Born on a Sibley Estate farm, John was second of three children of Johann and Johannah Witt Gerken. John T. took over his father's Sibley Estate farm after John's death from heart disease in 1937.
On Feb. 12, 1938 he married Evelyn Sophia Steinberg. They had five children. John had been declared 4-F in the WW II draft because of heart weakness. In 1948, John left farming because of health problems and moved the family to Sibley, IL where he worked for Sibley Estate as a laborer, part of the time under the supervision of his uncle, Henry Witt.
In 1951 after Evelyn's father died, they bought the Steinberg land in northwestern Ford Co. and farmed west of Sibley till 1968. John also grew and was an agent of seed corn for Trisler Hybrid Seed Co.
The couple 'retired' to Gibson City, IL where they built a 'dream house.' John purchased more land southwest of Gibson and began farming again.
He had been baptized and confimed in St. John's Lutheran church but joined the Methodist Church at Sibley in 1947.
John T. died at Mercy Hospital of a blood clot connected to lymphoblastic cancer.
On Feb. 12, 1938 he married Evelyn Sophia Steinberg. They had five children. John had been declared 4-F in the WW II draft because of heart weakness. In 1948, John left farming because of health problems and moved the family to Sibley, IL where he worked for Sibley Estate as a laborer, part of the time under the supervision of his uncle, Henry Witt.
In 1951 after Evelyn's father died, they bought the Steinberg land in northwestern Ford Co. and farmed west of Sibley till 1968. John also grew and was an agent of seed corn for Trisler Hybrid Seed Co.
The couple 'retired' to Gibson City, IL where they built a 'dream house.' John purchased more land southwest of Gibson and began farming again.
He had been baptized and confimed in St. John's Lutheran church but joined the Methodist Church at Sibley in 1947.
John T. died at Mercy Hospital of a blood clot connected to lymphoblastic cancer.
Born on a Sibley Estate farm, John was second of three children of Johann and Johannah Witt Gerken. John T. took over his father's Sibley Estate farm after John's death from heart disease in 1937.
On Feb. 12, 1938 he married Evelyn Sophia Steinberg. They had five children. John had been declared 4-F in the WW II draft because of heart weakness. In 1948, John left farming because of health problems and moved the family to Sibley, IL where he worked for Sibley Estate as a laborer, part of the time under the supervision of his uncle, Henry Witt.
In 1951 after Evelyn's father died, they bought the Steinberg land in northwestern Ford Co. and farmed west of Sibley till 1968. John also grew and was an agent of seed corn for Trisler Hybrid Seed Co.
The couple 'retired' to Gibson City, IL where they built a 'dream house.' John purchased more land southwest of Gibson and began farming again.
He had been baptized and confimed in St. John's Lutheran church but joined the Methodist Church at Sibley in 1947.
John T. died at Mercy Hospital of a blood clot connected to lymphoblastic cancer.
On Feb. 12, 1938 he married Evelyn Sophia Steinberg. They had five children. John had been declared 4-F in the WW II draft because of heart weakness. In 1948, John left farming because of health problems and moved the family to Sibley, IL where he worked for Sibley Estate as a laborer, part of the time under the supervision of his uncle, Henry Witt.
In 1951 after Evelyn's father died, they bought the Steinberg land in northwestern Ford Co. and farmed west of Sibley till 1968. John also grew and was an agent of seed corn for Trisler Hybrid Seed Co.
The couple 'retired' to Gibson City, IL where they built a 'dream house.' John purchased more land southwest of Gibson and began farming again.
He had been baptized and confimed in St. John's Lutheran church but joined the Methodist Church at Sibley in 1947.
John T. died at Mercy Hospital of a blood clot connected to lymphoblastic cancer.
