KoncherClan

January 17th 1912 Morris, IL, USA Born: Place: Died: Place: Born: Place: Died: Place: Feb 14th, 1892 Braceville, IL, USA Jan 31st, 1922 Morris, IL, USA Feb 24th, 1878 Pottsville, PA, USA June 20th, 1924 Fresno, CA, USA Plot: Plot: Mt View, Fresno, CA,USA Braceville Cemetry, IL 2: Frank Francis 1893 3: Elizabeth Jane 1895 4: William 1898 5: Thomas 1901 6: Raymond 1904 7: Ida Mae 1910 1: Anna (im) 1876 3: George 1879 4: Anna (Annie) 1883 5: Mary 1884 6: Dora (Dorothy) 1887 7: Beatrice (Betty) 1889 8: Martha 1890

1: SADIE HOCKINGS

2: STEPHEN JUNIS KONCHER

Most documentation certainly refers to him as STEPHEN JUNIS, although Frank and Iris's marriage certificate refers to him as STEFAN JULIUS. This information can only have been provided by Frank and is probably in error - he never did know too much about his father. He is referred to as KONCHER, KONSHER and even KONSCHER. There is graphic evidence that he signed himself STEPHEN KONSHER - so it is possible that this was his correct name. The last census that he appears on is 1920 and he is shown as STEVE KONSHER. Whilst the two youngest children were being raised by Grandma Hockings the name probably got altered to KONCHER and that is what we use today. He enlisted in the US Army in 1901 and fought in the Spanish-American War. He was discharged in 1904. He re-enlisted in 1906 but deserted three months later. Apprehended in 1908, he was discharged the same year. It is probable that he now moved to Illinois - as a miner, living around Coal City or similar. Here he met a young girl from Braceville. He was probably not too well liked by Sadie's family as a result perhaps of being 13 years older than she - and a military failure. Sadie and Stephen's marriage licence was signed by strangers and not the usual parents, so it is possible that Sadie's parents were not even present at the wedding in 1912. After the death of Sadie, Stephen abandoned the family - perhaps the final confirmation of any parents’ warning. There were many stories told by the "older" generation of the family of Stephen dying in a train wreck and even being killed by travelling the trains as a hobo! But documentation shows that he died from injuries sustained in a motor accident in 1924.

Sadie was the eldest of seven children and once married, she probably didn't have a happy life and had probably been warned of same by her parents. It is thought that Sadie's death was initially considered suspicious and there was investigation into possible poisoning. However the eventual cause of death was documented as a congestive condition of lungs and liver, at age 28. After the death of Sadie, Stephen abandoned the family. Stephen was placed in children's home in St Charles, Leona and Dorothy were fostered by Joseph and Faye Kennedy in Stark Co, and Hazel, Frank and Anna Mae were cared for by Grandma Hockings. Presumably, Hazel stayed with Grandma as she was old enough to go out to work.