- WILLIAM FOCKEL, who is engaged in farming and stockraising operations on section 5, in the town of Seymour, is one of the practical agriculturists of Outagamie county. He is a native of Upper Canada, born July 22, 1852, a son of John and Elizabeth (Nau) Fockel, natives of Germany who were married in Canada. John Fockel was a shoemaker by trade and followed that occupation in Milwaukee, whence he had come from Germany, but secured better employment in Upper Canada, where he resided for some years, then returning to near New London, Outagamie county, where he was an early settler. He followed shoemaking there for a short period and then went to Young's Corners and later to Stephensville, and in 1871 located in the town of Seymour and purchased eighty acres of wild land on which he erected a log cabin and log stable. After a time, he removed to Black Creek, Wisconsin, where he followed his trade for several years, but eventually returned to Seymour, where he was engaged in shoemaking up to the time of his death, in about 1891, when he had reached the age of sixty years. Mrs. Fockel passed away in 1907, aged seventy-five years. Five of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Fockel grew to maturity, namely: William, Mary, Betsy, Tillie and Charles.
William Fockel secured his education in the common schools, and when he had attained manhood took over the homestead farm, which he improved in many ways, erecting an eight-room house and a barn 36x64 feet, with a basement under all, and here he has carried on general farming and stock raising, paying particular attention to the breeding of fine draft horses and high-grade cattle. In 1880 he was married to Minnie Kline, born in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, daughter of Ernest Kline, who emigrated from Germany to America and became an early settler in Wisconsin. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fockel, namely: Ella, who married Richard Eike; Cora, Mattie, who is the wife of Emery Gardner; Clara, who married Sam Hess, and Laura, Eddie and Anna.
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1852 - 1925 (73 years)
Biography
