Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 567 - 568 

JOHN TUCKER, proprietor of 400 acres of fine land in the central part of Rockford Township, on sections 15 and 16, is a gentleman well educated and well informed, and formerly employed his younger days as a teacher in the public schools. He was born near New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, April 8, 1847, and is the son of John and Mary Ann (Hunt) Tucker, who were both natives of Chester County, Pa.

            John Tucker, Sr., left the Keystone State during his early manhood and located in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in its pioneer days. There he began the building up of a good homestead, but did not live to carry out his plans, his decease occurring when he was in the prime of life, on the 19th of June, 1856, and when his son, John, Jr., was a lad nine years of age. The mother subsequently married Mr. John Edie, who died in 1885, in Ohio. She is still living and a resident of this county.

            Mr. Tucker was but sixteen years of age at the outbreak of the late Rebellion, but succeeded in being accepted as a Union soldier, and enlisting in the 12th Ohio Cavalry, served from the spring of 1863 until the close of the war. With his comrades he met the enemy at Saltville, Cynthiana and Mt. Sterling, Ky., and at the latter place was taken prisoner by the troops of Morgan. After being exchanged he participated in other engagements, including the fight at Bristol, Tenn., and Wytheville, W. Va. At the close of the war he was discharged on account of disabilities, and receiving his honorable discharge returned to his old home in Ohio.

            Our subject, now desirous of adding to his store of knowledge, completed his education in the Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, taking the scientific course. He succeeded remarkably well in his labors as a teacher, and occupied the position of Principal of the High School at Uhrichsville, Ohio, and after coming to Kansas held a similar position at Wichita. While a resident of Uhrichsville, Ohio, he was married, Dec. 24, 1871, to Miss Melissa, daughter of John and Catherine (Harmon) Wardell, natives respectively of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mrs. Tucker was born on the 31st of January, 1847, in Ohio, and her parents spent their last years in Ohio, the father dying in 1876, and the mother in 1885. They were the parents of thirteen children.

            Mrs. Tucker, like her husband, completed her education in the Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, taking also the scientific course, and for three years was engaged as a teacher in the graded schools of Uhrichsville, Ohio, and Wichita, Kan. They came to this county in 1872, and in 1873 Mr. Tucker was elected County Clerk, which position he occupied four years, and was also County Treasurer for the same length of time. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party. Both are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Tucker has been a Trustee at Wichita almost since the time of his coming here. Their four children were born as follows: Jessie. July 11, 1874; Katie, Jan. 16, 1876; Emma, Jan. 20, 1882, and Mary, Dec. 7, 1887.

            One of the attractive features of the beautiful farm of our subject is a fine orchard embracing eight acres, which has been planted with choice apple and peach trees, while there is an abundance of the smaller fruits. He keeps excellent grades of horses, thoroughbred Short-horn cattle and Poland-China swine.

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