Samuel Stecker was born near Easton, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1841. His parents are John and Sarah Stecker, who were born and reared in the same county. He lived with them until he was twenty, and was educated in the public schools of his native county. On leaving home in 1860, he went to Illinois and worked as a hand on a farm near Freeport for one year, and then went to Three Rivers, Michigan, where he worked until 1862, when he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-fifth Michigan Volunteer Infantry to serve for three years, but being wounded at the battle of Tibb’s Bend, Kentucky, July 4, 1863, he was sent to the United States Hospital No. 12, at Madison, Indiana, where he was discharged in the spring of 1865. After his discharge he returned to Three Rivers, Michigan, where he was employed again as a farm hand and worked for the same man, George Weinberg, until 1868, when he came to Missouri and located on land which he purchased one and one-half miles southeast of Winston, where he lived until 1873,. when he sold out and came to Winston and began to work at the carpenter and joiner’s trade which he still follows.
January 1, 1870, Mr. Stecker married Miss Fannie, daughter of Jacob. and Catherine Fleicher, old residents of Daviess county, who at one time. owned part of the land that is now the site of Winston. In 1876 he was. elected and served as constable of Colfax township and, in 1881, was elected and served as street commissioner of Winston. He is a member of Winston Lodge No. 15, A. F. & A. M.