Frederick Richard Yockel (1888-1943), Architect, Builder, Building Engineer

From E Nebraska History
Jump to: navigation, search
Lincoln, Nebraska, 1917-1924

DBA: F. R. Yokel, F. R. Yockel, Fred R. Yockel, Frederick R. Yockel

Frederick Richard Yockel was born in Beatrice, Nebraska to John and Anne Yockel in 1888.[e] His father was a carpenter. At various times Fred and his brothers Henry and Louis were all listed in Lincoln city directories as carpenters.[1] Fred married Catherine Mary (“Mae”) Ridgley in 1910 and they had five children. Fred advertised himself as an architect and builder from the late 1910s until the mid-1920s.[7][8] Fred and Mae divorced in 1924 and he filed for bankruptcy in 1925.[3][a] For 15 years prior to his death in 1943, he worked as the building engineer of the Sharp Building in downtown Lincoln.[4]

This page is a contribution to the publication, Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. See the format and contents page for more information on the compilation and page organization.

Compiled Nebraska Directory Listings

Lincoln, Nebraska, 1916-1942

Educational & Professional Associations

1916-1917, carpenter, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5]

1917-1920, architect, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5][6][7]

1921, architect, Woods Bros. Silo & Manufacturing Company, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5][b]

1922, Frederick R. Yockel, architect; and Yockel Brothers, Home Builders; Terminal Building, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5][8]

1925-1929, bricklayer, contractor, carpenter, Lincoln, Nebraska.[5]

1930-1943, building engineer, Sharp Building, Lincoln, Nebraska.[4][5]

Buildings & Projects

Yockel residence (1917), 1618 Burr Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[9]

Brick & stucco bungalow (1918), 2019 Harwood, Lincoln, Nebraska.[10]

Stucco bungalow for Woods Bros. (1919), 1325 Idylwild Avenue, Lincoln, Nebraska. [11]

Residence for Woods Bros. (1919), 1320 N. 35th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. [12]

Grocery store addition to residence (1922), 2300 D Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[13][c]

Frame bungalow for Mrs. Goldfein (1922), 1028 S. 23rd Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[20]

Blessed Sacrament Church (1922), 2015 S. 16th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.[21][f]

Tile and stucco residence (1923), 3228 Normal Boulevard, Lincoln, Nebraska.[14] [d]

Anna Yockel residence (1923), 3244 Normal Boulevard, Lincoln, Nebraska.[15] [d]

Tile and stucco residence (1923), 3224 Normal Boulevard, Lincoln, Nebraska.[16] [d]

Tile and stucco residence (1923), 3210 Normal Boulevard, Lincoln, Nebraska.[17] [d]

Project (unbuilt) for a four-unit apartment building (1938-1941), 8th & G Streets, Lincoln, Nebraska.[19]

Notes

a. Fred Yockel petitioned for divorce and custody of the five children in 1924, and Mae Yockel followed shortly thereafter with a counter-petition for divorce, custody, and alimony. Her petition was granted. However, Lincoln city directories continued to list Fred and Mae E. (or May) Yockel at the same address as late as 1929. The 1930 census recorded the Yockel household in Havelock consisting of Fred and his five children, without Mae. She remarried Lester Antram of Gage County, Nebraska after his first wife, Gertrude, died in 1933.

b. Yockel was listed in the 1920 census as architect for “Silo Co.,” and in the 1921 Lincoln city directory as an architect for Woods Bros. Silo & Manufacturing Company. He advertised in 1921 that “Fred R. Yockel, Archt., wishes to announce to all his clients that he will be in position to take care of all prospective builders who wish to avail themselves of his services, my office will remain with Woods Bros. at 132 So. 13th St.”[2] By the next year he had relocated his office to the 9th floor of the Terminal Building at 10th & O Streets in Lincoln.

c. A 1906 building permit documents the construction of a $2,000 brick house at this corner. By 1918 a grocer was operating at the address. Mrs. Rora Goldfein was both resident and grocer at the address in 1920. Yockel was architect and builder for a $2,000 remodeling and addition for Mrs. Goldfein, presumably creating the present brick storefront, with a residence behind (north) of the store.

