"Attention All Persons living in the Green Zone below. You are nearby ordered to vacate your homes immediately. Colleen Hayes (nee Yerks) intends to re-claim her great x6 grandmother Catherine Yerks 300 acre farm in Unionville (now Hawthorne). We will give you until tomorrow at sunset to get off our land. This includes you JD Rockefeller and your snazzy Pocantico Hills Estate.”

Isaac Yerks was born circa 1823 to John Van Tassel and Fanny Yerks in New Castle, New York. He was the first of nine children born to them. Somewhere in the mid-1850s, Isaac married a woman by the name of Elizabeth and began their family, living in the town of Mount Pleasant near other Yerks

In my quest to acquire all things that are historic in nature and related to the Yerks family, I found the postcard below on eBay.  I was able to purchase it for just $3.50.  Although G.W. Yerks is not a direct relative of Colleen's, he is a distant cousin. George W. Yerks was born at

Finally…. conclusive proof as to the parents of George Oakley Yerks arrived today via US Mail.  George Oakley Yerks is the great, great grandfather of Colleen Hayes, my wife.  Since acquiring George’s Brooklyn Death Certificate several years ago, there has been a lingering doubt in my mind as to who his parents really were.  This is

The newspaper article below was published in the Mount Kisco Record on December 20, 1890. It tells an interesting story how Chappaqua residents banded together to prevent a conflagration that could have destroyed their town.  A fire that started at Mr Alexander Yerk’s store quickly spread and challenged the residents of Chappaqua to save their

Way back when, I picked up a Brooklyn Death Certificate for George Oakley Yerks from the New York City Archives.  He was the  great x2 grandfather to Colleen Yerks Hayes, my wife.  The Death Certificate disrupted everything I thought I knew about George Oakley Yerks and his parents.  According to his Death Certificate, his parents

After months looking for the final resting place of William Yerks (b. 1801) and his wife Maria (b. 1803), I decided to pursue a lead that I had dismissed long ago because I just couldn’t see how it could be related. Several years ago, I came across a record at the Find-A-Grave website that listed

The following is a biography of Nathaniel Cutler Sr. (b. 1 Jan 1808, d. 12 Apr 1886).  Nathaniel is Colleen Yerks’ great x4 grandfather .  He lived in Mount Kisco, New York for most of his life, but may have been born in North Castle. He married Sally Ann Weeks in 1829 and had several children.

Ralph Yerks was the third and youngest son of George Oakley Yerks and Annie Cutler.  According to his draft registration card filed on June 5, 1917, Ralph was single, living in Rye and was working as a plumbers helper.  His two brothers, Leroy (later known as James Leroy) and William Benjamin also registered for the draft