My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book,  Biographical Souvenir of the Counties of Buffalo, Kearney, Phelps, Harlan and Franklin, Nebraska published in 1890 by F. A. Battey & Company.  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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ED. J. MOCK was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., March 26, 1870, and is therefore twenty years of age. His life has been marked by being allowed well-to-do advantages. Early in life he evinced a liking for literature and his school learning showed rapid progression. His valedictorian address was delivered April 4, 1888, at the high school in Leesburg, Ind., and was afterwards published in several local papers.

His first venture in amateur journalism was a small 2 1/4 x 3-inch four-page paper, known as the Monitor. After this quaint little local paper had been adrift half a year an exchange of a similar size and nature opened a new desire, a fondness and a knowledge of other instincts than his own in miniature journals. The information in this exchange presented a fact hitherto unknown — that other papers of similar character were in existence. A direct correspondence enlightened him to a correct understanding of amateur journalism. The person most concerned in disclosing this fact was Harry F. Thompson, formerly of Indianapolis. From the exchange list of Mr. Thompson, Mock soon introduced his Monitor to the members of the different associations and to amateur journalists in general. Rapid advancement and improvement soon placed his paper among those of a general classification. From the first insight Mr. Mock desired to become a printer of these miniature journals, and when opportunity at last gave him the pleasure, he equipped a medium sized office and hied himself unto the far West. From this stand point he published the Monitor in eight-page Century-size form, and it was at once recognized as a capable paper.

He located in Alma, Nebr., then the most influential amateur center in the West. Since then he has become amateurdom’s most pretentious publisher. The Monitor has been abandoned on account of so much work brought about by the amount of job printing. He does printing for many prominent amateurs, besides placing Our Knight Errant before us as a model amateur paper.

As a professional newspaper man he is proving a success. He is the leading opinion moulder in his county. Authority gives him the distinction of being the youngest editor in the great state of Nebraska, and his Harlan county Times compares favorably with the best country weeklies of the state.

Harry C. Mock is a junior partner of the firm known as Mock Bros., and as a firm in its infancy they are to be congratulated on their success.

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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in the book, Biographical Souvenir of the Counties of Buffalo, Kearney, Phelps, Harlan and Franklin, Nebraska published in 1890 by F. A. Battey & Company. 

View additional Harlan County, Nebraska family biographies here: Harlan County, Nebraska Biographies

View a historic 1912 map of Harlan County, Nebraska

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