LOUIS F. KLOKER, a practical and extensive farmer, occupying his fine farm in section 30, township 17, range 11, was born in Beardstown, May 20, 1836. Here he was reared and educated and has always been a resident. His father was Louis Kloker, Sr., a native of Hanover, Germany, belonging to an old German family. He had been a wagon maker, the only son of his father's family, and after growing up, about 1832, he came to the United States on a sailing vessel. After a voyage of thirteen weeks he landed in New Orleans, and came on to Beardstown, via the Mississippi river. He began work as a mechanic, and died about 1839. He was known as a hard-working young man of good habits, and was a member of the Lutheran Church. He left two sons, our subject and a brother Henry, who died when thirteen years of age. He married Mary Raube, also a native of Hanover, who had come to America in the same vessel with Mr. Kloker. They married soon after landing in Beardstown. She is the only member of her family in this country. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Kloker was married again to Fred Wedeking, who had come on the same vessel and at the same time as Mr. Kloker. After her second marriage they lived in Beardstown until 1844, when they settled on a farm southeast of Beardstown, and there Mrs. Wedeking died, December 25, 1857, aged forty-two. Mr. Wedeking died there also in 1887, aged seventy-six. He and his wife were good Lutherans, and very honest people.
After the death of his father, Louis was carefully reared by his mother and step-father, and since their death he has been taking care of himself. Mr. Kloker formerly lived in township 17, range 12. He has made the most of his property by his own efforts, and now owns 280 acres, which is highly improved, and has upon it good farm buildings. He also owns forty acres in timber land.
He was married in this county to Mrs. Minnie Yost, nee Soheide. She was born in Prussia, in 1833, and came to Cass county, Illinois, with her mother. Her father died in Germany, in the prime of life. After they had come to this country they first settled in St. Louis, and there Miss Soheide was first married. She outlived all her husbands, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Kloker, May 20, 1888. She was born February 8, 1794, and hence was ninety-four years of age; she was a strong, stout woman all her life. She and her people were Lutherans.
Mr. and Mrs. Kloker are working members of the St. Peter's Lutheran Church, near Arenzville, of which he has been Trustee for some years. For thirty years he has been active in school work in the township. In politics he is a Republican. They are parents of six children: Henry, farming on the home place; John A., a farmer in this county; Edward, also a farmer in this county; Lena, wife of William F. Duval, a farmer of this county; Herman and Fred are at home on the farm.
Mrs. Kloker had three children by a former marriage with Ernest F. Yost, formerly a successful farmer of this county, and a native of Germany. They are: Mary, wife of Ernest J. Boes, now of Beardstown; Louisa, wife of Henry H. Meyer, a family in this county; and Minnie, deceased, dying at the age of thirty-two, after her marriage with Henry W. Meyer.