Peter Becker was born in Prussia, Germany, in 1841. His father, George Becker, was born in Prussia and came to the United States about 1846, locating at Mansfield, Ohio, where he was a merchant. He had served his term in the regular army of Germany. Peter Becker was five years of age when brought to the United States, and he grew up at Mansfield, Ohio. From that point he enlisted and served as a Union soldier, and after his period of gallant and faithful service he returned to Mansfield, was married there, and in 1868 brought his family to Atchison, Kansas. Here he became a pioneer merchaut and for many years conducted a successful grocery business. He built his residence and store on Main Street just outside the limits of Atchison, and became a very extensive property holder. His death occurred in Atchison in November, 1914. Mr. Peter Becker was a democrat and at one time served as treasurer of Shannon Township of Atchison County. He was affiliated with Friendship Lodge No. 5, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with Unity Camp No. 356, Modern Woodmen of America, and was associated with his old army comrades in A. S. Everest Post No. 493, Grand Army of the Republic.
In Mansfield Peter Becker married Louisa Gribling, who was born in Coblenz, Prussia, in 1842, and died at Atchison in August, 1901. They had a large family of children, eleven in number. William Becker, who was born September 16, 1869, was educated in the Atchison public schools and St. Benedict’s College, had never married and is now a resident of Wallace, Idaho, where he had some valuable mining property. Amelia is the wife of Joseph Haeglin, proprietor of a brewery at Sabinas, Mexico. Elizabeth married E. E. Stauffer, a minister of the Lutheran Church now located at Lawrence, Kansas, and a former member of the State Legislature. Dora is unmarried and lives at Atchison. Emma is the wife of Carl Mangelsdorf, a retail seed merchant and florist at Atchison. Caroline is the wife of Carl Haeglin, who is associated with his brother in the brewing business at Sabinas, Mexico. Augusta married William Buhman, living at Atchison, and a traveling salesman for the Mangelsdorf wholesale seed house at Atchison. The eighth in order of birth is Ida, widow of George H. Storch and she resided in Atchison. Albert, who was in the transfer business at Atchison, died at the age of twenty-eight. Bertha is the wife of Floyd Spaun, a shoe salesman at Atchison. Etta, twin sister of Bertha, married Gordon Heald, a grain buyer at Morrell, Kansas.