Biographical Sketch of Francis Oncken, Gasconade County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Francis Oncken is a prominent resident of Hermann, and at present occu-
pies the position of judge of the probate court of Gasconade County, to
which he was elected in 1876, re-elected in 1880 and 1882, and again in 
1886.  Born in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, Germany, October 22, 1829,
he remained there until immigrating to America in 1851, at which time
he came direct to Gasconade County, Mo., where he had relatives living.
Here he resumed his previous occupatioin of clerking.  Crossing the 
plains to California in 1853, he spent about three months there, then
returned and the same year went back to Germany on a visit, from whence
he returned permanently in August, 1854.  For some time he carried on 
merchandising at Oldenburg, but in 1860 retired to his farm, and during
the war he served as captain in the Home Guards and militia.  After the
war he again engaged in business, and in company with his partner pur-
chased and operated a steamboat on the Missouri and Gasconade Rivers. 
In 1876 Mr. Oncken was elected probate judge, and presiding judge of 
the county court, and removed to Hermann in 1878.  His career in this 
official capacity has been an honorable and creditable one. October 12,
1860, he was married to Amanda Doyon, who was born in Hermann in 1843;
she is the daughter of Joseph Doyon, a Canadian.  Eight of twelve chil-
dren born to this worthy couple still survive.  The parents of Judge
Oncken, Christian D. and Charlotta (Knodt) Oncken, were natives of Var-
el on the Jahde, Germany, born in 1798 and 1800, respectively.  The
former was an officer in the German army, and took part in the battle
of Waterloo.  He died in 1842 and his wife in 1878.

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