Runkle Family


Helena Van Woert was married to John Runkle March (or April) 16, 1796. He was the second son of Johan (or Hance) Runkle, a Holland emigrant, who after his second visit to this country purchased on October 11, 1769 a farm near Albany, N. Y. at a place called Boght. This farm consisted of two hundred and forty acres, and was situated near the present town of Watervliet, eight miles north of the City of Albany and one mile south of the Mohawk River. On this tract, out of logs cut from the surrounding forests, Johan Runkle (the progenitor) built his primitive home. This humble dwelling, a number of years later was accidentally destroyed by fire, and with it all the owner's then accumulated savings. A new and better house soon took its place; and there, overlooking the broad acres, cleared and cultivated by his own hard work, the closing years of this Runkle emigrant were spent. His Will is dated April 22, 1791. His death probably occurred in the latter part of 1803 or early 1804, as in the latter year the farm was, in accordance with the directions in the Will, divided between his two sons.

John Runkle was buried in a private graveyard on the old farm but the grave is marked simply by a rough, unlettered brown-stone slab. John Runkle, the son of the emigrant, died February 17, 1813. (Ref.- Runkle Family - p. 503)

The family burying ground of the Runkles is located in the Town of Colonie, formerly Watervliet, N. Y., in the northern part of Albany County more familiarly know to its inhabitants as the "Bogt" or bend of the Mohawk River. Branching from the Louden Road at the old brick house of the Roff family and running in a somewhat northwestern direction is a road leading to Dunsback's Ferry & the Railroad Station of Emerick. From this last road another road branches off and runs southwest and south to Sparrowbush Road. The Runkle Farm was located in the angle of the last two roads and the burying plot maybe reached from either road, but more conveniently from the last.

The following inscriptions were found:
"Runkle, John, brother of Henry, born March 28, 1756 - died February 17, 1813."
" Helena Van Woert - wife of Johann Ronckle - daughter of Eldert Van Woert and Elizabeth (Fonda) married April 16, 1796." "She died September 13, 1824".
(Ref.- GRS - vol. 5)

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