Louis & Rachel Linton Unkel

UNKEL LINTON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/10/2010 at 23:53:08

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Louis and Rachel (Linton) Unkel
By Lynette Jones Spicer

On the 1880 census of Center Township, near Woodsfield in Monroe County, Ohio, Louis Unkel listed his birthplace as Wurtemburg (Germany). He probably emigrated around 1870. His death certificate lists his parents as Gottlieb Unkel and Caroline Herr; his birth date as January 14, 1846.

On April 11, 1872, Louis married Rachel Linton. Rachel’s background is unknown. She spoke German, but is believed to have been of English or Irish descent and was presumably born in Ohio. On the 1870 Monroe County census, Rachel lived with the Louis Motts family and worked for them. Her birth date was April 15, 1855.

Nine days before his marriage, Louis purchased 38 acres of land in Monroe County. In 1876, he sold the same land. In April of 1884, Louis purchased 160 acres of Woodbury County land from the Iowa Railroad Land company. This land is in Section 24 of Willow Township, three miles east and two miles south of Holly Springs.

Louis and Rachel had twelve children:

1( Jacob Ludwig, born December 24, 1872, Woodsfield, Ohio. Never married. Died May 10, 1957. Buried German City cemetery.

2( Anna Bell, born November 22, 1874, Woodsfield. Married Jacob Steinhoff, son of Henry Christian & Mary (Rose) Steinhoff on March 2, 1896. Died September 30, 1932. Buried Graceland Park cemetery, Sioux City.

3( William, born February 2, 1877, Woodsfield. Never married. Died November 22, 1929. Buried German City cemetery.

4( Louisa, born February 18, 1880, Woodsfield. Married John Laforest Beebe, son of Arther & Caroline Beebe on April 7, 1904. Died May 16, 1907. Buried German City cemetery.

5( John, born January 2, 1883, German City, Iowa. Married Edna Steinhoff, daughter of William & Libbie (Gambs) Steinhoff on February 15, 1912. Died November 27, 1950. Buried Memorial Park cemetery, Sioux City.

6( Matilda Mary, born April 14, 1885, Hornick, Iowa. Married John Laforest Beebe, son of Arther & Caroline Beebe on October 7, 1909. Died October 12, 1920. Buried German City cemetery.

7( Bertha Emilie, born September 27, 1887, Hornick. Married James F White on May 2, 1912. Died October 1, 1938. Buried Little Sioux Township cemetery, Smithland, Iowa.

8( Charles, born April 13, 1890, Hornick. Never married. Died on dinning room table during appendicitis surgery, May 3, 1913. Buried German City cemetery.

9( Freda Elizabeth, born October 14, 1892, Hornick. Married Theodore Franklin Steinhoff, son of Charles & Elizabeth (Kochert) Steinhoff on October 1, 1914. Died April 18, 1928. Buried German City cemetery.

10( Minnie Margaretha, born March 9, 1895, Hornick. Married Clarence Weber, son of Edward & Christena (Rose) Weber on September 12, 1917. Died May 3, 1966. Buried Memorial Park cemetery.

11( Edna Alice, born August 4, 1897, Hornick. Married Jake E Deist, son of Justus & Martha Deist on December 25, 1918. Died January 25, 1967. Buried Memorial Park cemetery.

12( Earl, born October 3, 1900, Hornick. Married Grace Baxley, daughter of Tress & Lillie Baxley on September 28, 1822. Died May 29, 1943. Buried Memorial Park cemetery.

The Unkels were members of the German City Evangelical Church. Both Rachel and Louis are buried there. Louis died December 13, 1916, and Rachel on May 27, 1921.

Many Unkel descendants remain in Woodbury County but only one carries the Unkel name – Dean Unkel of Hornick.