| Notes |
- The Jordi family ancestral village is Steinen, Switzerland. Jordi/Jordy= Jordan/Jordanus, a first name from the times of the Crusades.
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Obit:
“Peter Yordy was born June 12, 1815 in Alsace, France according to his headstone. However, according to official documents, he was born July 26, 1815.
Civil Register, Windstein, Alsace, France (FHL Microfilm #1069482)states "7/26/1815 Pierre Jordi (masculine)born 2 a.m., son of Jacques Jordi (37, Laboureur) and Catharine Schantz of Jaegerthal near Windstein. Witnesses Jean Wolber and Pierre Mathis."
In about 1819, Peter's family moved to Munich, Bavaria, Germany [ Woodford County Tax Records, 1868 located at the Illinois Mennonite Historical Society, Metamora, IL]. He grew up about 20 miles south of Munich. Peter had one known sister, Jacobina aka Philabena. It is possible that Peter had a second sister named Elizabeth, who emigrated to the US in 1849 and married Peter Gerber in 1850. Peter also had at least one brother, Christian Yotty, who emigrated with his future wife Katherina Stalter.
Peter Emigrated in 1838. Peter "Jordte" or "Jodte" from France arrived in New York on the packet ship "Charles Carroll" from Le Havre on September 17, 1838. On the passenger list immediately before Peter's name is the name of Joseph "Heser" (Heiser, 20) and Andrew Burkey (29). Heiser and Burckey were from Hanfield, about 20 miles south of Munich.
While there is little record of Peter's life immediately after his arrival in Illinois in 1839, it is likely that he worked within the Amish community for an established Amish farmer as a laborer.
On February 9, 1847, Peter married Miss Mary Birkey, a Mennonite woman with a 9 year-old son, John Horn, at the Dillon Creek Congregation in Tazewell County. Peter and Mary had 8 additional children.
Peter and family lived in Tazewell County until 1867 when they moved to Woodford County, residing 2 miles east of Roanoke on Panther Creek.
Peter was a member of the Roanoke Mennonite Church and the Panther Creek Church of the Brethren. He was very interested in education and sponsored an English class for Amish children in his home.
Peter died on July 2, 1897 and was buried in the Roanoke Mennonite Cemetery.”
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In 1866 Peter purchased 200 acres of land from Andrew Johnson and his wife in Woodford Co. for $8000.
Peter Yordy hosted a private German school, conducted by the one-armed teacher Christian Erismann (1835-1904), in his home from 1870 to 1871.,
Peter’s probate record lists as heirs the following: Lizzie Bachman, Mary Orendorff, Chris Yordy, Jacob K. Yordy, Joseph Yordy, Barbara Yordy, Peter Yordy, Lizzie Erb, Bella Schrock, David Yordy, Mary Zimmerman, Simon Yordy, John E. Yordy, Emma Swartzendruber and Fannie Yeakley--seven of his own children and eight children of John Yordy, Mary’s son from her first husband.
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“He (Peter) arrived from the Dillon Creek congregation and he joined the Roanoke Mennonite Church, but was [also] active in the Panther Creek Church of the Brethren....Several of Peter’s descendants are buried in the Panther Creek Cemetery. Peter’s great great grandson, Peter Yordy, was the pastor of the Panther Creek Church of the Brethren in 2004.”
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“Peter Yordy (b. 1815) died in 1897 when Amos Yordy, son of Christian, was 13 years old. The Amos Yordy from northern Illinois was, of course much older (46). However, I find it highly unlikely that Amos Yordy of northern Illinois had any financial dealings with Peter Yordy (b. 1815). I have tried to find any kind of evidence of interaction between the Yordy's of northern Illinois and Peter Yordy (1815-1897) and have come up empty. So it would surprise me if Amos Yordy of northern Illinois had any involvement with Peter Yordy's death in 1897.
On the other hand, Peter Yordy Jr. was killed when struck by lightening while picking grapes at the farm of his nephew, Amos Yordy, son of Christian Yordy and Salome Slagel. Such a death may well have prompted an inquest and Amos may well have incurred some expense since it happened on his farm. Peter Jr. was moderately mentally retarded. His sister Barbara was mildly retarded, or at least, mentally unstable. Both were cared for by their parents well into their adult lives. Peter and Mary deeded their home place to Peter Jr. and Barbara to assure that the children had sufficient assets of their own, and a place to live after Peter and Mary's deaths.
In 1901, after Peter Sr.'s death, and with Mary being quite old and apparently senile, and on the brink of death, the Yordy children went to court and had Peter Jr. declared legally incompetent. The court order described Peter Jr. as "distracted". The court named his uncle, Christian Bachman (husband of Elizabeth Yordy) as his guardian or conservator [Case file reviewed at Woodford County Courthouse]. Christian Bachman remained Peter's conservator until Peter died in 1909. Peter was obviously not competent to have a will. His estate was eventually divided amongst his surviving siblings and the children of his deceased half-brother, John Birky Yordy, who had died in Nebraska on December 31, 1906.
In 1915, Peter's sister, Barbara, was also declared mentally incompetent ("distracted"). Her brother, Christian Yordy, was named her conservator until his death in 1922. At that time, Christian's son, Amos, took over as guardian for a short time. Later, Joseph Yordy's son (and Barbara's nephew) Ezra Yordy acted as her guardian until her death in 1943 [Barbara Yordy Guardianship Procedures, Woodford County Courthouse].
Based on the above facts, I believe it more likely that the Peter Yordy estate in question is the estate of Peter Yordy Jr. And the "Amos Yordy" in question is the son of Christian Yordy and Salome Slagel and the grandson of Peter Yordy.
