"Harve and Grace built their home in Wilmore soon after they arrived. Some of the earliest photos I have of them shows all three of them on the front porch." -- Janet (Schrock) Hubbard.Harvey Schrock was born near Canton, Kansas, March 25, 1881 to Joseph and Margaret (Stauffer) Schrock. After graduation from Bethel College, Newton, Kansas, he managed lumber yards at Dayton, N.M., Texline, Texas, and Greensburg and Meade, Kansas. While in New Mexico, he married Nettie Grace Ray June 13, 1906 at Carlsbad. Grace, as she was known, was born July 15 1883, to Joseph Worth and Emily (Holt) Ray at Aurora, Texas. Harvey and his family came to Wilmore from Meade, Kansas, in 1911 to become manager and part owner of The Schrock Lumber Yard which his brother, John, built.
The Schrock Lumberyard, Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas.
In 1911 the Schrocks moved to Wilmore in Comanche County, where once again Ed's father opened a lumberyard/hardware store, the Schrock Lumberyard. At left is a photo of Harve Schrock in his lumberyard." -- Janet (Schrock) Hubbard.
The Wilmore lumber yard stocked lumber and coal as well as a complete line of hardware, fly nets, horse collars, guns, stoves and farm machinery, including Rumley Oil pull-tractors. Harvey also ran a threshing outfit with a complete crew to run the steam engine, separator and cook shack as they harvested wheat for area farmers. After the lumber yard was sold in the early 1920's, he devoted full time to farming and raising livestock on his farm about 3 miles northwest of Wilmore. He died June 2, 1961; his wife is still living.Grace, as she was called, was known for her work with the Cradle Roll Dept. at the Wilmore Baptist Church and for the large vegetable and flower gardens she grew. Iris and roses were her specialty.
At right: photo of "The Knickerbocker Photographer", courtesy of Janet (Schrock) Hubbard.
Their son, John Edward, was born May 28, 1907, at Dayton, N.M., and was 4 years old when he came to Wilmore. While in high school, he owned and operated his own photo studio in a former cook shack outfitted with a daylight skylight and took pictures of groups and children, etc. He was known as "The Knickerbocker Photographer" because he always wore knickerbockers. He was started in photography by Megs, a Wilmore minister who had been a professional photographer. Edward, as he was known, trapped and sold furs, and loved to hunt and fish. He assembled one of the first vacuum tube radios in Wilmore after starting on crystal sets. This sparked his interest in electrical engineering which became his major in college. After 1 & 1/2 years in Ottawa Univ., he transferred to K-State at Manhattan. Following graduation in 1928, he worked for the General Electric Co. in Schnectady, N.Y., and Erie, Penn., until the depression, then for Union Electric Co. in St. Louis, Missouri, until he had leg surgery and returned home to Wilmore. When recuperated, he was employed by Comanche County, first as Assistant County Engineer and then shortly after as County Engineer.He married Lyla Roepke of Manhattan, Kansas, on Sept 1, 1934, and made their home in Coldwater. Their daughter, Janet, was born in 1939. She married Glenn Hubbard in 1961 and now resides in Sunnyvale, Calif., with their son, Greg.
In 1941 Edward began working for The Kansas State Board of Agriculture in the Division of Water Resources where he was assigned a variety of jobs. He retired June 1971 as Water Commissioner of The Topeka Field Office.
(written about 1981 by J. Edward Schrock and published on page 655 of "Comanche County History". The book also includes family histories for the following: "Arthur & Georgia Schrock", "John & Barbara Schrock" and "John & Cora Schrock".)
Gravestone of Nettie Grace and Harvey S. Schrock.
Lot #223, Powell Township Cemetery, Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo by John Edward (Ed) Schrock
The Western Star, June 8, 1961. Harve Schrock Dies After Long Illness
Services were held on Tuesday, June 6, 1961, at 2:30 p.m. at the Baptist church in Wilmore. Kans., for the funeral of Harvey S. Schrock. Rev. Ernest Lawrence was in charge of the service.
