1880 James and Emma lived in Jackson Twp, Darke County, Ohio with 2 children, next door to Joseph and Caroline Eichelberger. [1]
1910 James, a carpenter, and wife Emma Eichelberger lived at 726 East Elm Street, Union City, Darke County, Ohio (Union City Directory).
1910 James B Eichelberger (age 56) and Emma C Eichelberger (age 54) lived in Jackson Twp, Darke County, Ohio with daughter Ottie Shank (age 25), son-in-law Orville Shank (age 32), and Lillian Shank (age <1). [2]
1929 Emma C. Eichelberger, born December 29, 1854, died on September 17 and was buried at Teegarden Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. [3]
1929 Emma died. Residence was 615 Elm St., Union City, Darke County, Ohio.
1930 Jim Eichelberger and Ida Noffsinger were married on December 20. [4]
1943 A newspaper story was published about James Eichelberger [5]:
J. B. Eichelberger Within 10 Years Of Century Mark.
James B. Eichelberger of 115 Franklin street, celebrated his 90th birthday anniversary Saturday with the boast that he is the oldest citizen of Union City, Ohio. He had been enjoying fairly good health with exception of six weeks' illness from influenza from which he has not yet recovered.
Mr. Eichelberger came as a lad of 16 years from Pennsylvania to Union City June 27, 1869, and has made his home in Union City since that time, witnessing the growth from a mere village to a combined city of more than 5,000 inhabitants. He is a most interesting conversationalist on the history and growth of the city and surrounding community. His favorite sport is fishing, and he visits the lake at Celina each year. Mr. Eichelberger's trade was that of carpenter, and he followed it in city and country with success till he was past 80 years of age. In the construction of the addition to the East Side school building completed in 1937, he laid floor and did other helpful work to speed the day when the school could occupy the new home. He was one of the carpenters working with Henry Wahl, general contractor, when two of the additions to the United Brethren church were built.
Mr. Eichelberger has served the city school and church over a long period. He was elected city marshal, street commisioner, and constable many times. He was a member of the board of education for eight years, serving five years as president. During this time the first manal training equipment was placed in the school.
A lifelong member of the United Brethren church, Mr. Eichelberger has held many offices of responsibility and has served with credit on many committees. He is still an active member of the Men's Bible class of which Fred Pickett is the teacher. He follows a daily schedule of Bible reading which makes it possible for him to read the entire Bible in less than one year.
Mr. and Mrs. Eichelberger had open house Saturday and had many guests who came with best wishes and cheerful birthday remembrances. Among those visiting the Eichelberger home were: Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Noffsinger, Mr. and Mr J. D. Cetone, of Dayton; Mrs. Robert Shank of Troy; Mrs. Eva Hartman, Rev. W. T. Rrank, Rev. and Mrs. R. B. Ditmyer, and others, of Union City.
1946 James' (Uncle Jim Eichelberger) death was noted in April in the diary of Hazel Grill. [6]
1946 An obituary for James Eichelberger reported [7]:
Oldest Resident Of U. C., Ohio Dies Thursday. James B. Eichelberger, 92, the oldest citizen of Union City, Ohio, died at the Orville Shank residence at 4:40 p. m. Thursday following an extended illness from heart trouble and complications.
Mr. Eichelberger was born on December 18, 1853 in Silver Springs, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph and Caroline Breniser-Eichelberger. He came as a lad of 16 years to Union City June 27, 1869, and made his home in Union City since that time, witnessing its growth from a mere village to a combined city of more than 5,000 inhabitants. His favorite sport was fishing, and he visited the lake at Celina each year before his declining health.
Mr. Eichelberger's trade was that of carpenter, and he followed it in city and country with success until he was past 80 years of age. In the construction of the addition to the East Side school building completed in 1937 he laid floor and did other helpful work to speed the day when the school could occupy its new home. He was one of the carpenters working with the Henry Wahl, general contractor, when two ot the additions to the United Brethren church were built.
Mr. Eichelberger had served the city, schools and church over a long period. He was elected city marshal, street commissioner and constable many times. He was a member of the board of education for eight years, serving five years as president. During this time the first manual training equipment was placed in the school.
A lifelong member of the United Brethren church, Mr. Eichelberger held many offices of responsibility and served with credit on many committees. He was an active member of the Men's Bible class.
He was also a member of the Odd Fellows, Encampment and Rebecca lodges.
His wife was the late Emma North whom he married on April 18, 1875. She died in 1929.
He leaves two daughters, Mrs. Orville Shank, Union City, and Mrs. Clarence Hoover, Anderson, Indiana; one sister, Mrs. Sylvester Wolf, Urbana, Ohio; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. Three sons, Frank, William and John; three brothers and three sisters also preceded him in death.
The body has been removed from the Fraze funeral home to the Shank residence where friends may call.
Services will be conducted at 3 p. m. Sunday at the Union City United Brethren church with Rev. R. B. Ditmyer in charge, assisted by Rev. W. T. Frank. Interment will be in the Teegarden cemetery.
Research Notes:
Children's names are reported by Grace Wolfe in a letter dated 1957 Aug 07.
Emma North was the daughter of Benjamin North and Jane McClain, both born in Ohio.
[1] US census, 1880, Reel 1010, Image 618, family 107, [InternetArchive].
[2] United States Federal Census, 1910, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[3] Find A Grave Memorial 35318964, [FindAGrave].
[4] Hazel Grill Journal, 66 [Darke County Ohio Web no longer available].
[5] Newspaper, Union City Times-Gazette, Wednesday, December 22, 1943.
[6] Hazel Grill Journal, 120 [Darke County Ohio Web no longer available].
[7] Newspaper, Union City Times-Gazette, Friday, April 12, 1946.