The sun., 1898-11-20
OUR cONGRESSkAh:lisI
Interesting Personal and Publ"
Side Of John Henry heffecker
Who Goes to Congress.
GREAT INFLUENCE IN HIS TOWN
His Ancestors Emigrated Here From
Germany--View Of the HOme-IIife
of Mrs. Hoffecker and the
Children of the Congress
man-elect.


their Representative in Congress.
John II. Hoffecker's life has been a
busy one. He has always been at the
service Of the people. A sketch OF his
career is at this time particularly interest.
ing, as every person in the State will
want to know who is the man whom the
Republican party placed before the citi.
zens as standard bearer and whom the
voters OF the State have decided upon as
their choice.
The Congressman.el elect is man whose
ability was promptly recognized in early
manhood as business man and the
financial management of many concerns
was placed in his hands. He was called
into the Councils of the town in which he
lived and in all cases proved himself
equal to the position.
Having reached the age of Il in the
service OF his town and native county he
is now called to State and national
duties. Mr.. Hoffecker lie q man whom
the Office seeks, has been all his life, and
usually manifests keen interest in the
peoples wants.
John H. Hoffecker is one of the
prominent manufacturers of the State OF
Delaware. He is of German descent.
His great-grand-father, Henry Hoffeck cker,
many years before the Revolution, emf
grated to America with his wife, four
sons and four daughters, and settled on a
tract of land at what is now Leather
burvs corner, in Kent county, near
Smyrna.
Ii his native land Henry Hoffecker
En nd fol
it as an occupation in this country. Late
in life he returned to Germany to receive
an inheritance. He died on the return
passage to America. s.
John Hoffecker, his youngest son and
grandfather of the Congressman-elect,
was born in Kent county and during his
life was successfully engaged in farming.
He was married to Catharine Slack, and
three sons were born to them, namely
James, Joseph and Henry. Joseph the
second son aid father Of John II. Hof-
fecker was Il prosperous farmer, resid-
ing five miles east of Smyrna, in Duck
creek hundred until 1887, when he
bougl, the Edward Jay farm, now own
cd by his on John Ii. lIoffecker. He
was nmtrlyu IN 1926 to Rachel Van Gas
ken, Y whom he had seven children.
His widow, the mother of the Congress
man-elect Is still living in Smyrna at the
age OF eighty. nine years.
John Fl. Hoffecker, whom the people
of Delaware have chosen to represent
them in the National Halls of Legisla-
tion, is the oldest son of John and
Rachael Hoffecker and was born Sep
tember II, 1927 on the farm which he
now owns, mile and a half from
Smyrna. He obtained his education in
the schools of that town.
AT his fathers death he succeeded to
the ownership of large farm which he
cultivated from 1851 to 1868, when he
moved to Smyrna and embarked in the
business of canning fruits, with hi:
brother Joseph as partner. The part
nership was dissolved in 1877 and the
business was conducted by Mr.. Iiof-
fecker until recently, when Walter Q.
Hoffetker. his son, was taken into the
tirln. lloftecker \ Son have greatly ell
largcd tie establishment and increased
the facilities for canning. In 1888 eX-
tensive evAporators and fifty horse
power engine were added to his factory
lie continues to manage his farm ot
two.hundred and fifty acres, ON which
there are many fruit trees. Daring
many years Of his life Mr.. Hoffecktr has
done great deal of surveying in his
neigh norhood, but that business was
recently turned over to his son, Waller
O. Hoffecker.
the Congressnlan-clect was one OF The
originator= of the Fruit Growers Ma
tional Bank OF Smyrna, of which in
stitution he is to-day president. lie i,
director in the Kent County Mutna
Insurance Company, president OF the
Smyrna Building and Loan Association
since 1873, member of the Town Counci
from 1873 to 1898 and president of it fol
several years. He was member of the
Smyrna Boaad of Public Education from
1882 to 1898 and president for the last
five years. He was Chairman Of the
Building Committee that crested the
handsome high school and public
schools OF Smyrna in 1883. lie is presi
dent OF one of the largest transportation
companies in the State-the Philadelphia
4 Smyrna Transportation Company, anc
was greatly instrumental in securing the
erection OF the waterWorks and splendlC
system of electric lighting now cnjoycc
by the people of Smyrna. He is also {
director in the P, W. & B. Railroad
Mr.. Hoffecker in politics was Wing
from lS40 to the formation Of the Repub
lican party. In 1856 he was one OF tho
three hundred persons who voted fol
John c. Fremont, the first candidate o
the Republican party for President o
the United States.
In 1876 the present Congressman-e,ect
was delegate to the National R'pubIi.
can Convention at Cincinnati, whrr
Rutherford b. Hayes was nominated
In 1884 he was delegate to the conven.
ton at Chicago, which nominated James
&. Blaine for the Presidency. The i'm
portant positions he holds and has helG
has given him prominence and influence
not only in the town or Smyrna and
his native county OF Kent, but in the Ell
tire State of Delaware. lie was tho
candidate of the Union Republican
party Of this State for Governor two
years ago and was defeated by the pres
ent Governor, Ebe w. Tuunel. Mr.
Hoffeckel was also speaker of the House
of Representa- les Of the General As
sembiy of 1888, which elected Anthony
Higgins United States Senator.
On the 10Th of May, 1858, John II
Hoffecker was married to Miss Annie E.
Appleton, daughter of John Appleton, o.
r. AZ l.