Mr. Kocher, of German township, Richland county, is an industrious farmer
who owes his birth and kindred to the romantic county in Europe through
which the river Rhine flows. He is German by birth and descent. By adoption
he is an American citizen, sturdy and industrious, whose life of forty-three
years in Richland county has won him the respect and friendship of his
neighbors. He was born on the 17th of April, 1836, near Strasburg, Germany,
and was the son of Martin and Catherine (Orrick) Kocher. Martin Kocher
worked in Germany as a blacksmith and married Catherine Orrick sometime
about the year 1831. They, with their family, left their native Germany on
the 2d of November, 1852, and sailed for the United States, landing at New
Orleans on the 3d of March, 1853, after a voyage across the ocean of
seventy-five days' duration, during which they encountered all the privatins
which ocean traveling at that time engendered. From New Orleans they took a
steamer up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati. From there they
went through Akron and settled in Summit county, Ohio, where our subject's
father and brothers worked in the coal mines.
On May 31, 1859, in
Stark county, Ohio, Joseph Kocher married Elizabeth Weiler, the daughter of
Matthew and Teresa (Getz) Weiler. Mrs. Kocher was born in the county in
which she was married on the 28th of July, 1840. Her parents, natives of
Germany, died when she was but fourteen years old. They were buried in
Canton, Ohio. Our subject's wife lived with an elder sister until her
marriage.
Joseph Kocher had bought twenty acres previous to his
marriage and afterwards bought eleven acres more upon which was a log house
and into which he and his wife moved and lived for six years. During this
time he farmed this place in Ohio and also worked in the coal mines. In
March, 1865. they moved to Illinois, coming by railroad, This was just three
weeks before the fatal tragedy which ended the life of Abraham Lincoln. Our
subject having sold his place in Ohio, he purchased eighty acres of timber
land in German township, Richland county, and paid seventeen dollars an acre
for the same. A rude, small log shanty stood upon the land which he changed
without outside help into the substantial structure in which he and his wife
now live. He built barns and cleared and cultivated the land. In after years
he added to the property, and today he owns one hundred and twenty acres in
one of the best districts of German township, all of which, with the
exception of about fifteen acres, is under cultivation. Five or six years
after Joseph Kocher's arrival in Illinois his father and mother also moved
to Richland county, and bought ninety acres of good land in the same
township, and upon which they afterwards died. His mother died in 1883,
having passed her eighty-third year; his father died in May, 1892, aged
eighty-two years and ten months. Both were buried in old St. Joseph's
cemetery in German township, situated on Ginder farm. Our subject was the
second child born to his parents, who had six children in all, one of whom
died in Germany.
Joseph Kocher and his wife experienced many
hardships and privations in their early days in Richland county. Game and
wild animals were very much in evidence, particularly wolves and bears. In
early times the prairie-grass grew to the height of ten or fifteen feet. To
get started in Richland county he worked hard on the farm and at times
during the first winter worked in the coal mines at Washington, Indiana. He
and his wife are the parents of eleven children. One died at two years of
age and two more have died. In regular order the children were named: Andy,
who married Catherine Hahn, is deceased; William married Anna Rennier; Mary
is the wife of Leo Hahn, and Catherine of Joseph Hahn; Simon married Helen
Kramer, of Indiana, (deceased) is now married to Friedrika Shuttie. Rosa
Elizabeth is single and makes her home with her parents. Martin married Mary
Doll and lives in the vicinity of Vincennes; Frances is deceased; Aloyese
married Anna Shuttlebauer, and Leo, who married Ida Rennier.
In
politics our subject is a Democrat of the Douglas pattern. He served six
years as a school director and was elected for another term, but would not
serve. He has never sought office as he preferred to devote the greater part
of his time to his agricultural interests. In his young days Joseph Kocher
attended school in Germany until his fourteenth year and was well equipped
for life's battle. Later he attended English school, but his education in
the English language was mostly gained through his own efforts. He and his
wife, as well as their family, are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church
in German township and have always been active in church work and duties. He
held one term as trustee of the church.
Joseph Kocher's land has the
reputation of containing oil springs of value, and this feature is sure to
greatly enhance the value of the property and bring forth great returns in
the future.
Extracted 21 May 2019 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 413-415.
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| Clay |
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Lawrence |
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