Youker Family History

Youker. Pronounced like the Midwestern card game, Euchre: Yuu-ker. My earliest known Youker ancestor is 6th great-grandfather, Rudolph Jucker/Youker, born about 1730 in what some think was western Germany but perhaps (and research is proving very likely) German speaking Switzerland where the Juker/Jucker surname is extremely common. We know that he was living in the Mohawk Valley, New York where many German speaking people had settled: western Germans, Alsatians, Austrians, and Swiss. All germanic peoples with dialects of the same language, and most of these people belonged to the Reformed Church founded by Protestant Reformer, John Calvin in 16th century Switzerland, later spreading to Germany, The Netherlands, France and England. More info. on these people and the importance of their religion can be found by clicking here: Reformed Church in Mohawk Valley and Faiths of Our Fathers. Some of these people (a minority) were members of the Lutheran Church, but this did not include the Youkers.

Rudolph and Anna (Windler) Youker lived in Canajoharie, NY and had many children. Three of their sons were Revolutionary War Patriots: John, Johann "George" (my 5th great-grandfather), and Jacob (who was a prisoner of war, taken into Canada, and later escaped). Almost all Michigan Youkers are descendats of Johann George and his wife, Elizabeth Schall. Schall family of German Palatine origin. These early Youkers were baptized, married, buried, and worshipping in Stone Arabia Reformed Church, which happens to still be standing. Pictures below. History of Church: Stone Arabia Reformed Church

Johann George, had a son, Johann "George" Jr. or "Second George" (my 4th great grandfather) who married the lovely, Catherine Burkdorf. Catherine was the daughter of Henry (Hendrick) Burkdorf, a Hessian soldier. I have the following information on him:

Hessian Soldier

Henry Burkdorff by Nancy Cioch found at website: http://nancyscorner.net/nancorhessian.htm

Henry Burkdorff was another Hessian who came to America with Gen Burgoyne. Hendrick Burkdorf, Sr. was born in Germany 1736 and died July 12, 1824 in the Town of Oppenheim, NY. He was 87 years 6 months old and was buried on the Burkdorf farm cemetery. He married Nancy ---- b Feb. 14, 1747/48 in Germany (?). She died Oct 6, 1814 in the Town of Oppenheim and buried on the Burkdorf farm cemetery. She was 66 years, 7 months, 27 days old. He was captured at Saratoga and spent time in prison camps before being released. 

Johann George Youker II buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Interlochen, MI

Stone has fallen and since cracked, but at time of photo was still legible.

"George" and Catherine Youker left the Mohawk Valley and were living for a time in Harrison, Potter Co., Pennsylvania before relocating to Jackson County, Michigan (where Catherine passed away and is buried) and then later, further north into Grand Traverse County, MI.

Jonas Youker, son of George Youker (above) my 3rd great-grandfather, stayed behind in Harrison, PA while the rest of his family relocated to Michigan. He had a young wife, Sally and children at home. Sally became ill with small pox, and after her death, Jonas and children relocated to Michigan. He did remarry to my 3rd great-grandmother, Eliza Carr (although not sure if they married in PA and then came to MI or if they met and married in MI at this point!). It's within this time that the family line is no longer strictly Germanic, Carr is a Scottish surname! Jonas and Eliza have two more children: John Henry (My 2nd great-grandfather) and Clarence (who dies in infancy). Eliza took in and nursed her stepdaughter, Sarah Youker Hessem who had come down with Tuberculosis. Eliza and infant son, Clarence catch the disease and all pass away shortly after each other. Very little is known about poor Eliza, and I very much would like to be able to trace her family someday. I saw one picture of Jonas in which he was an old man with a long white beard. Jonas and family are buried in Downes Cemtery, in southern Grand Traverse County. 

