Home > United States of America > Kansas > Miami County > New Lancaster > New Lancaster Cemetery > John W. Stocker

John W. Stocker

Birth	:	2 Jun 1835 Caledonia County, Vermont, USA
Death	:	7 Sep 1893 Logan, Harrison County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	New Lancaster Cemetery, New Lancaster, Miami County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.4627991, -94.7427979
Plot	:	section 1
Inscription	:	Co. 29th Iowa
Description	:	John W. STOCKER, grocer and dealer in corn and stock, was born in Caledonia county, vt., June 2nd, 1835; moved with parents to Lowell, Mass., in 1843; thence to McHenry county, Ill., in 1854 and engaged in farming; thence to Henry county, Ia., and engaged in setting up woolen mills; thence to Buchanan county in 1857 and engaged in farming one year; then moved to Little Sioux. He enlisted in Co. C, 29th Ia. Inft.; was in a number of important battles; was regimental quartermaster and commanded his company the last year and a half of his service; was... Read More	John W. STOCKER, grocer and dealer in corn and stock, was born in Caledonia county, vt., June 2nd, 1835; moved with parents to Lowell, Mass., in 1843; thence to McHenry county, Ill., in 1854 and engaged in farming; thence to Henry county, Ia., and engaged in setting up woolen mills; thence to Buchanan county in 1857 and engaged in farming one year; then moved to Little Sioux. He enlisted in Co. C, 29th Ia. Inft.; was in a number of important battles; was regimental quartermaster and commanded his company the last year and a half of his service; was some time in Rio Grande, Tex., and returned home Sept. 2nd, 1865; moved to Woodbine and bought an interest in the woolen mill there; after six months sold out and removed to Magnolia, then the county seat, and was elected clerk of the courts in 1866 and re-elected in 1868. In 1876 he located in Logan and engaged in the stock and grain buying business and added the grocery business in 1879. He is a member of the Masonic, I. O. O. F, and I. O. G. T. orders. He married Susan B. BONNEY, in 1862. They have three daughters. source ("per verbatim" transcription): "History of Western Iowa, Its Settlement and Growth: A Comprehensive Compilation of Progressive ...", 1882, page 336 ******************************************************************************************* John W. STOCKER, a busy business man, and the present Postmaster at Logan, will be spoken of in this connection, as being on of the number of those who braved Harrison County when it was almost a wilderness. He came to the county in March, 1857, locating at Little Sioux, where he engaged at work as a carpenter and sawmill hand. He labored in that vicinity until the breaking out of the Civil war, and August 18, 1862, enlisted as a member of Company C, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, serving his country, as only the brave and self-sacrificing will, until August 10, 1865, at which time he was mustered out of the Union Army at New Orleans. Receiving his final discharge at Davenport, Iowa, September 1, of that year. He entered the service as a private, but through bravery and competency was promoted to First Lieutenant. He participated in many engagements, among which may be named the following; Shell Mound, Miss., March, 1863; Helena, Ark., July 4, 1863; Prairie Duane, Camden, surrender at Mobile, Ala., April 12, 1865, which siege commenced March 17; a small engagement at the village of Whistler, April 13, 1865, which was perhaps the last engagement of the war. After leaving the service our subject came to Harrison County and purchased an interest in the Woodbine Woolen Mills. In order to enter this enterprise he took what money he had saved, while playing the role of a soldier, together with what his land near Little Sioux had brought him, making about $1,000 in all. The woolen mills at that time were run under the firm name of Bartemus, Stocker & Co. Our subject not finding this business profitable, owing to the decline of woolen goods, the scarcity of sheep in this locality, as well as heavy Eastern competition, in April, 1866, he sold his interest to J. W. Dalley. He then went to Magnolia, which was still the county seat, and engaged in the furniture trade with C. S. Stowell, renting a building the first year and later erecting one of their own. At the general election of 1866, our subject was elected to the office of Clerk of the Courts, serving two terms, still retaining his interest in the furniture business, but before the term of his office had expired, he purchased his partner's interest, and a short time afterward closed out the furniture business and sold the building to N. B. Hardy, who turned it into a dwelling. After this Mr. Stocker went on a farm, situated on section 11, of Magnolia Township; it was a two hundred and forty-acre tract of wild land, which he finally brought under a high state of cultivation, and on which he built a good farm house. He sold his place in the spring of 1877, and moved to Logan, which place the year previous had secured the county seat. During that year he made a trip to California, remaining about two months and the remainder of the time he was occupied in adjusting old business matters. His next business was that of buying corn, cattle and hogs, in which he was quite successful, and in which he is still engaged, in connection with the extensive grocery business which he established in 1879, first locating in what was known as the Foreman & Greenough building. Our subject built his present brick business house in 1882, moving in to the same November 1, 1882. He of whom we write was born in Caldonia County, Vt., June 2, 1835, and is a son