A bit more about the Fred Boock Family. Uncle Fred died in 1922. They had three children, Albert, Herbert and Betty (Elizabeth). Betty is the only survivor. She married John Flanagan and lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Albert and Herbert were born in South Dakota, but Betty was born in Manning. She made her home with Max and Luella Gruhn after her mother could no longer care for her. My Uncle and Aunt, Juergen and Anna Peters Hinz looked after those children. Uncle Fred worked, I think, for a door and sash factory the name Dultmeier comes to my mind.

I have already written that my foster father also came to Manning with his parents and other siblings. He married Minnie Hagedorn, and they moved to South Dakota to farm.

He had two brothers in Manning, Gus and Fritz. Two of the Gus Koester children lived in Manning all of their lives. They were Henry and his sister Ida Wunder.

Minnie Koester also had a brother in Manning. His name was Carl Hagedorn. He lived in Manning all of his years in America. His wife died quite young. They had a daughter who married Sam Garmire. She also died early from the same disease her mother died of.
Happy New Year. Walter

Walter Boock Davis, CA
While I have never lived in Manning, both of my parents came to Manning when they immigrated to America. My father came in 1906 and my mother came in 1910. My father, Herman, was a brother to Fred Boock who had come 2 years earlier They soon left for South Dakota, first as farm hands and ultimately farming land of their own. The two brothers returned to Manning to claim two of the Peters sisters as their wives. My father, Herman, married Elsa Peters and his brother Fred married Margaretha Peters. The third sister, Anna, stayed in Manning and was married to Juergen Hinz. One of their children, my cousin, still lives in Manning. She is Edna Kaspersen. Her sister Florence Genzen died last June.

The Boock brothers farmed near Flandreau, SD, until tragedy struck my family. My mother, two sisters and a brother all died within five days from the 1918 flu. An unborn child also died. I, the sole survivor not quite two years old, went to live with foster parents who also had roots in Manning. Conrad Koester, my foster father had brothers in Manning - Gus and Fritz. That pretty much explains my connection to Manning. I was last in Manning in 1996 to attend a Peters reunion. Now at the age of 86, I find it highly unlikely that I will ever return. You will find my mother's name on the table in front of Hausbarn. It was placed there in memory of the Peters sisters.

Finally, I should add that the Fred Boock Family moved back to Manning after my mother died.

Thanks again for sending the address of your site.
Walter Boock

Welcome Officiating Pastor Jamie Crook
Remembering Dad David Boock Peggy Froehlich Elsa Romanowitz Judy Davis
Remembering Grandpa Will Froehlich Justin Romanowitz Jesse Froehlich
Remembering God Jamie Crook
Pianist Carol Loscutoff
Soloist Nancy Streeter University Covenant Church, Davis, California

Memorial contributions may be made to North Davis Elementary for the Outdoor Education Scholarship Fund, 555 E. 14th St. Davis, CA. 95616, or to University Covenant Church, 315 Mace Blvd., Davis, CA 95616, for sound equipment for the hearing impaired.

Walter Boock was born on a farm near Flandreau, South Dakota on November 30, 1916 to German immigrants, Elsa (Peters) and Herman Boock. When he was two his mother, brother Helmuth, and sisters Hilda and Clara died in the flu epidemic of 1918. He was raised in the home of his mother's best friend, Minnie Koester. He saw his father intermittently over the years.

Walter always dreamed of bigger worlds. As a child he longed to ride the train that passed the Koester farm all the way to Madison, SD, 35 miles away! As a teenager he accompanied cattle on a stock train to Chicago. In a city for the first time, Walter looked up in awe at the World Stock Exchange building. A police officer enjoying this country boy mused, "Hold a lot of hay, wouldn't it?"

Walter's service in the Army during WWII brought him to California, the Aleutian Islands, and back to California where he met the beautiful Margaret Swenson. They married in the company of what family and friends the two mid-western transplants could muster and set up housekeeping above a corner store in San Jose. Walter considered himself a man at the end of 8th grade and began supporting himself as a farmhand. After his military service, he entered San Jose State on the GI Bill. Lacking a high school education, he entered on the merit of his entrance exams. He held down night and day jobs, became the father of two, and graduated with honors before beginning his career in education in Merced.

Walter lived the heart of his life in Merced where two more children were born. In 1952 his father became a part of the family until his death in 1964. In Merced, Walter built his dream home and career, and set off on camping trips with his family whenever he could. He wanted his children to know their mid-western roots and took his family often to Minnesota and South Dakota to make that connection. Walter and Margaret parted ways in the 1970's, but the birth of grandchildren in the 1980's brought them together for countless holiday and family gatherings.

In his retirement years, Walter traveled extensively in Europe, Egypt, Israel, and the U.S. When he slowed down, he cleverly let travelers come to him, hosting more than 3,000 people in his official AYH home hostel. He delivered Meals on Wheels until he was 83.

In July of 2000, Walter moved to Davis where he lived with daughter Judy and her husband Mike. Walter stayed in close touch, via e-mail and phone, with friends and family around the world. He navigated his new town on his red scooter, worked crossword puzzles at Peet's, and had a cheery smile for everyone. Walter managed that cheery smile until his last day, June 9, 2004.