirited men of the Erie conference. His early life was spent on the farm, where his school advantages were limited. His parents were Methodists, and he was baptized in infancy, and he never ceased to thank God for the influence of this holy consecration. He attended the academy in Kingsville, Ohio, during two fall terms, and taught eight terms in the common schools. He was converted in 1853. His own words give the best account of his experience. I went time and again for several days to the mourners' bench, but found no peace, for the reason that I was not willing to do the work the Master had laid before me. But one evening while getting ready to go to meeting, I resolved to lay all upon the altar, and do the work God wanted me to do. I then knelt down to ask God to help, when instantly the burden was rolled from my heart, and I rose and opened my eyes upon what seemed to be a new world. Everything seemed to be praising God."

Brother Hover served the church in several capacities until 1862, when he was licensed to preach on recommendation of the quarterly conference of Jamestown, Pa., circuit. In 1865 he was admitted on trial into the Erie Conference, where he did effective work until 1893 when he was promoted to a place among the superannuates. The pastor and people at Fredonia [N.Y.], where made his home, will miss him greatly, as he was ever faithful and helpful, ready for any service required. His wife survives him, and seven children—four daughters and three sons. Funeral services were in charge of his pastor, Rev. B. S. Wright, assisted by Rev. Joel Smith, Rev. H. H. Clare, Rev. T. W. Chandler and Rev. R. F. Randolph. His body was laid to rest in Forest Hill cemetery, Fredonia, N.Y.

Written by B. S. Wright. Memoirs of Deceased Preachers,

Erie Conference Journal and Yearbook, 1911,

pages 121-122.

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