You're probably getting sick of seeing gravestones, aren't you? We're now getting to the point where I can fix that. John Henry Youker, son of Jonas, was my second great-grandfather. He married Generie Genevieve Felt (of British ancestry) and the couple lived and raised their family on a farm on Silver Lake, Traverse City, Michigan. They were members of the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUBC) in Travers City. 11 children total, 7 of which survived into adulthood, including my great-grandfather, Elmer Youker. 

John and Generie Youker

Family Picture Below

Seated L to R: David, Generie, Charlie, John H., Frank

Standing L to R: Frank, John, Edna, and Elmer.

Youker farm on Silver Lake, Traverse City.

My Great-Grandfather, Elmer was born in December of 1890 at the farm pictured above and married my great grandmother, Frances Williams on Christmas Eve 1917 at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Traverse City. He made a living primarily out of farming, Frances being a school teacher. The family did relocate to Manton, Michigan for about ten years during the Great Depression where Elmer did take a Government job. Elmer died tragically of a tractor accident while helping my grandfather, Jim bail hay in May of 1950. He had a very nice singing voice and was quite often called upon to sing at social gatherings. 

Elmer and Frances.

...and now we get into current day. My Grandfather, James Youker was born on June 21, 1921 which was, according to his mother, "the longest and hottest" day of the year. Grandpa had two sisters, Zelma and Mavis.My Grandfather, married Rita Louise Kreiser at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Hannah, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1947. He became a Catholic just prior to marrying my Grandmother. Grandpa passed away in 2007 and Grandma more recently in 2017. That pretty much covers, in a nutshell, about 300 years of Youker family history in the USA! Thanks for reading. 

Grandpa and Grandma Youker

Wedding Day 1947

St. Mary's Church, Hannah, MI

(Hannah is where my Grandmother was born and raised).

For anyone looking for some great information and wants to get a picture of what life was like for the early Youkers and other German speaking pioneers of the Mohawk Valley, I would highly recommend the novel, Drums Along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmonds. This was later created into a movie in 1939, which is also worth watching! 

My lineage from Rudolph:

Rudolph and Anna (Windler) Jucker/Youker 

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Johann "George" and Elizabeth (Schall) Youker

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Johann "George" Jr. and Catherine (Burkdorf) Youker

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Jonas and Eliza (Carr) Youker

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John H. and Generie (Felt) Youker

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Elmer and Frances (Williams) Youker

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James and Rita (Kreiser) Youker

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Bradley and Julie (Pearson) Youker

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Adam Youker 

Fances Williams Youker

Been awhile since I've written anything. So, decided I would pick up and introduce you to my great-grandmother, Frances Ida Williams-Youker. A very interesting woman. A woman descended from Shakers, Mayflower Pilgrim William Bradford, and Swiss immigrant pastor, Rev. John Henry Goetchius, a founder of Queen's College, now Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Frances, as a girl.

Frances Williams Youker

Frances was born in Stroud, Oklahoma on April 19, 1894 to James (my Grandpa Jim's namesake) and Caroline (Taylor) Williams. Her father, James was a civil war veteran, who fought in both battles of Bull Run and was injured during the second battle, and lay wounded on battle field for over 24 hrs. before receiving medical attention. He was not discharged from the hospital for 6 months. He ended up meeting Caroline (Carrie) during the Oklahoma Land Rush. Carrie was the daughter of former Shakers. Most people think of the Shakers as similar to the Amish, which in a way is true. They are/were plain people. Shakers also remained celibate similar to Catholic priests and nuns. Carrie's parents met, fell in love, and left the community. Shakers have always interested me, and as of today, there are only 3 Shakers left living in Maine. During the Civil War era there were close to 6,000 Shakers.

Caroline ("Carrie") Williams. Mother of Frances.

