Theodore Sunkes b. 9 Apr 1859 Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN d. 28 May 1917 Martinsville, Morgan Co., IN; Greenbush Cem, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN: Forney & Clark Genealogy Pages

1859 - 1917 (58 years)

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Name	Theodore Sunkes
Birth	9 Apr 1859	Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN
Gender	Male
Death	28 May 1917	Martinsville, Morgan Co., IN; Greenbush Cem, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN
Person ID	I9460	forneyclark
Last Modified	10 Jun 2026

Father	John Sunkes, b. 2 Apr 1829, Germany (Prussia) d. 5 Nov 1901, Lafayette, IN; burial: St. Joseph Cem., Lafayette, IN (Age 72 years)
Mother	Anna Katherine Reifers, b. 17 Nov 1829, Germany (Prussia) d. 9 May 1892, Lafayette, IN; burial: St. Joseph Cem., Lafayette, IN (Age 62 years)
Marriage	ABT. 1858
Family ID	F1606	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 1 Mary Crusey, b. 8 Dec 1851, possibly in Alsace, Germany d. 15 Jun 1927, Oconto, Custer Co., NE (Age 75 years)

Marriage 30 Sep 1876 Indianapolis, Marion Co., IN

Children

	1. Clara Josephine Agnes Sunkes, b. 18 Aug 1877, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN d. 17 Feb 1961, Broken Bow, Custer Co., NE (Age 83 years)
	2. Margaret Katherine Sunkes, b. 24 May 1881, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN d. 18 Oct 1954, Lincoln, NE (Age 73 years)

Family ID F3740 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 10 Jun 2026

Family 2	Clara Bell Grimes, b. 1860, near Logansport, Cass Co., IN d. 24 Apr 1906, Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN (Age 46 years)
Marriage	23 Jun 1889
Family ID	F3739	Group Sheet \| Family Chart
Last Modified	10 Jun 2026

Family 3	Lena Walker, b. ABT. 1870
Marriage	23 Jul 1907	Chicago, Cook Co., IL
Family ID	F3742	Group Sheet \| Family Chart
Last Modified	10 Jun 2026

Photos

Sunkes, Anne K. (b. abt. 1860) & Josephine Agnes Sunkes (b. abt. 1862) & Andrew J. Sunkes (1864-1899) & Catherine "Katie" Sunkes (1866-1939) & Theodore Sunkes (1859-1917) & Mary A. Sunkes (1870-1920) & John Sunkes (1829-1901) & Anna Katherine Reifers (1829-1892) & Margaret "Maggie" Sunkes (b. 1868)
Group photo was taken in IN, probably 1885-1889, and came from the Sunkes/ Runyon Collection by Jim Sunkes. Included (L-R, standing) are Anne K. Sunkes Mueller & Josephine Agnes Sunkes Mueller & Andrew J. Sunkes & Catherine "Katie" Sunkes Sharp & Theodore Sunkes. Included (L-R, seated) are Mary A. Sunkes Runyon & John Sunkes & Anna Katherine Reifers Sunkes & Margaret "Maggie" Sunkes Vortman.

Notes

Source:
SEE JIM SUNKES' SITE FOR COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION AND REFERENCES:
http://www.ingenweb.org/intippecanoe/SunkesDesc.htm
Tippecanoe, Indiana, Part of the USGenWebProject
Descendants of John Sunkes:
Jim Sunkes:
Children of John Sunkes and Anna Reifers are:
+ 2 i. Theodore3 Sunkes, born April 09, 1859 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; died May 28, 1917 in Martinsville, IN.
+ 3 ii. Anne K. Sunkes, born Abt. 1860 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; died in Illinois?.
+ 4 iii. Josephine Agnes Sunkes, born Abt. 1862 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana.
5 iv. Clara E. Sunkes, born July 12, 1863; died 1906.
More About Clara E. Sunkes:
Burial: Buried Greenbush Cem Lafayette
Fact 1: There is some confusion as to whether or not this is actually the second wife of Theodore Sunkes as no records can be found of her birth or death. Theodore's wife was Clara Bell Grimes (1860 to
+ 6 v. Andrew J. Sunkes, born January 18, 1864 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; died February 06, 1899 in Lafayette, Indiana.
+ 7 vi. Catherine"Katie" Sunkes, born May 06, 1866 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; died March 16, 1939 in Lincoln, NB.
8 vii. Margaret "Maggie" Sunkes, born July 26, 1868 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. She married William Vortman; born Abt. 1860.
More About Margaret "Maggie" Sunkes:
Baptism: August 09, 1868, St Boniface Baptism _____Zierth & Maria Schneiter
Fact 1: Parents listed as John Zunkers & Ana Catherine Reifers
Residence: 1901, Lived as a single woman in Chicago, IL (perhaps with her married sister Mary, Mrs. George Runyon)
More About William Vortman:
Fact 3: No Children
+ 9 viii. Mary A. Sunkes, born March 03, 1870 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; died April 04, 1920 in Lafayette, Indiana.

