John Franklin Wolf 1809 PA – 1883 OH

John FranklinWolf was born 11 April 1809 in Berwick, Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Frederick Wolf and Esther Barbara Shaffer. John Franklin Wolf married Elisabeth Burkholder, 1814 – 1856 [daughter of Abraham Burkholder.] His second wife, married 6 November 1856 in Ohio, was Caroline Orwig. John died 10 March 1883 in Medina County, Ohio.

In 1830, 1840 & 1850 John lived in York County, Pennsylvania. John Franklin was a stone mason. Tax records show he had 19 ½ acres of land, a cow and a horse. Curiously, in 1850 the Wolf family was divided between 2 houses. John and Elisabeth lived in one house. Their oldest daughter, Sarah (Wolf) Williamson and her husband, James T. Williamson, lived next door. The census lists John and Elisabeth’s children as living with their sister, rather than living with their parents.

Sometime between 1850 and 1856 this Wolf family moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. John Franklin and Elisabeth’s ninth child was born in Ohio. In May 1856 Frederick Wolf was born. Unfortunately, Elisabeth died soon afterwards. John Franklin was left with nine children to care for, including an infant. He did not stay single for long. On 6 November 1856 John Franklin Wolf married Caroline Orwig. She had children from a previous marriage.

Two of John’s sons served in the Civil war. Both John and Joseph served and returned safely home again.

In 1870 John Franklin was a stone mason in Wadsworth Twp. In 1880 he was living in Hinkley. John died 10 March 1883 in Medina County, Ohio. He was 73 years old. He and Elisabeth were my 3^rd great grandparents.

