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Amanuensis Monday

As I was organizing paperwork, I came across this letter from August of 2001 from George Scopel of Illinois. At the time I was putting together and editing an Eckman Family Newsletter and I believe this letter was in response to an article I wrote about Baltzer Draucher Eckman.

Dear Jeanne,
I am a great great grandchild of Baltzer Draucher Eckman. I enjoyed the subject newsletter very much and would like to point out a few errors. The maiden name of Baltzer's wife was Wescott. The son of Baltzer that you have listed as George Washington Eckman was George Wescott Eckman. The son of George Westcott Eckman that you have listed as Alfred Eckman is actually Aldus Eckman known as Alley.

George Westcott Eckman was my great great grandfather and his son Baltzer D Eckman was my grandfather. My mother was Mildred Eckman a daughter of Baltzer D Eckman. I knew all of George Wescott's children except Aldus who died at an early age.

My mother's sister Verda Eckman Brunetto is 86 years of age and is still living. She has an outstanding memory and could answer questions persons may have about the sons and daughters of Baltzer Draucher Eckman who migrated to Illinois.

I will send you three newspaper articles. The first is the obituary of Baltzer Draucher Eckman. The second article is about John Eckman who owned all the land in and around Puseyville, PA. He built a mill in Puseyville. He was also an officer in the Revolutionary War. After the War his troops marched to the meadows near Puseyville where they camped and then went to Lancaster to be discharged. Mr. Eckman sent a courier to his mill and had a barrel of flower <his spelling> given to each family in the area to be made into bread to be given to the troops on their way home. It also states that one of the descendents of Mr. Eckman had an invitation to dine with the president on March 6, 1795. I would appreciate any further info you can get concerning this John Eckman and also the invitation. The third article is about a holdup that went bad in Florida. One of the robbers was Eugene Eckman the son of James Eckman who was the son of Baltzer Draucher Eckman.

My mom's diary indicates that George Westcott Eckman bought a farm 5 miles northeast of Greenfield, Illinois in Barr Township in 1890. In 1967 the Eckman family placed a granite marker on the property.

Another entry in the diary states that on Jan 7, 1956 my parents visited the Eckman Chapel Methodist Church at Ashland Illinois. It was begun by Rev J  H Eckman who held a series of evangelistic meetings in 1868 with 70 conversions. The church was destroyed by fire and on Aug 13, 1905 the present (1956) church was dedicated. Rev Eckman was James Eckman, son of Baltzer Draucher Eckman.

I enjoy your newsletters very much and would be happy to answer any questions that I can concerning the Illinois Eckmans.

Sincerely,
George Wescot Scopel (My middle name is not spelled as it should have been because of an error by the german speaking nurses who were present at my birth)

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