Source:
SEE JIM SUNKES' SITE FOR COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION AND REFERENCES:
http://www.ingenweb.org/intippecanoe/SunkesDesc.htm
Tippecanoe, Indiana, Part of the USGenWebProject
Descendants of John Sunkes:
Jim Sunkes:
2. Theodore3 Sunkes (John2, Unknown1) was born April 09, 1859 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana, and died May 28, 1917 in Martinsville, IN. He married (1) Mary Crusey September 30, 1876 in Indianapolis, IN, daughter of Unknown Crusey and Unknown. She was born December 08, 1851 in Alsace, Germany?, and died June 15, 1927 in Oconto, Nebraska. He married (2) Clara Bell Grimes June 23, 1889, daughter of John Grimes and Mary Surface. She was born July 12, 1860 in near Logansport,IN (Cass Co), and died April 24, 1906 in Lafayette, Indiana. He married (3) Lena Walker July 23, 1907 in Chicago,IL. She was born Abt. 1870.
More About Theodore Sunkes:
Burial: May 28, 1917, Greenbush Cem, Lafayette, IN
Cause of Death (Facts Pag: 1917, Greenbush Cemetery, Lafayette, IN Theodore is not buried with his second wife Clara, he is buried east of her across the circular driveway that runs through the cemetery on Reg # 4897 Lot 1 Sect 7 BLK 105.
Census: 1900, Fairfield TWP, 3rd Ward, Lafayette, IN 1017 N. 9th Street
Fact 1: October 06, 1889, Stillborn infant Sunkes is buried at Greenbush Cemetery in the Old Lafayette Section Theo's?
Occupation: Bef. 1900, Conductor on the Monon, Night Yardmaster Wabash RR, railroaded in Texas 4 years
Records: Marriage indexes(1882-1906) list Clara's maiden name as McCormick(not Grimes) McCormick was a former husband's name
Religion: Marriage indexes(1882-1906) list his second wife Clara's maiden name as McCormick(not Grimes) McCormick was Clara's former husband's name
Residence: 1880, Lived with his wife and brother in law John Crusey living with him as well as a Housekeeper Mary Spitznagle (born Baden, Germany about 1841) and her 13 year old son
More About Mary Crusey:
Residence: February 23, 1888, Marriage Record 18 page 451
More About Clara Bell Grimes:
Burial: 1906, Greenbush Cemetery, Lafayette, IN (Burial is recorded as #4313, Section 7,Lot 5 Blk 121)
Fact 1: September 05, 1876, Married James Osborn Marriage Record 15, page 183
Fact 2: September 21, 1884, Married Joseph McCormick
Fact 3: June 03, 1889, Married Theodore Sunkes
Fact 4: 1906, At the time of Clara's death, Bessie E Grimes a minor child of Virgil Grimes held a $300 insurance policy on Clara.
Funeral: 1906, Reverend E.G. Lewis of Trinity Church presided at her funeral
Memberships: 1906, At her death she was listed as a member of Trinity M. E. Church and the Ladies' Woodmen Circle No. 3 and the Tribe of Ben Hur
Relation: Edward L. Osborne I believe is recorded erroneously as Edward L. Sunkes,shoemaker in the Lafayette city directory-Theodore Sunkes, his mother's third husband never adopted Edward to my knowledge.
Religion: June 03, 1889, Married to Theo Sunkes in German M.E. Church, O. Welke presiding, MR 19 page 114
Residence: Died at family residence at 523 N 5th Street
More About Lena Walker:
Residence: 1909, Lived with husband Theodore at 1800 Greenbush St Lafayette,IN
Children of Theodore Sunkes and Mary Crusey are:
+ 10 i. Clara Josephine Agnes4 Sunkes, born August 18, 1877 in Lafayette, Indiana; died February 17, 1961 in Broken Bow, Nebraska.
+ 11 ii. Margaret Katherine Sunkes, born May 24, 1881 in Lafayette, Indiana; died October 18, 1954 in Lincoln,NB(Lincoln Memorial Cemetery).