Yunker, Alex 1860-1948 & Lydia Miller Family
YUNKER, MILLER, DUEBI, ISELI
Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 1/3/2022 at 15:22:22
Yunker, Alex 1860-1948 and Lydia Miller family
This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and some research notes were added.
Alex Junker and his wife, Lydia (Miller), came to Plato Township by train in 1884 from Elgin, Iowa. Lydia’s five brothers, Louis, Alex, John, Fred, and Rudolph Miller had come a few years previously. In 1886 Alex and his wife purchased a farm in Garfield Township, Section 23 Southeast, 240 acres at $20.00 per acre. Two of their seven children, Mrs. Will Winterfeld and Fred, continued to live in the Rock Valley area after growing to adulthood. Fred attended rural school one-half mile north of the farm, his teacher, being Mary Cannegieter, Mrs. Hessel Roorda. In 1923 Fred married and took over the family farm, and this be came their home for over fifty years. Recently he and his wife retired to Rock Valley.
The farm house, which has been remodeled through the years, and some of the other farm buildings are the original ones, and are well over eighty years old. Fred still has in his possession the breaking plow which the Miller brothers used in breaking the prairie land. It is an Emerson plow and was purchased at Remsen, Iowa. Mrs. Yunker has the spinning wheel which her grandmother brought to this country when she came from Norway.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Yunker had three daughters and one son, Marlo, who is residing on the home place and doing the farming. The daughters are Arlene, Mrs. Jim Van Brinnelin of Seattle, Washington; Leah, Mrs. Bill Drecktrath of Berlin, Wisconsin; and Beverly, the wife of Rev. Staude of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(Above - Information given by Fred Yunker)
RESEARCHER NOTES - Added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
From ancestry.com family report done by other family members.
Alexander Yunker born 16 Jun 1860 Schupfen Bern Switzerland died 21 Oct 1948 LeMars IA
His parents were Jakob Junker 1834-1903 and Anna Maria Duebi 1937-1879.
Wife: Lydia Miller 15 Mar 1866 Elgin Fayette IA died 3 May 1937 Rock Valley IA
Her parents were Rudolf Muller 1815-1884 and Anne Marie Iseli 1831-1902.
Children:
Louisa Anna Yunker 1888-1872 married Wilhelm H. Winterfeld 1889-1988
Oscar Albert Yunker 1891-1914
Emma Ella Yunker 1893-1980 married Paul Brannt Grau 1892-1919
Frederick ‘Fred’ William Yuner 1896-1978 married Stena Agita Toft 1897-1989
Clara Lydia Yunker 1898-1994 married Walter Durscher 1898-1977
Roy Melvert Yunker 1901-1961 married Caroline Lena Serck 1907-1995
Verna Marie Yunker 1904-1989 married Gordon James Mosby 1901-1975OBITUARY OF ALEX JUNKER
Hold Last Rites At Peace Lutheran For Alex Yunker
Funeral services for Alex Yunker, 88, were held at the Peace Lutheran church on Monday afternoon, with Rev. Meinan of Hull officiating. He died last Thursday [October 21] while convalescing from a bad leg injury, suffered on October 6. He was a patient at the Le Mars hospital at the time of death. Burial was made at the Peace Lutheran cemetery.
Mr. Yunker was born at Raperwyils, Canton Bern, Switzerland, on June 16, 1860. At the age of 23 years he came to the United States and settled at Elgin, Fayette county, Iowa. On March 15, 1880, he was united in marriage to Lydia Miller and that spring they came to Sioux county and started farming in Garfield township, where they resided until the spring of 1920. [Note that the 1880 marriage date doesn't track with his age at immigration. Lydia's obit (Hawarden Independent, March 11, 1937) says they were married Feb. 7, 1888.]
In that year [1920] they moved to Rock Valley, where he lived until his death. His wife preceded him in death in March, 1937, and one son, Oscar, died in October, 1914.
He is survived by two sons and four daughters, Fred of Rock Valley; Roy of Inwood; Mrs. Louise Winterfeld and Mrs. Emma Grau of Rock Valley; and Mrs. Clara Durscher and Mrs. Verna Mosby of Elgin. Twenty grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Those attending from a distance were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Durscher, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Mosby, Roberta and Carole, Mr. and Mrs. C. Dunimermuth[?], Mr. and Mrs. Guernsey Smith, Mrs. Ida Meyer and John Durscher of Elgin, Iowa, and Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Durscher of West Union, Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Grau of Melvin, Arlene Yunker of Ames, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Edwards and son Maynard, John Maurer of Forestburg, Mr. and Mrs. Belmore Benson, Jackson, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Milton Toft of Alcester, S.D., Mrs. Frank Plunket and daughter Barbara of Minneapolis, Minn.