of Samuel and Calista (Fullerton) Stocker, and is the second child of a family of three children. His father was a Methodist minister and had also learned the stonemason's trade; he died in McHenry County, Ill., in 1880, at the age of eight-four years. His wife, the mother of our subject, died in the autumn of 1840. Our subject thrown out thus early in life, upon his own resources, was according to the custom of that day, bound out to learn the trade of a miller, and was with his master until he was thirteen years of age, at which time life was anything but a continual round of pleasure for him, and possessing a spirit of independence, born with most of the sons of the old Green Mountain State, he ran away and commenced working in a woolen factory at Lowell, Mass., where he remained until the autumn of 1853. His father's family came to that section and bought a farm which gave him a home to fall back on until he reached his majority, at which time he came to McHenry County, Iowa, for the purpose of starting some woolen mill machinery, for a man named DEEDS. He remained there that summer and in the autumn of 1856 went to Buchanan county, Iowa, and ran the old COLBY farm when corn was worth a shilling a bushel and wheat thirty cents. We next find him in Harrison County, Iowa, where he has been a successful business man ever since. May 27, 1860, marked another important era in this man's life, for it was upon that day that he was united in marriage to Susan B. Bonny, a native of Herkimer County, N. Y., born April 23, 1834. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Isadora (Jenks). Mr. and Mrs. Stocker are the parents of five children, Carrie I., born April 11, 1861; Katie B., November 1, 1862; Helen I., June 28, 1868, Lewis P., deceased, in 1870 and Benjamin T., deceased, born in 1873. To one who is acquainted with our subject, it would go without saying that he is a man of great force of character, and of decided convictions, which in the matter of politics, lead him to cast his vote with the Republican party, which as he believes, is the best safe guard of American institutions. He is a member of Fuller Post, No. 38, of the Grand Army of the Republic. Unlike the man who has slipped noiselessly through life, scarcely being seen, heard or felt, this man's busy life has left its impression and drawn from almost every avenue, of business and society within the radius of the communities, in which he has lived. And be it said to his credit, that he has ever been a good reflection of the puritanic stock, from which he descended; being not only loyal to his country but liberal and broadminded, in the support of all of our public institutions. As one evidence of his popularity among his fellow-citizens, and his political standing, it should be stated that he received the appointment as Postmaster at Loan, under President Harrison's administration, and is the present incumbent of such office. source of portrait and biographical sketch: "History of Harrison County, Iowa", 1891, pages 469 - 470 ***************************************************************************************** JOHN W. STOCKER Among the numerous soldiers of the Civil War who became leading business factors in Logan, Iowa, is numbered the former well-known citizen whose name heads this article. His was a busy career. He came to Harrison county in March, 1857, when this country was almost a wilderness, locating at Little Sioux, where he followed carpentering. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-ninth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving his country until 1865. He was promoted to first lieutenant, and during his long residence in this county was familiarly known as “Captain” Stocker. Upon returning home at the close of the was Captain Stocker purchased an interest in the Woodbine woolen-mills, which he later sold to John Dally and settled at Magnolia, where he engaged in the furniture trade. In 1866 he was elected clerk of the courts. He farmed in section 11 of Magnolia township for a time, and then moved to the new county seat, Logan. He made a trip through the west in 1877. He returned and engaged in buying stock and grain; also in the grocery trade and handled many apples in car load lots. To retrace his steps it should be stated that Captain Stocker was born in Vermont in 1835, the son of a Methodist minister. At the age of thirteen years young Stocker was bereft of his mother and was bound out to learn the miller’s trade. Not liking this he ran away from his master and engaged himself to work in the woolen mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. He next is heard of in Buchanan county, Iowa, running a farm and selling corn at twelve cents and wheat at thirty cents the bushel. Captain Stocker was much attached to the Grand Army Post at Logan and was an enterprising citizen. Under President Benjamin Harrison he received the appointment of postmaster at Logan, which position he filled acceptably and well until the election of President Cleveland when he had to step down and out. In a few years his health declined and he died September 7, 1893. source of biographical sketch: “History of Harrison County, Iowa: its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families”, 1915, pages 643 - 644 ******************************************************************************************* John W. Stocker, an old and well-known resident of Logan, died at his home last Sunday, after a protracted illness. He had hosts of friends throughout the state and all sincerely regret his demise. source of obituary: Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), September 12, 1893, page 5, column 5

