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CHARLES H. STOCKON. For over twenty
years Mr. Stockon has been identified with the progress of Christian
County, and has long been accounted one of her best citizens.
For the past eleven years his home has been in Bear
Creek Township,
where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising.
Chautauqua County, N. Y., was
the place of our subject's birth, which occurred July 10, 1838. His parents were Charles H. and Jane (Winchell)
Stockon. The paternal grandfather is believed to have emigrated to America
from the northern part of Ireland,
and lived to an extreme old age. The mother of our subject was the daughter of Albert Winchell, a native of Connecticut, who also lived to
a good old age, being ninety-one years old at the time of his death. Charles H. Stockon was born in Connecticut, while his wife was
a native of Lowell, Mass.
In 1845, the father removed to Ohio, and engaged in the mercantile
business at Hagerstown. This enterprise he conducted
successfully for about fifteen years in that location. Thence he removed to Moscow, Iowa [possibly Moscow, Idaho],
there engaging in the same line of trade until he was cut down by the hand of Death in the prime of manhood, being
only forty-four years of age. The date of his demise is 1862, and after surviving her husband nearly three decades,
Mrs. Stockon passed from the scenes of this life, in 1891, when nearly eighty-three years of age. She was a faithful
wife and mother, and was for years a member of the Baptist
Church. Of her three sons and two daughters, three are yet
living: Martha I., who married Dr. James Cottor, now deceased, and formerly of Sacramento, Cal.; Mary J., who is now Mrs. John Williams, and also lives in Sacramento;
and Charles H., our subject, who is the youngest of those living.
In his seventh year the subject of this
sketch removed from the Empire State with his parents
to Ohio, and lived in Hagerstown
until he arrived at mature years. In 1857, he went to Iowa,
and entered the store conducted by his father, with whom he remained for four years.
In April, 1861, he was among the first to
enlist for his country's defense. He became a member of Company A, First Iowa Infantry, serving with them for four
months. He participated in the battle of Wilson Creek,
and the engagement of Bryce Springs.
In the former he was wounded and returned home.
He was again employed in his father's store
until 1872, when he came to this county. Some ten years later he became the owner of ninety acres of land in Bear
Creek Township,
on which is still his home. He has extended his domains, adding a tract of twenty acres to his original farm.
On the 27th of August, 1861, Mr. Stockon
married Miss Mary L. Slaton. Three children were born of this union: Ernest E., Charles H., and one who died in
infancy. The eldest son, Ernest E., married Miss Annie Stamm, and resides on a part of his father's farm. He is
the father of five children: Ophelia, Walter, Golda, Cora and Myrtie.
Socially, Mr. Stockon is a member of Higgins
Post No. 400, G. A. R., at Palmer. For seven years he served
as Supervisor of his township, to the satisfaction of his friends and neighbors, and also occupied the position
of Assessor for two years. In his various business enterprises, Mr. Stockon has been very successful and has been
of late years dealing considerably in live stock.
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