Gazlay Family History
Joseph George Voelker
Parents
| Father | John Voelker (1826 - 29 March 1899) |
| Mother | Marie _____ (ca. October 1824 - 24 June 1908) |
Personal Information
| Record Created: 9 November 2009; Last Edited: 16 January 2024 |
| Person ID | 269 |
| Name | Joseph George Voelker |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | 4 August 1868 in Germany1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Emigrated | 1872 from Germany4 |
| Married | 9 January 1891 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey to Margaret Percy4, 6, 7 |
| Died | 30 January 1915 in Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey1, 8 |
| Buried | in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey1 |
Biography
Joseph is described as nice looking, nearly six feet tall, with light blue eyes, and a small mustache. He worked at various jobs, including a dye making apprentice at Oak’s Mill, a wool carder, a carpenter, and an employee at the Consolidated Safety Pin Company’s plant, according to family recollections, census records, and his obituary.4, 6, 8, 9
Joseph’s son, David (Percy David Voelker), indicated that he shared his birthday, August 4th, with his father.2
His obituary indicates that he was survived by his wife and four children. However, he actually had five surviving children at the time of his death: four at home, and his eldest child, Fannie, having married a few years before his death. A sixth child, Mary, died in a fire in 1902, according to family recollections.2, 8
Joseph G. Voelker.
Joseph G. Voelker of 12 Cottage St., employed at the Consolidated Safety Pin Company’s plant, died Saturday afternoon after an illness of several weeks from typhoid fever. He was a member of Court Bloomfield Centre, I. O. F., and was 47 years old. A widow and four children survive.
Person/Family
| Spouse 1 |  Margaret Percy (daughter of David Percy and Rebecca Cornworth) |
| Born | 11 April 1874 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania |
| Married | 9 January 1891 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey to Joseph George Voelker |
| Married | to Charles Elmer Brighton |
| Died | 13 October 1945 in East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey |
| Children | of Joseph George Voelker and Margaret Percy: |
| +1. | Fannie T. Voelker |
| Born | 19 November 1892 in New Jersey |
| Married | ca. 1912 to Clarence Thomas ‘Bud’ Westerfield |
| Died | 1 December 1970 |
| 2. | Mary Voelker |
| Born | 7 April 1894 in Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey |
| Died | 1902 |
| +3. | John J. ‘Jack’ Voelker |
| Born | 16 April 1897 in Essex County, New Jersey |
| Married | ca. 1921 to Mae Cronin |
| Died | 8 November 1940 |
| +4. | Margaret Eleanor Voelker |
| Born | 19 May 1903 in Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey |
| Married | to George Charles Blake |
| Died | 14 January 2004 in New Providence, Union County, New Jersey |
| +5. | Josephine Caroline Voelker |
| Born | 24 July 1904 in Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey |
| Married | 20 November 1921 in New Jersey to William Passmore McGregor |
| Died | 18 August 1923 in Orange, Essex County, New Jersey |
| 6. | Percy David Voelker |
| Born | 4 August 1908 in New Jersey |
| Married | to Gladys M. Skinner |
| Died | 24 September 1995 |
Sources
- Find a Grave (website). Mount Olivet Cemetery, Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey, Joseph George Voelker, born: 9 August 1868 in Germany [sic, his son Percy David Volker stated that he shared his birthday, 4 August, with his father]; died: 30 January 1915 in Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey (from record, which includes notes detailing his parents, children, arrival in America, WWI service, employment, death and burial; and provides the names and links for his parents, sibling, and wife).
- Records of Conversations between Lee Gazlay and Percy David Voelker on various dates in May and June, 1984.
- U.S. Federal Census, 1880, New Jersey, Essex County, Bloomfield, E.D. 91, Sheet No. 9A, John Filker, 50, Russia, works in paper mill; wife Mary Filker, 54, Bavaria; daughter Therese Filker, 15, Bavaria; son Joseph Filker, 12, Bavaria [this is believed to be John Voelker and his family].
- U.S. Federal Census, 1900, New Jersey, Essex County, Bloomfield City, Enumeration District 201, Sheet No. 20A, family of Joseph Volker (31, Germany, Aug 1868, wool carder, immigrated in 1872); wife of 7 years Margaret Volker (25, Pennsylvania, April 1875, 3 children, 3 living); daughter Fannie Volker (7, New Jersey, Nov 1892); daughter Mary Volker (5, New Jersey, April 1895); son John Volker (3, New Jersey, April 1897); mother Mary Volker (75, Germany, Oct 1824, widow, 9 children, 1 living, immigrated in 1872).
- New Jersey State Census, 1905, Essex County, family of Joseph Volker (37); Margurett Volker (31); Faney T. Volker (12); John J. Volker (8); Margurett E. Volker (2); Josephine C. Volker (1).
- U.S. Federal Census, 1910, New Jersey, Essex County, Bloomfield City, Enumeration District 152, Sheet No. 18B, family of Joseph Volker (41, Germany, carpenter, house); wife of 13 years Margaret Volker (35, New Jersey, 5 children, 5 living); daughter Fannie Volker (17, New Jersey); daughter Margaret Volker (7, New Jersey); daughter Josephine Volker (6, New Jersey); son Jack Volker (13, New Jersey); son Percy Volker (2, New Jersey).
- New Jersey Marriages, 1678-1985, Joseph Geo. Voelker, age 23, born in Germany; and Margaret Percy, age 19, born in the U.S.; married on 6 January 1891 in Newark, Essex [County], New Jersey.
- Obituary, The Independent Press, Bloomfield, New Jersey, 5 February 1915, Joseph G. Voelker, died the previous Saturday (i.e., 30 January 1915) in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
- Record of visit between Lee Gazlay and Margaret (nee Voelker) Blake, George and Stella Blake, Spring 1996, in which Margaret, George, and Stella provided numerous details about the Voelker family and families that Voelker women married into.