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D. GEORGE ECKHEART

A man who has not only been thrifty, but who has been able to do the community where he lives much good by giving of his time and influence to its advancement is D. G. Eckheart, farmer and stock man, of Fairfield township, Fayette county. Starting as he did with small capital and having never received aid from anyone, the splendid property which he has acquired shows that he has been a man of excellent business ability and exercised good judgment throughout his career. He was born August 4, 1867, in this county, and he is the son of Michael and Fredericka (Heiden) Eckheart, both natives of Germany, the father having come to the United States with his parents when a boy, in about 1850. The family settled in Fayette county, Iowa, and purchased the present Eckheart farm, and engaged successfully in general agricultural pursuits, becoming well established here, also in Clayton county where they purchased land many years ago and on which they located. Both of the paternal grandparents of D. G. Eckheart are deceased, the grandfather dying at the age of seventy-seven years and his wife in 1867, and they are buried at Taylorsville, this county. Michael Eckheart, father of D. G., received a common school education, and in 1866 he married and moved on his father’s farm, now the home of the subject. The father carried on general farming and in 1897 moved to Arlington; his death occurred in 1903, at the age of sixty-one years, his wife surviving until 1909, dying at the age of sixty-six years, and they are both buried at Taylorsville cemetery. They had many friends in this community. They were the parents of six children, of whom four are living, namely: Emma, now Mrs. Stout; Ella, Charles and D. G. Fred and Philip are deceased. D. G. Eckheart received a common school education and grew to manhood on the home farm. On May 8, 1895, he married Emma M. Meisgeier, who was born October 15, 1871, the daughter of Carl and Catherine (Huepsch) Meisgeier. Her father was a native of Germany who came to this country in 1852 and located in Fayette county, Iowa, in 1855, and he is a well known and respected farmer in Fairfield township, where he owns a good farm. Mr. Eckheart began his married life on a rented farm. In 1903 he purchased his father’s homestead and has since that time devoted his attention to improving the place, which he has made yield abundantly. His farm contains one hundred and ninety-five acres and is located in one of the best sections of the county. He gives special attention to raising Poland-China hogs, keeping some excellent breeds,--in fact, he keeps a good grade of all kinds of stock. He has a good home and his farm is one of the desirable places in this township. He belongs to the fraternal order of Yeomen and is a Democrat in politics. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Eckheart, Carrol, born in 1901; Gertrude, born in 1903, and Harry, born in 1910. Mrs. Eckheart belongs to the German Evangelical Lutheran church of St. Sebold.

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Mary Aldrich