Biographical Sketch of Louis Derking, Franklin County, Missouri >From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1888. ********************************************************************** Louis Derking was born five miles northwest of Union, Franklin Co., Mo. July 26, 1851, and is the ninth in the family of ten children (three now deceased) of George and Mary (Heinermann) Derking, natives of Han- over, Germany, who immigrated to the United States in 1841, landed in New York City, and thence proceeded to St. Louis; they remained in the latter place one year, and then removed to Washington, Franklin County, and thence, after a year's residence, moved to the tract of land north- west of Union; in the latter place they lived forty years, and in 1884 removed to the home of their daughter, Mrs. Mina Bebermeyer, in Lyon Township, Franklin County, where they are now residing, the father aged seventy-eight and the mother seventy-six years. Louis Derking received a common school education in his native county, and learned the trade of a wagonmaker at Jeffriesburg; at the age of twenty he went to St. Louis, where he worked at his trade six months, and subsequently followed his trade with Anton Oethe, in St. Clair County, Ill., one year. He then returned to Franklin County, Mo., and worked for his brother-in-law, F. Bebermeyer, one year, when in 1871, he established a business of his own at Jeffriesburg, which he conducted three years; he next formed a partnership with his nephew, August Everett, and bought out Fritz Strehlemann, this partnership lasted five years, when Mr. Derking sold his interest to his nephew, and moved to St. Clair, his present home, where he erected the brick and frame factory in which he is still doing business. January 26, 1878, he was united in marri- age with Lizzie, daughter of George Roth, a well-to-do farmer of Frank- lin County, she was born in Franklin County, May 19, 1855 and is the mother of two children: John and Oscar Helmuth. Mr. Derking has been very successful in the prosecution of his trade, and now owns two town lots, his factory, blacksmith shop and dwelling and eighty acres of land a short distance from the town. He is a Republican in politics, and is the present treasurer of the St. Clair corporation. The family is, religiously, of Lutheran sentiment, and ready supporters of all worthy enterprises. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Miller Penny Harrell ====================================================================