Martini Ciske married Justinam Bark (names in Latin, US names: Martin Ciskey & Catherine Augusta (Bark) Ciskey) on November 12, 1848 at Wielen, Czarnków, Czarnków-Trzcianka, Greater Poland, Poland. The marriage record reflects that Martini / Martin was born circa 1825.

Father of Michael Ciske / Ciskey (1849 - 1885), Mary Frances (Ciske / Ciskey) Scieszinski (1853 - 1943), August Ciske / Ciskey (1856 - 1933) and three additional daughters and one additional son. Grandfather of twenty, thirteen grandsons and seven granddaughters.

The Ciske / Ciskey family lived in Ohio, Indiana and Coal Valley Township, Rock Island County, IL. On July 20, 1868 Martin Ciske purchased one hundred acres of land in Wayne Township, Monroe County, IA where the family moved between August 25, 1870 and November 5, 1870.

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Dubuque Daily Times

Sunday, Nov 13, 1870

A German named Cisky, in Monroe County, had just finished a well, forty feet deep, on the 5th inst. He was taking out the temporary wooden curb and stoning up the wall, commencing at the bottom, when a portion of the curb fell in, letting three or four feet of clay, with the boards, fall nearly twenty feet upon him, covering him entirely up. He called for his son for help, and his son went down the rope but could not relieve him. When help arrived, the clay was falling in at a frightful rate, and the young man was raised and curbing put in. The old man lived for two hours, and then could be heard to breathe no more. The work progressed from noon to eight o'clock in the evening, when the body was found and drawn out of the clay, a horrible sight, and carried in and laid upon the door of his nice new house, just built.

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Iowa Voter

Knoxville, IA

November 17, 1870

From the same paper (The Albia Union, last Thursday) we learn that on the 5th Inst. an old German named Cisky, three miles north of Melrose, Monroe County, was buried alive by the caving in of a well while he was at work in it. He died before he could be extricated.

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The Jackson Sentinel; Maquoketa, Thursday, November 24, 1870

A correspondent of the Albia Union says, that "Saturday, Nov. 5th, a Dutchman by the name of Cisky, living three miles north of Melrose, Monroe county, had an open well thirty-nine feet deep, which had been caving in some during the heavy rains while he was digging , and he had put in a temporary curb. On Saturday morning he went down and commenced the wall, and had laid one round of stone, when the curb gave way, letting three or four feet of clay, with the boards fall near twenty feet upon him, covering him entirely up. He called to his son for help, and his son went down the rope, but could not relieve him. When help arrived clay was falling in at a fearful rate, and the young man was raised and curb put in. The old man lived two hours and then we could hear him breathe no more. The work progressed from noon until 8 o'clock in the evening. When the body was found by Mr. Pierce Cullinan, and just about the time he found him, there was a chunk of clay fell on him and knocked him down, so he tied a rope around under the arms of the corpse and drew him out of the clay. Then Mr. Cullinan was raised, and then the corpse came dangling out, a horrible sight, and was carried in and laid upon the floor of his new house, just built.

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Tama County Republican

November 24, 1870

ALL OVER IOWA

On the 5th inst a well in Wayne township, Monroe county, caved in on the owner, a German named Cisky, and buried him alive. Of course, he was dead when rescued. --We learn from the Union.