Quaker Cousins - Phebe Hockett

Day before yesterday I wrote about Phebe Hinshaw, a 1st cousin of my great-grandmother, Mary Magdalene (Hockett) Albertson. Today is another one of their 1st cousins, Phebe J. Hockett. Both Phebes were born in Henry County Iowa and both were born in 1845. Phebe Hinshaw was born in June and Phebe Hockett was born two months earlier, 23 Apr 1845. I wonder what it was like for these 2 cousins with the same name growing up in the same area and being almost the same age.

Phebe Hockett was the daughter of Stephen and Ruth (Pidgeon) Hockett. She was the 3rd of their 3 children. By 1850 their family was living in Lee County Iowa, which is just south of Henry County. My ancestor, Francis Hockett, Stephen's older brother, had also moved into Lee County. In the 1860 census Phebe and her older sister Sarah were still living in Lee County, but with the Benjamin Knight family.

It was 19 Mar 1866 in Henry County, when Phebe married a Civil War veteran, Albert J. Williams who was just 5 months younger than her. Their first 2 children, John and Frank were born in Iowa. Then before the 1870 census the family moved westerly to Seward County Nebraska. There Albert filed for a 160 acre homestead. It was located a couple of miles north of where Interstate 80 now goes through the county. About 1885 they sold the farm and Albert entered the banking and mercantile business at the town of Tamora. The 1885 Nebraska State Census showed Albert as a banker, Phebe keeping house and 6 children in the household: John, Frank, Fannie, Roy and the 2 year old twin boys, Ray and Ralph.

Around 1890 they moved again farther west to the town of Hastings in Adams County Nebraska. Albert was listed in the 1891 Hastings city directory with his occupation as real estate and insurance and residence at 110 W 7th. The 1893 directory changed the address to 104 W 7th and his occupation was insurance agent. By 1895 their address remained the same, but now his occupation was watch repairer and second hand goods. Their residence was still the same in 1898 and in 1903 directories. In 1898 Albert was the Manager for F.M. Williams. It was probably the business of their son Frank (which may have been a grocery and a pawn broker) and sons John, Ralph and Roy all worked there. Their daughter Fannie was a teacher. The 1900 census called Albert a furniture dealer. Fannie, Roy, Ray and Ralph were all still in the household. Since Phebe was the one keeping house, I can imagine she was busy with her family all working outside the home.

Phebe died 20 May 1902 in Hastings at age 57 and was buried in Parkview Cemetery. Albert remarried in 1904 and moved to Kansas City and then to California where he spent some time in the Old Soldiers Home, then died in 1936 and was buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.