The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1902-12-04
DEATH OF REV. ALVIN FUCKER.
Passed Away Al J O'clock Las; Msnday
Aierniag Altar friei iIlness
Of 0se Day.

Reverend Alvin Rucker, one Of
the oldest inhabitants of Farming
ton, died last Monday morning at
2 O'Clock at his residence In this
city. aged 10 years, 2 months and
Is days. He was taken sick on
Sunday and about 4 o'clock
that afternoon ha became totally
blind. Early in the evening Dr..
Robinson was summoned but
could do nothing, as II was seen
that death would soon ensue from
q gradual weakening OF the heart.
He fingered in a semi. conscious
condition until 9 O'Clock ia the
morning when death came without
struggle. Those present at the
death-bed beside Mrs. Rucker were
two friends Of the deceased, Mr..
Robert Tetley and Mr.. A. T.
Nixon.
Reverend Alvin Rucker was
born in Flemingsburgh, KY, on
September 10, 1923, and was the
son of James aud Julia Lloyd
Rucker. His parents, who were
married in Virginia, removed from
that State to Kentucky, and in
1885 from Kentucky 10 Illinois.
Alvin Rucker was the eldest son
of eight children. lie was reared
on farm and obtained q common
th0Ji education ia the towns OF
Nashville aud Huntsville, Illinois.
When he was eighteen years old he
hrgun fHrming ON mis- own account
and followed that occupation until
1870. Ia 1913 he united with the
the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Schuyler county, Illinois, and
turned his attention to fitting him.
self tor the ministry. After being
licensed to preach he went TO Van |
Buren, county, Iowa, and there |
took charge of his first church. In
lS4j he was admitted TO the Town
Conference of the Methodist Church |
and had charge of a circuit in JEFF
ferson county, Iowa, until the fall
OF 1886. when he was transferred to
the ST Louis Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, south. |
Immediately afteTwsri he WIS mp |
pointed to the Crooked Greek cir.
cuit under the jurisdiction OF the
ST.. Louis conference and preached |
TO the people of that circuit one
year, 1878, at the close of which
he was ordained a deacon by
Bishop Andrew.
He then located and purchased a
farm ia ST. Francois county, near
Doe Run, which he occupied and
cultivated until 1852. In that year
he removed to Pennington and be-
cane junior member of the mer.
chandising firm of Arnold X
Rucker. AT the end Of another
year he sold out his interest in the
store and resumed ministerial work. |
being appointed pastor Of the Ben-
ton circuit in Scott county. He
was ordained an elder IN his church
a year later by Bishop Pierce and
was assigned 10 Wesley Chapel
church Of ST. Louis. During the
years of 1866 he filed Ia passionate
at Cape Girardeau and was then
assigned to Potosi Circuit In Wash.
ington county. His next assign.
ment was Benton Circuit, in Scott
county, aud he remained there I'M
Ill 1861, when he again became
connected with a merchandising
in Pennington. He
was later a member of the firm Of |
Mathews & Rucker, and in 1868
bought his partners interest in the
store, which they had conducted
together. The same year he was
postmaster at Farming
ton by President Andrew johnson,
aud held that Office for two years.
Thereafter until 1882 he gave his
entire attention to merchandising.
He then sold out his general store
aud established himself at Farm
ington in the drug business, which
he conducted until his death.
For more than fifty years he has
been a member of the Masonic fra.
teruity, aud for fifty seven years
he has been a minister of the Cos
pei, although in later years be has
only occasionly filed the pulpit.
For twelve years he served as no.
tary public, aud for six years he
acted in a public capacity as chair
man Of the Democratic Central
Committee Of st. Francois county.
Mr.. Rucker was twice married,
FIRST in 1847 to Miss Angelina Clay,
daughter Of II. Clay, an early set
tier aud prominent citizen of this
county. One child, a son, was
born Of this union. This son,
Valentine c.. died In 1868. After
the death of bis first wife, Mr..
Rucker married in 1884. Mrs. Mary
A. Reeves, OF Waverly. Tennessee,
who Is daughter Of Green and
Mary Primm. and a relative Of
General Wade Hampton.
Throughout his life Mr.. Rucker
was an earnest, energetic man. and
has taken an active interest in mat.
lers Of Church and State. He
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