Edward Albert Weik is my granduncle, and he was the first-born son of Jacob Weik and Gertraud Huber. He was born on September 10, 1837, in Ketsch, Mannheim, Baden, Germany.
His other siblings are Frank Wilhelm, Otto, Eva Katharina, Ludovikus, Louis, Verena Susanna, John Edward, and Richard Weik. The family came to America from Germany between 1854 and 1856.
Most Germans came because of civil unrest, severe unemployment, or almost inconceivable hardships at home. This wave of immigration affected every city and every person in America. From 1820 to 1870, over seven and a half million immigrants came to the United States.
Western railroads, with large land grants available to attract farmers, set up agencies in Hamburg and other German cities, promising cheap transportation, and sales of farmland on easy terms. For example, the Santa Fe railroad hired its own commissioner for immigration, and sold over 300,000 acres to German-speaking farmers.
Edward Albert Weik was like other family members when they came to America they thought of themselves as Americans. And so doing what other citizens did when the Civil War became apparent wanted to fight for their country as well. He enlisted as a Union soldier on September 10, 1861, his muster date was September 10, 1864, with C Company in the 46th Infantry. He was promoted three times during his service years.
| Name | Rank | Residence | Date of Muster | Remarks |
| WIKE, Edward | Captain | Freeport | Mar 20, 1865 | Mustered out Jan 20, 1866 |
| WIKE, Edward | 1st Lt. | Freeport | Apr 21, 1864 | Promoted [Dec 23, 1864] |
| WIKE, Edward | 2nd Lt. | Freeport | Nov 18, 1862 | Promoted [Dec 17, 1863] |
Battles he may have participated in were the Battle of Fort Henry, the Battle of Fort Donelson, the siege of Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg.
Once the Civil War was over and Edward returned home it was time to start a new chapter in his life. On November 30, 1865, in Stephenson County, Illinois he married Pauline Lippmann. In March of 1868 they had their first child Frank Richard and soon to follow was William George 1871, Henry Edward 1876, and Charles Frank Weik in 1878 all born in Freeport.
In the 1885 Iowa Census the family had moved to Osceola, Clark, Iowa. The 1900 Iowa Census shows they were living in Hardin, Iowa it also shows that Edward and Pauline had eleven children with three living. It could be the other children died at birth or of disease, but I was only able to find the four children at this writing. The 1910 Iowa Census has them living Douglas Twp., Clay, Iowa he was a farmer, and two grandchildren were living or visiting with them, Harry, and Gladys M Weik.
It was on March 23, 1913, that Capt. Edward Weik was getting ready to retire for the night and was sitting in a chair and he fell over dead. He was living with his son Frank in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He had bad health for some time, and it was a heart attack that took his life. He was seventy-six years old. There is also a monument in Freeport honoring his Civil War accomplishments.
Paulina never remarried and enjoyed the rest of her life with her children and grandchildren. She died at the age of eighty-six years old on December 22, 1932. They are both buried at Oak Wood Cemetery in Ackley, Franklin, Iowa.
Frank Richard Weik born March 1868 in Freeport, Illinois. He married Mary Kuehlemeier (1868-1914) on July 14, 1891, in Ackley, Iowa. They had three daughters Laura Paulina 1892-1970, Emma Marie 1895-1976, and Esther Edna Weik 1898-1983. Mary died on April 17, 1914, and Frank died on March 19, 1948, in Seattle, Washington.
William George Weik born July 29, 1871, in Freeport. He married Jennie W Pattan (1875-1956) on December 24, 1894, in Ackley, Iowa. They had three children Harry Edward 1896-1961, Gladys Marie 1897-1987, and Bernice Helen Weik 1901-1915. William died on October 10, 1950, in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Jennie died on March 6, 1956.
Henry Edward Weik born 1875 in Freeport and died August 14, 1893, he was only eighteen years old and died of Diphtheria.
Charles Frank Weik born August 16, 1878, in Freeport. He married Gertrude M Johnson (1886-1962) on February 26, 1908, in Douglas Township. They had four children Charles Leroy 1911-1969, Gertrude Lucile 1912-1996, William Ashley 1914-2001, and Arthur Leon Weik 1916-1982. Charles died on November 25, 1949, and Gertrude M died on November 19, 1962, both died in Iowa.
Thank you for reading this blog post and if you have information about this family please contact me.
Brumley Family Branches 