McDonough ILGenWeb

STOCKER, Edward, a well-known jeweler and optician, who has been a resident of Macomb for more than fifty years, was born in St. Louis, Mo., November 15, 1852, a son of Lorenz and Marguerite Barbara (Pechtold) Stocker, the former born in Schneckenlohe, Bavaria, Germany, and the latter in Neuses, Saxony. The paternal grandfather. Nicholas Stocker, was a native of Bavaria. Lorenz Stocker located in Macomb in 1854 and established himself in the jewelry business, in which he continued until May, 1890, when he turned the concern over to his sons, Edward and Herman. He died October 12, 1903. Edward Stocker, who was the eldest of a family of eight children, obtained his education in the Macomb public schools and, at the age of twenty years, went to work with his father in the store, thus continuing until 1880, when he was admitted to partnership in the concern. In 1887 he pursued a course of study under J. E. Harper, in the Chicago Ophthalmic College, from which he was graduated. He returned to Macomb, and in 1888 went to Laporte, Ind., where he attended the watchmakers' school, from which he received a diploma. On December 22, 1880, Mr. Stocker was married to S. Ellen Forrest, who was born and schooled in McDonough County. They have one child, Edward Leroy, born March 1, 1882. Mr. Stocker served for four years as a member of the School Board. In religious belief, he is a Universalist, and fraternally, is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Macomb Lodge No. 17, Macomb Commandery No. 61, and Morse Chapter No. 19. The subject of this sketch is an expert in his business, and his patronage is of the best, while as a citizen he is highly regarded.

---

Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McDonough County, compiled by Dr. Newton Bateman, and Paul Shelby, 1907, volume 2, page 1011, extracted 30 Jul 2020 by Norma Hass.