Joseph Thomas Kerker

Kerker family | Main family page

Joseph Thomas Kerker was born in the late 1800s in the town of Frieburg, near the city of St Gall in eastern Switzerland. He was the son of

John Kerker and
Rose ???

J.T. Kerker, as he was widely known, was educated in university in Switzerland, and migrated with his family to America, settling in St Paul, Minnesota.

In St Paul, J.T. was a musician and civil clerk. He directed music and played organ at several churches in St Paul, including the Assumption and St Agnes. He wrote music, including several masses. He taught music lessons on piano and organ. He also worked as a civil clerk for the government.

For a few years around 1895, J.T. was the editor of Der Wanderer, a German Catholic nationality newspaper, owned by the Matt family, which later on became a right-wing conservative paper in the 1960s.

J.T. married first Louise Berreau, the daughter of Frederick Berreau. They had several children.

Antonia Kerker, who married her first cousin Rudolph Berreau, son of Otto Berreau
Thomas Dagobert Kerker, married Sophie Ann Jensen; four children
Anna Marie (Annie) Kerker, who married Joseph Ambrose Hockenhull, two children: Ruth (Sister Christella) and James.
Robert Kerker, who died young

Louise Berreau died in 1902 or 1903. Long after she died, in his later years, J.T. Kerker married Agatha Schweitzer, of St Paul. They had no children.

J.T. Kerker died in the 1930s.

Updated 2 May 1996
Send suggestions and corrections to Robert Steven van Keuren at [email protected]