John David Hoff (1884 - 1972)

Born 7 Feb 1884 in Boston, Christian, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 12 Jul 1972 at age 88 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

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Biography

John David Hoff, Jr. interviewed his father, John David Hoff, Sr., about his early life.

Named after John Hoff and David Horn - his grandfathers.

Born on a farm in Barton Co., MO. Straight west of Golden City. P.O. was Beloit and later name was changed to Boston. Lived in a one story square house just north of a 2 story square house that was owned by his grandfather, John Hoff. House was between Golden City and 71 highway. Believed that Rodney P. Hoff owned the house. Rodney was farming. Xexia Hoff born on home place at Maple Grove, MO, which Rodney P. Hoff homesteaded. 80 acres north of road and 80 acres south.

By 1881 the family had moved to Barton Co. They left there when J.D. was 4 (1888). Moved to Carthage. (John Hoff was dead by then and his widow had moved to Carthage. R.P. carpentered and George Hough and he threshed summer and ran a saw mill in winter. Used a horse powered threshing maching. Bought one of the first stead engines in the section (used for both thresher and saw mill). Family stayed until 1906-1910 and moved to Texax where R.P. ran a saw mill.

Went to school in Carthage. He completed 8 years grade school and 2 years of high school when he quit school to go to work. About 1900 at age 16 he went to work for a farm implement co. and became a binder expert. Knotter on binder went bad and he traveled the country. Also repaired pumps on windmills. Sigler & Parsons Implement Co., Central & Main on northeast corner in Carthage. Pay was $7.50 per week.

About age 22 he went to K.C. with a friend. On their way home one day they saw a Navy recruiting poster & stopped in at the other fellow's suggestion to ask for literature. Dad recalls that they read the literature that night and were on hand when the recruiting station opened the next morning to volunteer. Dad passed the physical but the other man (Hal Osborne) failed it. Served a 4 year hitch.

1910 Census. Home - USS Charleston, Kobe, Japan, Military and Naval Forces Age 26, Carpenters Mate 1st Class Born MO, Father born IL, Mother born OH

By 1910 when his Navy hitch was up, he returned to (3 Oct. 1910) Carthage, where Rodney P. had also returned.

Met Grace Owings, age 21, while living in Carthage. Met through a friend who went with older sister. Corresponded with her during Navy hitch and on return visited her in Ft. Collins. (Stopped on way home in Ft. Collins.) Returned to Ft. Collins where they married on 22 Dec. 1910. Double wedding with Winnie Owings and Roscoe Bales. All four celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

J.D. & Grace returned to MO to Carthage the fall of 1910 until 1911. Lorraine born 1911 in a rented house on S. Main in Carthage (Xenia has a picture>) This was just before Atlas job. Did carpenter work for Dr. Baker, a 2 story bldg. for Lanpher Bros. About 1911 moved to Duenawey and worked at the Atlas Powder Plant. Carepnter work building plant @ 50 cents an hour. Joined the union to get job. Went to Joplin for a short time and worked on the Frisco freight house, but the union struck and he went to K.C. where he went to work for Santa Fe and was sent to Topeka, KS. Maintenance work on boxcars & refrigeration cars. Was there from about 1912 to 1914.

Built a house about 1911 on Centennial between Garrison & Maple just before going to K.C. (House on Garrison)

Moved to Reed's Spring, MO, in Apr. 1914. Bought 5 acres tract on the hill with a 3 room house, just north of Doc Shumates. Sold later to Mrs. Oswalt.

In 1918 joined the Navy about July or Aug. U.S.S. Turkey, a mine- sweeper. Carpenter's Mate 1st. Navy Supply Base in Boston, MA. (Turkey comm. Dec. 13, 1918 went to Phil. to fit out. N.Y. 31 Dec. To Fire Island 31 Jan. to pull ship off shore, then to Boston.) Discharged Boston Navy Yard 25 Jun. 1919.