Source: Rock Valley Bee, October 28, 1948.
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Alex Yunker, 88, of Rock Valley Dies at Le Mars
Funeral services for Alex Yunker, 88, Rock Valley, who died in a Le Mars hospital last Friday, were held Monday afternoon in the Peace Lutheran church northeast of Hawarden. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Yunker suffered a broken hip in a fall two weeks before his death and was taken to the Le Mars hospital.
Mr. Yunker was born in Switzerland June 16, 1860. When he came to America he settled in Elgin, Iowa, where he married Miss Lydia Miller. In 1888 he came to Sioux county, locating on a farm about 16 miles northeast of Hawarden. In the early '20s he and his wife retired and moved to Rock Valley to live. Mrs. Yunker died in 1937. One son, Oscar, also preceded him in death in 1914. He died from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
Survivors include six children, Mrs. Will Winterfeld, Mrs. Emma Grau and Fred Yunker of Rock Valley, Roy of Inwood, Mrs. Gordon Mosby of Elgin, Iowa, and Mrs. Clara Durscher of West Union, Iowa.
Hawarden persons who attended the funeral included Mrs. John Heuer, a niece, and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Degen, Mrs. Dave Johnson, Mrs. John Treiber and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Stoltenberg.
Source: Hawarden Independent, October 28, 1948.
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Another variant obituary in the Sioux County Capital (Oct. 28) spells his birthplace Rapperswye; says that he came to the United States in 1883; and says that after his wife's death he made his home with his daughter Mrs. Emma Grau.
Published probate notices, as well as the Sioux County Cemetery Index and his wife's obituary, confirm his full first name as Alexander.OBITUARY OF LYDIA YUNKER
Mrs. Alex. Yunker Died March 3rd
Mrs. Alex Yunker passed away at her home in Rock Valley last Wednesday, March 3rd, at 9 o'clock in the morning. She had been in poor health for several years and had been confined to her bed most of the time since last November when she fell and broke her hip.
Funeral services were held last Friday afternoon at the home at 1:30 and then the large assembly of relatives and friends followed the remains to Peace Lutheran church where Rev. Beyer preached a fine sermon. A ladies' quartette sang two of her favorite hymns. Many beautiful floral tributes were in evidence. Interment was made in the cemetery near the church. The pall bearers were six of her nephews, Oscar, Carl, Peter, Elmer and Fred A. Miller and Joe Freiden.
Lydia Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Miller, was born March 15, 1866, near Elgin, Iowa, so was 70 years, 11 months and 16 days old at the time of her death. She was united in marriage with Alexander Yunker at Elkader, Iowa, Feb. 7, 1888. After their marriage they settled on a farm, two miles west of Lebanon, where they resided for a year. They then purchased the farm southwest of Rock Valley now occupied by their son Fred. They made their home on this farm until 1920 when they retired and moved to Rock Valley where they have since made their home.
She was the mother of seven children, one son having preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband, four daughters and two sons, Mrs. Louisa Winterfield, Mrs. Emma Grau and Fred Yunker of Rock Valley; Mrs. Clara Durscher and Mrs. Verna Mosby of Elgin, Iowa, and Roy Yunker of Inwood. She also leaves two brothers, Rudolf Miller of Hudson and John Miller of Rock Valley, who is spending the winter in Florida. Besides she leaves many other relatives and a host of friends.
She joined Peace Lutheran church through confirmation June 24, 1923. She was faithful to her Savior and church. She was a true and faithful wife and mother, a kind neighbor and friend and was always willing to lend a helping hand whenever she found it possible. Her one great aim in life was to lead her family heavenward.
Those from a distance who came to attend the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Durscher, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Mosby, Mrs. Wm. Baumgartner, Mrs. Ida Meyer, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wegner and daughter Marlys and Joe Freiden of Elgin, Iowa; John Maurer of Forestburg, S.D.; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Miller of Vermillion; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Toft of Larchwood, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Toft and and Mr. and Mrs. Belmore Benson of Jackson, Minn.
Her life was not lived in vain. May she rest in peace.
Source: Hawarden Independent, March 11, 1937.
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A variant obituary published in the Sioux County Capital (March 11) adds this information:
Her son Oscar was killed in an automobile accident in 1914.
She also leaves 16 grandchildren.
"She was a kindly lady and had many friends. In spite of the fact that she suffered from poor eyesight, she was cheerful. For several years past her eyesight became worse, resulting in almost total blindness. Her daughter, Mrs. Emma Grau has been living with her parents for many years and has cared for her during that time."This picture of the Alex Yunker Family was taken from a family report on Ancestry.com.
Yunker Family Descendants
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