My Genealogy Hound

Henry Yunker, merchant and farmer of Grafton, is a native of Germany, having been born in the Valley of the Rhine September 3, 1835, son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Haas) Yunker, natives of the Rhine valley. He remained on the farm with his parents until seventeen years of age, and in 1852 set sail for America, the trip taking fifty-six days, the ship landing at New Orleans December 22, 1852. The ship was a sailing vessel and while on board news was received of the election of Pierce as president of the United States. Mr. Yunker came to Indiana from New Orleans, reaching Evansville January 5, 1853. He began life in America by working as a farm hand for one month for $5.00. He then began learning the cooper’s trade, working for one year for his board. After finishing apprenticeship he borrowed $7.00 to buy tools and came to Mt. Vernon to work in a shop. Later he walked back to Evansville to pay the $7.00. He has an adz that was bought at that time as a relic. After working at his trade in Mt. Vernon, Uniontown and Vanderburg county five years he went into business for himself at McKeetown, Black township, Posey county, and after remaining there one year he went into business in partnership with Conrad Mutz at Grafton. They had a store and some rented land and during the five years that they were together under the firm name of Mutz and Yunker, Mr. Yunker attended to the store and Mutz farmed the land. In 1864 Mr. Yunker bought out Mutz and the next year he sold the store and removed to Mt. Vernon, where he bought a building at the corner of Main and Water streets and embarked in the grocery and saloon business with his former partner. Mr. Mutz had kept the lands and Mr. Yunker bought an equal share in them. They continued doing business as partners for fifteen years. In the meantime, their building was destroyed by fire and they removed to the middle of the block where the colored barber shop is now located and later to the corner where Brinkman now is. At the end of fifteen years they sold out to Kalbfusz, who had acquired an interest in the firm, and Mr. Yunker returned to Grafton, his share in the division being 208 acres of land at that place beside the corner lot at Mt. Vernon. He at once opened a store and became postmaster. In all he has served as postmaster twenty-one years, including the time he served before going to Mt. Vernon. When the Grafton post office was first opened only two people took newspapers. Mr. Yunker had to drive to Mt. Vernon twice a week after the mail. He continued as postmaster until the office was discontinued and the rural delivery installed in its place. Mr. Yunker returned to Grafton in 1881 and since that time has added 200 more acres of land to his holdings of that time. When in Mt. Vernon he served the city three times as councilman from the Third ward, defeating a Republican in a Republican ward. He was on the board of county supervisors for one term and a member of the public highway viewers. Mr. Yunker has also been administrator of several estates and has been bondsman for a number of his friends to the amount of thousands of dollars. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in politics is a Democrat. Mr. Yunker was married September 3, 1858, to Miss Caroline V. Schuck, daughter of Godlif Schuck, her parent’s natives of Germany. Four children were born to this union: Charles H., who operates the Yunker farm at Grafton; Anna L., married J. J Boszkirk, and lives in Wichita, Kan.; Emily O., married Charles Walz and lives in Wichita; Clara, also living in Wichita. The first Mrs. Yunker died August 15, 1874. Mr.. Yunker remarried December 24, 1874, taking as his wife Miss Caroline Seib, daughter of Frank Seib, native of Germany, who came to this country from Ellsasz and engaged in the butcher business. Caroline Seib was born in Mt. Vernon, Ind., where she attended the common schools. They have four children, all living: Albert R., farmer; Henrietta E., Margaret M., Frank P., farmer. When Mr. Yunker first came to Indiana this section was a wilderness and when he and Mr. Mutz were farming during the Civil war they had to cut wheat with a cradle, and in the summer of 1873 Mr. Yunker cradled seventy-four acres of wheat himself. He was a member of the Home Guards during the Civil war.