This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: b2222b Surnames: Cronk Shields Walker Romine Piper Gitchell Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.cronk/246.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Here's another Joseph Cronk; who are his parents? Joseph Cronk b. ca. 1818 OH (or PA?), d. ca. 1854 CA, probably at or near Watsonville, Santa Cruz Co. CA and just after his wife's death; he mar. Mary S. Shields b. 30 Apr 1818 PA, d. 1 Dec 1853 CA probably at or near Watsonville, Santa Cruz Co. CA; children as follows: i. Mary (or Mariah) Jane Cronk b. ca. 1838 OH, d. aft. 1925 CA, mar. 1 Dec 1860 Thomas Walker b. 3 Jun 1818 Greenbush, Rensselaer Co. NY, d. 23 Oct 1867 Santa Cruz Co. CA, prominent businessman and rancher of Watsonville (parents unknown); they had 2 ch. James Ford Walker b. 12 Sep 1861 and Thomas C. Walker b. 19 Jan 1865, both b. at Watsonville and d. bef. their mother ii. Ira J. Cronk b. ca. 1840 OH, untraced after 1853 iii. unidentified child b. bef. 1853 (and after 1850?); came with family to CA 1853 but untraced afterward Note: three Cronk children came to CA in 1853; if Ira J. d. in IL between 1850 and this trip, then there may have been a fourth child. Other info: 1850 census of Warren Co. IL, house no. 898: Joseph Cronk 36 OH, Mary 34 OH, Mariah J. 12 OH, Ira J. 10 OH; no. 984 is Moses Romine who married Sarah F. Shields, sister of Mary S. Shields; parents of these sisters are Samuel Shields and Rachael Piper, enumerated at house no. 664 same county. Joseph and Mary Cronk and their ch. moved from Warren Co. IL to CA and apparently arrived ca. Oct 1853. The parents died of California fever 2 months later, and dau. Mary Jane may have been the only survivor of this Cronk family. Other Shields relatives appear to have moved to CA about the same time, specifically John Fenton Shields, a brother of Mary S. Shields. John Fenton Shields became a Mormon, probably in IL, and moved to UT, but several of his oldest children were born in CA, and one of his oldest sons James F. Shields was b. 1850 in Salt Lake City, UT, but died 1859 Watsonville, Santa Cruz Co. CA and is buried on the Thomas Walker ranch. John Fenton Shields was back in UT by 1863. Several of his siblings (all non-Mormon) moved from IL to area of Clarke Co. IA and Jewell Co. KS. The Samuel Shields family moved from Beaver Co. PA across the border to Columbiana Co. OH bef. 1830, and between 1838 and 1850 moved to Warren Co. IL. They may have been acquainted with the Cronk family in PA or OH. I am descended from Rachael G. Shields (b. 5 Feb 1835 OH, another dau. of Samuel Shields and Rachel Piper), who mar. William Wallace Gitchell on 4 Jul 1860 Burlington, Des Moines Co. IA (eloped from Warren Co. IL). Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.