Friedrich Christian Junkermeier

Friedrich Christian "Christ" Junkermeier, referred to as Christian Junkermeier III, was born at Stemmen 58, July 9, 1868, son of Christian Friedrich Konrad and Henriette Sophie Justine (Bökemeier) Junkermeier II. He was baptized at Varenholz, July 19, 1868. His grandfather, Christian Junkermeier I, was godfather.

Contents

Journey to America

Christian III came to America in March, 1885 to avoid military service in Germany. He came with several friends from Stemmen, including Friedrich Fritzemeier (later his brother-in-law), Heinrich Deppe (who later married Sarah Hartmann of Schaller, Iowa), and Heinrich Kater. In a letter written in 1897, his brother Fritz told how, on the morning of their departure from Stemmen, Friedrich Deppe “played merrily” to make them all cheerful. Christian III came first to Freeport, Illinois to his Uncle Herman and Aunt Charlotte (Bökemeier) Plöger, where there was a Lippe colony.

Livelihood

In 1886, Christian III worked for a German farmer 12 miles from Freeport, who advised him to attend school for at least 2 months. On the farm were 5 cows to milk, and 6 steers and 4 horses to feed. One immigrant made a pair of boots for Christian for 5.00.

In 1887 and 1888, Christian III was working for F. Steineke at Loran, Stephenson County, Illinois, who had 6 horses, 20 cattle, 20 hogs and 12 sheep. The land was hilly and steep. His wages were 20.00 per month.

On November 17, 1889, Christian III went to work as a hired hand on a 770-acre farm at Marble Rock, Iowa, seven miles from his uncle Bökemeier. Later, he rented a farm there. After moving to his own farm, which he bought in Floyd County, Iowa, he and assisting carpenters built all of the buildings on the farm. He also repaired work shoes at home, and had an iron last for that work.

Marriage

Christian III married October 26, 1899 in Floyd County, Iowa, Emma Christine Elizabeth Lacour, born December 17, 1877 at Rockford, Iowa, daughter of Fred and Christina Elizabeth (Bierbaum) Lacour, immigrants from Germany. Christian III became a naturalized citizen Sept. 17, 1900 at Charles City, Iowa.

Death

Emma died November 30, 1917 after childbirth with a still-born child. In the depression years, Christian lost his farms. He stayed at his daughter Rosa’s for a time, then at his sister Louise’s, and finally the state of Minnesota provided care for him. He died November 2, 1947 of hardening of the arteries. Emma and Christian are buried in the West St. Charles Cemetery, Charles City, Iowa.

Children and descendants

Christian III and Emma had eight children (1-8):