Carrie was an accomplished seamstress, milliner, dressmaker and passed this onto her daughter, Frances. James passed away in December of 1899, and Carrie and children relocated to Grawn, Michigan. Carrie herself being born in Coldwater, Michigan.
Frances graduated from Traverse City High School in 1912, graduated from Mt. Pleasant County Normal in 1915, and taught in many one room school houses in Grand Traverse County. In fact, she even taught my maternal grandmother, Alva Lou Harkins, at Canada school house in Grant Twp..
Frances met Elmer Youker and they were married on Christmas Eve 1917 at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Traverse City. Elmer grew up on Silver Lake in Traverse City and after marriage, the couple settled in on a farm a mile south of Monroe Center, now occupied by Jay and Donna Weber. Three children were born to them: Zelma, James (my Grandfather), and Mavis. During the Great Depression, the family relocated to Manton, Wexford Co., MI where Elmer took a job working for the County for about ten years. Frances was very social, very active in her community. She thought nothing of getting into the car and travelling across the state to visit family and friends.

Frances kneeling in back holding up bouquet with her County Normal classmates.

Canada School House. Grant Twp. Grand Traverse Co., MI

Frances also was a church organist, 4H leader, and wrote a small column in local newspaper. It was through 4H that my Grandparents, Jim and Rita Youker met. 4H meetings were held in the basement of the Monroe Center Methodist Church for the area children.
Frances was very eager to see Gone With The Wind when it opened in Traverse City in 1939. I believe this is probably because her father fought and was wounded in Civil War. She paid $4.00 for her ticket ($64.00 today!!)! Let's hope she enjoyed every minute of it for that price.

Elmer and Frances

Passing away of a heart attack in 1946, my grandfather, came home from his time in the Army, to the news that his mother had been dead six months already. News had been sent via letter but mail never caught up with him. I'm sure that was very difficult news to receive.

Dad's First Communion.

A very happy day in every young Catholic's life is their First Communion. Usually happening around the age of 7 years old. Believe it or not, up until the reign of Pius X, who passed away in 1914, the typical age of First Communion and Confirmation was 14 yrs. old! Dad would have received his first communion in the days prior to Vatican II when only the host was received kneeling at the railing on the tongue only. Grandma Rita saved several pictures and memoralbilia from the day, so thought I'd share with you. 

Dad's First Holy Communion. May 22, 1960. Dad is in first row, first boy standing to the left. His first cousin, Janet Kreiser is little girl in second row, third from right. Parish priest is Rev. Fr. Francis Karl. Fr. Karl was a very well liked pastor at St. Mary's. Served as principal, drove the school bus, did a lot of handyman work and maintenance himself as to save money for the parish.

Dad kneeling after receiving Communion.

Confirmation would follow a year or two later by Bishop Allen J. Babcock of Grand Rapids. Dad took the Confirmation name, Francis, as did I when I was Confirmed in 1996, although I seriously was considering the name Patrick. 

Grandma's Memories. Alva Lou Harkins-Pearson 1933-2017

My Grandmother, Alva Lou Harkins-Pearson passed away on Feb. 26, 2017. As a surprise for Christmas 2014 while I was living in Colorado, my mother sent me five handwritten pages of my grandmother's memories that she sat down and wrote as Grandma told stories about her childhood. Grandma was the daughter of Daniel and Carrie (Dixon) Harkins. She lived across the road from her aunt and uncle, John and Goldie (Dixon) Harkins. Two Harkins brothers married two Dixon sisters. The families were extremely close. Alva Lou played basketball in High School and had a life long love of sports. In her later years, she would sit and watch the birds come to her feeders, and really enjoyed seeing and identifying the different ones. An avid reader, even when her eyesight was poor in later life, she enjoyed listening to audio books. One Christmas she crotcheted every grandchild an afghan blanket. I still have mine. It could easily fit over a King sized bed. Her response was that she "might have gotten a little carried away with that one!" 

Grandma's Memories (Alva Lou Harkins Pearson 1933-2017)

Harkins Family circa 1950

Alva Lou, Jim, Carrie, Dan.

