First Generation

   John Houck was born 19 Mar 1779 perhaps in Holland. He died 29 Dec 1856 in Lower Mt. Bethel Twp., Northampton Co. PA. He married Elizabeth Mullar (Miller), daughter of Valintine Mullar (Miller) & Susanna Laubach, 1801 in Northampton Co., PA. She was born 10 Feb 1784 in Williams Twp., Northampton Co. Elizabeth died 12 Oct 1861. They are buried in the old cemetery at Stone Church.
   John Houck was the father of Anna Houck McEwen. He lived in Lower Mt. Bethel twp., Northampton Co. PA. An article about the Houck reunion in 1936 said the earliest ancestor of the clan was the late John Houck who was born in 1779 and died in 1856. This clipping says he came to LMB twp from Holland. He was a resident of the twp until his death.
   I have the John Houck family Bible in my possession (reference 51) . This Bible has a publication date of 1844, but inscribed inside is, "This is the property of John Houck in the year of our Lord, 1856."
   Perhaps it was bought the year John died to record family history. There are two different handwritings. One records the births of John Houck and Elizabeth Mullar and their marriage. The other, I think it is Anna Houck McEwen's, records their deaths as well as the births of the two youngest Houck children, Joseph and Catherine and curiously, Anna Houck who was their third child.
   John Houck is located on the 1840 census. There was a young boy living there who was probably his grandson, Wm McEwen. A woman aged between 30 and 40 on the census was probably Anna Houck McEwen, his widowed daughter. I believe they lived with the John Houck family after Anna's husband John died.
   The 1850 census record is a little confusing, as ages of all but 18 year old Wm. Houck (McEwen) are incorrect. For one thing it looks like Wm used the family name Houck at this time. He was probably raised in the Houck household all his life and grew up with his mother's younger brothers. At age 18, if he was the person the census taker spoke to, he may not have known correct ages of the others. The Houck's are buried in the old cemetery at Stone Church.

   Elizabeth Mullar (Miller) was born in Williams twp., Northampton Co., PA, as is recorded in the Houck Family Bible. This Bible was located in the McEwen family attic about 1976. It was stored with a collection of family Bibles of different branches of the McEwen family. She lived to be 77 years old. She was the daughter of Valintine Miller. She was married in 1801 at the age of 17. She bore children until she was 40 years old. Elizabeth Mullar Houck was the mother of 10 children, eight of whom lived to be adults. The records of their births are recorded in the Church records of the Luthern and Reformed Congregation at Mt. Bethel .
They were:
   Jacob, born 1802, his sponsors were Valentine and Susanna Mueller, d. 1887;
Susanna, b. 1803, married Fredrick Weaver;
Anna, b 1807 (see below for more about Anna)
George, b. 1809, died 1886
Christain, b. 1813
Maria, b. 1816, died before 1856
Michael, b. 1817, d. 1909
Johannes, b. 1820, died before 1856
Catherine, b. 1823, married Schock
Joseph, b. 1824
   All but Maria and Johannes are named in their father's will of 1856. Comparing the notes of Miss Victoria Houck and the sponsor for Jacob's baptisim it can be concluded that Elizabeth Mueller Houck's parents were Valentine and Susanna Mueller. Received confirmation via the internet verifing this information.

Second Generation

   Anna Houck was born 10 Feb 1807 in Northampton Co., PA. She died sometime around 1877/1880. She is buried in the Reformed Cem., Stone Church, PA.
Read my dedication to this brave women. She married John McEwen, son of William McEwen I & Sarah Johnson, 6 Nov 1828 in Lower Mt. Bethel Twp. Northampton Co. PA. John was born 26 May 1806 in Probably Northampton Co., PA. He died 23 Apr 1832, as is recorded in their Bible. It is not known where he is buried.

    Anna Houck McEwen was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Houck. Her birth record is recorded in the church records Church Record of the Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Congregation at Mount Bethel Township, Northampton Co. PA, page 89 and in the Bible. Baptismal records for the children of John and Anna Houck McEwen are recorded in the Church Record of the Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Congregation at Mount Bethel Township in Northampton Co., PA.

p. 224 Sallie Ann born July 2, 1829 baptized Aug. 16, 1829 parents John Mc Conard and Anna sponsors John Houck and Elizabeth.
p. 236 John born March 28, 1831 baptized May 21, 1831 parents John McKawan and Anna sponsors John Miller and Margaret.   
p. 242 William born July 3, 1832 baptized Aug. 4, 1832 parents John M.Gauer and Anna sponsors Fred. Weber and Susan Note that each record gives a different spelling for the name McEwen.

    These records are confirmed by the Bible records. This Bible is now in the possession of Cynthia Hughes Smith. The copyright date on this Bible is 1827, just prior to John's marriage to Anna Houck. It is likely that the Bible was a wedding gift to them, which was the custom at that time. This Bible must have been kept by Anna until she gave it to her son Billy on April 13, 1851, when he has written in the Bible: " William McEwen, his Bible April the 13th the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty one."  
    After John's death in 1831, Anna McEwen must have returned to the home of her parents, John and Elizabeth Houck of Lower Mt. Bethel twp. Northampton Co., PA for help with raising her two children. Her daughter Sally Ann died at the age of nine years leaving Anna alone with her young son, Billy. Census records show that Anna lived with her parents until their deaths. She is listed with them on the 1850 and 1860 censuses. I believe that she is also with them in 1840 as there is a woman matching her age on the record. There is also a young boy who matches William's age in 1840.
    My mother and I attended a McEwen Family reunion in Ohio in 1993 which reunited members of this family for the first time in 170 years. It was an exciting and joyious event.

Reference Note 41 Christ Reformed Church, Stone Church Penna, 1774 - 1794 - 1832. arranged and published by Rev. Howard H. Long and Luther Schoch. 1913. A copy is in my files.

Reference Note 51 Houck Family Bible, Biblia - Die Ganza Heilige Schrist 1844. This is the property of John Houck in the year of our Lord 1856. This Bible is now in the possision of Cynthia H. Smith.

Reference Note 52 Miller, Valentine. Notes given to me by Carol Houck Bollenback, 4739 Berkley Terr., NW, Washington DC 20007. July 10, 1991. These notes are dated Feb. 1940 and were writen by a granddaughter of John Houck, L. Victoria Houck. Photocopies are in my file.

Reference Note 54 John McEwen Family Bible. The Holy Bible, 1827. This Bible was located in 1976 in the McEwen Attic. It had been stored with several other Bibles of different branches of the McEwen family. My grandmother told me to take them for safe keeping after the time of her death. Until then they remained in the attic. They are now in my posession.

Reference Note 55 Seneca Co. Ohio Court Records. Oct. 10, 1843. Letter of attorney naming Henry McEwen of Seneca Co. Ohio to represent John Houck the guardian of William McEwen, son of John McEwen, deceased.

Reference Note 56 Muller Family Descendants, Doris Rizza , 305 Jennings Ave. Scottdale, PA 15683, (djrizz@westol.com). Received Oct. 1996. Her research was located on the IGI at the LDS.

Reference Note 57 Church Record of the Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Congregation at Mount Bethel Township, Northampton Co., PA , 1914. Transcribed from the old German Record by the Rev. Dr. Wm. Wackernagel. Containing birth records from 1774 - 1890.

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