  1. Nettie Frieda Junkermeier, born Dec. 10, 1900; married Dec. 14, 1921 in Floyd County, Iowa, Edward Herman Willert, born June 15, 1896 at Rockford, Iowa, son of Henry and Dorothea (Mohring) Willert. Residence: Rt. 1, Box 14, Rockford, IA 50468. Two children (A-B):
    1. Mildren Nettie Willert, born July 28, 1923; married June 13, 1943 in Floyd County, Iowa, Theodore Herman Marsh, born Nov. 15, 1919 at Carlisle, Iowa, son of Vernon and Maude Marsh. Theodore is in Christian education, and Mildred is a librarian. Address: 17147 Shaftsburg, Detroit, Mich. 48219. Four children (i-iv):
      1. Theodore Donald Marsh, born June 1, 1944 at Charles City, Iowa; married at Incinitas, CA, Ruth Davis, born June 6, 1944, daughter of John and Doris Davis. Residence: Imperial Beach, CA. Four children (a-d):
        1. Erika Jacqueline Marsh, born Dec. 27, 1972 at Eincinitas, CA.
        2. Cassandra Dawn Marsh, born Nov. 2, 1974 at Imperial Beach, CA.
        3. Marc Edric Marsh, born Apr. 20, 1977 at Imperial Beach, CA.
        4. Jon Theodore Marsh, born Jan. 7, 1980 at Imperial Beach, CA.
      2. Marilyn Jean Marsh, born May 3, 1947 at Mason City, Iowa; married June 5, 1970 at Dallas, Texas, Thomas Wayne Michael, born Apr. 7, 1943 at Myersville, Maryland, son of Reno and Mildred Mitchell. Residence: Medford, Mass. Five children (a-e):
        1. Shera Lisa Michael, born Apr. 3, 1971 at Greenville, SC.
        2. Scott Alexandra Michal, born Feb. 8, 1973 at Chicago, IL.
        3. Sonja Maria Michael, born Mar. 1, 1976 at Medford, MA.
        4. Stefanie Crystal Michael, born Nov. 30, 1978 at Medford, MA.
        5. Esther Anne Michael, born Dec. 20, 1980 at Boston, MA.
      3. Gary David Marsh, born Apr. 20, 1948 at Charles City, Iowa, married at Dallas, Texas, May 30, 1969, Joyce Longenecker, born Mar. 17, 1947, daughter of George Mervin and Frances Longnecker. Residence: Mundelein, IL. Three children (a-c):
        1. Kendal Elliot Marsh, born Jan. 20, 1973 at Chicago, IL.
        2. Colin Berle Marsh, born June 13, 1975 at Chicago, IL.
        3. Kyle Brenton Marsh, born May 4, 1977 at Chicago, IL.
      4. Judy Ellen Marsh, born Aug. 14, 1955 at Siguatepeque, Honduras; married May 17, 1975 at Detroit, Mich., Vincent Peter Messina, born Mar. 19, 1954 at Detroit, Mich., son of Matthew and Catherine Messina. Residence: Warsaw, Indiana. Two children (a-b):
        1. Evonne Christine Messina, born Oct. 18, 1977 at Detroit, Mich.
        2. Justin Vincent Messina, born July 9, 1980 at Warsaw, Ind.
    2. Lloyd Edward Willert, born Aug. 29, 1927; married June 26, 1948 at Chicago, IL, Frances Delores Johnson, born Oct. 19, 1925 at Chicago, IL, daughter of Edward and Anna Johnson. Lloyd was a Methodist district superintendent in Indiana; he died Aug. 12, 1981. Frances is an adult education teacher. Two children (i-ii):
      1. Craig Stephen Willert, born Apr. 20, 1951 at Chicago, IL; married Aug. 24, 1973 at Kalamazoo, Mich, Cynthia Sue Gustavson, born July 23, 1953 at Grand Rapids, Mich., daughter of James and Natalie Gustavson. Craig is a pediatrician in Chicago at Children’s Memorial Hospital; Cynthia is a physician of internal medicine.
      2. Daniel Edward Willert, born Mar. 22, 1957 at Elkhart, Ind. He is studying environmental law at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
  2. Frederick Christian Junkermeier, born Mar. 19, 1902 in Floyd County, Iowa; he left home when he was 16. In 1926, he went to southern Minnesota and worked on a farm. At the time of his death, he worked in nurseries in Nevada and Arizona. He died Mar. 4, 1959 at Salt Lake City, Utah, while his plane was grounded in a snow storm. He is buried in the West St. Charles Cemetery at Charles City, Iowa.
  3. August Herman Junkermeier, born Apr. 1, 1904; unmarried farmer. He died in 1926 and is buried in the West St. Charles Cemetery at Charles City, Iowa.
  4. Herman William Junkermeier, born mar. 12, 1906 in Floyd County, Iowa; unmarried farmer. He died in 1926 and is buried in the West St. Charles Cemetery at Charles City, Iowa.
