Tampico Area Historical Society
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.com

Page 904 

JOSEPH HENRY EICKMEIER

Joseph Henry Eickmeier, now identified with farming interests in Bureau township, was born in the city of Princeton, December 31, 1859. His parents, Joseph and Ricke Eickmeier, were both natives of Holland and came to the United States in the '50's, locating first in St. Louis, Missouri, where they remained for about two years. One the expiration of that period they came to Princeton, where Mr. Eickmeier worked at the carpenter's trade for some time, being identified with the early building operations int hat city. he was afterward engaged in the milling business and later he turned his attention to farming, which he carried on a short distance south of Princeton. For the past thirty years, however,he has to been actively engaged in business and at the present writing makes his home in Kansas with one of his daughters. he has attained the age of eighty0one years and is now in quite feeble health. his wife died of consumption in April, 1875.

Joseph Henry Eickmeier acquired his education in the old Holiday school in dover township, where he mastered the branches of learning usually taught in such institutions. In his youth he also performed various labors such as devolve upon the farmer lad and he assisted his father to the age of twenty-five years, when he was married to Miss Laura V. Stiles, who was born May 4, 1868, in Bureau township, own the farm where they are now living. She is a daughter of Alvah and Elvira (Darin) Stiles. Her father, who was born in in Greene county, Ohio, February 23, 1831, died in Princeton, October 13, 1900, at the age of sixty-nine years, seven months and twenty days. He was married in 1853 to Miss Elvira Darin, and came to Bureau county in 1855 at which time he took up  his abode on a farm north of Princeton and there resided until 1893. He then removed to the county seat, where he lived until his death. His widow survived him for more than five years and passed away on the 16th of January, 1906. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Eickmeier has been  blessed with eight children, namely: Milton, Alvah, Georgie, Elvira, Marion, Lester, Laura and Lillian.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Eickmeier began farming on his own account and has since carried on general agricultural pursuits with the result that  he is today one of the prosperous farmers of his community, owning two hundred and eighty-six8x acres of good land which is very rich and arable, returning excellent harvests for the care and labor which he bestows upon the fields. he is largely engaged in the cultivation of corn and oats and he also raises considerable stock, making a specialty of Poland China hogs.

He and his family are members of the Wesleyan Methodist church of Bureau township and are interested in its work and growth. Mr. Eickmeier has spent much of his life in his native county, but in 1885 he went with his family to Nebraska, where he engaged in farming for sixteen years. Five years ago he returned to this county and in 1905 he purchased the Stiles farm, which he has since been operating. His life has been one of unremitting diligence and perseverance and he has brooked no obstacles that he could overcome by determined and earnest effort. Realizing that labor is the basis of all success, he has by his close application to his business made steady progress and is now a leading agriculturist of Bureau township.