Yeske Ancestral History

The following is the legend and information found on the Yeske family history.

THE YESKE NAME

There is no current information known of any change to the Yeske name from its European origin by those who came to America, other than the spelling. The letter "Y" in English, as Yugoslavia, is spelled with a "J". (Jugoslavia), in common German, and old High German, also spelled with a "G" in Middle Dutch. As for the ending "e", or "ie", "e" is the usual German ending, and "i" or "ie" , is a usual Polish ending. Legend thru Otto Emil Yeske(third generation), the oldest son of Carl Emil Yeske, that he was named from his grandfathers first name Otto, and his middle name from his father Carl Emil Yeske.

They were born at Provinsposen and Bromberg, in Old East Germany-Prussia: which after World War II, the same cities became Poznan and Bydgoszcz, Poland, under Russia control. The city of Bromberg, Germany is located where the Neize river joins the Vistula river flowing northeast to Danzig gulf, to the Baltic Sea. The Vistula river is now the Wisla river in Poland. The German city of Danzig is the same as Gydansk, now Poland.

The Province city of Posen is located south and west of Bromberg equal distant from Berlin and Warsaw Poland, on the Warta river flowing northwest joining the Neize river.

There are several early documents in Wisconsin that have the spelling Jeske. In German, the "J" has a "Y" sound. Another example is Jung became Young. Also in the IGI (International Geology Information), there are many Jeskes’ on record in the Poznan area, almost as common as Smiths’ in the US." We could speculate for a long time for the coming to the US. To encounter the ordeals that were experienced, some dream had to manifest itself. The conditions could not have been good in the Home Land as beginning in 1845, there were a series of European crop failures that led to a general economic depression across the continent. The resulting unrest spurred a series of revolutions to break out in 1848. Beginning in Paris, the strife quickly spread to other areas. To settle the crisis in Germany, several concessions were granted to the individual states and representatives were elected to the newly formed Frankfurt Parliament to unite the region. Divisions persisted however, and the effort was stalled the following year. In 1862, Prussia's Otto Von Bismarck took up the cause of German unification. Following wars with the Danish (1864) and Austrians (1866), he formed the North German Confederation unifying the northern states under Prussian leadership. In 1870-71, during a war with the French, the southern German states agreed to join the federation, and on January 18, 1871, the Prussian king, William I, was crowned emperor of the new German Reich at Versailles. Bismarck was Chancellor. The new nation was based on a federal system with certain powers allocated for the states and those of national import belonging to the democratically elected national parliament, known as the Reichstag. Real power still lay with the king and this eventually was a cause for national unrest as the country approached the 20th century. To Bismarck’s good fortune, he and William had a good relationship and he was essentially given a free hand to run the country.

Bismarck ruled with authority but his handling of domestic problems proved less effective than his efforts in foreign affairs. At home, he unsuccessfully tried to subdue the large Roman Catholic minority and its political arm. He achieved similar results when he tried to quell Germany's mildly Marxist party, the Social Democratic party that had gained popularity with the industrial working class during the economic depression that beset Germany in the 1880s. On foreign matters, Bismarck promoted European stability, forged alliances with Austria and Italy known as the Triple Alliance in 1882, and signed a treaty with Russia in 1887.

The FIRST GENERATION OTTO YESKE

There is very little legend on Otto Yeske with regard to date of birth, death, Wife’s name, marriage or any other ancestral history of interest. It was first believed that Otto did not migrate to the US. There are several documentation’s that dispute, the name and that he may have migrated to the US. · There is a copy of a DEATH Certificate at the Monroe County, Wisconsin, Sparta Register of Deeds, Vol. 2, Page 110- lists a Chris E Yeske, age 85 years, 2 months and 6 days old with a residence of Little Falls, Monroe County. He died on Feb. 21, 1901. His mother’s name is listed as Caroline Yeske. For some sadistic humor, the cause of death was "don’t know, dropped dead." His burial is listed as Cataract with the funeral officiated by Herman Paulson. Have not been able to located grave site.

The (Monroe County, Wisconsin) Sparta Herald - dated Feb 26,1901 states that a Carl (yes, not Chris) Yeske, an old gentleman living near Shamrock, died suddenly, Friday while in bed. He was a pioneer of the locality, and was near 80 yrs old.

A Marriage Certificate, located at the Sparta Register of Deeds, Vol 2, Page 78--date April 5, 1878 united Ernst Hartung Jr, a farmer from Melrose, Jackson Co., Wis. and Minnie Yeske from Sparta, lists the brides parents as Christover and Anne Yeske.

The 1900 Federal Census: T-1079, ROLL 186, WIS., VOL 54, E.D. 102, SHEET 8, LINE 89> Lists for Monroe Co,, Little Falls Twnshp. On the list are Edward, Minnie Henry, Ella, George, Matilda, Sophia, William, Edwin, Theresa, & a Christopher Yeske, age 85, born in Germany."

Christoph was a common masculine name in the Posen area as well as Otto.

There has been no documentation found of a wife of Chris Yeske in the US.

THE SECOND GENERATION

The first Yeske’s - three brothers Carl Emil Yeske, Fred, Edwin and their two sisters Minnie and Otilia (Tilda); left their home for America. The journey took two to three months from late spring to late summer, arriving in America in 1882. Sailing vessel and route not known. The above is legend, but we have the marriage record of Minnie Yeske in 1878. So it may be possible that Minnie was the first to come, paving the way for others. It was many years later in America, before the first Yeske’s would share details of their past, even to their grown children. It was learned from Carl, Fred and Edward’s families, that they had background in ship building in Danzig, and western Germany, near the North Sea of Shelswig and Holstein area; and also background in construction, farming, tailoring, and in the Prussian Military wars. Most of all children in the school system through early manhood were involved in the compulsory extreme disciplined military training, imposed by the warring powerful control of the German Prussian Empire. It was in the era of the middle 1800’s through early 1900 that the Prussian Empire reached its peak power under Wilhelm I. It was said that Fred served as an officer under Prussia control. It is with this extreme oppression that the first Yeske’s managed to leave German-Prussia Land in 1882 for Personal freedom in America.

CARL YESKE

Carl was born in 1844 and came to America with his wife, Wilhelmine (Birkholtz), born in 1847. They came to this country in 1882 or 1883 with 3 to 5 children. The Obituaries give 1882 as the year they came to America. On the 1920 census, it is stated they came over in 1883. Hulda’s birthdate is listed as Oct 5th, 1882 and is also shown as an immigrant on the census records."