Henry Eckhardt, Sr. 1831-1917

ECKHARDT, SEMLER, HERR, WETRICH, VON HOENE, SMELZER, SHAFFER

Posted By: Ruth Eckhardt Myers (email)
Date: 9/7/2008 at 21:21:35

Obituary in Wellman Advance, Wellman, Washington County, Iowa, March 8, 1917, page 1 (front page):
ANOTHER PIONEER ANSWERS FINAL SUMMONS
Henry Eckhardt, Sr., Passes Away at the Home of His Daughter, Mrs. Fred Herr

Henry Eckhardt, Sr., was born in the Province of Hesse, Germany, April 28, 1831, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Fred Herr, in Wellman, Iowa, at the ripe old age of 85 years, 10 months and 8 days.

The family from which he came is an old one, tracing back its interesting history nearly three hundred years to the Fulda River Valley, Hesse Nassau, Prussia.

Mr. Eckhardt came to the United States in 1852, stopping for a time in Pennsylvania, and then coming to Ohio, where he was united in marriage to Catherine Semler in 1853. They lived in Ohio until 1861, when they moved to Greene township, Iowa County, Iowa, where they lived until 1902. At this date they moved to a small farm south of town, living there until the death of his wife in 1907. Mr. Eckhardt then moved to Wellman, where he lived alone until about six months ago, when he went to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Fred Herr, to be cared for in his feeble old age.

To the above union were born ten children -- five boys and five girls -- all of whom are living except the oldest, Mrs. Elizabeth Wetrich, who died in 1911. The nine surviving are: Charles, Mrs. Mary Von Hoene, Mrs. Anna Herr, Mrs. Tillie Smelzer, Henry, Jr., Mrs. Louise Shaffer, of Kinross, George, John and Will. These, with twenty-nine grand children and twelve great grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends live to mourn the departure of their loved one.

Mr. Eckhardt had been a member of the German-Methodist church almost since the days that he came to Iowa. He was a good neighbor, a kind parent, and true friend.

Funeral services were held from the Wellman M. E. church Wednesday, March 7, at one o'clock p.m., conducted by Rev. Barker.

Interment in the Wellman cemetery.