Klock Connections Dave Klock
Issue #25 P.O. Box 402
August 2003 Marcellus, Michigan 49067
E-mail: klock@swmcom.net 
Brian Klock is a veteran of more than a quarter century with the California State Parks. He was Employee of the Year and the first recipient of the Chappie-Z’berg Award presented by the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California State Parks. The award named after two state legislators, Gene Chappie and Edwin Z’berg. “Brian is a true can-do staff member, and anyone who has seen his work knows that he is invaluable to not only the Division, but all of the State Parks,” said California State Parks Deputy Director, David L. Widell, who established the award.
Brian began his State Park career in 1977 as a ranger. In 1980, Brian moved to Sacramento to work for the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Office in a Training and Development as a Park & Recreation. Brian administers OHV grants statewide. Brian continued to administer the OHV grants for the next 13 years. In 1987 he was promoted to Associate Park & Recreation Specialist and assumed the lead Roll the OHV Grants Program for nine years. He was the Winter Recreation Program manager for five years until 1995, when he was assigned as the special assistant to the Chief of the OHMVR Division. In 1989 Brian received the Department’s Sustained Superior Accomplishment Award for helping the Department attain its goals and objectives. Brian is presently the interim manager for the External Affairs Unit within the OHV Division of State Parks.
Brian, born in 1952, the son of a L.A. policeman, was raised in Burbank, California. “We used go camping and backpacking a lot, until I got into dirt bikes,” Brian told me in a recent e-mail. Brian raced dirt bikes in desert races and won several novice and an amateur events. Brian’s skill in photography and talent in racing led him to start a race photography business when he was 17. “My father inherited the business when I went to College.“ Brian said. Brian received his BS Degree in Natural Resources Management from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in 1975. After graduation, Brian became a janitor for the California Highway Patrol and resumed the race photography business. Brain sold the business in 1980 when he became a Ranger. He started a new motorcycle race photography business when he moved to Sacramento, which lasted 10 years. “My love for the outdoors led me to become a California State Parks Ranger and my love dirt bikes lured me from Rangering to a job in Sacramento as the Off-Highway Vehicle (OVH) Grant Program Administrator for California State Parks,” Brian said.
Brian married June Ann Reed and they had one child, Bree Autumn Klock who is now 23. Brian and June were divorced and he married to Linda Gail Brushia. Linda decided to keep her maiden name when they married. Brian and Linda do not have any children.
Brian’s hobbies include, “ outdoor photography, camping, backpacking and most importantly, dirk bike riding.”
When I first contacted Brian by e-mail for information for this article, he wanted me to see if I could find his Brother, Randy. He had not seen or heard from his brother in 20 years. With a little research and a lot of luck, I was able to locate Randy living in Springfield, Oregon. Brian called him and they had a great reunion. I am glad I was able to help.
Klock Family Reunion and Bus Tour
“Faith of our Fathers”
On August 2, 2003 about 70 members of the Klock Family met at 9:00 am at Fort
Klock in St. Johnsville, New York for the second Klock Family Reunion. The
first one took place in August of 2001. People came from all parts of the
country and as far away as Florida and South Dakota. A great time was had
by everyone who attended the historic bus tour and dinner. I got to meet some
of the people I have profiled in the Newsletter…
I arrived in St. Johnsville on Tuesday before the reunion and did some research in St. Johnsville, Herkimer, Fonda and Glen and visited some of the local historic sites like the Herkimer Home. There are a lot of places I wanted to go, but even 6 days is not enough time to see everything of interest in the valley… maybe next time. Below is a picture of Fort Herkimer Church, which was one of the stops on the Bus Tour.
Other stops on the tour were the Palatine Church. The oldest church now standing within the limits of Fulton and Montgomery counties.
The Palatine Church was erected in 1770 and make of stone. We also visited the Stone Arabia Reformed Church, which was erected in 1788, also make of stone. The original church was a frame church and was burned during the Revolution. We also visited the Indian Castle Church, which was built in 1769 and dedicated in mid June of 1770. This Church was built by Sir William Johnson, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The last Church on the tour was the Fort Herkimer Reformed Church, which was organized in 1723. It is the oldest church in the mid-Mohawk Valley. Residents in the area took refuge in this church during the Revolution.
While we were visiting at the Fort, Mr. Ken Johnson came in. Mr. Johnson is an historian and the author of the book “The Bloodied Mohawk” It is a very good book about the families in the Mohawk Valley who lived and fought in the American Revolution. I purchased a copy of the book, which he autographed it for me.
If you would like a copy of his book, you can get it on, www.pictonpress.com or Visa/ Master Card orders call 1-207-263-6565. It is rather expensive (about $70.00) You maybe able to find this book in of some of the larger libraries.
