FRANK FOCKELE

FRANK FOCKELE was born March 9, 1843, in Nieheim, a small town in the province of Westphalia, Germany. In addition to his training in the common schools he received a collegiate education. In the spring of 1864, after listening to the tales of some visiting young Americans, he became restless and decided to find a new home in the land beyond the sea. In the city of St. Louis and surrounding settlements he found opportunities to make use of his education by giving private lessons and teaching school. But the West was calling. In 1871 he answered the call, came to Kansas, and settled in Le Roy. The hard times of the "seventies" came, but he "pulled through" with the rest of the people.

In 1880 he entered the newspaper business by forming a partnership with B. Frank Smythe, who had taken over the Le Roy Reporter but could not make it go. The paper was a little five-column small-pica affair and much of a joke among newspaper men. In the summer of 1881 Mr. Fockele bought out his partner and became master of all he surveyed— which was not much. But he kept on working, adding insurance and real estate to his activities, and improving his paper until it became quite a respectable sheet. While devoting overtime to his paper and other business, he kept in full touch with the spirit of advancement in his community. He served time on the school board and city council, fought bravely in the various railroad bond fights, and contributed his share for the promotion of the public good.

In politics Mr. Fockele is a Democrat—not of the pernicious-activity kind, but so he could always be located. In 1886 the Democrats needed a man to run for representative. "Run for" was all it was supposed to be. His objections were overruled. To the utter disgust of his Republican opponent, and his own and everybody else's surprise, Mr. Fockele was elected. He served his term, pleased his constituents by the enactment of needed local legislation, and did not introduce a single freak bill.

His family life has been quiet and unobtrusive. He lost his life companion by death in 1913. Of his four children, Fred F. lives at Waverly, Kan., and is a banker; his son Glick and his two daughters, Misses Blanch and Kate Fockele, live at Le Roy.

Eight years ago Mr. Fockele turned the full management of his paper and other business over to his son Glick Fockele, and is now taking life easy.

CLICK TO GO BACK TO KANSAS NEWSPAPER EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS INDEX