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August Merck, now living
retired at his home in Moberly, is one of
the pioneer business men
of Randolph County and for many years was
successfully engaged in
the bakery business at Moberly. He is a native
of Illinois and was born at
BelIville, III., Feb. 23, 1851, and is a son of
Charles and Louise
(Knoell) Merck, very early pioneer settlers of Bell-
ville, Ill., who are both
now deceased. The mother died in 1852 and the
father departed this life in
1881 and their remains are buried at Bell-
ville, They emigrated to
America in 1833 from Kreuznath, Germany,
both coming on the same
sailing vessel and were married some time after
reaching America, The
voyage across the ocean required three months,
which was about the
average time that it took a sailing vessel to make
the trip in those days.
Charles Merck was a son of Carl Merck, who was
a forest overseer under the
Napoleon the First.
After reaching this
country, Charles Merck was married and settled
at BelIville, Ill. He had
learned the baker's trade in his native land and
established a bakery at
Belleville, which he conducted throughout the re-
mainder of his life and this
business is still being carried on by the
widow of his son, Charles,
Jr. It was established over 87 years ago.
Charles Merck, the father
of August Merck, lived at BelIville during the
Civil War, and was a
strong supporter of the Union, although he was
always a Democrat and an
enthusiastic supporter of Stephen A. Douglas.
August Merck was one of
seven children born to his parents and is
the only one now living.
He was reared in Beilville, Ill. and educated
in the public schools there.
In early life, he learned the baker's trade
with his partner. In 1878,
he came to Moberly and bought out the bakery
here which was owned by
William Radell, who was one of the first bakers
of Moberly; this bakery
was located in the 200 block on North Clark
street. It was afterwards
moved to Williams street and later to Reed
street, where Mr. Merck
conducted the bakery business until 1898.
August Merck was united
in marriage Feb. 11, 1880 to Miss Mary
Kaufman of Illinois, a
daughter of John Kaufman, To Mr. and Mrs.
Merck have been born
four children as follow: John, a barber living in
Moberly; Arthur, an
employe of the Cotton Belt Railroad Company, Little
Rock, Ark.; Edwin, a
tailor, Moberly, Mo.; August, Jr. chief clerk for
Superintendent Greenland
of the Wabash Railroad Company.
Mr. Merck is a member of
the Court of Honor and one of the highly
respected and substantial
pioneer citizens of Randolph County. |