LouisF. Kloker  

 
LOUIS F. KLOKER, a practicaland extensive farmer, occupying his fine farm in section 30, township 17,range 11, was born in Beardstown, May 20, 1836. Here he was reared andeducated and has always been a resident. His father was Louis Kloker, Sr.,a native of Hanover, Germany, belonging to an old German family. He hadbeen a wagon maker, the only son of his father’s family, and after growingup, about 1832, he came to the United States on a sailing vessel. Aftera voyage of thirteen weeks he landed in New Orleans, and came on to Beardstown,via the Mississippi river. He began work as a mechanic, and died about1839. He was known as a hard-working young man of good habits, and wasa member of the Lutheran Church. He left two sons, our subject and a brotherHenry, who died when thirteen years of age. He married Mary Raube, alsoa native of Hanover, who had come to America in the same vessel with Mr.Kloker. They married soon after landing in Beardstown. She is the onlymember of her family in this country. After the death of her husband, Mrs.Kloker was married again to Fred Wedeking, who had come on the same vesseland at the same time as Mr. Kloker. After her second marriage they livedin Beardstown until 1844, when they settled on a farm southeast of Beardstown,and there Mrs. Wedeking died, December 25, 1857, aged forty-two. Mr. Wedekingdied there also in 1887, aged seventy-six. He and his wife were good Lutherans,and very honest people.

After the death of his father,Louis was carefully reared by his mother and stepfather, and since theirdeath he has been taking care of himself. Mr. Kloker formerly lived intownship 17, range 12. He has made the most of his property by his ownefforts, and now owns 280 acres, which is highly improved, and has uponit good farm buildings. He also owns forty acres in timber land.

He was married in this countyto Mrs. Minnie Yost, nee Soheide. She was born in Prussia, in 1833,and came to Cass county, Illinois, with her mother. Her father died inGermany, in the prime of life. After they had come to this country theyfirst settled in St. Louis, and there Miss Soheide was first married. Sheoutlived all her husbands, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Kloker,May 20, 1888. She was born February 8, 1794, and hence was ninety-fouryears of age; she was a strong, stout woman all her life. She and her peoplewere Lutherans.

Mr. and Mrs. Kloker are workingmembers of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, near Arenzville, of which hehas been Trustee for some years. For thirty years he has been active inschool work in the township. In politics he is a Republican. They are parentsof six children: Henry, farming on the home place; John A., a farmer inthis county; Edward, also a farmer in this county; Lena, wife of WilliamF. Duval, a farmer of this county; Herman and Fred are at home on the farm.

Mrs. Kloker had three childrenby a former marriage with Ernest F. Yost, formerly a successful farmerof this county, and a native of Germany. They are: Mary, wife of ErnestJ. Boes, now of Beardstown; Louisa, wife of Henry H. Meyer, a family inthis county; and Minnie, deceased, dying at the age of thirty-two, afterher marriage with Henry W. Meyer.

Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892, page 298-299.

Copyright 2000-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use ofthe information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited withoutprior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.

Return to BiographicalReview index