Biography of William DeClerk, Randolph Co, AR

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Submitted by:  Bridgette Cohen <bcohen@conwaycorp.net>
        Date:  1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas
Copyrighted and Published 1889 by Goodspeed Publishing Company

William DeClerk is an example of the industrious and progressive
farmer, and like all his countrymen he is prudent and frugal. He was
born in Prussia, Germany, in 1850, and at the age of six years he was
put to school and was kept at his books until he attained his
sixteenth year. In his youth he learned the intricacies of farm life
from his father, a shrewd, practical tiller of the soil, but also gave
a considerable portion of his attention to the miller's trade, with
which he became thoroughly familiar. He was married in his native land
to Miss Mary C. Frenken, whose birth occurred in 1852, and their union
has been blessed in the birth of two children: Joseph, and Mary, who
died at the age of seven months. In 1880, with the intention of
bettering his position, he emigrated to the United States, landing at
New York City, and came directly to Pocahontas, and, as he had a
comfortable sum of money with which to start in life in a new country,
he purchased a farm comprising 200 acres of land, which he is putting
in good shape for farming. His parents, Joseph and Agnes (Mechels)
DeClerk, were born in the Kingdom of Prussia, and of their two
children our subject is the elder. Grandfather DeClerk is a farmer of
Germany. The father served in the regular army, and he and his wife
died in their native land. The grandfather was a Frenchman, and the
maternal grandfather was a miller by trade as were his ancestors as
far back as they can be traced.