We lived in a tarpaper shack across the road from Aunt Goldie and Uncle John. Rural Rte. #1 Buckley, MI. A dirt trail. It had 2 bedrooms and one large room. My brother, Jim slept on a cot in the one large room which was our kitchen, living room, and dining room. I used to go across the road to have coffee with Aunt Goldie. She let me put sugar and cream in it, Mom wouldn't allow that at home. Aunt Goldie had a mulberry tree in their front yard. I used to love to go over there and pick them. I also used to love to go over when Uncle John was seperating cream and milk. He used to sing Red River Valley.

I can't ever remember my parents singing at home. I remember going to the (Grant) Town Hall and there would be square dances. They made beds for the kids with chairs and overcoats, in a row. Dad and Uncle John would call the square dances. I remember Mr. Middaugh dancing with me.

Grandma Ida Dixon

We lived in the shack until I was about 4 yrs. old. We moved using horses and a backboard. I think Dad borrowed 1 thousand dollars from Aunt Lou to pay for the house. Aunt Lou made the best doughnuts. Grandma Dixon moved with us to the farm house. She also lived with us in the shack. Grandma lived with us because mom was the oldest girl.I used to sleep with one leg wrapped around Grandma's waist. She was heavy set. Every night they would wrap my hair in rags to make the curls. I hated it!

Alva Lou with curls! 

We used to have to walk to school. Canada School House. Everybody walked.

When we moved to the farm, we raised string beans and pickles. We sold pickles. I hated picking them. They were good money. The best crop my dad had was radishes. They would thrash the seeds out of them. I think we went and sold them in Ionia. They thrashed oats and wheat also. We put that in the granary.

When we moved to the farm, mom planted a quarter of an acre of raspberries. She made good money selling them. She made pies too but they made her stop because she didn't have a permit. She could still sell the berries though.

Mom also took care of Ruth Moyer (neighbor lady) every time she had a baby. She would babysit the kids also. Back then you had to stay in bed 10 days for your ograns to go back in place. 

When we first moved to the farm, we didn't have electricity. We did not have running water in the house. We had to use wood heat because we didn't have a furnace. We also didn't have a refrigerator. The basement and the well pit was our refrigerator. 

My mom used to can at least 150 quarts of fruits and vegetables every year. Mom used to buy drops (fruit that fell from the trees) and pay 75 cents for a bushel. Picking cherries was a nightmare too! Aunt Lou could pick 29 lugs of cherries a day (mom could only pick 8!) She was fast! She did it by slipping (running your hand down the branch). She learned that trick when she was younger. Aunt Lou always picked cherries or worked in cherry factories. 

Grandma (mom) and I always rode the truck to town when Ferris Ramsey use to sell his cream. Mom would go to the A&P and go shopping to get her tea. She was a teetotaller! We used to have to walk across wooden bridge to get there. I was terrified! I remember going to the basement of JC Penny and you could get a dress for $2.95. Mostly, Ma bought materials and things were homemade.

My brother, Jim joined the service in his senior year of High School. He and 2 others were gone before graduation. They had 3 empty chairs in front with flags on them to represent them. Jim was wounded in Iwo Jima. He had training in California. He was sent home after being shot but was still on the active list. Has was home about 3 years before being called back in. (Note: Jim Harkins made a career out of the Marines and lived for many years in North Carolina. He fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart. In the year 2000, he was honored as the Traverse City Cherry Festival's Grand Marshall). 

After Jim left, mom and dad moved to Muskegon for work, Continental Aviation, where they were making war planes. We rented a house- 2 rooms also. I slept on a cot. We always had company. 

Aunt Goldie and Uncle John had a huge farm house. It even had a wine cellar. It had 5 bedrooms up stairs. It caught on fire and burnt up while we were in Muskegon. They lived in their granary for awhile and then moved into our farm house. Eventually they also moved to Muskegon for work. They lived in "the projects"- I hated the projects! They were full of cockroaches! 

