Gerhart Storck

STORCK, WENCEL, MARQUARDT, MEYER, DIMLER, WEHRKAMP, LINEMANN

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall (email)
Date: 6/21/2006 at 07:16:16

Gerhart Storck.
A list of the prominent and wealthy farmers of Madison county, Iowa, would be incomplete did it not contain the name of Gerhart Storck, whose broad acres and beautiful home are located on section 9 of Jefferson township. And as he is a self-made man, a history of his life cannot fail to be of interest in this connection.

Gerhart Storck was born in Germany, December 10, 1835, the second in order of birth in the family of six children of George and Bridget (Wencel) Storck, both natives of that country. They emigrated with their family to America in 1848, coming direct to Iowa, and located in Clayton county, where the father entered a tract of land, 200 acres in extent, and where he remained until his death at the age of forty-two years. The mother lived to the advanced age of seventy-five years, her death occurring in Delaware county, Iowa.

Gerhart accompanied his parents to America and remained a member of the home circle until his twenty-fifth year, when he married and established a home for himself. He was reared to farm life, and continued farming in Clayton county until 1870, when he came to his present location in Madison county. Twenty-five years ago this now magnificent farm was almost in its primitive state, about its only improvements being a little shanty, and a small patch of ground broken. But with the lapse of a quarter of a century, in which Mr. Storck has been busy at work, a marvelous change has been wrought. He now owns 480 acres, all in one body, has a fine residence, good barns, fences, etc., and everything about the whole premises is indicative of the prosperity which has attended the well directed efforts of the owner. Both general farming and stock-raising are carried on extensively by him, and in the stock business especially has he been successful.

Mr. Storck was married in Clayton county, Iowa, in 1860, to Miss Minnie Marquardt, a native of Germany who came from there to Clayton county, Iowa, with her parents about the year 1857. To them have been born ten children, namely: Ida, wife of Fritz Meyer; Amanda, wife of William Dimler; Hannah, wife of Henry Wehrkamp; Clara, wife of Peter Linemann; William, Katherine, Josie, Albert, Paul and Albertina, at home.

Mr. Storck has been a hard-working man all his life. To this fact and to that of his good management may be attributed the success he has attained. Since his location on his present farm he has paid out for hired help and taxes no less than $7,000 -- a little fortune in itself. Of his political affiliations, be it recorded that he is a stanch Democrat. He served two years as Justice of the Peace, and he has been many times Director of his school district, always active in advancing the interests of the schools. He is a member of the Lutheran church, prominent and active in the same, and at this writing is Trustee of the local organization of Lutherans.

-source: A Memorial and biographical record of Iowa; Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1896; pg. 383-384
-transcribed for Clayton co. IAGenWeb by S. Ferrall