d. Yockel designed and built four small, stucco residences south of the corner of A Street and Normal Blvd. in 1923. The Lancaster County Register of Deeds documented numerous mechanic’s liens filed against these properties during construction. Yockel filed for bankruptcy in 1925 and at least some of these houses were foreclosed upon, but 3244 Normal remained the residence of Fred’s brother John J. and sister Anna E. Yockel for several years thereafter.

e. Although Yockel’s gravestone at Calvary Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska is inscribed “1890-1943,” his birthdate of November 1888 is cited consistently in the 1900 census and on his WWI and WWII draft registration cards.[1][18]

f. Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish used this frame building for services for three decades, until constructing a larger church at 1720 Lake Street in 1949-50. Later Blessed Sacrament School used the building as a gymnasium. It served the "Houses of Hope" rehabilitation program for many years.

References

1. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], s.v. “Fred Yockel.” Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

2. ‘’Lincoln (Nebraska) State Journal’’(August 1, 1921), 6.

3. ‘’Lincoln (Nebraska) State Journal’’ (February 29, 1924), 1; (April 17, 1924); ‘’Lincoln (Nebraska) Star’’ (March 7, 1925), 2.

4. “Fred R. Yorkel [sic], 53, dies here Monday,” ‘’(Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal’’ (May 18, 1943), 10; “Fred R. Yockel funeral Friday,” ‘’Lincoln (Nebraska) Evening Journal’’ (May 20, 1943), 3.

5. Lincoln city directories (including advertisements for Yockel as architect in 1920 and 1922) and building permits.

6. Ancestry.com. ‘’1920 United States Federal Census’’ [database on-line], s.v. “Fred R. Yockel.” Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

7. Advertisement for “Fred R. Yokel, Architect,” ‘’Lincoln (Nebraska) Star’’ (March 16, 1919), 12.

8. Advertisements, ‘’(Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal’’ (April 9, 1922), 16 and (June 25, 1922), 14.

9. City of Lincoln Building Permit 7161, issued July 28, 1917, estimated cost $2,000; Yockel listed as architect and builder.

10. City of Lincoln Building Permit 7359, issued March 28, 1918, estimated cost $5,000; Yockel listed as architect; C. E. Reynolds as contractor.

11. City of Lincoln Building Permit 8296, issued November 24, 1919, estimated cost $5,000; Yockel listed as architect and builder.

12. City of Lincoln Building Permit 8297, issued November 24, 1919, estimated cost $5,000; Yockel listed as architect and builder.

13. City of Lincoln Building Permit 9660, issued February 24, 1922, estimated cost $2,000; Yockel listed as architect and builder.

14. City of Lincoln Building Permit 10845, issued March 12, 1923, estimated cost $3,000; Yockel listed as owner, architect and builder.

15. City of Lincoln Building Permit 11314, issued June 27, 1923, estimated cost $5,000; Yockel listed as owner, architect and builder.

16. City of Lincoln Building Permit 11315, issued June 27, 1923, estimated cost $5,000; Yockel listed as owner, architect and builder.

17. City of Lincoln Building Permit 11989, issued December 18, 1923, estimated cost $2,500; Yockel listed as owner, architect and builder.

18. Ancestry.com. ‘’U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918’’ [database on-line], s.v. “Fred Richard Yockel.” Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005; and Ancestry.com. ‘’U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942’’ [database on-line], s.v. “Frederick Richard Yockel.’’ Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

19. Mentioned in an article on City Council meeting, headlined “Approval given for skating rink in auditorium,” ‘’(Lincoln, Nebraska) Evening State Journal’’ (June 10, 1941), 10.

20. City of Lincoln Building Permit 9667, issued March 3, 1922, estimated cost $4,000; Yockel listed as builder.

21. City of Lincoln Building Permit 10238, issued July 8, 1922 (with associated plans), estimated cost $4,000; Yockel listed as architect.

Page Citation

E. F. Zimmer “Frederick Richard Yockel (1888-1943), Architect, Builder, Building Engineer,” in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, comps. Place Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society, August 19, 2018. http://www.e-nebraskahistory.org/index.php?title=Place_Makers_of_Nebraska:_The_Architects Accessed, March 28, 2024.


Contact the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office with questions or comments concerning this page, including any problems you may have with broken links (see, however, the Disclaimers link at the bottom of this page). Please provide the URL to this page with your inquiry.