WILLIAM STOKER, the Nestor of the Bar of this county, who is now successfully engaged in practice in Centralia, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, on the 10th of November, 1822, and is a son of Isaac Stoker, a native of Virginia.
The great-grandfather, Balzer Stoker, was born on the Rhine in Germany, and crossing the Atlantic, became the founder of the family in America. He first located in Baltimore, Md., but afterward engaged in farming near Harper's Ferry, Va. His son John, the grandfather of our subject, was reared in Virginia, and educated at Annapolis, Md. He followed milling and farming and was also a Methodist preacher. During the Revolution he was one of the valiant defenders of the Colonies, and held the rank of Lieutenant. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Critten, was also a native of Virginia.
The father of our subject was reared on the old homestead and in 1811 accompanied his parents to Montgomery County, Ohio, the family becoming pioneers of that locality. He there married Massey Fryback, daughter of John Fryback, who was a native of Virginia, and who in 1809 became one of the pioneers of Montgomery County, Ohio. There he entered land from the Government, and to this he added until he became one of the most extensive land holders of the locality.
Isaac Stoker and his wife began their domestic life in Ohio, where they resided until 1838, and then removed to Washington County, ILL. There the father entered a tract of prairie and timber land from the Government, and upon the farm which he developed made his home until his death, which occurred in August, 1847. His wife passed away January 11, 1864.
During the Mexican War, he served as a member of the Sixth Illinois Infantry under Capt. James Burns. He was a successful agriculturist, carrying on general farming and stock-raising, and ere his death became the owner of eleven hundred acres of land.
His wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was a sincere Christian woman.
All of their five children grew to mature years and two are yet living, our subject and Mrs. Harriet A. Le Compte, a widow living in Nashville.
Nancy was the wife of John O. Hornet, who was killed by the explosion of a cannon after his return from the Mexican War. She then married William Kingston, who is also now deceased.
Jacob, a farmer of Washington County, ILL., died in 1854, and John H., a stock-dealer, who served in the late war, died in 1879.
Mr. Stoker of this sketch was in his sixteenth year when he came to Illinois. He was educated near Dayton, Ohio, attending the old subscription schools. He remained on the old home farm until twenty years of age, and then read law with Benjamin Bond, a noted attorney of the Third Judicial Circuit, located in Carlyle, ILL. September 11, 1844, in Nashville, he was admitted to the Bar under Judge James Shields, afterward General Shields, who served as United States Senator from three different states. At that time the Circuit Judges constituted the Supreme Court of the state.
After his admission to the Bar Mr. Stoker began practice in Nashville, where he remained until 1845, when he went to Salem. Soon afterward, however, he was forced to suspend his labors for nine months on account of trouble with his eyes.
In May, 1846, Mr. Stoker enlisted in Company A, Second Illinois Infantry, under Col. W. A. Bissel and Capt. E. C. Coffey. He was engaged in detail service but took part in the battle of Buena Vista, and was mustered out June 18, 1847. He then engaged in law practice in Louisville, Clay County, ILL., where he engaged from 1848 until 1854, when he came to Centralia. Since that time he has been one of the prominent attorneys of that place and has done an extensive law business.
Mr. Stoker was married June 27, 1849, to Miss Martha Ann, daughter of Peter Green, who was born and reared in Kentucky, and then removed to Indiana, where he remained until 1832. After his marriage Dr. Green went to Clay County, ILL., where he engaged in the practice of medicine until his death, in 1869. He was one of the pioneer physicians of that county. His family numbered ten children, of whom Mrs. Stoker is the fifth in order of birth.
To our subject and his wife have been born three children.
In politics Judge Stoker has been a stalwart Republican since 1860, previous to which time he was a Whig. He has been a very active and prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1855, when he aided in its organization. For many years he has served as one of its Trustees, is also one of the Trustees of McKendree College, at Lebanon, and was a representative from the Southern Illinois Conference to the General Conference of the Methodist Church in 1872.
He is a mejnber of the Mexican Veterans' Association of Illinois, which he joined during the second year of its existence. In connection with his other business interests he is one of the Directors and stockholders of the Exchange Bank of Centralia, and was one of its organizers. In the legal profession he has won a well merited success, having steadily worked his way upward to a position of prominence among his professional brethren. He is one of the honored pioneers of the community, few having longer resided in Centralia, and it is therefore with pleasure that we present his sketch to our readers.
Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record Clinton, Washington, Marion and Jefferson Counties, Illinois"
Chapman Publishing Co, Chicago, 1894
Pages 204-206
Submitted by Sandy (Whalen) Bauer