Saturday, July 06, 2013

Surname Saturday: SNOOK (SCHNUCH)



The SNOOK family, originally spelled SCHNUCH, was a German one which joined one of the latter waves of immigration from the Palatinate to the Hudson River Valley in New York State. Over time, the spelling was Anglicized to "Snook". I have been unable to determine the meaning of the name.


Stories and History:

Ahnentafel #1344 - Johann Theis SCHNUCH (c. 1675 - c. 1714) - Johann was born in Vielbach in the Palatine. On 9 Jul 1708, he married Maria Magdalena OSTER (b. c. 1688) in Germany (probably the Palatine). I do not have death places for him or Maria, so I do not know if they migrated to North America with their children.

Ahnentafel #672 - Johannes SCHNUCH - born in Grenzhausen, the Palatine, he married Juliana Catharine Stroder KLEE on 20 Feb1732/3. I have very little information on this couple; however, they must have immigrated to North America, because at least one child was born there.

Ahnentafel #336 - William SNOOK (1742 - 1812) - born in either Dutchess County, New York or in New Jersey, he married Elizabeth [?] and had at least one child born in Union County, Pennsylvania. It is believed that his place of death is somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Ahnentafel #168 - Mathias SNOOK (1775 - 1852) - he is the first SNOOK ancestor for which I have any solid information. He was born Union County, Pennsylvania and married Maria Christina KLECKNER there in West Buffalo Township. They had eleven known children and eventually moved to Clinton County, Pennsylvania. It was there, in Loganton, that both Mathias and Maria died.

Ahnentafel #84 - Levi SNOOK, Sr. (1807 - 1889) - born in West Buffalo Township, Union County, Pennaylvania. In 1826 he married Margaretha WOLFART (1806 - 1882) in Centre County, Pennsylvania and had at least 10 children; I'm still sorting out possible others besides those listed in his grandson's biography here. Levi and his wife lived their remaining days in Centre County; they died and were buried there.

Ahnentafel #42 - Reuben Wolford SNOOK (1833 - 1912) - his biography can be found here, and a photo of him and his second wife appears here.

Ahnentafel #21 - Rebecca Catherine SNOOK (1865 - 1960) - her life has been sketched out here.

Ahnentafel #10 - George Rice WESTABY, III (1890 - 1972)

Ahnentafel #5 - Helen Mary WESTABY (1915 - 1997)

Ahnentafel #2 - my children's paternal grandfather (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - my children's father (living)


More About the SNOOK Family:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): SNOOK ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some SNOOK obituaries on my website

3. Posts about SNOOK ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned SNOOK photos

5. My  SNOOK Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave



The SNOOK Immigration Trail:

Vielbach, the Palatine, Germany > Grenzhausen, the Palatine, Germany > Dutchess Co., NY > Union Co., PA > Clinton Co., PA > Centre Co., PA > Custer (now Rosebud) Co., MT > Dawson Co., MT > Yakima Co., WA > Thurston Co., WA > Clark Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

3 comments:

howard blue said...

Frederick Snook started a farm in Copake, NY in the 1870s

Julie Schmale said...

I have Snook relatives who came west from IL, to Oregon. Quimby Martin Snook, his dad, Taylor, and his grandfather, William.

RjSnook said...

Johannes "Hans" Schnuch married to Juliana would later anglicize his name to John Snook. This is my 7th G-Grandfather. His son was Johannes Pitter Schnuch (anglicized to Peter Snook according to reformed church records), b. 5/4/1744 in Dutchess County NY and relocated to Snyder County PA in 1801, he died on 3/13/1818. Their first son, born to his wife, Keturah Laish, was John Snook (1770-1864) who married Mary Mains on 12/31/1797. Keturah dies early in life and Peter remarried to Maria Goss. This union would produce 8 more children for Peter.

Johannes Schnuch is buried in a recently discovered family cemetery on a farm in New Jersey with dozens of other Schnuch, Schnuck and Snook descendants. My branch of the Snooks have visited and taken care of the family plots there. I have pictures of his headstone and the cemetery.