Biographical Sketch of Henry Decker, Pulaski County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas,
 Pulaski, Phelps & Dent Counties, Missouri, Published 1889, Goodspeed
 Publishing Company.

Transcribed by: Penny Harrell (Incog3678@aol.com)

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Henry Decker, farmer, of Pulaski County, MO., was born in Kentucky
in 1829, and is the son of David and Mary (Townsend) Decker, who
were born in Kentucky in 1804 and 1807, respectively.  They moved
from Kentucky to Illinois in 1852, thence to Arkansas, thence to
Illinois, and in 1853 located in Pulaski County, MO., where the
father died the same year.  His widow is still living.  They became
the parents of eighteen children, twelve of whom are living:  Henry,
Caroline (Back), Mahala (Hancock), Tabitha (Bailey), Basheba (Tucker),
Welcome, Marion, Martha (Carmack), Merritt, Sarah (Becktow), Anderson
and Nancy (Clent).  The paternal grandparents, Henry and Patsey
Decker, were born in North Carolina, the former's death occurring in
1845.  They moved to Kentucky at an early day, and there Mr. Decker
engaged in farming and blacksmithing.  Henry Decker, whose name
heads this sketch, spent his early years in Kentucky and never had
a day's schooling in his life.  At the age of twenty-one he began
working at the gunsmith's trade for himself, and in 1852 was married
to Miss Martha Decker, who was born in Kentucky in 1829, and the
daughter of Landick and Patsey Decker, of North Carolina, the father
a farmer and teacher by occupation.  Henry Decker and wife became the
parents of one son, Landick.  This wife died, and he afterward married
again, and by this wife became the father of eight children:  William
Thomas, Polly J. (Denton), Marion, Richard, Katie (Porter), Jemima
(Dickson), Jackson and Ambrose.  In 1861 Mr. Decker enlisted in
Company A of the State Guards, under Col. Johnson, and was at the 
battles of Springfield, Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove.  He received his
discharge at Van Buren, Ark., in 1862, having served during the war
as captain of a division train.  His family resided in Illinois 
during this period.  He is a Democrat, and his first presidential
vote was cast for Franklin Pierce in 1852.

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