Joseph BROCK
Ancestry Family Trees
Jersey, IL Marriage Records (Research by Peggy Magee, 1990)
Letter - Howard Brock Elder to Charles Hosmer, 17 Dec 1987 (Linda Brock Fam. Records)
Administrator of his will was William Onetto Proprietor of Brock and Onetto Reported in Alton Telegraph, Jan 10 1878 "Messrs. Brock and Onetto have built them a nice store [in Elsah, IL] this past summer, which will match with any in the county for finish and beauty." On Sept 24, 1885, it was reported "Mrs. Snow of St. Louis had purchased the old Onetto store building and was to have it enlarged for rent to L. H. Vanderslice as a residence, store, and post office. In a letter from Howard Brock, the death of Joseph Brock is related: "Their father (Joseph Brock) died in the winter of 1873-1874. They had all been to a barn dance in Jersey County, it was cold and it rained. Joseph Brock died of Pneumonia 25 February 1874. At that time Uncle Henry was 19, Grandpa Tony was 17, and Uncle Justin was 7. Grandma Rett remarried... Married Renfro, the schoolmaster at Elsah. Just when, I don't know, nor when Renfro died. I do know that my father knew Renfro--that could have been 1904 or thereafter."
Obituary: from Newspaper Archive Alton Evening Telegraph Alton, Illinois, USA 6 Jul 1926 Page 8 Death of Mrs. Mazzaretta Renfro Mrs. Mazzaretta Renfro passed away at her home in Elsah, Thursday, July 2d, at 8:10 a. m. after a short illness. Mrs. Renfro was one of the oldest residents of Jersey County, being 90 years, 2 months and 2 days of age at the time of her death. She has been a resident of Elsah for eighty-four years, coming there from Harrisburg, Pa., with her parents, Joseph and Martha (Lame?)Lasne-Onetto. Her father was a native of Genoa, Italy. Mazzaretta Onetto was the first woman to be married in the village of Elsah, her husband being a Mr. Brock, whose death occurred many years ago. She is survived by two sons, Justin Brock, with whom she has made her home for many years, and T. A. Brock of St. Louis. Funeral services were held Sunday at the Methodist church in Elsah, at 2:30 p. m., Rev. M. Edwin Johnson of Chautauqua officiating. Interment will be in the Elsah cemetery. Mr Howard Brock Elder related the following in a letter to Mr. Hosmer: "Uncle Justin told of his mother's death, in her bed, 2 Jul 1925. He said that she "picked at the coverlet" (a not-uncommon phenomenon) and began to talk to unseen persons, greeting them by name. These were family members who preceded her. Uncle Justin said it was as if they were waiting for Grandma and as if they were greeting each other as she went to join them."
NOTE: At the time of marriage, Justin was living in Cliff, NE. He gives his birthplace as Elsah, IL. Justin shows himself as widowed on later censuses, but was really divorced or separated. This is a common practice to avoid admitting divorce in public. 1866 - Born in Elsah, IL 1888 - Married to Mary Delight Whitcomb, also of Jersey county. He was 22, she was 17. 1889 - First son James is born. 1892 - Second son Gregory is born. 1900 - Single by this point. 1910 - Living in St Louis, son James is living with him, Justin is a steamboat pilot. 1917 - Justin begins regular trips between Elsah and Grafton with the yacht Bachelor 1920 - Living in his mothers home back in Elsah 1929 - Admitted to the Midland Sanitarium 1929 - Feb., dies at the sanitarium.
He married Mazaretta Onetto 5 Jun 1853 at Jersey, Illinois . Mazaretta Onetto was born at Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania 30 Apr 1835 daughter of Joseph Onetto and Martha Lame .
They were the parents of 3
children:
Henry Tarleton Brock
born 11 Jun 1854.
Thomas A. "Tony" Brock
born 10 Oct 1856.
Justin Onetto Brock
born 19 Aug 1866.
Joseph Brock died 25 Feb 1874 at Jersey, Illinois .
Mazaretta Onetto died 2 Jul 1925 at Elsah, Jersey, Illinois .