Jungck Biography

Frederic Charles Jungck Biography

This biography was compiled and submitted by Patricia Joyce Flynn Erickson.

This man was born Frederic Charles Jungck on Oct. 11, 1813 in Munchweiler an der Alsenz, in what was then Bavaria (This part of Germany was held by the French at this time in history and so the birth cert. and the parent's marr. cert. are both in old French script.) This town is now located in the Rheinfals Palatinate, Germany. He was the first born child of Frederic Jacob Jungck. His mother's maiden name was Carolina Philipina Holstein, the daughter of German Hollstein and Clair Marie Lettig.

He came to America with his parents and 2 brothers and 2 sisters at the age of 17, arriving in new York on Dec. 20, 1830. From there they traveled into Ohio, near Cincinnatti. This is where the Jungck cousins, descendants of Frederic Jacob's older brother Karl Heinrich, eventually settled, coming to America in 1854 and to Cincinnati in 1856.

They stayed there until they moved to Ripley Co. Indiana. It was there in April, 1836, at the age of 22, Frederic Carl and his father, Frederic Jacob, purchased land next to to each other, giving their former residence as
Hamilton Co., Ohio.

After being in the United States for 10 years, he became a naturalized American citizen in Ripley Co, giving up all allegiance to the King of Bavaria.

On April 18, 1843 in Franklin Co. Indiana, Frederic Carl, took Anna Margueretha Gesell for his bride-he was 30, she was 22. Anna Margueite was the daughter of Philip and Appolina (Ritter) Gesell all of German birth and
then residing in Franklin County. Philip having immigrated to the US and to Indiana in 1836. Their first child was born 10 months later in 1844. Thereafter they had a child every 2-3 years until 1867 when their 11th child
was born. These children were Karolina, 1844; Philip Jacob, 1845; Louisa, 1847; Chiristina Marguerite, 1850; Karl Wilhelm, 1852; Johannes Friedrich, 1855; Katharina, 1857; Adolph Herman 1859; Jacob Theodore, 1861; Wilhelm Heinrich, 1864; and Ludwig Christian, 1867.

In 1850 he had land valued at 900 dollars. The sale of this land is probably what enabled him to relocate in Iowa. In 1854, he made a trip up the Mississsippi by steamboat to McGregor, to look into the possiblilities of
doing mission work in Iowa. At this time, land could be bought from the government for $1.25 an acre in Winnesheik County. After inspecting the countrside he decided to locate in the area Southwest of Ridgeway. He returned to Indiana and in 1856 he and his family traveled from Indiana to Winneshiek Co. Iowa. The entire trip was made by covered wagon. All of their children were born in Indiana and Iowa. The children, when they grew up, at least Phillip, Louis and Jacob changed their name to Young. Rev. Jungck retained the old Country pronuncation and spelling.

Jacob Gesell, Marguerite's brother married Magdalina Jungck, Rev. Karl's sister. Jacob and Magdalina and their children also traveled from Indiana to Iowa within a short time, either just before or just after Rev. Jungck. They
migrated to the same area and bought land that had a Kraut House on it. The house was made of clay and lime stone with the walls two feet thick. This is where they made their home.

There was no church in the region south and west of Ridgeway in those days. So construction of a suitable house of God became one of the settlers' first tasks. But first, homes had to be built, and the prairie sod had to be broken, and crops had to be planted.

To maintain himself and his family, Rev. Jungck also did part time farming, having purchased a farm for that purpose in 1854. His home became the center of spiritual activity. His house served as a parsonage and school. There, the young people of confirmation age would spend a period of four months with the pastor and his family to receive the necessary instruction preparatory to church membership The congregation was organized 1859. Services were held in the home for the members and in school houses, as convenience dictated, until the stone church was completed. It was a rather substantial building for those days. The walls are still standing today a mute reminder of a bygone age. (The records are being translated and being put into book form. For further
information, contact me, Patricia Joyce Flynn Erickson, at [email protected] or Marge Johnson at [email protected].)

Church records show the church was built by the pioneer German congregation including the Gesells, Blumenrader, Woilsteins, Halwigs and Hesses. Most of these families married into the Jungck family.

Pastor Jungck was a true pioneer missionary. A circuit rider. He traveled across the unfenced prairie by horseback and cart and horse all through NE Iowa and preached to the people in their home or school house. In addition to serving St. John's church, he established preaching places at Locust Lane, north of Schley, named for the locust trees that lined both sides of all the streets, leading to the local store; at the school house a mile east of Davis Corners; at Lime Springs; Maple Leaf; Alta Vista and Toeterville in Iowa and Spring Vallley, Wykoff, Preston, Granger, and Big Spring in Minnesota.

After Margaretha's death in 1875 of pnuemonia, Rev. Jungck married the widow Julia Stander, who was also the mother of Philip J. Jungck's wife, Louise.

Pastor Jungck, his new wife, Julia two married sons and four other grown sons left St. John's church in 1881 for Walla Walla WA (OR territory). They left in seven covered wagons. According to Will Young, the outfit consisted of 6 wagons, each pulled by 4 mules, arriving in Walla Walla in 1883. From there they traveled into the middle of what was later to become WA state, locating near Almira and Hartline WA. Rev. Jungck was a Sr. Citizen by anyone's standards, turning 70 years old in October of that year. He lived in his new home for the next ten years.

The younger members of the family pitched in and cut pine logs from the ravines in the Coulee wall. Some logs were floated downstream in the Columbia river to a sawmill. The sawed lumber was hauled back for flooring, doors, and trim. The Rev. Jungck lived in this house and held church services there as was the practice wherever he moved. (I have testimony from two of grandchildren about attending church services there.)

From this humble beginning another church was founded, St. Paul's Lutheran, near Almira WA. He served this new congregation as best his failing stength and ability permitted until he was over 78 years old, at which age, his sense of hearing had so failed that he was, obliged to withdraw from the active ministry. He then joined the congregation and was faithful to his pastor and his congregation until his death,in 1894. He is buried in the Hartline, WA Cemetery.

Sources:

History of the Big Bend of Washington State pub. 1904
Otto Henning
Mary Lou Henning
Theodore Vagts
Church booklets
Waterloo Sunday Courier
Dorothy(Young) Rosenberg
Pauline(Eldenburg) Hacker
Philip Young
John Gesell
David Wagstaff

from Patricia Joyce Flynn Erickson; Rev. Karl Jungk's second gr granddaughter