Smyrna times., 1909-01-06
RECOLLECTION OF SMYRNA
OF OVER HALF A CENTURY
WILLIAM A.HUKILL RECALLS HIS
BOYHOOD DAYS IN THIS VICINITY
Tells of People He Knew Who Were
Prominent in Smyrna in the Early
Forties and Relates Incidents

w wilmington, Jan. 0:-Henry DOny
Hoffecker, the father of James R.
Hoffecker of Middletown, one of the
parties included in this story, had one
brother and two sisters, Joseph,
Rachel and Betsy. Joseph had four
sons, Robert D., John S., Joseph H.
and Albert. One sister was Mrs.
Jesse Huntingdon and the other Mrs.
William Cahoon, both of Smyrna.
Rachel married John Appleton of
Odessa who had one daughter, Mrs.
John H. HOffecker, Henry H. John
M. and Captain William E. Appleton.
Betsy was the mother of the late
Rachel Robinson of Elsmere, and Sa-
rah, wife of James H. Hoffecker of
near Wilmington. Henry Dony Hof-
fecker married Mary Hyatt Roberts
daughter of James Roberts of the
Levels and raised two children,
James R. and Mary E. James R.
married Mary A. Peach, daughter of
John Peach of Cecil County, Md, and
reared two daughters and one son,
Clara A. and Anna A. who married
William A. McCrown and J. A.,
real estate broker at 1901 Chestnut
street Philadelphia. James R. mar
ried for his second wife Caroline R.
Burnham of Middletown. He was
originally farmer but is now living
a retired life in Middletown and had
the honor of the nomination for Gov
ernor on the Temperance ticket in
1886 and but for the uncertainty of
the white man, and the colored man
too on that subject, might have been
elected, but was defeated by the
Hon. Major Benjamin T. Biggs also
of Middletown. But at such defeat
Did not u Ike fright nor run away
But lives to run another day.
So say we all.
have a special reason to remem-
ber Mr.. Hoffecker other than our
mutual friendship, for many years
having tracked him clear around Ap-
pOquinimink Hupdred one day in June
1869, about a mile in his rear when
we were both in the wool buying bus
mess, by which l did not get as many
lots as l anticipated, and we will let
it go at that. His only sister mar
ried Alfred c, Crockett of near
Smyrna, but later lived and died on
a farm near Middletown.
r. D. Hoffecker Founder of "Times"
Joseph Hoffecker brother of Henry
DOny, had two daughters, Mrs. Isaac
Huntingdon and Mrs. William Cahoon
and four sons, Robert D., John S.
Joseph H., and Albert. Robert D.
who was the veteran of Peninsula
journalism and founder of the SMYRNA
Times, a fuller account of whom is
published in the History of Delaware,
married Anna, daughter of Rev.
Piner Mansfield in 1855 and had five
children, two died in infancy and the
three surviving are Bertha L., Sam
uel M. and Robert D. Jr., the pres
ent and third HOffecker to dominate
the editorial sanctum of the Smyrna
Times of whom may cheerfully saw
worthy of his calling with no fault
to find except his persistent inclina-
tion to use his scissors on our COM
municatons. John S. married a
daughter of George Simpson of Will
mington and after living for some
years in Smyrna removed to Will
mingtOn where he died suddenly a
few years ago. Joseph H. was also
an Editor of the Times for some years
but disease attacked him early in life
and he died a young man. Albert
took up the farming business near
Cheswold.
John Henry Hoffecker, Leading Citizen
John H. Hoffecker, father, Joseph,
had three wives. By the first wife
no children, by the second wife two
children Daniel Hoffecker Of Dover
and Mrs. Elizabeth Wilds mother of
the Cashier of the Fruit Growers Ma
tional Bank of Smyrna and by the
last wife John H., Mrs. William M.
Bell Joseph v. James P. and Mrs.
DR.. William Collins. John H., Mrs.
Bell and Joseph were born on the
farm now owned by Mrs. John Farrel
adjoining Raymond's Church. James
p. Hoffecker and Mrs. Collins were
born at the old home on Cedar Lane
John H. Hoffecker was we'll anC
most favorably known and written uI
IN Conrad's late history of Delaware,
vol 2 page 622, in manner that
don't dare to disturb, more than t,
say that as | learned to know him h,
was apparently without fault OF
enemies. He had three sons, Waite
" James Edwin, and John Appleton