This section contains pages 261 through 266
Page261
THE FUNK FAMILY CONNECTION
The Funk Connections go back to my great grandmother,
Elizabeth Funk (1810-1846). Elizabeth and her husband/ Peter Wall (1804-1846)
were the parents of:
1. Peter Wall (1840-1884)
2. Henry Wall (1843-1916)
3. Elizabeth Wall (1845-1922)
We know that the parents of Peter, Henry and Elizabeth both
died in 1846, shortly after baby Elizabeth was born. We also know that these
three siblings were raised by their Aunts and Uncles and that they left their
homes at a very early age.
One family source mentions that she thought the orphanˆÜˆús
mother's name was "Marta", but that would be inconsistent with family
tradition. Other family records show Elizabeth as the mother. This would
coincide with the baby daughter being named Elizabeth.
Next we find the following family:
Heinrich (Henry) Funk 1822-1879) Married Anna Unruh (1817-1901)
Part of their family is as follows: Henry Funk (1842-unknown)
married another Anna Unruh (1842-unknown) Anna Funk (1843-1880) Married Henry
Wall (1843-1916)
3. Katherine Funk (1844-unknown) Married Jacob J. Duerksen
(1840-1904) ^
4. Sarah Funk (1845-1917) Married Abraham Duerksen
(1843-1886) f-
(JT,) Elizabeth Funk (1846-1895) Married Jacob Duerksen
(1841-1915)
(6.) David Funk (1848-1922) Married 1st Anna Adrian (unknown-1879)
2nd Nettie Voth
(1861-1889)
3rd Mary Fast\<: unknown-1935)
It is reported that David Funk owned and operated a flourmill,
and that his brother-in-law. Henry Wall (1843-1916) who was a ~ n 'or tailor by
trade, (did^ for him at the mill.
Many legal documents sometimes give false information. For example
in my own family, I searched for several years trying to locate my parentˆÜˆús
marriage records. When they were located I was surprised at the false
recordings they had given.
The marriage license and Certificate of Marriage/ both dated
November 8, 1906 at Carrington, North Dakota, show that the Foster County Judge
in his office married them. Both mother (Anna Unruh) and my Dad (Henry Wall)
stated that their residence was at New Home in Stutsman County. This of course
was very untrue. My Dad had just come from California and met mother in
Missoula, Montana. Mother lived in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada where she
owned a dress making shop and was just in Missoula visiting relatives.
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Mother and Dad ran off together to get married and ended up
in Carrington, near where some other relatives were living. Also my dear mother
misstated her age, she reported that she was 22 years of age when in fact she
was 24 1/2 years old. (She wanted to be younger than her husband.).
Another example, on the Record of Registration of Death of
my mother at the Vital Statistics Office, records show that mother was born on
April 22, 1883. This is totally false as mother was born on June 4, 1882 at
Parker, Turner County, South Dakota.
SO BE IT
This history account I have put together is to be used only
as a guideline only for those who may want to continue on the project. However
it must be understood that one must do their own research to confirm history as
best as one can. .
According to family reports, the Funk girls were in very
much demand as wives. They usually were very good looking, healthy, energetic
and would have been trained at an early age, the fine arts of cooking,
housekeeping and how to be a responsible mother for their children.
A look at 4 Funk sisters
Anna Funk (1843-1880) Married Henry Wall (1843-1916) Anna
Funk was born in the Crimea and this is where she married Henry Wall. They came
to America on July 28, 1876. Anna and Henry Wall had a total of 5 children, but
Anna died in 1880 while giving birth to the 6th baby named "Eva". The
baby also died. See details of this family in the Henry Wall section
Katherina Funk (1844-unknown) Married Jacob J. Duerksen
(1840-1904) Katherine and Jacob had 8 children. (See the House of Dirk section)
Sarah Funk (1845-1917) Married Abraham Duerksen (1843-1886)
Sarah Funk b. Nov 19, 1845 they had 10 children before Abraham. Duerksen was
killed by lighting. (See the House of Dirk section)
Elizabeth Funk (1846-1895 Married Jacob Duerksen (1841-1915)
Elizabeth Funk b. Nov 19, 1846 d. May 14, 1895 (See the House of Dirk section) I
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Mow to a younger David Funk (1848-1922 David Funk had a
total of 15 children between 3 wives.
David Funk (1848-1922) 1st marriage was with Anna Adrian (unknown-1879).
They had 1 child as follows, with Anna Adrian died giving birth to their first
child.
1. Anna Funk (1879-unknown) Married Jacob Thiessen (unknown-unknown)
Anna Funk and Jacob Thiessen had many children including
Tillie
Siebold who lives in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Jacob Thiessen was a half brother of Henry Vogt who married
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Funk. See the Voth section
David Funk lost no time in getting another wife. He married
Aganeta (Nettie) Voth (1861-1889), the 10th child of 10 oˆÜ¬£ Jacob Voth and
Aganeta Evert. Nettie Voth was a cousin of Mary Voth, my Dad's first wife. (See
the Voth sections)
The following children were with Nettie Voth. '
2. Nettie Funk (1880-unknown) Married John Rau (unknown-unknown)
3. Elizabeth Funk (1882-unknown) 1st marriage to Henry Vogt
(unknown-
2nd marriage to ____Durksen (unknown-
4. Sarah Funk (1885-unknown) a cripple lived with Nettie and
John Rau.