Mrs. Frances Ridge was the organist and accompanied Walter Smith, who sang "Lead Kindly Light" and "Old Rugged Cross."
Pallbearers were Fred Booth, Roderick Baker, Carl Snyder, Valtos Richardson, Fay Moberley, and Myrl Dellinger.
Interment was in the Wilmore cemetery, Wilmore, Kansas.
Obituary Harvey S. Schrock was born near Canton, Kans., March 25, 1881, and died after a lengthy illness at the twin Gables Nursing Home at Cunningham on June 2, 1961, at the age of 80 years, 2 months and 2 days. He was the son of Joseph and Margaret Schrock and was married on June 13, 1906 to Nettie Grace Ray.
He is survived by his wife, his only son, John Edward, of Topeka, and by his only granddaughter, Mrs. Janet Hubbard, of Chicago. Two sisters, Mrs. Saloma Butler, Waukomia, Okla., and Mrs. Ida Horst, Los Angeles, Calif., and nieces and nephews also survive him.
His father and mother and two brothers, John and Noah, preceded him in death.
After graduating from Bethel College at Newton, Kans., Harvey managed lumber yards at Dayton, N. M., Texline, Tex., and at Greensburg and Meade, Kans., before coming to Wilmore in 1911. He operated the Schrock Lumber yard here for a good many years before selling it and engaging in farming and cattle raising business. He was a member of the Wilmore Baptist church.
The Western Star, October 30, 1980. Grace Schrock
Nettie Grace Schrock, the daughter of Joseph Worth Ray and Emily Elizabeth Holt, was born on July 15, 1883 at Aurora, Wise county, Texas, and went home to be with the Lord early Monday, October 20, 1980, at a nursing home in Topeka, Kans., at the age of 97 years and three months.
When she was nine years old her mother died and for some years after that she lived with her aunt, Nettie Greer, in Ft. Worth, Texas.
She married Harvey Schrock on June 13, 1906 at Carlsbad, N. M. They lived in Dayton, N. M., Texline, Texas and Greensburg and Meade where he managed lumber yards. In 1911 they moved to Wilmore where he operated the Schrock Lumber Yard which he owned with his brother, John. After the closing of the lumber yard, he farmed west of Wilmore. Harvey, died in 1961 after a long illness of cancer.
Grace, as she was known, was in charge of the Cradle Roll department of the Wilmore Baptist church for a number of years. Those whom she enrolled were claimed by her from then on as her Cradle Roll babies and she maintained a lifelong interest in them. She loved children.
Her hobbies were embroidering, piecing quilts, fishing, and growing vegetables and flowers, especially iris and roses, which she loved to share with friends and neighbors. She lived a full and active life.
Just before Christmas in 1976, Grace fell in her home fracturing her leg. From then on she lived in Protection Valley Manor in Protection until she broke her hip in September with subsequent surgery in Topeka.
Her parents, one sister, and six brothers preceded her in death.
She is survived by one son, John Edward Schrock of Topeka, one granddaughter, Janet Kay Hubbard and one great grandson, Greg Hubbard, both of Sunnyvale, Calif., as well as nieces and nephews.
The Walter Smith family residence, at left, on 20 February 1969 after a snowstorm in Wilmore, Kansas.
The house, a 'kit home' from Sears and Roebuck, was originally built as the residence of Loren and Alcana Ferrin.
At right in the photograph is the house originally built by Harve Schrock.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Smith.
Also see:Letter from Newell Howard to Mr. & Mrs. Harve Schrock of Wilmore, Kansas
Red Cross Fund Oversubscribed, The Wilmore News, 28 June 1917.
Thanks to Janet (Schrock) Hubbard for contributing her family history information & photos for use on this website.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above obituaries to this web site!
Web page created by Jerry Ferrin. We welcome your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site. Please sign the Guest Book.
This page was last updated 21 Aug 2006.
