My Genealogy Hound

Jacob Becker, retired farmer of Wadesville, Ind., was born March 6, 1839, in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, son of John and Katherine (Hirth) Becker. He came to the United States with his parents and three brothers in 1852. They came by sailing vessel, consuming seventy-two days in the voyage, and landed at New Orleans. They then came up the Mississippi river to Cairo, Ill., thence by the Ohio river to Evansville. The wife and mother died of cholera on the boat and was buried at Greenville, Ark. After a few years in Evansville they bought a farm in Robinson, Posey county. The four brothers are as follows: John, now retired at Evansville; Henry, deceased; Jacob, of this record; and Herman, deceased. Jacob Becker learned the shoemaker’s trade at Evansville and in 1862 he removed to Posey county and opened a general store in Wadesville, which he conducted for eight years and then sold to his father-in-law, Finley Allison. He then opened a shoe shop in the same town, which he conducted for eighteen years, after which he bought his present farm of eighty acres at the edge of town. It is now one of the best improved in the vicinity. Mr. Becker has been married twice. On January 30, 1862, he married Miss Mary Allison, daughter of Finley Allison. She was born January 12, 1842, and died July 2, 1867. Two sons were born to this marriage: William H., December 15, 1862, now a railroad man at Indianapolis; John F., born May 12, 1866, a farmer of Center township. Mr. Becker took as his second wife Miss Emily Allison, who was a sister of his first wife. They became the parents of seven children: Mary, born June 19, 1868, married William H. Hidbrader, a farmer of Center township, and they have one child, Herman; Emma, born March 12, 1870, now the wife of John Wade, of Wadesville; Laura, born April 21, 1872, now the wife of Edward Goad, of Port Orchard, Wash.; Edward, born August 12, 1874, died March 22, 1877; Charles, born June 11, 1878, boilermaker at Evansville; Edward, born March 2, 1882, was married October 12, 1903, to Miss Emma Owens, daughter of Flavius and Pauline (Cox) Owens, of Center township. She was born October 28, 1883, in Center township. They have three children, Velma, born May 22, 1904, Melvin Joel, born December 25, 1911, and a son born in October, 1913. Pearl, the seventh child of Mr. and Mrs. Becker, was born August 4, 1886, and is now the wife of Edward Lockridge, of Evansville. Mr. Becker is a progressive, substantial citizen of the community and an active member of the Lutheran church. For many years he was an active worker in the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Harri Jara, and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but has dropped all.