Portrait and Biographical Album of Stephenson County, Illinois (Chapman Bros., 1888)

John Dirksen is a successful farmer and stock-raiser living on section 14 in Ridott Township, and owns land elsewhere on section 15. He owns in all 200 acres of well-improved land. Mr Dirksen came to this township and county in 1855, and has lived on two different farms since that time. He emigrated to this country in 1848, first stopping in the great metropolis, New York City, and thinking he would make that place his home, manfully followed his trade of blacksmith there, thich he had learned in Germany. He was born in Hanover in the city of Emden, a principality of that Empire, Oct. 9, 1824. His father, Sieffke Dirksen, seeing the success of his son in the New World, came here in 1850, two years after John's arrival. In 1852, he came out to Illinois, locating in Ridott Township, Stephenson County, and died there in 1873, aged eighty-four years. The mother, whose maiden name was Betsy Eckhoff, and who had accompanied her husband to this country, died in Ridott Township in 1856 at the age of sixty-three years. She and her husband were both members of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Mr John Dirksen was educated in his native Kingdom, passing his boyhood there. His father was a silversmith, but John learned the trade of blacksmith. His devotion as a humble follower of Vulcan lasted four years, from the time he was fourteen until he was eighteen years of age, and he learned the craft under his older brother Dieckus' tutelage. When he had arrived at eighteen years of age he became a journeyman, and continued to work in that capacity for his brother for a period of four years and then one year in Bremen. He then came to the United States, and at once began work again at his trade. We have before hinted at the struggle which John had at the outset of his career in this country. Nothing daunted, however, he found some acquaintances from the Fatherland in the New World who cheered him onward in his daily struggles. Thus he met and wooed Miss Nyskea Slater, also of his native city, having been born there Jan. 6, 1827, and to whom he was married in New York City, Aug. 24, 1850.

Mrs D. came from good German stock, her parents being Beba and Mary (Ornen) Slater. They were also natives of Hanover and the father was a baker by trade. They came to the United States with their family in the year 1855, finally locating in Ridott Township, Stephenson County, where the father died in 1861, aged sixty-five, and the mother, Oct. 29, 1882, aged eighty-seven. The father was a Lutheran while his wife was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Mrs Dirksen was the eldest of four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are now living, and was twenty-two years old when she came to the United States. She is the foster mother of three children -- John, Almena and Riecus. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church, and attend worship in Ridott Township. In politics Mr Dirksen is a Democrat. A handsome lithographic view of Mr Dirksen's home is shown on another page of this work.