A son of Jacob & Barbara (Klies) Eckroate, he was married to Mary Catherine (Baechler) Eckroat on the 14th February 1882. They were the parents of 12 children:

1. Franklin Peter (24 Nov 1882-15 June 1966) who married on 14 Feb 1906, Rosa Frances Kobler (born 11th February 1890). He lived his married life in Mission, Texas.

2. Mary Magdeline who married Sebastian Koelsch; they had 8 children and lived the married life in Midwest City, OK

3. Charles William who married Mary Louise King. They had four children Imelda, Ed, Margaret and Ted; Ted married Vivian Schroeder, lived in Jones, OK, and they had 7 children.

4. Anna Clara (Sister M. Philomena ) died 1965 Mount St. Mary's OK.

5. Lillian Gertrude who married John F. King

6. John Ananias Jr. who married Margaret Kobler Jones, OK (John Ananias, Jr. lived at 63rd and Midwest Blvd. in Oklahoma City, OK.)

7. William Michael (19 July 1895 Ok-21 Feb 1974) on 12 Feb 1919 married Mary Hall and had 3 children: William M. Jr. (married to Katherine Kloiber), Arthur Vincent Eckroat (married to Margaret Flynn and had three sons) and Rosemary (married Leonard L. Baechle L.L. Bachle [Leo] and had 6 children)

8. Daniel Edward married Mable Beavin

9. Rose Isabella married Edward S. Swierczynski

10. Lawrence Vincent married Olivia Imhoff

11. Louis Anthony b. 1904 d. 1905 (Died of flypaper while napping)

12. Paul Henry married Rita McGrath




John A. Eckroat's siblings were:

1. Lewis Anthony born Jun 21, 1854, in Canton, OH. He married Elizabeth Christine Daum Winkamp (5 of August 1857-5 Sept 1896) on 15 January 1878.

2. Daniel S. (19 January 1856-29 April 1874) Died unmarried, drowned due to seizure on water. Check under Eckroate.

3. Mary Ellen (9 November 1859-13 August 1914). She married Peter Emmanuel (11 September 1850-17 March 1942) on the 19th January 1875.

4. Jacob Victor (25 November 1861 Canton, OH -5 July 1937) married Caroline Hergenroder (17th May 1863-27 April 1930) on the 30th September 1880.

5. Caroline Elizabeth born 5th March 1867. On 6 February 1905 she became (Sister Constantia)

6. Peter Frank (5 February 1869 in Illinois-22 Jan 1939) He married Mary Magdaline Stoll (22 April 1875-22 December 1949) on 23 April 1895.

From HISTORY of the ELKHORN VALLEY NEBRASKA Pub. 1892:

JOHN ECKROAT, a farmer living on Section 21, of Ridgeley township, came to Dodge County in the fall of 1869 in company with his parents, who at first located in Pleasant Valley township, where they took a homestead of eighty acres, which the father improved, our subject living at home until he became of age, when he bought eighty acres of his own and went to buying hogs and cattle. He added to this land until he had one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he made good improvements and held the same for three years, when he sold and bought the place he now occupies, which consists of two hundred and forty acres, which at the time he purchased it was wild land. He put good buildings upon the place, dug a well, planted two acres of a grove and an orchard of sixty-five trees. He now has one hundred and sixty-five acres under the plow, while the remainder is in pasture and meadow land. He has seen many changes in the Elkhorn Valley since he became a resident. He experienced loss and hardship during the grasshopper period and has his crops materially injured by corn worm.

He of whom we write this biographical notice was born in Stark County, Ohio, December, 1857, the son of Jacob and Barbara Eckroat, of Germany, whose seven children were: Lewis, Daniel (deceased), John, Mary E., Jacob, Caroline and Peter.

Our subject remained in the Buckeye State until he was eight years of age, when his parents removed to Illinois and lived three and one-half years and then moved to Nebraska.

February, 1882, marked a new era in this man's life, for it was during this month that he was united in marriage to Mary Baechler, the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Baechler, Natives of Germany, whose three children were William Samuel and Mary, all of whom are living at this date. Our subject and his wife are the parents of five children: Franklin, born November 24, 1882; Mary, born November 2, 1884; Charles, born February 12, 1887; Anna, born January 10, 1889; Lillian, born March 27, 1891.

Mr. and Mrs Eckroat are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and politically he votes with the Democratic party.

He has been to the Pacific Coast twice; sold out and moved his family, remained six months and returned to Nebraska.


(Thanks to Joseph, for extra info and for submitting a picture of John Ananias Eckroat.)