George Yocum

  Noted events in his life were:

• Book: Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County Pennsylvania, 1909. ¹
The name Yocum is quite common in the lower end of Berks county. Late in the seventeenth century a colony of Swedes settled at Wissahickon, near Philadelphia. In 1701 a number of these Swedes, including three Yocum brothers, located along the eastern bank of the Schuylkill, near Douglassville, Berks county. Surveys of land were made for these settlers Oct. 21, 1701, and patents issued between 1704 and 1705. The name is variously spelled in the early records, being Jocum, Yocomb, Yokham, Yocom and Yocum.

Nicholas Yocum (Yocom), the founder of the Cumru branch of the family, was born in Oley township, Sept. 3, 1776. As a young man he went to Lancaster county, and learned to make gun-barrels. When ready to begin for himself, he chose Cumru township, Berks county, as this location, bought the old Seidel forge, and there prepared his own iron for the manufacture of his gun-barrels.

He followed this calling many years with great profit, but he was of so generous and sympathetic a disposition that he was remembered for his benefactions rather than his wealth, and many were the men in financial straits whom he helped. In person he was tall, powerful and of commanding presence. He died April 23, 1857, aged eighty years, seven months, twenty days. His wife, Catherine (Lorah) Yocum, whom he married March 14, 1801, was born Oct. 3, 1783, and she died Feb. 13, 1851.

They had four children: George, born 1803; Daniel, 1805, who married Miss Catharine Thompson, and died in 1864; Moses; and Samuel, who married a Miss Spohn, and settled in Sinking Spring.

George Yocum, son of Nicholas, was born in Cumru township Oct. 3, 1803. He was an iron worker by trade, and he and his father bought the old Spohn estate in Lower Heidelberg township, consisting of 101 acres of the best land in the county. Here he engaged in farming until his son Benjamin took charge and he then retired to Sinking Spring, where he died Aug. 17, 1881. He is buried in the cemetery at Sinking Spring.

He married Catharine Hemmig, who was born Dec. 23, 1805, daughter of John and Susanna Hemmig. She died April 21, 1874. Their children were: William, a farmer near Stouchsburg, is now deceased; Aaron, a flour merchant in Reading, m. (first) Hannah and (second) Kate Heffer; Sarah m. Frederick Graeff; Amanda died unmarried; Amos, a shoemaker and farmer, m. Isabella Miller (1843-1885); Benjamin, born Nov. 7, 1836, now lives retired at Sinking Spring; Lizzie m. Aaron Fox, a butcher at Sinking Spring; Anna m. Reuben Beecher, formerly of Wernersville.

George married Catherine Hemming, daughter of John Hemming and Susanna. (Catherine Hemming was born on 23 Dec 1805 ² and died on 21 Apr 1874 ².)