I'm currently researching my great grandfather, Charles (Carl?) W Bock. I'm not sure what the W stands for - it might be Walter, as that was his first son's name, but my other thought was Wilhelm.

Records seem to dispute his birthdate - one record says 1879, but several say 1880. According to his gravestone he was born April 12, 1880. (In Germany.) At some point between 1881 and 1882 he immigrated to the US. Charles eventually ended up marrying Margaret Rinn (nee Quinn) and had two children, Walter and Richard.

All I can find on him are two census records, a naturalization record and a draft record. What I really want to know is where he was born in Germany and the names of his parents. I've found a few people with my last name who immigrated around the same time with children named Charles - which is precisely the issue. I'd like to know for sure who they were and where in Germany I hail from, so I can look a little further.