MRS. CATHERINE EBERHARDT. Nothing is more grateful to the feelings of the biographer than to find a demand made upon his pen for a sketch of an ideal woman — one whose sound judgment and true heart have carried her unswervingly through the devious paths of life and whose beautiful Christian character has shown out through the darkness of life's trials and temptations and has ever proved a beacon to warn the unwary and to comfort those in sorrow. Such a life we find our duty to record in speaking of the lady whose name appears at the head of this paragraph.

Our subject was born in Wurtemburg, Germany. January 31, 1832. Her father, George Geiger, was born there in 1797 her mother, Katherina (Hild) Geiger, having her nativity in 1805. They married and settled in Germany and there they spent their entire lives. They became the parents of four children of whom Mrs. Eberhardt was the eldest and she remained at home until she reached her twentieth year and received as thorough an education as her parents were able to command for her. They brought her up in the faith and practice of the Christian religion and sought for her those blest possessions of a cultured heart and mind. This young woman when only twenty years old left her home and friends in the Old Country and emigrated to America. This departure was trying indeed to one of so warm a nature, and the homesickness with which &he was afflicted lasted for many sad and weary months. She never saw her parents again, as it was not practicable for her to return to them and they did not feel brave enough to leave their native land and cross the ocean.

While living in Philadelphia, Catherine Geiger was employed as a domestic for somewhat less than two years, after which she came West and while in St. Louis, Mo., met and married Jacob Eberhardt, her wedding day being March 4, 1854. This young man was a native of Switzerland, where he was born in 1825 and after his marriage with our subject he removed to Sangamon County, Ill. and there made his home. After four years' residence there they removed to Marion County, Ill., and resided there for nine years and in the spring of 1867 came to Moultrie County and settled in Lowe Township where Mr. Eberhardt died June 15, 1870. Eight children have blest this union, namely: John, Bertha, Jacob, Anna, George, (who died at the age of nineteen) Emma, Charlie, who died when sixteen years old, and Lucinda, the last one dying in early childhood, Mrs. Eberhardt has continued to live in Lowe Township, and she owns two hundred acres of fine land upon which she has placed good improvements. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, an earnest and active Christian and a lady of such genial nature as to win every heart.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, 1891 - p. 404/409

Transcription copyright 2003/2007, Moultrie County ILGenWeb/USGenWeb