"Emily Susan Yunker was crushed to death by a wagon while playing in the yard. She had baked pies that morning and they ended up being served to guests after her funeral."
The story of the cause of the accident has been relayed by many sources. The story regarding the baking of the pies relayed by Laura Baxter Davis who remembers hearing it from her Aunt Laura Yunker Berry.
George Winfield Yunker was married to Minnie Jane Stanley. After Minnie's death (30 Oct 1910), John and Mary Ann (Younger) Yunker moved in with George and his children. Within a short time after Minnie's death George took a job with the railroad as a car carpenter and moved the family to Salem, Marion County, Illinois.
In the spring of 1915, shortly before Easter, George married Lula Gray. The following is an excerpt from a letter dated 19 May 1915 written by George to his sister Margaret:
"Well sister the folks wrote to Fred and told him they had to hunt them a place to stay and you know I did not turn them out they told me they was going to move
out on Thursday after Easter Sunday so I did not know what to do so I did not tell them anything I just went and got my wife and brought her home Easter Sunday night. Fred wrote back here and
told them that he was glad to hear from them but was sorry they had to look for a place to stay when you know I never made them get out."
As it turned out John and Mary Ann did not move out of George's home. Evidence suggests that John and Mary were not pleased with their new daughter-in-law as just four months later
on 4 Sep 1915 their son George Winfield committed suicide. The following is an extract from The Salem-Herald of 10 Sep 1915:
"George Yunker, employed at Salem Yards, committed suicide by drinking carbolic acid last Friday night at his home on West Warmoth Street. He left a note blaming his own
people for causing his wife to leave him."
On 20 Sep 1915 at the Marion County Court, John and Mary Ann testified at dependency hearings for their son George's orphaned children. It was determined that the girls, Laura, Capitola and
Pansy would be sent to the School for Girls at Geneva, Illinois and Harlan would be sent to the School for Boys at St. Charles. Mary Ann had her grandchildrens' picture taken before they were
sent away. On back she wrote:
"Here is a card for you for this is all you will see of them for a long while or maby(sic) never. I got them taken so you all would have. I could not part with the children
without them." The cause and nature of George's death has been relayed by many sources. The excerpts referred to above were provided by Laura Baxter Davis (George Winfield Yunker's grand daughter).
"My great-grandfather, Henry Yunker, married Emily Jane Metham 31 Mar 1836 in Coshocton County, Ohio, by John Hooks, Justice of Peace.
They had 7 children born in Coshocton County. Son William Pren died in 1845 in Ohio. Henry was 43 and Emily was 40 when they left Coshocton County in 1853 with 6 children ranging in ages 1-1/2 to 16 years old and Emily's sister Mary Metham, traveling by covered wagons and horses (they walked much of the way) arriving in the summer of 1853 on the untilled, unsettled prairies of Effingham County, Illinois. They settled about 2 miles south-west of Moccasin. A year later they built and moved ianto a new log cabin 1/2 mile east of Moccasin, which they continued to live in the rest of their lives.
They had no more than settled in when they buried their 1-1/2 year old son, Gilbert Lafayette. Buried in Tipsword cemetery. This great-grand mother had no small burden to bear for she immediately got pregnant again. George was born 14 Jul 1854. This son developed polio sometime in his early life and was crippled. His body was drawn to one side causing him to limp. His left had was more like a claw. His face was drawn and he couldn't talk plain. But he was always laughing as I remember him.
In the next year, in Oct 1855, they lost their 7 year old son Fredrick Henry. He as all other family members are buried at Pleasant Grove where they were affiliated with the Methodist Church.
Calamity struck again. This great-grandmother Emily buried her husband, Henry, 21 Feb 1856. This was only four months after she lost her son Fredrick Henry, and just 3 years after they came to the prairie.
But life on the prairie was not all unhappiness as on 31 Oct 1857 her oldest daughter, Kezia, married Andrew Miller. But her happiness was short as he passed away 6 years later in 1863. In 1882 she married Fredrick Yerky. By 1900 she was back home keeping house and caring for her two brothers, Richard and George.
Then during the Civil War, Richard answered the call to help his Country at the age of 25. He saw active service at Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. Receiving his discharge 13 Jul 1865.
On 30 Oct 1872 John James, my grandfather, married his sweetheart neighbor, Mary Ann Yunger. By 14 Oct 1876 Emily laid her 35 year old Margret Ann to rest at Pleasant Grove.
By 1886 Emily could fight the prairie no longer, on Nov 5th she was laid to rest in Pleasant Grove with the rest of her family; leaving two sons and sister, Mary, at home. Also son John and daughter Kizia.
You wonder what all this woman endured thru her 73 years from Pennsylvania to the prairies of Effingham Co., Il. I greatly admire this German ancestor of mine."
The preceeding story was hand-written by Mary (Salmons) Cummins; the great- granddaughter of Henry and Emily (Metham) Yunker. She descends from their son John James Yunker.
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