- CHARLES V. KERCH, city engineer of the city of Janesville,
Wis., was born on March 3, 1866,
- at Loran, in Stephenson county, Illinois. His parents were
Jacob H. and Eliza (GIDDINGS) KERCH. The former was a native
of Germany, and came to this country with his parents when he
was four years of age. They settled in Pittsburgh, Pa., where
they remained for eight years and then removed to Stevenson county,
Illinois, in 1855. He married Miss Eliza GIDDINGS, reported
to be the first white female child born in that county. Her
family were people of prominence, among them being the great
American author, Nathaniel HAWTHORNE; Rufus CHOATE and Joshua
R. GIDDINGS, whom James A. Garfield succeeded in congress.
- Mr. Charles V. KERCH, of this sketch, began his studies in
the district schools around his old
- Illinois home, and after acquiring the usual amount of education
furnished there, he entered the normal school at Dixon, Ill.,
from which he graduated in the scientific course with the degree
of B.S., and in the civil engineering course with the degree
of C.E. He then obtained employment as a civil engineer in Dixon,
where he continued for one year; from there he entered the engineering
department of the Chicago & Northwestern railway, but left
that to enter the engineering department of the World's Columbian
Exposition Company in Chicago. After closing there, he came
to Janesville and was again employed by the Northwestern Railroad
Company, and then did private work for three years. He returned
to Dixon, Ill., again and was city engineer there for three years;
he returned to Janesville, however, in 1900, to accept the position
of city engineer in that city, which position he has held ever
since and is also at present (1908) the county surveyor of Rock
county.
- Mr. KERCH has always been a Republican in politics, and is
a thrifty, enterprising citizen, ever
- ready to assist in any move toward the betterment of his
community. He is a man of sound judgment and good business qualifications,
and an all round man of affairs.
- On April 2, 1864, Mr. KERCH was married to Miss Mary HOBART,
daughter of Alexander
- and Anna M. HOBART, of Toronto, Kan., highly respected citizens
of that place.
- Mr. KERCH is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and also
of the Independent Order of Odd
- Fellows, and in religious faith both he and Mrs. KERCH are
members of the Congregational church of Janesville.
-
- Taken from "Rock County, Wisconsin, Vol. II"
by William Fiske Brown, (c)1908, pp. 891-892.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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