Clippings from the Reading Eagle, April 3, 1896

AGED PEOPLE OF OLEY WHO PASSED AWAY

Record Kept by Jared Hoch, Who Has Attended Upwards of 700 Funerals

Oley: In December, 1890, the Eagle correspondent obtained from David Y. Peter, of Oley, a list of 25 persons with date of birth, residing in Oley township, whose ages were 80 years and more. This record was published in the Eagle and was eagerly read and a number of correspondents from other sections of the county soon after had lists of the aged people in their districts published which proved that Oley had a large percentage of old residents compared with some other districts. Several days ago the correspondent was informed that Jared Hoch had copied the report above referred to and had kept a record of their deaths, interment, age, the clergymen who officiated at the funerals and the text on which the funeral discourse was founded. The Eagle correspondent accordingly visited Mr. Hoch, who is a well-to-do retired farmer, living in the lower section of Friedensburg. He found Mr. Hoch in his cozy home, enjoying perfect health and in a very entertaining manner the correspondent was shown the records kept by Mr. Hoch during the last 24 years, beginning with January 29, 1872 and ending January 29, 1896.

H - Buried on private burial ground
F - Buried on Frieden's Cemetery in Friedensburg
O - Buried in Oley Cemetery
S - Buried in Spies Church cemetery
U- Buried in Union (Bertolet's) Cemetery in Freidensburg
P - Buried in Pleasantville Cemetery

All repose in the soil of Oley except three

• Susan K. Herbein, born April 27, 1803 died September 22, 1893; place of burial (H), age 90 years 4 months 25 days.
• Geo. Brownmiller, born April 1, 1804 d. Feb. 24, 1896; place of burial (F), age 91 years 10 months 23 days
• Mary Hunter, born October 4, 1804 died March 15, 1892; place of burial (O), age 87 years 5 months 11 days
• Sarah Bahr, born May 6, 1805 died November 26, 1895; place of burial (F), age 90 years 6 months 20 days
• John R. Edelman, born May 23, 1805 died Jun 4, 1895; place of burial (F), age 90 years 12 days
• Daniel Laucks, born September 30, 1805 died January 17, 1891; place of burial (F), age 83 years 3 months 17 days
• Mary Edelman, born August 15, 1807 died September 7, 1890; place of burial (F), age 83 years 3 months 22 days
• John Lease, born August 20, 1807 died September 18, 1895; place of burial (F), age 88 years 29 days
• Benj. Hoefer, born October 22, 1807 died September 28, 1893, place of burial (S), age 35 years 11 months 6 days
• Mary Hoefer, born November 3, 1807 died January 11, 1893; place of burial (S), age 85 years 1 month 8 days
• John K. Bertolet, born November 11, 1807 died January 1, 1891; place of burial (W), age 83 years 1 month 20 days
• Sallie Bower, born December 20, 1807 died October 11, 1892; place of burial (F), age 84 years 9 months 21 days
• Mary Snyder born December 29, 1807 died August 18, 1895; place of burial (H), age 87 years 7 months 18 days
• Esther Booth, born January 29, 1808 died December 24, 1893, place of burial (F), age 85 years 10 months 25 days
• Rebecca Hauck, born January 31, 1808 died November 7, 1893; place of burial (F), age 85 years 9 months 7 days
• David Bertolet, born April 8, 1809 died December 28, 1893; place of burial (H), age 84 years 8 months 19 days
• Daniel Bertolet, born January 17, 1809 died January 19, 1894; place of burial (W), age 85 years 1 day
• Daniel Wiest, born February 10, 1809 died march 13, 1896; place of burial (O), age 87 years 1 month 3 days
• Elizabeth Butz, born May 28, 1809 died November 19, 1895; place of burial (F), age 86 years 5 months 21 days
• Daniel Diehl, born march 24, 1809 died March 9, 1895; place of burial (F), age 85 years 11 months 16 days
• Lydia Yoder, born September 24, 1809 died march 9, 1895; place of burial (F), age 83 years 4 months 15 days
• Mary Lorah, born June 19, 1810 died January 17, 1893; place of burial (S), age 82 years 6 months 28 days
• Hettie Firing, born July 17, 1810 died January 11, 1892; place of burial (F), age 81 years 5 months 11 days
• Daniel Dreibelbis, born November 5, 1810 died April 15, 1892; burial place (F), aged 81 year 5 months and 10 days
• Susan Dearolf, died December 1891, ); place of burial (O), aged 80 years 7 months 27 days
• William Laucks born August 7, 1807, still living in Friedensburg

Of the 25 above named persons who have died, 13 are interred in Frieden's Cemetery, 3 in Oley Cemetery, 3 on Spies' Church Cemetery, 3 on private burial grounds, 2 on Union (Bertolets's) Cemetery and one on the Pleasantville Cemetery. William Laucks, aged 88 years is the only still living. He is a tailor, living in Friedensburg, a member of the Lutheran congregation of Friedens' church and very active for his advanced age. He married and has lived with William Glase's family for many years.

Mr. Hoch, during this period, attended the funerals of 638 persons, among them being a number of double funerals. He has a record of the day of birth, death and funeral, of the officiating minister and of the text of all of the 638 persons. Of these 638 persons 139 died between the age of 1 and 10 years; 35 between the age of 10 and 20; 39 between the age of 20 and 30; 41 between the age of 30 and 40; 43 between the age of 40 and 50; 47 between the age of 50 and 60; 92 between the age of 60 and 70; 115 between the age of 70 and 80 and74 between the age of 80 and 90;13 between the age of 90 and 100. Since January 29, 1896, Mr. Hoch has attended 15 additional funerals, making the number of which he has a record of 653. Previous to the time when he commenced his record he attended many funerals, which are not counted in this report.

Submitted by Betty.