San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN FREDERICK STARK
An honored name on the list of
esteemed citizens of San Joaquin County was that of John Frederick Stark. He came to the county in 1883, and throughout
the remainder of his life his interests were associated vitally with those of
his adopted state. He lent his support
to the educational, moral and social progress of his locality and his influence
was always to be found on the side of the general welfare. He was born at Kiel, Germany, March 11, 1855,
of German parents, who were farmer folk, and John Frederick was taught to work
while still a young boy. He learned the
carpenter’s trade and spent twenty-six years of his life in his native country,
when he decided to seek broader opportunities in the new world. He arrived in America in 1881 and first
settled in Davenport, Iowa, where he spent two years, then removed to Stockton,
California, and soon found work on the William and Bixler
ranch on Union Island. He followed his
trade and engaged in farming at the same time for about one year; then he
rented a large tract of land and began his farming operations, which have
proven successful. He bought his first
land in 1901, which he developed into the home place, which he brought to a
high state of cultivation. For three
years Mr. Stark was assisted in his extensive farming operations by his cousin,
August Stark, then the latter moved to Texas, where he
died in July, 1922.
On February 27, 1888, Mr. Stark was
married in Stockton to Miss Louis Albrecht, a native of Bielefeld, Germany,
born August 25, 1866, a daughter of Frederick and Amelia (Meier) Albrecht,
well-to-do German farmers. Mrs. Stark
accompanied her sister, Mrs. Lena Kuckuk, to
California in 1887, arriving in Stockton on Christmas Day of that same
year. Ten children were born to Mrs. and
Mrs. Stark: William became the manager
of the large ranch after his father’s death and was so engaged until his death
on November 7, 1918, aged twenty-nine years; Julius, deceased in infancy; Fred,
Jr., was also engaged in ranching on the home place until he passed away on
November 14, 1918, aged twenty-seven; Margaret Dorothea is a graduate of the
public schools and is at home with her mother; Louise, now Mrs. J. P. Murray,
has one son, John Stark Murray; Herbert died in infancy; Elinor is at home;
Theodore, a graduate of the public schools and of the College of Commerce, has
charge of the ranch work for his mother and is successfully handling same;
Minnie, a graduate of the College of Commerce, is the bookkeeper for the
extensive ranching operations of her mother; Carl is a student. Mr. Stark added to his original purchase of
land in 1901 until at the time of his death on November 25, 1917, he had
accumulated 1,500 acres of choice Delta land.
Mr. and Mrs. Stark were always interested in the affairs of the Lutheran
Church of Stockton and for many years Mr. Stark served as school trustee of the
Union Island school district and in his political faith was a staunch
Republican. He was a public-spirited
citizen, favoring every movement calculated to improve his locality and advance
the interests of the state.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
464. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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