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Many thanks to Marion Melsheimer Czachor for identifying people in photos.

Much of the information on this page is from a chart sent via email by the very helpful and generous  Mary Utschig Read. She labeled it, "Information gathered from several people who are related to these families: Alice Erdmann, Raymond and DeAnn Meysing, David Jann, CA, David M. Jann, Marion Melsheimer Czachor, John H. Traut, and personal research. I hope I have not left anyone out--everyone has been very helpful and happy to share with one another. This chart has been put together by Mary Utschig Read. It is not complete, but the best that could be done with the information had by January 2007. Any corrections and/or additions are welcomed and hoped for so that the family's histories can become more complete and accurate. THANK YOU again for everyone's help in gathering the information so far collected."

To jump straight to photographs, click here: pics

Click on image to enlarge. Once enlarged, to zoom, move cursor to right of image, back onto image, and click again.

Ed Eck seated first on left in Lou Pfleger and Gert Bornhofen's wedding party. ID in 2007 by Marion Melsheimer Czachor	In this version he's standing 2nd from right	close up of just Ed Eck from previous
April 1929, at Bornhofen's 50th anniversary. See below gallery for link to labeled version	Margaret Merten Eck (cropped from Bornhofen's 50th)	Christian Eck (cropped from Bornhofen's 50th)
Their son Ed Eck who married Coletta Falkenthal	Ed's wife Coletta Falkenthal Eck, holding Merri	Coletta and unhappy Merri

The photos above are cropped from group shots. To see the Ecks in the 50th anniversary party for Margaret's sister, Catherine Merten Bornhofen (which also features her half sisters and their family members), click here: Bornhofen's 50th. The identifications were provided in March 2007 by Marion Melsheimer Czachor, who was at the party in April 1929. To see the group photo from which Coletta and Merri were taken, click here: Coletta Falkenthal Eck. It is a guess that this is Coletta, based on who else is in the picture (her mother, her aunt, and her cousins.)

Paper trail for Christian Eck:

(Possibly regarding his parents) 11-21-1853 the ship St. Denis arrived in New York from Le Havre, carrying farmer Christian Eck, age 38 or 39, from Wurttemberg and Maria Eck, 26.

(His parents, and Christian at 2) 1860 census, Chicago, Ward 4: Christian "Ecke," age 45, born in France, occupation: carpenter. Wife Mary Ecke, age 37, born in France. Children are Julian, 12 (interestingly listed as born in IL, so maybe the Christian and Mary who came in 1853 are not the same), Mary Ecke, 4, born in IL, Christian Ecke, 2, and Josephine Eck, 1. (They were in the US in time for the Civil War, and in Chicago in time for the fire.)

1870 census, Chicago, Ward 6, p. 179: Christian Eck, age 45 (hmm, looks like a census taker error because his wife has aged appropriately), still a carpenter, still from France, with real estate worth $1600 and a personal estate worth $300. Wife Mary, age 47, born in France, keeping house. Julian, 15, still says born in IL (as do all the children), works in oil factory (something i-l-factory). Mary, 14, same occupation. Christian, 12, at school. Josephine, 11, at school. Lina, 9, at school. Annie, 7, at school. Aloise (marked as female but becomes Louis and a son in 1880), 5, at school.

1880 census, Chicago, 24th St.: "Christopher" Eck, age 55 (hard to read it though), born in France of parents born in France. Oddly, no occupation listed. Mary Eck, 58, born in France of parents born in France, occupation: keeping house. "Christopher" Eck, 22, born in IL, laborer. Josephine Eck, 21, sewing girl. Lena Eck, 19, sewing girl. Anna Eck, 17, dress maker. Louis Eck (son, not the female Aloise of 1870) age 15, clerk in store.

1890 Chicago voter registration: Christian J. Eck of 28th st., born in IL, 29 years in County and State, 3 years in the precinct.

1900 census, Chicago, Southtown, 24th st. Chris Eck, age 42, born Dec. 1857 in Illinois of parents born in Germany. Married 17 years. Occupation: runs elevator. Wife Margaret Eck, age 40, born Dec. 1859 in Wisconsin of parents born in Germany, mother of 2 children, both surviving. Daughter "Cathern" Eck, age 16, born March 1884 in Illinois. Son Edward Eck, 13, born May 1887 in Illinois. Also in the household, Albert Eck, listed as brother, age 35, born in Illinois of a father born in Illinois and a mother born in Wisconsin (I doubt this, since it is an echo of the children listed above him), occupation: potato peddler. And then in the next column it gives his immigration date as 1867, which I think is another census error, meant to be listed in the line for the person in the next household. I think Albert is Christian's brother Alois/Louis.

1910 census, Chicago, Ward 31 (very faded page, hard to read): Christian J. Eck, age 51, born in Illinois, again saying of parents born in Germany, married 27 years, occupation: Salesman in insurance industry. Wife Margaret, 51, born in Wisconsin. Daughter Catherine A., age 26, occupation: switchboard operator in telephone industry. Son Edward Eck, age 23, salesman in wholesale dry goods industry.

1920 census, Chicago, Ward 32, Lafayette: Christian J. Eck, age 62, born in Illinois, but his parents are back to being from France, occupation: salesman--publishers. Wife Margaret, age 68. Son Edward J. Eck, age 32, manager, dry goods company.

1930 census, Chicago, Vernon Ave.: Christian Eck, age 71, born in Illinois, Father born in France, mother born in (it maybe says Lorraine) France, married at age 25, occupation: warden--forest preserve. Wife Margaret, age 69, born in Wisconsin of parents born not just in Germany but in Cologne, married at 23. Son Edward J. Eck, age 40, married at 33, dentist in private practice. Daughter-in-law Colletta Eck, age 29, married at 22. (Colletta Eck intercepts the family at another point--she's Edward Wachdorf's cousin. Two photos that I think are her, and her daughter, are at Coletta Falkenthal Eck)

Connection: Gert Bornhofen, the daughter of Margaret's sister, Catherine Merten (Bornhofen), married Lou Pfleger, whose sister was Irene Pfleger Wachdorf. The connection was her niece's sister-in-law.