Nicolaus B. Bockius was born on Feb. 21, 1812 in Frei-Weinheim, Rheinhessen, Germany (now Ingelheim am Rhein). He and his twin brother, Peter, were the youngest of eight children born to Michaelis Bockius and Veronicae Puetzin. Veronica died at age 35 and Michaelis Bockius then married Barbara Rockert and three more children were born.

Nicholaus and Peter immigrated to America via the ship Plato, departing the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands and landing in the port of Philadelphia on July 7, 1842. Peter is listed as a saddler from Prussia; Nicholas is listed as a servant from Hefsia (Hesse). Peter is thought to have gone to Chicago, then returned to Germany.

Nicolaus married his first wife, Marie Helene Krieger Feb. 5, 1843 in St. Louis. Marie was a widow with daughter, Margaret Reisdorf. Marie Helene died before 1849.

He married his second wife, Maria Anna Franck, on August 22, 1849 at St. Mary of Victories Church in St. Louis. He was age 37, and she was 18. At the time of this marriage Nicolaus Bockius was a widower with a teenage stepdaughter--just a few years younger than the bride. It is not known how long she lived with the newly married couple but from different stories told, the children from the marriage to Maria Anna used to visit the step-daughter some twenty-five years later. She was married and lived in Jefferson County. These visits were made in a wagon and took a full day.

The marriage to Nicolaus Bockius was suggested to Maria Anna by her father, Valentine Franck. Nicolaus Bockius is said to have owned or operated a brick yard in Carondelet and also owned a good bit of real estate. All of this was supposed to have been lost due to co-signing too many notes for people. After losing the brick yard, he turned to delivering water, since water was not piped into houses. Also this was before sewerage was in the city.

During the Civil War, Nicolaus Bockius enlisted on May 7th, 1861 as a private in the First Regiment of Missouri (Home Guards) to serve three months or duration of the war, -- Company B-1 Regiment Missouri Volunteer, also as a U.S.R.C. in Co. Missouri. He was stationed at Camp Jackson, which is now West Pine Blvd., just a little east of Grand Avenue, St. Louis. This unit is credited with preventing a Confederate takeover of St. Louis. Bockius was honorably discharged at the expiration of his service August 20, 1861.

Father of Nicholas Frank Bockius, Andreas and Maria Susanna (both died at birth), Joseph (John) F. Bockius, Margaretha Mary "Maggie" Mueth, Frank Nicholas, Valentine William, and John F., Maria Anna, and (unverified) Anton Bockius.

Lived at 321 Geyer when he died.

The above information was taken, in part, from "History of Bockius Family Beginning with Nicolaus Bockius" sent to Nancy Mueth Woods by Barbara Mueth Rinne.