5. Young child died of diphtheria at New Home, N.D.
6. Young child died of diphtheria at New Home, N.D.
7. Young child and mother (Nettie Voth) both died in
childbirth. Now David Funk had to find another wife very quickly.
David Funk 3rd marriage was with Mary (Maria) Fast (unknown-1935)
David and Mary had 8 more children together as follows:
8. David Funk (unknown-unknown) married Katie Sperling (unknown-unknown)
Harriet Funk (unknown- Married Robert Katsma (unknown-Harriet
lives in Ceres, California. Robert lives in Modesto, California.
9. Henry Funk (unknown- Married Edna _____ (unknown-
Edna lives in a residential care unit near Grants Pass,
Oregon.
I believe they had 2 children.
10. Maggie Funk (unknown- Married John Sperling (unknown-
both died Lawrence Sperling (unknown- also
deceased.
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11. Mary Funk (unknown- Married _______ Huenergardt (unknown-
Elinor Huenergardt (unknown-unknown)
Married ___Brown (unknown- ———
Elinor died from wounds received from a bull that gored her.
Betty Huenergardt (unknown-
Edmond Huenergardt (unknown-
<A-4> Wilber Huenergardt (unknown- killed in accident.
<A-5> Virgil Huenergardt (unknown-
12. Alma Funk (unknown-unknown) Married Julius Kurtz (unknown-
Wilma Kurtz (unknown- lives in
Bakersfield, California.
13. Alice Funk (unknown-unknown) Married Elmer Biloff (unknown-
Alice Funk died and Elmer Biloff then married Helen (unknown-
They live in Shatter, California.
Arii Biloff (unknown- lives in Shatter,
California.
Janet Biloff (unknown-
14. Lillian Funk (1901- Married Wayne Wentland (unknown-
Delia Wentland (unknown- lives in
Carrington, N.D.
15. Ervin Funk (1910-1998) Married Marie Kruschwitz (unknown-1975)
Marie Kruschwitz died in 1975, and then on January 8, 1977,
Ervin married my cousin, Ellen (Kurtz) Jacobson, daughter of Margaret Wall and
Daniel Kurtz. Ervin passed away on February 14, 1998 at Concord, California and
was buried in Shatter beside his first wife, Marie.
Ervin and Marie have 2 children as follows:
Arlo Funk (unknown- Married Juanita (unknown-They
live in Battleground, Washington.
Janet Funk (unknown-
More of the Funk Family to sort out John F. Funk (1835-1930)
Abrani F. Funk (unknown-unknown)
John and Abram were brothers. John F. Funk founded the
Elkhart Mennonite church in 1871 also had a large building in Elkhart, Indiana
about 1872
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Joseph Funk (unknown-unknown) Joseph Funk and son advertised
genuine church music in 1876
Kornelius Funk (1856-1928) Married Anna Unruh (1854-1906)
Heinrich Funk married Anna Duerksen (unknown-unknown)
Heinrich Funk died in Jail, Anna Duerksen's niece was Elizabeth Duerksen (unknown-unknown)
the 4th child of 7 of Jacob G. Duerksen (1860-1922) and Elizabeth Dickmann. (See
the House of Dirk)
Elizabeth Duerksen married Heinrich P. Funk (unknown-unknown)
Heinrich P. Funk and Elizabeth Duerksen lived in East
Chilliwack, B.C. and I believe their children all live in Canada. To my
knowledge their 6 children are as follows:
1. Henry Funk (unknown- Lab work
2. Frieda Funk (unknown- m. Herman Ratzlaff (unknown-
3. Edward Funk (unknown-
4. Otto Funk (unknown-
5. Frau Funk (unknown-
6. Peter Funk (unknown- was a student at Tabor College
Jacob Funk (1877-1909) emigrated in 1875 was a Rev. minister
of Bruderthal.
Justina Funk (unknown-unknown) Married Peter Duerksen (1887-unknown)
(they remained in Russia we are told?)
Peter Duerksen was the 6th child of 9 of Gerhard Duerksen
(1814-1910) and Anna Doerksen (1817-1881) who pulled and pushed their baby
carriage all the way from Prussia to Russia. (See the House of Dirk section for
more details).
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The Mennonite Publishing Company, Elkhart, Ind., staff of
workers. In front row seated: second from left, John S. Coffman; next. Henry
Brenneman; next, Joseph Summers; next, Abram funk, - — brother of-John F.
Funk; and last in row, A.C The old Prairie Street frame meetinghouse Kolb,
editor of Herald of Truth. Front John F. Funk founded the Elkhart Mennonite is
S.F. Coffman, son of John S. Coffman, who congregation in 1871 served as
printer's errand boy.
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