  5. Rosa Mathilda Junkermeier, born Oct. 25, 1908 in Floyd County, Iowa; married Feb. 24, 1932 at Nashua, Iowa, Fredrich August Pruessner, born Jan. 3, 1905 at Steinbründorf, Germany, son of Heinrich Wilhelm and Wilhelmina Karolina (Althöfer) Preussner. Fredrich died May 11, 1978 and is buried at Rockford, Iowa. Three children (A-C):
    1. Florence Rosa Pruessner, born Mar. 3, 1933 at Charles City, Iowa; married Dec. 26, 1960 at Nashua, Iowa, John Hoeller Stocking, born Mar. 4, 1932 at Minneapolis, Minn., son of Bernard and Martha (Peiper) Hoeller. John was adopted by his mother’s second husband, Terry L. Stocking. John is a hospital administrator for the state of Minnesota. He also is interested in horticulture and produces nursery stock. Florence is an elementary school teacher, and is active in church work. Address: Box 455, Cambridge, Minn. 55008. Four children (i-iv):
      1. Terri Lynn Stocking, born Nov. 6, 1961 at Minneapolis, Minn.
      2. Scott Fredrich Stocking, born Dec. 23, 1963 at Minneapolis, Minn.
      3. Tracy Ann Stocking, born Dec. 6, 1965 at Cambridge, Minn.
      4. Jennifer Jo Stocking, born Apr. 24, 1968 at Cambridge, Minn.
    2. Richard Fred Pruessner, born July 9, 1940 in Floyd County, Iowa; married Oct. 24, 1964 at Rockford, IL, Virginia (“Ginny”) Faye Johnson, born Sept. 1, 1943 at Freeport, IL, daughter of Oliver E. and Exzelda (Jacobs) Johnson. Address: RFD 1, Rudd, Iowa 50471. Two adopted children (i-ii):
      1. Anneliese Faye Pruessner, born May 14, 1979.
      2. Bethany Priscilla Pruessner, born July 21, 1980.
    3. Robert Willis Pruessner, born May 2, 1942 at Rudd, Iowa; married June 20, 1963 at Mason City, Iowa, Sharon Kaye Findling, born Apr. 1, 1943 at Mason City, Iowa, daughter of Ruth Findling. Address: RR1, Rockford, Iowa 50468. Four children (i-iv):
      1. Andrea Lynn Pruessner, born Aug. 20, 1966 at Mason City, IA.
      2. Kris Ann Pruessner, born Aug. 31, 1968 at Mason City, IA.
      3. Jonathan Andrew Pruessner, born Aug. 11, 1970 at Mason City, IA.
      4. Tricia Jean Pruessner, born Aug. 17, 1972 at Mason City, IA.
  6. Carl Emil Junkermeier, born Mar. 20, 1911 in Floyd County, Iowa; unmarried farmer. he died July 31, 1970 on the acreage that he farmed near Rudd, Iowa. He is buried at Rockford, Iowa.
  7. Anna Maria Junkermeier, born Oct. 11, 1913; married Mar. 6, 1935 at Laurel, Iowa, Raymond George Melcher, born Mar. 26, 1907 at Charles City, Iowa, son of Charles Oscar and Amelia Kathryn Melcher. Address: Box 6, Rt. 2, Rudd, Iowa 50471. Two children (A-B):
    1. Norman Cecil Melcher, born Dec. 13, 1937 at Floyd County, Iowa; died Dec. 7, 1959. He is buried at Rudd, Iowa, in the Evergreen Cemetery.
    2. Roger Raymond Melcher, born Aug. 24, 1939 at Charles City, Iowa; unmarried, he farms with his parents.
  8. Marie Christina Elizabeth Junkermeier, born Feb. 6, 1916; married Sept. 1, 1932 at Rockford, Iowa, Lester Eugene Johnson, born Mar. 2, 1909 at Eldora, Iowa. Address: 1521 S. Federal, Mason City, Iowa 50401. Two children (A-B):
    1. Ruth Lura Johnson, born Jan. 7, 1943 at Mason City, Iowa; married June 30, 1959 at Mason City, Iowa, Dee Jay Hillman, born May 30, 1940 in Floyd County, Iowa. They are window washers. Two children (i-ii):
      1. Debra Ann Hillman, born July 28, 1960 at Charles City, Iowa; married Sept. 20, 1980 at Mason City, Iowa, Peter Lynn Grarup, born Jan. 6, 1959 at Mason City, Iowa. Peter is a mortician.
      2. James Dee Johnson, born July 11, 1962 at Charles City, Iowa; he is a grain trucker.
    2. David Eugene Johnson, born June 6, 1947 at Mason City, Iowa; married June 5, 1970 at Mason City, Iowa, Linda Jean Booth, born Feb. 12, 1953 at Mason City, Iowa. David has a “Country Kitchen” store at Chillicothe, Missouri. Address: Box 711, Chillicothe, MO 64601. Three children (i-iii).
      1. Naomi Lynn Johnson, born Sept. 19, 1973 at Mason City, Iowa.
      2. Mandy Lynn Johnson, born Jan. 9, 1978 at Mason City, Iowa.
      3. Kylee Lynn Johnson, born Nov. 18, 1979 at Chillicothe, Missouri.

Junkermeier Lineage