Franklin Jacke was born on January 12, 1875 in Woodland Wisconsin. He had what could be termed a “tragic” life because of the fact that he suffered physically as a hunchback and eventually took his own life on March 31, 1936. According to the late Evelyn Horne, “Franklin came to the Koreshan Unity at Estero in 1903 from Chicago. He was a strong believer of the Koreshan doctrine. Franklin was the manager and store keeper of the Koreshan Unity General Store, serving the people of Estero and surrounding communities. People came as far as Sarasota and Punta Gorda for the Koreshan home baked bread, fresh country eggs, and vegetables raised by the Koreshans.”
At the time of his death, he was manager of the Koreshan Unity store. When he died, Claude Rahn wrote in the “Community Current Events” column of the “Flaming Sword”
The sudden and unexpected death of Brother Franklin F. Jacke which occurred on Tuesday, March 31st, cast a pall of sorrow over our community and among his many friends in the county. Failing eyesight which presaged the possibility of total blindness, and the mounting cares of the Unity store of which he had been the active manager for many years were doubtless the immediate factors responsible for his passing. Brother Franklin who was of a kindly and friendly disposition was born in Woodland, Wisconsin, sixty one years ago, and joined the Unity in 1903, at which time he came to Estero. Except for a short absence while employed in the activities of the Koreshan Unity Co-operative in Bristol, Tenn. he had been in continuous management of our local store, and had developed it into being one of the best arranged and stocked rural general stores in southwest Florida. He was buried in our local cemetery, and the management of the store was placed in the care of Mr. Marion F. Strickland who for some time had been managing our gasoline filling station, and who has had considerable experience in a similar business in this state.” — FLAMING SWORD–v.50, No.5, May 1936, p.13