Grandma Ella Harkins

Grandma, Ella Harkins remarried after Grandpa died. She married a man with the last name of Davis (they later divorced). She always wore her hair in a bun on the back of her head. She had big old hair pins! She had very fine features and was frail. They lived on Garfield in Traverse City. Grandma Harkins used to be a school teacher. I used to like to go over there because you could see the airplanes landing at the airport from her house. 

St. Mary's of Hannah

Images of the old stomping grounds: St. Mary's parish, Hannah, Michigan.

 High Altar 1940. Below Wedding of Jim and Rita Youker 1947.
(My Grandparents)

 German Immigrant ancestor: Joseph Steinebach

Son of Phoebe Ebare. Gordon Yeomans. Grandma Rita's Uncle. 

St. Mary's as it appears today.

Original Statues. Many were in storage up until about 2006.

Statue of Our Lady has been upfront from the beginning. 

Parish cemetery. MANY ancestors and relation buried here.

 Collage: Then and Now

Church Bell: Michael. Note name of Joseph Steinebach.

Our Dominican Sisters who were with us from the beginning teaching in the school. 6 to 8 Sisters living in the convent at one time. Last sisters to leave us were Sister Dorena Gonzalez and Sister Geneva Marie Schaub  (Below) a few years ago for retirement at the Mother House.

While many girls from Hannah entered various religious orders as Nuns, we had one man, Father Albin Gietzen who came from St. Mary's. He was even Hannah's parish priest from 1993 to 2001. Ordained in 1956 by Cardinal Mooney in Detroit. Passed away, Sept. 2017. Buried in parish cemetery.

Kreiser and Miller (Mueller). Ancestors of Fritz.

Ya know, when tracing my Grandma Rita's ancestors, I quite often think about these little backwood villages in Germany and the Netherlands that they came from and don't think too much of them. They were poor farmers. BUT...then you come across Great-Grandpa Fritz's maternal Grandma, Helena Bendle Miller's birth place, and you're awestruck. Eguisheim, Alsace, France (at one time, Germany!) is probably the most beautiful, picturesque village I think I've ever seen. When you read Brothers Grimm fairy tales, your imagination quite often wanders to this make believe village in your mind, and then you discover that this make believe place really does exist...and it's Eguisheim. Hold on. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with Fritz and go from there.

Above are my Grandma Rita Youker's parents: Francis Rudolph Kreiser and Mary Louise Steinebach. Fritz and Louise to everybody else. Both born, raised, and buried at St. Mary's of Hannah. I call Hannah "The Little Rhineland" because 95% of it's founders were from Western Germany. Yes. There were Irish, Italian, and Polish in the mix but they were in the minority.  I'm lucky to have French and Dutch blood out of these two, as so many of the families married other Germans.

Behold! Beautiful Immaculate Conception in Ottoville, Ohio. Home parish of Fritz's mother.

Fritz was born January 23, 1900 to Ralph Kreiser and Mary Catherine Mueller (Miller). Ralph grew up at St. Mary's, New Salem (near Grand Rapids), and Mary was born and raised at Immaculate Conception parish, in Ottoville, Ohio. Many of the Germans in Hannah were in Grand Rapids prior to migrating north to Hannah, and those Grand Rapids Germans, many were in Ohio before coming to Grand Rapids. The Millers bypassed Grand Rapids all together, and came straight to Hannah.
Fritz was a very witty, upbeat guy. Loved his wife, children, and grandchildren. Enjoyed being the trickster, and telling jokes. He was the Grandpa that would have you pull his finger and then farted. No Kidding!

The only family photo I have of Ralph and Mary Kreiser!! 

