Fred A Zunkle

ZUNKLE

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/20/2009 at 01:27:59

Fred A Zunkle is a native of the great state of Illinois, for his birth occurred in Henry county, May 16, 1862, his parents being William and Christina (Nanstell) Zunkle, both of whom were natives of Germany, whence they came to America, taking up their abode in Wisconsin. After a short time spent in that state, however, they removed to Henry county, Illinois were the father engaged in farming until May 1866. He then removed to Boone county and located on a farm in Pilot Mound township, where he carried on the work of tilling the soil as the years passed until his life’s labors ended in death. He passed away on February 23, 1902, having for several years survived his wife, who died on August 17, 1899. In their family were ten children: Annie the wife of John Miller a resident farmer of Pilot Mound township, Bertha the wife of Mathew Pritchard, of Yell township, Fred A, Etta deceased, John who is living in Pilot Mound township, William N and Louis who are both farmers in Yell township, Emma who resides on the homestead in Pilot Mound township, Alice the wife of Grant Good of Yell township, and Orlando who also occupies the old family homestead.
In the usual manner of farmer lads Fred A Zunkle spent the days of his boyhood and youth. He worked in the fields and meadows through the summer months and in the winter season he attended the commons schools. After putting aside his text books he devoted his entire attention to farm work until he was twenty-one years of age, when he engaged in the coal business in the mines at Fraser, Boone county, following that pursuit for eight years. During that time he was married in 1888 to Miss Linda Wolf, of Henry county, Illinois, a daughter of Barnhardt Wolf, a farmer of Henry county, who died there in 1896. The children born unto our subject and his wife are as follows: Sylva, Elsie, Pearl, Ethel, Mabel, Hazel and William. Of this number Elsie and Ethel are now deceased.
In 1894 Mr Zunkle abandoned the work in the mines and resumed farming, removing to his present farm on Sec 16 and 17, Yell township. Here he has made the investment of his earning until he now owns 280 acres of rich land of Yell township and upon his farm he has made some very nice improvements. He cultivates the fields, planting the crops best adapted to the soil and climate, and in addition to this work he is raising stock of a good grade, and as the years pass he finds diligence and enterprise are potent factors in winning success and he is now numbered among the substantial citizens and leading agriculturists of his community, He votes with the Democracy, having always been allied with that party since he attained his majority and at the present time he is serving as school director of the township.

1902 Boone County History Book