Everyone has probably heard the saying "revenge is a dish best served cold." Well, there is a genealogical corollary: occasionally, we need to revisit our research "cold," and instead of revenge, we'll find ourselves rewarded.
For years, all I knew about my great-great-great grandfather was his name, John H. Younker (1820-1886), and that he had been born in Germany. Later, as my research into this branch expanded, I learned his middle name was Hubert or Hubertus, and that he had served in the Civil War.
John married relatively late in life, in 1870 at the age of 49, to Anna Catherina Thomas. Katie, as she was more commonly known, was fourteen years younger and a German immigrant, as well. She was the widow of John Kible and the mother of six children. She and John Younker would have two sons together, John Hubert (1871-1948) and John Henry (1873-1950).
As I dug deeper into John's Civil War service, I learned he had served as a blacksmith with the 5th Illinois Cavalry, Company B. Available records helped piece together John's life after his marriage, but his early life remained a mystery.
I had already reviewed John's disappointingly thin Civil War pension file while on a research trip to the National Archives in Washington, DC. With a little extra time available, I decided to request his service record file. I had never looked at one before and expected it would add a bit more detail about his Civil War service, but not much else.
As I reviewed the monthly muster cards, I learned about lost blankets John was charged for, sick days, and then one detail leaped off one of the cards. Although they tracked similar details from month to month, there are many versions of the cards, and one card included the question of birthplace. Aachen. Initially, I didn't even comprehend the information, but then the fireworks started going off in my head... Aachen, that's in Germany!
That stirred a memory from my first-ever research trip to the FamilyHistory Library in Salt Lake City. After spending the majority of my time pursuing U.S. records, on the last day, I ventured to the basement and the International floor. I had absolutely NO IDEA what I was looking for.
The volunteer on duty listened to my vague details about John Younker (even more vague at that point) and directed me to one of the computers with a variety of CD-ROM databases, including Regierung Aachen—Aachen Government. I did know that in Germany, "Younker" was typically "Junker" or a similar spelling. I found one entry that seemed to match. I quickly made a copy and made a hasty retreat, having realized I didn't have enough information to do successful international research at that point.
Now, with a birth location, there was suddenly additional context for the long-ago record I copied. Although I now had a starting point, it wasn't until another research visit to the FamilySearch Library that I was able to connect John with his German roots in the village of Linnich in the modern state of North Rhine-Westphalia, using civil registration records. The Aachen record also indicated that Johann Junker was a hufschmeid, or blacksmith, which corresponds to his later occupation.
I am still working on locating a ship's passenger list and learning whether John immigrated on his own or as part of chain migration, but this success story was my first discovery of a German ancestral village. Linnich, located on the Rur River, dates back to the 9th century and was part of the historical Duchy of Jülich. The area has been shaped by various rulers, Celts, and abbeys throughout its long history and was heavily bombed during World War II.
Willkommen zu Hause! Welcome home, John!
Copyright 2026 by Lisa A. Oberg, GeneaGator: Vignettes of Yesteryear. All Rights Reserved.
