Frederick Rock

As printed in 1910

FREDERICK ROCK.

A public-spirited man with an eye single to the general good, even at the occasional expense of personal interest, is a credit and a boon to any community. Such a one is Frederick Rock, a citizen of Walcott. He was born December 11, 1834, in the principality of Waldeck, Germany, his parents being Christian and Wilhelmina (Kleinschmidt) Rock. Early in life he became imbued with the desire to come to America, whose wholesome ideas in the matter of equality had in some way reached him across the seas. He did not allow this ambition to remain a dream but came to America in 1857, landing in New York in the month of May. He made his way almost at once to Davenport and in a short time found employment with Robert S. Wilson, a Scott county farmer, with whom he remained for four years. At the end of this time he had become sufficiently well acquainted with the ways of the land of his adoption to make a more independent venture and he rented a farm in Hickory Grove township, where he lived for another four years. In 1863, as the result of excellent management, he was enabled to purchase a farm, a very desirable. tract of eighty acres located on section 4, Hickory Grove township. Here he lived until 1906, when he retired and removed to Walcott to make his home.

In 1865 Mr. Rock was united in marriage to a lady of his own nationality. Miss Margaretha Carstens, daughter of Claus Carstens, a native of Holstein, Germany. Three children were born to them but only one is living, Ella, now the wife of Otto Baustian. Mr. and Mrs. Baustian reside on the old Rock homestead in Hickory Grove township.

An evidence of the esteem in which Mr. Rock is held is the fact that he has been called upon to fill several important offices. He has served as trustee of Hickory Grove township and for over twenty years was justice of the peace. In the latter capacity he made a most remarkable record, for in all the twenty years a case was never appealed to a higher court after he had made his decision, his keen insight and unimpeachable justice being readily recognized. Mr. Rock is at present an advocate of the principles of the republican party and its administration of affairs, but he was originally a member of the democratic party. In 1893 he received the nomination of the gold democrats for the legislature but retired from the race before the election. He holds the position of president and secretary of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of German Householders and is secretary of the Walcott Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He is a stockholder in the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank of Davenport and also in the Farmers Savings Bank of Walcott, having at one time been vice president of the latter institution but compelled to resign on account of ill health in his family. In a word Mr. Rock is in all his relations worthy of respect and confidence, a man of integrity and progressiveness.

As printed in History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.