Fritz spent his whole life farming, growing primarily potatoes. In fact, all of the rural, southern Grand Traverse County, Michigan kids got two weeks off every October to harvest potatoes. It was called "Potato Vacation"! Whoo-hoo! Sign me up! Ironically, the VanDyke side of this family, when they lived in the Netherlands, were also potato farmers.
Fritz and Louise married in June of 1923. They eloped to the Grand Traverse County Courthouse in Traverse City and were married before a Justice of the Peace. When the family was told, they were immediately drug before Father John Grinzinger at St. Mary's, Hannah who married them. Little harm done. They were young. Fritz 22 and Louise 17. Ralph Kreiser was not very fond of the situation. He apparently scowled through the entire church ceremony and afterwards, went off to plow a field, while the rest of the family members had refreshments.
Fritz and Louise were living with Ralph and Mary Kreiser afer they married. Little conversation passed between Louise and her inlaws, lots of slamming doors, and dirty looks. My Grandma, being a little girl remembers this. Not very nice memories for a child!
Both Fritz and Louise were practicing Catholics. Louise would take a close pin and string it full of holy medals and wear it attached to her bra. During severe storms she would burn blessed palm branches. Fritz made sure the family was in church a half hour or more before Mass started in order to get in five decades of the rosary.
 Back to Fritz's parents: Ralph Kreiser was apparently a very stubborn fellow. Grandma Rita said that her grandfather had relocated from Hannah to Grand Rapids (New Salem) after the death of his wife. He had a stroke, the entire family gathered around his death bed. He recooped and lived another decade. Grandma said he spent his golden years "peddling onions" and had a veggie stand. Her Grandma Mary was tall and skinny. Grandma Rita remembers her making delicious little cakes for the Grandkids, and when she attended Mass on Sundays as an old woman, she sat with her sister, Susan Bartz. Ironically, I have a picture of Susan but not one of my own Great-Great Grandmother. I assume they looked similar.
Fritz's sister, Anna had caught TB. Their mother, Mary nursed her back to health, caught TB herself and died shortly afterwards. When Anna caught TB her husband up and left her and the children. At the deaths of Anna and Grandma Mary Kreiser, Fritz's other sister, Lena took in and raised the children in Grand Rapids. With Mary's death, Ralph Kreiser eventually remarried, and in order to get the farm back, the Kreisers had to take their stepmother to court. Fritz and Louise ended up with house and property in the end.

Fritz's Aunt Susan Miller Bartz and family.

While Ralph Kreiser's parents, Mathias and Martha (VanDyke) Kreiser stayed in New Salem. Mary Kreiser's parents, Jacob and Helena (Bendle) Miller were at Hannah. I'm not sure if the couple lived with the family, or had their own place? Fritz was close with Grandma Helena and she was full of fairy tales, Bible Stories, stories of the "old country" etc.. Perhaps my Grandmother inherited this love of story telling from her?
Jacob was born in Gerhsheim, Saarland, Germany. If you've never heard of the Saarland, it's no big deal. It's Germany's smallest province and borders France. Gersheim was a part of the bigger, neighboring province of Bavaria at the time the Millers immigrated to Ohio. Jacob's parents, and Grandparents all immigrated together on the same boat. Jacob lost his leg in a farming accident. I'm not sure if this is before or after immigration. He did little jobs such as repairman, shoemaker, etc.. He ended up leaving Hannah and returning to Ohio (Not sure the specifics, possibly for work?) and after death, was buried at St. Mary's, Hannah. His wife, Helena also buried in Hannah cemetery but at the complete opposite end! Yikes.
Also, I never heard my Grandmother refer to this family ever as the Enlgish: Miller. She always pronounced it as the German: Mueller.

Obit and tombstone of Fritz's grandfather: Jacob Mueller/Miller.

Helena. Started life in Eguishheim and passed away in Hannah, south of Traverse City, Michigan. Here are some images of Eguisheim. Click on link for history of village: Wiki Info. on Eguisheim.

Not forgetting to mention, we have this unique traditional dress of Alsace.

See what I mean? Isn't that a charming village?! It's been voted most beautiful village in France, and for good reason. I'm amazed I have connections to such a place! Lucky me!

And I'm ending with a photo of Helena's grave. May she rest in peace. I'm sure wherever she is, she continues to tell stories.