John H. Funke
Role: Village Trustee and founding ordinance drafter, East Dundee Active: June 1887 – early 1888 Source: Village Record Book of the Corporation of East Dundee (original ledger)
John H. Funke was a Trustee of the Village of East Dundee and the primary author of its founding body of ordinances. He is one of the most consequential figures in East Dundee's earliest municipal history — and one of the most enigmatic, having left the village entirely before the first formal election took place.
The Ordinances
Beginning June 26, 1887, Funke appeared before the Board of Trustees in a series of Special Meetings to read aloud the complete set of village ordinances he had prepared. The process took three sessions (June 26, June 27, and July 5, 1887), with ordinances covering peddlers, auctioneers, police magistrate, liquor licenses and bonds, the black list, tippling houses, vagrancy, misdemeanors, police, amusements, streets, domestic animals, health, and the structure of the Board of Trustees itself.
The record describes the purpose of these meetings as "hearing Mr. John H. Funke read the Ordinances prepared by him, and to be investigated by the Trustees." Every ordinance was then formally adopted by the board.
Funke's legal work established the entire operational framework of East Dundee's municipal government in its founding year. He was paid $5.10 in January 1888 for "service on board" — suggesting at least partial compensation for his work.
Departure
By early 1888, Funke had relocated. The April 2, 1888 Regular Meeting noted that he "ceased to be a member of the board by removing out of the voting precinct," creating two committee vacancies. He was gone before the April 17, 1888 annual election. His name did not appear among the candidates.
Funke's departure may explain why the village felt a clean break was needed — the April 1888 election installed an entirely new board structure, with an elected President for the first time.