I have not been able to find a thing on Peter Yordy (Sr.'s) death in 1897. I have been to the Woodford County Courthouse searching for a death certificate, estate file, obituary, or ANYTHING that would give me some information, but have found nothing on the deaths of Peter Yordy in 1897 or Mary Yordy in 1902. My belief is that they had transferred all of their assets to their children before they died in return for care during their senior years. This was apparently a common practice among Amish/Mennonites at the time and was very common among members of the Church of the Brethren (which Peter and Mary attended in their later years). Such an arrangement avoided probate, etc. I also suspect their funerals were conducted at the Church of the Brethren. It was located less than a mile from their home east of Roanoke. That might explain the total absence of historical documents on their deaths in the Roanoke Mennonite Church records, and the absence of any obituary (which was frowned upon by the Brethren Church.”
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According to Gary Yordy, a family story says that John's father was a German army officer. "It is possible that John B. Yordy's relationship to Peter Yordy as a foster son would have remained a family secret, were it not for the fact that John's daughter, Fannie Yordy, decided to marry Peter Yordy's nephew, Joseph Yeackley."
"In about 1883, Peter and Mary temporarily moved to the home of their daughter Mary and her husband Daniel Orendorff in Flanagan. Their Roanoke farm home was occupied by their son Christian and his family at the time while a second smaller home was built on the farm for Peter and Mary. In 1884, Peter and Mary moved in to the new home at Roanoke and were shortly joined by his niece, Barbara Jordy and her son, Chris H.--recently arrived from Bavaria." (Gary Yordy)
The family is found on the 1850 census of Tazewell County as farmer Peter Yatty, 45, Germany; Mary, 34, Germany; John, 12, Germany; Christian, 2, Illinois; and Mary, 1, Illinois. The proximity of neighbor Uriah Crosby suggests their first homestead was in the northern half of Morton.
“Peter paid $1,400 for 154 acres of land Jan. 30, 1852. The land came in three parcels: two totaling 85 acres in south-central Groveland, and another 70 acres in north-central Elm Grove.
The household of Peter and Mary can be found on the 1860 census of Elm Grove as farmer Peter 'Yarty,' 54 [he was actually 45], born in France; Mary, 49 [she was actually 44], born in Bavaria; John, 21, born in Bavaria; Christian, 11, Illinois; Mary, 10, Illinois; Jacob, 7, Illinois; Elizabeth, 4, Illinois; Philip [Peter Jr.], 3, Illinois; and Joseph, 2, Illinois. Their neighbors (Joseph Heiser, Joseph Ropp, Samuel King, Peter and Christian Gerber) indicate that they probably lived on the north side of Allentown Road, across from Joseph Heiser. The property must have been sold before 1864; the plat map published in that year does not show a Yordy property.
On Feb. 10, 1865, Peter purchased 80 acres of land at Nebraska Township (later Flanagan), Livingston County. The farm was cultivated by John Birkey Yordy 1865-71, then occupied by daughter Mary and her husband Daniel Orendorff, while John moved to Lombardville, Stark County.
In 1867 the family moved onto a 200-acre farm on Panther Creek at Roanoke, Woodford County. It was located about 3.5 miles north of Christian's farm. The household is found on the 1870 census of Roanoke as farmer Peter 'Yottey,' 54, Bavaria; Mary, 53, Bavaria; Christian, 22, Bavaria [Illinois]; Mary, 20, Bavaria [Illinois]; Jacob, 17, Ohio; Elizabeth, 16, Ohio; Peter, 14, Ohio; Joseph, 12, Illinois; and Barbara, 7, Illinois. Peter joined the Roanoke Mennonite Church, but also attended services at the nearby Panther Creek Church of the Brethren.
The 1880 census of Roanoke shows them as 'Peter Yordie,' a 65-year-old farmer born in France, of parents born in France; and Mary, 64, born in Bavaria, of parents born in France. Children living with them include Elisabeth, 25; Peter, 24; Joseph, 23; and Barbara, 19. Mary can be found as an 84-year-old widow on the 1900 census of Roanoke, living with children Peter, 44, and Barbara, 39. On that form Mary (or someone in her stead) stated that she was born in Germany of French parents, and that she came to America in 1847. In about 1884, Peter and Mary moved into the household of their daughter Mary and her husband Daniel Orendorff at Flanagan. The Roanoke farm was occupied by son Christian and his family. “
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In December 2007, genealogist Joseph Staker discovered the historic record of Peter’s immigration to America.
Twenty-three-year-old “Peter Jordte” or “Jodte” from France emigrated to New York. He arrived on the packet ship, Charles Carroll, which arrived from Le Havre on September 17, 1838. This individual’s name falls directly in a crease in the paper, making it difficult to read clearly. On the passenger list immediately before Peter’s name is the name of Joseph “Heser” (20) and Andrew Burkey (29) and his wife, Barbara (29) and son Joseph (2). These people are thought to be Joseph Heiser; Andrew Burcky (son of Andrew Birki and first cousin of Peter Yordy’s future wife, Mary Birkey Yordy) and his wife, Barbara Eyer/Oyer and their son, Joseph. Joseph Heiser had lived at Hanfeld, and Andrew Burcky had lived at Söcking. The two villages are adjacent and the town squares only two miles apart, very near Starnberg, and approximately 20 miles south of Munich. The fact that Peter, Joseph, and Andrew emigrated together suggests that they knew each other prior to the trip. Further credence is leant to this theory by their actions after arriving in Illinois. In the 1855 Tazewell County Census and the1860 US Census, Peter, Joseph, and Andrew were all next-door neighbors in Elm Grove Township, Tazewell County. [1, 5, 7, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19]
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1815 - 1897 (81 years)
[4, 5, 6] 
