Sophia Meinke Schocker 1848-1927

MEINKE, SCHOCKER, NIELAND, LOITZ, WRIGHT, BROOKMILLER, BECKER

Posted By: jo (email)
Date: 8/3/2008 at 22:45:54

SOPHIA MEINKE SCHOCKER
Sophia Meinke was born August 31, 1848, in Schwerin, Mecklenberg, Germany, the daughter of John and Sophia Brookmiller Meinke.
In 1851, she with her parents and one sister, Mary and one brother, Henry August Herman, came to America. They were on the ship for nine weeks and three days, which was followed by many, many days of hard travel before they finally located in what is now Chicago, Illinois. After living there eighteen months they moved to Jackson County, Iowa.
On August 20, 1859, her brother, August drowned and her mother's health began to fail. Her mother passed away to her heavenly home on June 5, 1860, leaving her husband and two daughters.
Sophia was 12 years old at the time, and the care of her sister and the household became her responsibility. In 1862, her father was married to Mrs. Mary Becker Martens.
At the age of 17, Sophia was married to Nicholas Henry Schocker on July 16, 1865. They were blessed with six children, August L., Henry J., John P., Mrs. Amelia Nieland and Mrs. Mary Loitz all of Maquoketa and Clara who passed away at the age of 16 days.
The family lived on a farm in Fairfield Township until 1886, when they moved to Walla Walla, Wash., to relieve her husband's asthma. He got no relief and they soon returned to Jackson County and remained here for three years before moving to the Lake Benton area of Minnesota. They lived there for three years, and again he got no relief for his asthma so they once more returned to Jackson County. In 1893 they bought the Samuel Wright place and then sold it in 1901 at which time they purchased the Elwood farm, 2 1/2 miles west of Maquoketa. Mr. Schocker passed away at this home on April 21, 1913.
Mrs. Schocker made her home, after the death of her husband, with her daughter, Mrs. Mary Loitz. It was her great pleasure to tell of the olden times and she dearly loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She peacefully entered her heavenly home on Tuesday morning at 9:50 a.m., October 11, 1927.
She was preceded in death by herparents, her husband, one daughter, one sister, Mrs. Peter (Mary) Brimmer and two brothers; Henry August Herman, and William F. Meinke. In addition to her sorrowing children she leaves nine grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, and a large circle of relatives and friends.
Transition services were held at the home on Friday, October 1927 at 2:00 p.m. with the Rev. D. F. Boomershine officiating. The body was laid to rest at Mt. Hope cemetery in Maquoketa, Iowa.