Koch Family Connections

Finally a breakthrough on Jonas Coke (I believe)!

Koch Family Connection #1

I kept getting DNA connections on Ancestry that I just could not find connections for.  Many of them had Merle COOK.  I even messaged one of the tree owners to be sure it was Cook and not Coke.  She was sure. 

I also kept getting Koch's.  So, I looked into the origins of the names, and then began searching.

I found that Koch's moved along to become Koch, Cook, Coke, Cooke, and more.  In some places one son's family moved ahead as Koch, while another son's was Cook.  Koch was a German name (like Brumbaugh), and had also immigrated into Pennsylvania.  

Then I started going back through the trees on Ancestry.  Not one of the connected trees had any documentation that Jonas Coke's wife Barbary was McGinnis.  It was listed.  But there was no evidence I could find.  I added a comment that if anyone could verify that information, please let me know.  So far, no replies.  

Koch Family Connection #2

It was on Find A Grave.  So, I contacted the manager of the FAG memorial and found that he was submitted that information but hadn't gotten any evidence.

"RE: Barbara Coke

This information came from someone sending an edit for her memorial. I have no idea of the accuracy of the edit."

In case you didn't know, volunteers enter the information on Find A Grave.  I, myself, am a volunteer and manage 316 memorials. - I only used the information I found on the stone's themselves, but users do ask to connect family members and add information.

Looking into it further, I saw that the possibility of Barbary being listed as a MCGINNIS was that another Coke married a McGinnis.  But, our Barbary had no proof of being McGinnis.

During one search I found a Jonas KOCH that had married Barbary WYMEN in the same location, a year before the birth of their first daughter.  !!  Then I looked through the information and found a Henry Koch in the area.  For a brief time I had this Henry listed as the father of Jonas, to see if I would get any clues.

Koch Family Connection #3

Then I started getting some ancestry connections!  Although Henry wasn't the father coming up, it was all the Koch line.  I have now gotten connections on the Koch line back to Nicholas.

Of course, this could be incorrect without documentation to prove it, but between the information I had found, and the connections to this in DNA results, I would say it has to be the correct family.

Finally... after all this time... I believe I have found the family of Jonas Koch!  Hopefully..... I am not wrong.  Still searching for the children's death certificates...    ;)