John W. Deckert

JOHN W. DECKERT has lived in Western Kansas since boyhood. His productive years have been largely spent upon his father's old home farm in River Township of Pawnee County. The extremely hard times through which the early settlers of Kansas passed are to him matters of boyhood recollection, and this country was on the up grade of prosperity when he started out for himself.

Mr. Deckert was born in St. Joseph County, Michigan, December 26, 1877, and is a son of Jesse and Julia (Klein) Deckert. His father is one of the pioneers of Western Kansas and is now living retired at Larned. Concerning him and the more notable of his experiences further mention is made on other pages.

John W. Deckert came with his parents to Kansas in 1886. His father first settled in Barton County and afterwards bought in River Township of Pawnee County in the northwest quarter of section 26, township 21, range 15. The purchase price of that land was $1,600. It contained some crude improvements, chiefly an old shack of a house and some shed barns. The present more commodious and modern house was erected in 1896. It is a nine room structure, a story and a half frame house, and is a good substantial home. In 1905 the barn was built, 24 by 48 feet, with 16-foot posts and with a shed along one side. In 1902 the southwest quarter of the same section was added to the original estate, at the very nominal sum of $1,200. The entire half section is first class wheat land and has been used chiefly for that crop. Occasionally a good yield has been obtained from corn. In 1892 Jesse Deckert harvested forty bushels of wheat to the acre from a field of twenty-five acres. John W. Deckert obtained the largest aggregate yield in 1915, 3,800 bushels. Mr. John Deckert recalls his father having sold wheat for as low a price as 35 cents a bushel. It was left to him to obtain the maximum price in 1917, when he sold a quantity of wheat at $2.98 a bushel.

Mr. Deckert was educated in the country schools of Pawnee County, and lived at home until his marriage, when he rented land about six miles southeast of the home place. He lived there three years, and when his father moved to Larned he took up his residence on the old farm and is still actively and competently engaged in its management. Mr. Deckert has served as township clerk four years and as member of the school board six years. As a democrat he cast his first vote for William J. Bryan. He is not a member of any fraternity nor of any church.

Mr. Deckert was married August 27, 1903, to Ethel Baldwin. She is the oldest daughter of William Baldwin, an early settler of Pawnee County from Iowa. Mr. Baldwin died in Pawnee County in 1891. The maiden name of his wife was Rosa Rehbine, daughter of Ed Rehbine, of Iowa, of German stock. Mrs. Deckert was born June 25, 1884, and her sisters are: Clara, wife of Andy Iron, of Pawnee County, the mother of children named Stella, Esther, Alice Russell and William, and Bessie, who married Peter Holmes of Pawnee County and has three children: Beulah, Dillon and Margaret. Mr. and Mrs. John Deckert have three children: Jesse, Ivan and Helen.