He was born in 1830/32, in Pennsylvania. [sources: date: 2 (33 in 1865), 7 (19 in 1850). place: 7]
In 1850, he was living in Menallen Township, Bendersville, Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was living with Thomas and Mary Blocher (presumably his parents), and with Martha, Caroline, Andrew, and Oliver (presumably his siblings). He was a saddler. [source: 7]
He married Ellen Donnelly. She was born in 1836/37, in Pennsylvania. They apparently had at least these children:
[sources: 8, 9, 11]
In 1860, perhaps he is the William Blocher living in Menallen Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. If so, he is living with Mary (apparently his wife), and with Jane and Samuel (apparently their children). He is a day laborer, and owned $600 in real estate and $150 in personal property. [source: 12]
He was drafted. He was mustered into service on 28 February 1865, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He was a private, in company F. [sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 15]
He mustered out with his company on 10 July 1865. He was a private in company F. [sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 15]
In 1870, perhaps he is the William Blocher living in Menallen Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. If so, he was living with Jane (apparently his wife), and with Mary, Charles, Clarissa, William B, Harry, and Ella (apparently their children). He was a grocer, and owned $2,700 in real estate and $950 in personal property. [source: 13]
In 1880, he was living in Boiling Springs SM township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was living with his wife Ellen J, and children William B, Ella O, and Emery W. He was a saddler. [source: 8]
In 1890, he was living in Mount Holly Springs, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. [source: 4]
On 12 August 1890, he successfully applied from Pennsylvania for a pension. [sources: 3, 10]
On 25 July 1893, his wife, Ellen J Blocher, died. She was buried in the Biglerville Cemetery, Biglerville, Adams County, Pennsylvania. [source: 11]
In 1900, he seems to have been living in Tyrone Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. He was widowed. He was living with his daughter Mary and her family. [source: 9]
He died on 1 January 1902. He was buried in Biglerville Cemetery, Biglerville, Adams County, Pennsylvania. [sources: 3, 5, 6]
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (Wm W Blocker)
2 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 19 January 2005 (Wm W Blocker)
3 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company F (William W Bloucher [sic])
4 1890 US census, veterans' schedule, Pennsylvania, Cumberland County, Mount Holly Springs, enumeration district 108, page 3 (William Blocker)
5 Pennsylvania veterans burial records, available on Ancestry (transcribed 5 April 2011) (William Blocher)
6 Find a Grave, memorial 18306430, created by pat callahan, maintained by Melaney Friesen Shaum, aded 9 March 2007, accessed 6 April 2011 [identity is likely, given the date of death in the pension index (3)] (William W Blocher)
7 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Adams County, Bendersville, Menallen Township, microfilm series M432, film 743, page 60 = 120 handwritten (William Blocher)
8 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Cumberland County, Boiling Springs S. M. township, supervisor's district 7, enumeration district 78, microfilm series T9, film 1122, page 270 = 24 D handwritten (W W Blocker)
9 1900 US census, Pennsylvania, Adams County, Tyrone Township, supervisor's district 12, enumeration district 28, microfilm series T623, film 1354, page 341 = 2 B handwritten (William W Blocher)
10 pension index, by name (William W Bloucher [?])
11 Find a grave, memorial 27913991, created by pat callahan, added 29 June 2008, maintained by Melaney Friesen Shaum, accessed 7 February 2014 (Ellen J Donnelly Blocher)
12 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Adams County, Menallen Township, microfilm series M653, film 1057, page 432 = 86 handwritten (FamilySearch) (William Blocher)
13 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Adams County, Menallen Township, microfilm series M593, film 1289, page 259 verso = 18 handwritten (FamilySearch) (William Blocher)
14 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (William W Blocher)
15 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (William W Blocker)
| line | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 |
| Dwellings visited | 798 | ||||||
| Families visited | 898 | ||||||
| Name | Thomas Blocher | Mary | William | Martha | Caroline | Andrew | Oliver |
| Age | 47 | 42 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Sex | M | F | M | F | F | M | M |
| Color | |||||||
| Occupation of males over 15 years | Justice | Saddler | |||||
| Real estate owned | 1200 | ||||||
| Birthplace | " [sc. Pa] | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Married within year | |||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | |||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| Dwelling number | 603 | |||
| Family number | 627 | |||
| Name | William Blocher | Mary " | Jane " | Samuel " |
| Age | 25 | 25 | 3 | 1 |
| Sex | M | F | F | M |
| Color | ||||
| Occupation | Day laborer | |||
| Value of real estate owned | 600 | |||
| Value of personal estate | 150 | |||
| Place of birth | Do [sc. Pennsylvania] | Do | Do | Do |
| Married within year | ||||
| Attended school within year | ||||
| Cannot read & write | ||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Dwelling-house number | 135 | |||||||
| Family number | 146 | |||||||
| Name | Blocher William | - Jane | - Mary | - Charles | - Clarissa | - William B | - Harry | - Ella |
| Age | 45 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Sex | M | F | F | M | F | M | M | F |
| Color | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Occupation | Grocer | Keeping House | Attending School | |||||
| Real estate value | 2700 | |||||||
| Personal estate value | 950 | |||||||
| Birthplace | " [sc. Penna] | " | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Father foreign born | ||||||||
| Mother foreign born | ||||||||
| Birth month if born within year | ||||||||
| Marriage month if married within year | ||||||||
| Attended school past year | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Can't read | ||||||||
| Can't write | ||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | ||||||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | 1 | |||||||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 |
| street name | |||||
| house number | |||||
| dwelling visit # | 246 | ||||
| family visit # | 253 | ||||
| name | Blocker W W | - Ellen J | - William B | - Ella O | - Emery W |
| color | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | F | M |
| age | 48 | 43 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Wife | Son | Daughter | [illegible] | |
| single | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| married | 1 | 1 | |||
| widowed/divorced | |||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Sadler | Keeping House | Works in Ore [?] Bank | ||
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | 1 | ||||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | |||||
| birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| father's birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| mother's birthplace | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa | Pa |
| line | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| street | ||||||||
| house number | ||||||||
| dwelling number | 42 | |||||||
| family number | 42 | |||||||
| name | Wright Jesse H | - Mary L | - Harry L | - Charles B | - Hapatia J | - Dinton L | - Mary E | Blocher William W |
| relationship | Head | Wife | Son | Son | Daughter | Son | Daughter | F in Law |
| color | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | M | F | M | M | F | M | F | M |
| birth date | July 1852 | Jan 1859 | Feb 1883 | Nov 1877 | Oct 1879 | Nov 1891 | July 1894 | Aug 1834 |
| age | 47 | 41 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 65 |
| married? | M | M | S | S | S | S | S | Wd |
| # years married | 24 | 24 | ||||||
| mother of how many children? | 7 | |||||||
| # of children living | 7 | |||||||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| father's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| mother's birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| immigration year | ||||||||
| # years in USA | ||||||||
| naturalized citizen? | ||||||||
| occupation | Farmer | Farm Laborer | Day Laborer | School Teach | ||||
| # months not employed | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | ||||
| # months in school | 5 | |||||||
| can read | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| can write | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| speaks English | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| owned/rented | O | |||||||
| free or mortgaged | F | |||||||
| farm/house | F | |||||||
| # of farm schedule | 32 |