ROBERT B. KNOCK                 GRAVESTONE PHOTO                      

From History of Montgomery County, Kansas, By Its Own People, Published by L. Wallace Duncan, Iola, Kansas, 1903, Pg 614-616:

Knock, Robert B. Bio

            A leading resident of Caney township and a man who has had a prominent part in the development of the northern portion thereof, is Robert B. Knock, farmer and stock man, living one and a half miles northeast of Havana.  His residence in the township covers a period of thirty-three years, and he has, here, reared a large and respected family, whose individual members occupy responsible and honored places in different walks of life, while he and his good wife have exerted a most healthful influence in establishing the high moral tone which pervades their immediate community.

            The grandparents of Mr. Knock were Delaware people.  They reared a large family and passed their lives in their native state.  One of the sons, Daniel C. Knock, born in 1810, left home at the age of sixteen, and came out to the, the, far western State of Ohio, where, in 1831, he took unto himself a wife, in the person of Phoebe Easley.  This lady was a native of the “Buckeye State”, born on the 29th of June 1811.  The year following their marriage, they came out to Illinois, where they were pioneer settlers of Fulton county, and where they continued to reside, on the same farm, for fifty-five years.  They were better-class farmers, most highly respected, and lived to see their large family of children, esteemed members of society.  In this family, there wee thirteen children, as follows:  John F., who died at thirty-three; William A., of Rocky Ford, Colorado; Sarah A., who died in infancy; Mary J., deceased wife of Joseph Price; Daniel E., of Peoria, Illinois; Elizabeth, Mrs. John Russell; Rachel E., wife of William Branson, of Fulton county, Illinois; Robert B., the subject of this review; Jasper N., of Independence; Edith E.l, Mrs. Dilworth; Russell, of Wyanoka, Oklahoma; Juan F., of Iowa; Phoebe J., wife of J. A. Hooper, of Fulton county, Illinois.  The father of this family lived to the ripe old age of seventy-five years, dying in 1885, and the mother outlived him many years, death claiming her, August 14, 1900, being the progenitor of two hundred and seventy-nine children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

            Robert B. Knock, the gentleman whose honored name initiates this review, was born in Fulton county, Illinois, December 22, 1844.  A mere boy, at the breaking out of the Civil war, he, yet, manfully shouldered a musket and went forth to d battle for the honor of the flag.  Company G, Fiftieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, enrolled him, on the 1st day of October 1861 as a private.  He served his full enlistment of three years, returning home almost a physical wreck, resulting from a severe attack of measles.  He was with Grant at Forts Henry and Donelson, thence to Shiloh and Corinth.  He followed Bragg to Chattanooga and later, to Atlanta, participating in most of the hard battles of that memorable campaign.  His time expiring before that campaign had been fought to a finish, he was compelled to return home, being totally blind and badly broken in health.  He recovered the use one eye, after nearly four years, but has, ever since, been, periodically, trouble with loss of sight.

            Mr. Knock has always followed a farmer’s life.  In August of 1870 he and his newly wedded wife settled on a claim in the vicinity of where they now reside, and in 1878 sold out and bought their present farm.  Here, they are spending the evening of life in comparative plenty, surrounded by loving children and loyal friends, who are proud to do them honor.  Mr. Knock has held all the township offices, and has been justice of the peace, for a number of years.  He is at present Noble Grand of the Odd Fellows lodge at Havana.

            Mr. and Mrs. Knock were married on the 14th of June, 1867.  She was a daughter of J. H. and Elizabeth (Swaney) Hussey, both Delaware people. (This is the same family of Husseys  which were distinguished, as the inventors of the Hussey reaping machine.)  The data of Mrs. Knock’s birth was January 11, 850.  Her children are, as follows: Marian L., Mrs. Charles Haas, of Danville, Illinois; John F., of Eureka Springs; Phoebe J., died at sixteen years; Minnie E., wife of Charles Campbell, of Havana; Virginia R., Mrs. F. L. Rickey, of Caney, Kansas; Olive G., Mrs. Perry M. White of Havana; Franklin E., of Farry, Oklahoma; Irwin B., Daniel E., Ethel and Julia D., all at home.

Contributed by Mrs. Maryann Johnson a Civil war researcher and a volunteer in the Kansas Room of the Independence Public Library, Independence, Kansas.