When we attend the reunions at the Fort we usually camp out at the St. Johnsville Marina, which we did for a couple nights, but because of the storms that went through the area the Board gave us permission to pitch our tent inside the barn at Fort Klock. I would like to thank everyone at Fort Klock for there great hospitality they showed to my family and me. Thank you all the hard work putting together a great reunion. Joyce, Gene, Paul, Anita, and Margaret, you guys are the best!
Soon we will start planning on the next Klock Family Reunion, which will be held next year. After that it will be held every two years. If you were not able to attend the reunion this year, please plan on attending the next one. The Reunions only gets better.
The SZT Reunion:
On Sunday we attended the 65th SZT (Snell-Zimmerman-Timmerman) Family Reunion. The Snell, Zimmerman and Timmermans families married into the Klock family more times than I want to count so we have a lot of family ties with them. Some SZT people attended the Klock Reunion as well. The Reunion took place at the historic St. Paul’s Dutch Reformed Church or as it is better known as Snell’s Bush Church. There was a very nice church service at 11:00 o’clock conducted by Kenneth W. Palmer. Kenneth is a speaker and Elder of the Mohawk Reformed Church. After the service the SZT held there business meeting. The founder of the SZT Reunion, Mrs. Emma Timmerman called the Snell’s Bush Church as sitting on “God’s Own Acre”. This beautiful historic church sets atop of a hill overlooking the valley and the view is really spectacular. It is “God’s Own Acre“. After their business meeting we had a great dinner. My wife and I enjoyed talking with all our wonderful cousins, of the SZT Reunion.
Zebina Robert Klock
Zebina Robert Klock was born in St. Johnsville on June 12, 1846. He was the son of Nehemiah and Elmira Stall. Nehemiah moved his family to Danube in the spring of 1846. Nehemiah died when a horse kicked him in 1850. His Grandfather was John Klock, who was also born in St. Johnsville, and married Gertrude Timmerman. John and Gertrude Timmerman had eight children. His Grandfather was in the war of 1812 and had a farm on East Creek. Nehemiah’s widow remarried John J. Wagner. Zebina attended district school until he was 15 and got a job for the railroad. Later he took up the carpenter trade, which he did for several years. In 1881 he moved to St. Johnsville and bought a sawmill and spoke factory and also ran a feed mill. He also had an interest in a farm of about 100 acres and also ran a general store.
Zebina was married twice, first to Maria Freeman. The daughter of Horatio and Elizabeth Timmerman Freeman and later to Gertrude Robison. Gertrude was the daughter of John B. and Eliza (Klock) Robinson. Zebina and Eliza had two children. Lewis M. and Helen E. Zebina died March 22, 1925 in St. Johnsville and is buried in St. Johnsville Cemetery. He and his wife, Gertrude were members of the Baptist church. Gertrude died August 14, 1875. Zebina was also a member to the I.O.H. and Order of Egis. Zebina line goes like this; Zebina Robert Klock, Nehemiah, John G., George I., Johannes, Johann Hendrick, Jr., and Hendrick Klock.
Information; from the book, “History of Montgomery County“, by Washington Frothnghan, published in 1892. The “History of Montgomery County” can be found in the Genealogy Section of most libraries. It has several stories and information about the Klock Family that lived in Montgomery County, New York.
Taverns along the Turnpike
In 1803, if you were from New England or you were a from a foreign country moving with your family from Albany, New York to points west, you would have to travel on the Mohawk Turnpike. You would be riding on horseback, or wagon, or by ox cart and on foot. You would be traveling with your cattle, flocks of chickens and geese, and maybe a few sheep and a goat or two. It would be rough traveling over wet muddy dirt roads where it would take you six hours to go just 12 miles. On the way you would encounter taverns or road houses every mile or so along the way. These taverns would have a bar, a few beds, and a large shed and a watering trough for your animals. For a sixpence you could get a bed, and quart of whiskey or maybe some of the best brandy, gin, scotch, ale, flip, or punch around. These taverns would also pride themselves on the meals they would prepare for their guests.
In 1803 there were 52 of these taverns in the Palatine. In those days the present towns of St. Johnsville, Ephratah, Oppenheim and Stratford were part of the Palatine. This may seem like a lot of taverns, but they were needed to accommodate all the travelers in those day. John B. Klock, Christian Klock, and Joseph G. Klock, owned taverns in 1803.
I am not sure of the locations of these taverns were located but probably along this Mohawk Turnpike. They provided a needed service to the many travelers heading west.
Information from the Fort Klock Web Page
www.fortklock.com
The last page of this newsletter was “Our Ancestors that served in the Civil War” which is on line on this web page