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Below is a family biography included in Book of Biographies: Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Cortland County, New York published by Biographical Publishing Company in 1898.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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LUCIUS P. HOLLENBECK, a leading member of the Cortland County bar, an excellent likeness of whom appears on the opposite page, was born in Tully, N. Y., October 2, 1837. He is a son of Casper Hollenbeck, and grandson of Abraham Hollenbeck, who came from Albany County and settled in Tully as one of that town’s pioneers. Abraham lived to be about fifty years old, and his wife, who was a Mary Van Buskirk, attained about the age of seventy years. Their family consisted of these children: John; Aaron; Isaac; Casper; Evaline (Merchant); Leah (Wilcox); Hannah (Craig); and Philura (Large).

Casper Hollenbeck was born in Albany County, N. Y., in 1811, and was four years of age when his parents moved to Tully, where he was reared and educated to agricultural pursuits. He married Harriet Brown, daughter of A. and Abigail (Goodell) Brown, and they became the parents of a family of eight: Lucius Phidelio, our subject; Lydia, who died young; Ann (Breed); Lucy J. (Isbell); Mary A.; Esther M. (Hopkins); Ida (Smith); and Benjamin F. In 1838, Casper Hollenbeck changed his residence to the town of Cuyler, Cortland County. His first piece of land was a plot of one hundred acres in area, about a half acre of which was cleared; thereon he built a log house, living on that property until 1884. He added, from time to time, acre after acre, until he became the well-to-do proprietor of a large farm, well cleared, excellently improved, and productive of gratifying results in response to careful farming. Casper Hollenbeck was a farmer of the best type, a self-made man, and thorough and independent in all his undertakings. His sterling qualities secured for him the esteem and respect of a large circle of friends, and made his name an honored one in his locality. He was a Whig originally in his politics, and on the final dissolution of that party he became one of the stanchest adherents of the Republican organization. He and his wife both favored the M. E. Church, and brought up their children to reverence its doctrines and to walk according to its teachings. Casper Hollenbeck died April 12, 1891, aged eighty years and twelve days, while his wife attained the age of seventy-four years. Mr. Hollenbeck’s maternal grandmother, Abigail Northway, lived to be ninety-nine years, eight months and twelve days old, dying February 12, 1885.

Lucius P. Hollenbeck, until he was twenty-one years of age, spent his days with his father on the farm. His education was received in the district schools and in De Ruyter Academy. Through the winter of 1860 he taught school, and for every succeeding winter until 1872 he followed the profession of a pedagogue, spending his summers assisting his father on the farm. He studied law under Judge Crandall of Cortland, and was admitted to the bar November 13, 1873. He opened an office in the village of Cortland in January, 1874, and entered upon a successful practice of law, devoting his whole time and attention to legal work. During the first years in the profession he built up a large general practice, and had many cases in the superior court, but on account of poor health fora number of years past he has been forced to confine himself to office work; his labors in the interest of pensioners bringing him especially into public notice. In probity and integrity and soundness of opinion and judgment, he is second to none, and is estimated accordingly in the community where he resides. He has been largely instrumental in establishing the permanent interests of Cortland, and in maintaining the standard of excellence of all that is best in the county.

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This family biography is one of numerous biographies included in Book of Biographies: Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Cortland County, New York published in 1898. 

View additional Cortland County, New York family biographies here: Cortland County, New York Biographies

View a map of 1897 Cortland County, New York here: Cortland County, New York Map

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