….. 1 John Franklin Wolf b: 11 April 1809 Berwick, Adams, PA, d: 10 March 1883 in Hinckley, Medina, OH
….. + Elisabeth Burkholder b: 24 May 1814 York, PA, d: 22 June 1856 OH
……….. 2 Sarah Wolf b: Abt. 1833
……….. + James T. Williamson
……….. 2 Esther Barbara Wolf b: 14 June 1836  PA, d: 11 Aug 1906 Medina, OH
……….. + Augustus Ceaser Gruissy b: 16 May 1840 OH, m: 6 Dec 1868 Stark, Ohio, d: 8 Dec 1915 Stark, OH
…………….. 3 Rephenia Cathern Gruissy b: 4 April 1870 OH, d: 17 Jan 1943 MI
…………….. + Willis L. Nichols b: January 1869 in Ohio, m: Abt. 1891
…………….. 3 Algedena Gruissy b: 17 Oct 1871 in Ohio, d: 1871 OH
…………….. 3 John Andrew Gruissy b: 07 Sept 1872 OH, d: 1878 OH
…………….. 3 Sarah Barbara Gruissy b: 22 June 1874 OH, d: 22 June 1874 OH
…………….. 3 Nancy Regina Victoria Gruissy b: 31 Jan 1879 Sharon, Medina, OH, d: 24 May 1959 Wadsworth, Medina, OH
…………….. + Thomas Kenneth Mark b: 19 July 1879 in Wooster, Wayne, Ohio, m: 28 Jan 1903 in Medina, Ohio, d: 12 Feb 1975 in Wadsworth, Medina, Ohio
……….. 2 Susan Wolf b: 26 Sept 1839, d: Unknown
……….. + James Custer m: 06 Nov 1873 in Wayne, Ohio
……….. 2 John W. S. Wolf b: Sep 1841 in PA d: 13 Sept 1908 in Medina, Ohio
……….. + Elizabeth Jane Anderson
…………….. 3 Eliza J Wolf b: Abt. 1870
…………….. + William Shirley m: 06 Nov 1886 in Wayne, Ohio
…………….. 3 William E Wolf b: Abt. 1871 OH, d: 23 Aug 1934  Summit, Ohio
…………….. 3 John Franklin Wolf b: 07 Sept 1873 OH, d: 4 April 1951 OH
…………….. 3 Sarah Emma Wolf b: 08 August 1875 Guilford, Medina, Ohio
…………….. 3 Anna May Wolf b: 03 June 1878 in Guilford, Medina, Ohio
…………….. 3 Samuel H Wolf b: 13 January 1880 OH d: 30 March 1926 OH
…………….. + Grace b: 1878, d: 1968
…………….. 3 Mary B Wolf b: 23 April 1883 OH, d: 1 May 1936 OH
…………….. + Arthur Dunham m: 16 October 1906 in Medina, Ohio
…………….. 3 George B. Wolf b: 07 July 1884 OH, d: 03 Aug 1884 Medina, OH
…………….. 3 Susan A. Wolf b: November 1885
…………….. + Grant H Thorndyke m: 04 September 1908 in Medina, Ohio
……….. 2 Joseph Wolf b: 08 May 1844 in York, Pennsylvania, USA, d: 11 May 1924 in Plain Twp.
……….. + Anna Eliza Kohr m: 22 Aug1872 in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas, Ohio
…………….. 3 Clementine Florence Wolf b: 01 July 1876 in Ohio
…………….. 3 Gertrude Idella Wolf b: 21 May 1884 in OH, d: 2 March 1922 OH
…………….. + Clarence Fry b: Abt. 1882 in Ohio
…………….. 3 Clark Rudy Wolf b: 31 December 1886, d: 24 Jan 1888
…………….. 3 Mildred Mae Wolf b: 29 Sept 1892  OH, d: 15 Nov 1972 OH
…………….. + Urban Robert Zengler b: 19 May 1886 OH, d: 01 Feb 1975 OH
……….. 2 Margaret Ann Wolf b: 3 Sept 1846, d: 29 Jan 1864
……….. + Jugandt
……….. 2 Justina Wolf b: 24 Aug 1850, d: 1851
……….. 2 Samuel Wolf b: 02 February 1853
……….. 2 Frederick Wolf b: May 1856, d: 02 Sept 1856
….. + Caroline Orwig b: Abt. 1820, m: 06 Nov 1856 OH d: 1888
……….. 2 Emma Wolf b: 1 Sept 1863  OH, d: 20 Nov 1933  Cuyahoga, OH
……….. + C. Prentice Waldo
…………….. 3 Lydia Waldo b: Oct 1879
…………….. 3 Winifred Waldo b: June 1884
…………….. + Charles Oakley
…………….. 3 Waylan Waldo b: June 1884
…………….. + Jessie Hurd m: 16 Oct 1905 in Medina, Ohio
…………….. 3 Blake H. Waldo b: 24 Dec 1886 in Hinckley, Medina, OH
……….. + Thomas Spencer Charlton

Selected Sources:

• Marriage record for John F. Wolf and Caroline Philips, 6 November 1856, Volume 5, page 25, Wayne County Probate Court, Court House, 107 W Liberty St., Wooster, Ohio.
• 1850 US Census, Franklin Twp., PA
• 1860 US Census, Sugar Creek, Wayne, Ohio
• 1870 US Census, Wadsworth, Medina, Ohio, John F. Wolf family.
• Death notice for a John Wholf in Vol 2 Medina Co Hinckley Twp #2819 75 yrs died of old age D: 1883  (b. abt 1808)
• Wolfe, J. Arthur. Jonas Wolf of Berwick Township, York County, Pennsylvania: A History and Genealogy of a Colonial Ancestor and Some of His Descendants. Privately Published: 1987.
• Family charts, interviews, etc.

Read about the Wolf family:

• Appollonia (Dick) Wolf 1738 – 1791
• Esther B (Wolf) Gruissy 1836 – 1906
• Johan Jacob Wolf 1694 – 1757
• Johann Jonas Wolf 1739 – 1787
• John Frederick Wolf 1779 – 1872
• John Franklin Wolf 1809 – 1

Learn much more about this family in my book, ‘The Mark Family Story’.