Various Histories of the Yeck Family

Great grandfather Joseph Yeck was born somewhere in Switzerland on the 4th , of October in 1804 to John and Katherine Yeck, who were German speaking Swiss. When the boy Joseph was about 14 years of age, John and Katherine brought their family to America and settled in Maryland or Pennsylvania-there are conflicting stories about this in the family. Because the family was unable to pay for the passage to America, and the father had to stay home and support the family, Joseph was apprenticed to a shoemaker, The boy learned his trade well, and was a shoemaker the rest of his life. When he was 21 and free, it is said that the shoemaker told him to go to the priest for a blessing, but Joseph denounced the Catholic Church, and later joined the Dunkerds. Some of the family said it was the Quakers that he joined. Joseph Yeck married Barbara Boochor in 1825, and to this union six Sons and three daughters were born.There may have been others born later. Menassa, Ephrim,and my grandfather Jonathan were born in Maryland, and Katherine, Harriet, Joseph, Samuel, David and Rebecca were born in Penn. When Jonathan was about 1 and 1/2 years old, his parents moved the family to Adams County, Pennsylvania near Gettysburg, and about five years later moved to White Plains. In April 1849 Joseph and Katherine Yeck moved their family to Logan County, Ohio. This history of Joseph Yeck was written by a gr. grandchild in Rebecca's

Copy held by Benjamin Kinsey.

Joseph Jech, (the name was changed to Yeck because people in America did not know how to pronounce Jech, it was pronounced Check). He was born in Switzerland in 1804, sometime in March, but just in what part of Switzerland, no one knows. He was the son of John Baptist Jech. His mother's name (don't know). When he was 14 years old in the year 1818, he emigrated with his parents to America. (Another history says that he stowed away on a ship and was discovered at sea. That he was sold as an indentured servant to pay for his passage over here.)

They came down the river Rhine on a flatboat to the North Sea where they embarked on the ship Grosse Meer Flatern (Great Ocean Wave) for Baltimore Maryland. When they arrived in America their passage was not paid for and two of the children had to be sold to pay for the voyage. Joseph Jech and his sister Anastasia were sold or more strictly speaking they were hired out for several years. Joseph Yeck hired to a Mr. John Barney. Mr. Barney was a man of wealth and distinction and would have done well by Joseph, if his father would have allowed him to stay there. Joseph's parents were devout Catholics and they were afraid that he would be lost to the church. Joseph was bought from Mr. Barney and apprenticed to a henpecked old German shoemaker named Mr. Conrad. Joseph hated Mrs. Conrad. (She probably henpecked him also).

After serving his apprenticeship, Conrad said to him "Now go to the priest and have your sins forgiven and go out a free man". Joseph went to the priest but the priest told him , I can't forgive your sins now. Joseph said to the priest, You go to hell and I will go some where else. Probably Joseph did not have any money and therefore no forgiveness. Joseph was married to Miss Barbara Bucher about 1826. Her folks were Dunkards and he and his wife were baptized at the same time. (He left the Catholics). They lived in Adams and Franklin Counties of Pennsylvania until 1849 when they moved to Logan County Ohio. Barbara, Josephs first wife died in 1852. Soon after that Joseph married a Mrs. Grimes. His marriage with Mrs. Grimes did not last long. He was soon divorced from her. For awhile he remained single, but after a time he married Rebecca Burgess. For a while he and his wife lived on a small piece of land in the country. Then they moved to West Liberty Ohio leaving his son Joseph Jr. on the farm. One night Joseph Yeck got angry with his wife. When he got mad he got crazy. He called her a vile name and moved out to the farm on the wheel barrow through the night. When Joseph Jr. got up the next morning there stood the wheel barrow with the shoemaker tools and his father was in the wood shed asleep. Joseph Jr. made the old man go back home and behave himself. He did feed him breakfast, but history does not say if he made the old man wheel the barrow back or weather he took him back in a wagon and team.