Went to Tulsa, OK, 5 Jul. 1919. Tulsa was booming and jobs were plentiful. Could have gone to work almost any yard. Started with Davis Lumber Co. for $150 a month. Moved to a rented house on Atlanta ($35/mo) just north of Admiral Place 1/2 block. When rent was raised to $50, he moved to a duplex about 7-8th St. just west of Lewis. Lived there a few months and then bought a 4 room house at 2533 East Admiral Pl. about 1920. Gene was born there Dec. 1922.

About 1920 went to Cross Plains (an oil boom town in central Texas) to work. Worked for the Pickering Lumber Co. Prices got to high in town that the oil cos. shut down. Lots went from $25 to $1,000. Before he left lots sold later for $33 each. In 1921 he returned to Tulsa.

Three of them bought 10 acres. J.D. got 8 lots for an invenstment of $1,000. Sold 3 lots for $350 each. Built 2 houses already sold and made a little money. Built a 3rd house and leased it to Tulsa Bldg. & Loas Assoc. Went to K.C., MO, summer 1930. 1st Oct. to 1 Jan. 1930 he earned $10 in Tulsa as a carpenter.

In 1921-22 he moved back to Reed's Spring, MO. Ran a lumber yard for Mrs. Parker. Moved into a 2-3 room house, added a kitchen, and it burned down. Had no insurance because it was just completed. Saved only a sewing machine. Apparently in moving the house the brick flue had broken and the fire started there. Rebuild a 4 room house. Schools not so good in Reed's Spring, so returned to Tulsa. Was a builder of stairways for Rounds & Porter Lumber Co.

In April 1931 he returned to Reed's Spring for the 3rd time to run a lumber yard for Mrs. Parker. Moved into Bertha Swift house on the hill and later bought 55 acres 2 miles south of town for $1,000. Used $669 Federal Soldiers Bonus to buy the farm. Two room house - living room and shed type kitchen. Added a bedroom on south and later tore down kitchen and built a new one. Had a fair barn and a large spring of good water. Very rocky land.

In 1937, following 3 years of severe drought in which no tomatoes were raised he moved back to Tulsa. Worked at trade. With the beginning of the war he commuted to Pryor, OK, to work in the DuPont ammo plant. He got to work at 4 PM.

Born Y. BIRT 07 FEB 1884. Boston, Barton Co., MO Note: #T77.

Died Y. DEAT 12 JUL 1972. Tulsa, OK. Age: 88y 5m 5d.

Buried Y. BURI Tulsa Mem. Pk, Tulsa, OK.

Notes

No NOTE record found with id T77.

Sources

"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3ZH-J75 : accessed 29 April 2020), John D Hoff in household of Rodney P Hoff, Marion Township Carthage city Ward 3, Jasper, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60, sheet 6A, family 109, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,866.

"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MRSG-KLM : accessed 29 April 2020), John D Hoff, USS Charleston, Kobe, Japan, Military and Naval Forces, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 141, sheet 2B, family , NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1784; FHL microfilm 1,375,797.

"Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KNQH-36K : 16 February 2018), John David Hoff and Grace Pearl Owings, 22 Dec 1910, Fort Collins, Larimer, Colorado, United States; citing no. 3913, State Archives, Denver; FHL microfilm 1,690,089.

"United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5XZ-K3T2 : 25 October 2019), John David Hoff, 28 Jun 1919; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJMR-V7V : accessed 29 April 2020), John D Haff, Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing ED 267, sheet 2A, line 2, family 26, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1487; FHL microfilm 1,821,487.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC45-XYZ : accessed 29 April 2020), John D Hoff, Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 81, sheet 3A, line 26, family 61, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1935; FHL microfilm 2,341,669.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB2N-5D6 : 27 July 2019), John D Hoff, Area G, Tulsa, Tulsa City, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 79-106, sheet 8B, line 70, family 188, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3351.

"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5WW-34X : 19 May 2014), John Hoff, Jul 1972; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPM-WMHG : 13 December 2015), John D Hoff, 1972; Burial, Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America, Memorial Park Cemetery; citing record ID 132809612, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.