Oscar C. Hacker was born on August 9, 1878, making today his 144th birthday. It is his story that you will read today. Oscar was the son of Johann and Margaret (Hornberger) Hacker. He was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so I am unable to display an image of his actual baptism record. Oscar shows up in the 1880 census living in the Salem Township at the age of 1. His father was a farmer. Oscar was the oldest of 4 children in this family and the only one born before this census.

It would be 20 years before we are able to view another census including Oscar. When the 1900 census, we see him still living with his parents at the age of 21. He is found in the pages of the Salem Township census that are so difficult to read. I have enlarged this image to make it as readable as possible. Oscar was working on his father’s farm. By that time, his mother had died, and his father had married Elizabeth Thieret.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become his wife. Her name was Elizabeth Margaretha Hoehn, who was born on November 14, 1882. She was the daughter of Albert and Margaretha (Rauh) Hoehn. Like her future husband, Elizabeth was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Elizabeth is almost always called Lizzie in documents. When she was just 3 years old, her mother died, and her father married again in 1887. His second wife was Kunigunda Fassold. We cannot view Lizzie in a census until 1900. In that entry, she was 17 years old and living in the Central Township where her father was a farmer.

That would be the only census entry in which we see Lizzie as a single woman. On November 14, 1904, Oscar Hacker married Lizzie Hoehn at Peace, Friedenberg. The marriage license for this event is shown below.

According to our German Family Tree, Oscar and Lizzie had 4 children. Only their first child was born before the 1910 census was taken. Oscar was a farmer.

When the plat maps were produced for Perry County in 1915, we find a parcel of land owned by O. Hacker.

Oscar had a World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He had a Menfro address at the time.

When the 1920 census was taken, we find the Hacker household living in the Union Township. All 4 of their children are listed. After having a girl, the last 3 children were boys, including a son named Oscar that made his father an Oscar, Sr.

An article appeared in the Perry County Republican about Oscar Hacker, who had been injured in a runaway wagon incident.

That was not the end of Oscar’s need for a doctor. Another article appeared in the same newspaper two years later in 1926. You may have to click the thumbnails to enlarge them.

Next, we find the Hacker family in the 1930 census. Only two teenage sons remained in the household.

When the 1940 census was taken, we find just their youngest son, Wesley, and his new wife, Norma (Oberndorfer), living with Oscar and Lizzie.

Oscar Hacker had to have a World War II draft card completed in 1942 despite being 63 years old. I have looked at a lot of forms like this which are signed by the person. I think Oscar had amazing penmanship skills for a older man who spent his life as a farmer.

Lizzie Hacker died in 1944 at the age of 61. We can take a look at her death certificate.

Oscar Hacker died in 1950, too early in the year to be included in the 1950 census. His death certificate says he was 71 years old at the time of his death.

Oscar and Elizabeth Hacker are buried together in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Longtown.

I have included several people with the surname Hacker on this blog, and I think it may be true that all of them had connections to Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. Several Hacker’s were charter members of that congregation that was established 125 years ago in 1897. There are 22 grave sites in the Zion Cemetery that carry the Hacker name, including all 4 of Oscar and Lizzie’s children. Perhaps there are descendants of this Hacker family that are joining in the special 125th anniversary events that are occurring this year at that congregation.