Joseph Yeck died May 17 1885. He and his wife had 10 children, but the oldest died before the youngest was born. The children named in order of their birth were Gideon, Manasseh, Ephraim, (my grand father), Jonathan, Catherine, Harriet, Joseph Jr., Samuel, David and Rebecca. Catherine was the mother of Frank Newkirk. David lived in Kansas with her after her husband died. David never married. Catherine Newkirk died May 19 1912. Buried Michigan Valley Kansas. Mrs. Harriet Kline died August 22, 1920. Her children all used to live in Michigan. Joseph Jr. died Dec 28 1924. His children were all of West Liberty Ohio. Mrs. Rebecca B. Jones died May 4 1920. Her children were at Bellefontaine Ohio. Manasseh Yeck died Sept 4 1905. His children were all in Texas. Ephraim yeck died March 31 1888. His children were A. C. Yeck Cassopolis Michigan, Mollie Griffy Lathrop MO, Harriet Wampler Warrensburg MO and John Floyd Yeck Centerview MO. Jonathan Yeck died Dec 27 1924. His children were in Il, Ohio, Ark, Colo. This history was written by a grand child of Joseph from Ephraim's line.

Copy held by Benjamin Kinsey.

he following history of Joseph Yeck was written by Blanche Yeck Wright, a daughter of Jonathan and grand daughter of Joseph. A copy of a short family history written by my Aunt Blanche. My Cousin sent me the copy this is made from. ) Joseph Yeck was born in Switzerland Oct.4-1804, came to America with his parents & family 1816, landing at Baltimore, Maryland. Was lost at sea for three months. They had paid their voyage when they started, but taking so long to come, they owed some on voyage, And as he "Joe" was the oldest, being 12 years old at the time, was sold on auction block to pay voyage. A Mr. Barney, a merchant in Baltimore, a Protestant, bought him, and as his family were all Catholic, his father, in 18 months, bought him back and bound him over to a Catholic shoe maker to learn the trade as "Jerr" shoe maker(one that goes from house to house making shoes for the family), which trade he followd until death in May 17 , 1885 in Ohio. North of Baltimore he made shoes for the family of Mr. Booher, and in 1825 was married to Barbara Ann Booher. She died Oct. 24, 1852. When he became 21 at midnight on Sat., he walked out on his own, and carried all his possessions in a red handkerchief. The 18 months was under Protestant influence planted the Protestant faith in him, that as a young he joined the Dunkards,and lived in that faith the rest of his life. Jonathan Yeck being his fourth child, born Sept. 13 - 1831 in the vicinity of Baltimore, Md.-later moving with his father's family, when he(Jonathan) was 18, to Bellefountane, Ohio - he walking the entire distance of 500 miles. 0n Oct. 13 - 1853 he married Amanda Mopps. She died Nov.27-1862, leaving two children, Lewis WilliamYeck and Allie Bell yeck. He married Susannah Smith Apr. 15-1863. To this union ten children was born Viola Amanda Yeck - born Feb. 2- 1864 Mattie Lucinda " Oct. 13-1865 Edward Ames Yeck - Dec. 9-1867 Miles Oscar Yeck May 12- 1870 Calvin Kingsley Yeck - died in infancy 1872 Chas Conklin Yeck - Apr. 19 -1874 Samuel Emmett Yeck Mar. 3 -1876 Joseph Gideon Yeck Nov. 30 -1878 Alida Blanche " Aug. 30 -1881 Logan Guy Yeck Jan 27 -1884 Jonathan Yeck & family, wife Susannah, four children, Lewis & Allie, b:. first marriage: & Viola & Hattie , by second marriage, came to Ill. in Oct. 1866. Locating north west of Woburn, where the other 8 children were born, & where he died, Dec. 27 -1924 - the age of 93 yrs.- 3 mo. and 14 days. His wife Susannah died July 20-1903.

Copy held by Benjamin Kinsey.