John was baptized, Johann Ludwich George Wicke on April 12, 1857 at 1st St. John's Lutheran church, Seebach's Hill, Ontario.

He was born and, for the first 16 years of his life, raised in the 1 1/2 story log home which was built on an acre of land at the north east corner of Lot 12, Concession 5 of Ellice township, Perth county. His parents sold this land in 1873 and moved into Rostock.

On May 10, 1881, John married Auguste Marie Wilhelmine Seibert. They lived in Rostock, Ontario and can be found together in the 1891 census. However, there is no record of him following that date.

His mother Caroline's obituary in 1920 mentions only her surviving children. His wife Auguste's obituary also in 1920 stated that she had no family. Incidentally, both Caroline and her daughter-in-law, Auguste are buried next to one another in Second St. John's Cemetery.

What did happen to John Wicke? Family legend has it that there was trouble one night at the Queen's Hotel in Rostock. This property was owned by John's mother between 1880 and 1893. John is said to have brought his shotgun and let off a round, without inflicting injuries to anyone. He then is said to have brought the gun back home and left. Did he hide out in the bush? Did the fellows he had a confrontation with find him? Did he leave town or even the country to avoid the law? If so, did he change his name? It is possible that he went to live in Nebraska. His sister Mary and her husband, George Baumbach, moved to Nebraska between 1887 and 1890. John's younger brother, Edward is said to have also lived for a short time in Nebraska, working as a farm hand. He was not in the 1891 Census for Canada.

The legend states that John Wicke's family never heard from him again.