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is John W. Stocker's memorial?
John W. Stocker's memorial is located at: New Lancaster Cemetery, New Lancaster, Miami County, USA.
When did John W. Stocker death?
John W. Stocker death on 7 Sep 1893 in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the John W. Stocker's memorial?
Latitude: 38.4627991
Longitude: -94.7427979

Family Members:

Spouse

Susan Bonney Stocker

(1834 - 1900)

Children

Kate B. Stocker Stearns

(1862 - 1924)

Helen Ima Stocker Arthur

(1867 - 1899)

Bennie A Stocker

(1876 - 1877)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. New Lancaster Cemetery
New Lancaster, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4627991, -94.7427979

2. Block Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
Block, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4944400, -94.8086900

3. Rockville Cemetery
Drexel Corner, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4463997, -94.6639023

4. Miami Cemetery
Paola, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5268200, -94.7056800

5. Jingo Cemetery
Jingo, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4039001, -94.6866989

6. Highland Cemetery
Somerset, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5342000, -94.7688700

7. Debrick Cemetery
Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4757996, -94.8432999

8. Frank Cemetery
Block, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5270400, -94.8033500

9. Rutlader Cemetery
Louisburg, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5192280, -94.6695760

10. Cameron Cemetery
Louisburg, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4550670, -94.6386340

11. Fontana Cemetery
Fontana, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4312515, -94.8441925

12. Sidney Shields Gravesite
Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5447700, -94.7922700

13. Pryor Cemetery
Linn County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3690491, -94.7282410

14. Oaklawn Cemetery
La Cygne, Linn County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3497124, -94.7684784

15. Settle Cemetery
Paola, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5481500, -94.6424500

16. Whiteford Cemetery
Osawatomie, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4618988, -94.8992004

17. Ninety Six Cemetery
Linn County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3473190, -94.6751860

18. Ramsey-Cook Cemetery
Bates County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4422800, -94.5812200

19. Holy Cross Cemetery
Paola, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5628014, -94.8482971

20. Twin Springs Cemetery
Linn County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3876200, -94.8811300

21. Hodges Cemetery
Somerset, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5954600, -94.7876000

22. West Point Cemetery
Merwin, Bates County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3849983, -94.5980988

23. Dagenett Cemetery
Louisburg, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.5871700, -94.6668800

24. Mount Nebo Family Cemetery
Osawatomie Township, Miami County, USA
Coordinate: 38.4540400, -94.9208400