Jacob Kocher was born in Newark on September 22, 1847 he had a twin sister
Elizabeth and four brothers. His parents, John Sr and Rosena emigrated from
Switzerland in the early 19th century. Jacob was a tinsmith and plumber and
lived at 105 Parker St in Newark. This residence was lived in by the family in
to the 1980’s. He married Amelia Evertz and had two daughters Alvina and
Elizabeth. In 1905 Alvina married John Black who was a cook in the US
Navy and a veteran of the Spanish American War. Together they had 5
daughters and one son: Helen, Alvina, Edith, Margaret, Ethel Jean and Robert.
John Black served 20 years in the Navy and Merchant Marine. By 1920 he
made his living by selling vegetables from a push cart. Elizabeth Kocher
never married and lived with her sister and family at Parker St until her death
in 1964. Ethel Jean born February 12, 1919 was the youngest of John and
Alvina Blacks children. She married Ralph Shelton a young Coast Guardsman
from Kansas during World War II. They settled in Northern New Jersey as did
all of her sisters except Margaret who remained at Parker St with her husband and family. Ethel Jean and Ralph Shelton had four sons: David, Gordon, Roger and yours truly Wesley.
Bio composed by Wesley Shelton,
Pictured is Wesley Shelton, grandson of Jacob Kocher.
Woodland 