The death certificate of Melissa (Eckert) Maurer says she was born 26 Oct 1845, died 7 Jul 1928 and was the daughter of Levi Eckert and Sarah Ulp.

The death certificate of Philip W B Eckert says he was born 20 Nov 1850, died 1 Aug 1911 and was the son of Levi Eckert and Sarah Ulp. Is this Burg?

The death certificate of Winfield Scott Eckert says he was born 9 Apr 1847, died 18 Sep 1931 and was the son of Levi Eckert and Sarah Ulp.

The death certificate of Emma Morgan says she was the d/o Levi Eckert and Harriett Ulp — but it is wrong, though it caused me no end of confusion until I learned how wrong it was.

There was a Harriett Eckert who married John Ulp, they had a son John Irwin and when both his parents died, he was raised by his double Aunt and Uncle — Levi Eckert and Sarah Ulp.

This all got cleared up from the reminiscences of Emma (Eckert) Morgan published in the Public Press in 1917. She recounted a wild storm that happened when she was a child.

“1 Jul 1853. I, a sixteen year old girl, was assisting mother …baking..Sister Clara was in the house sewing. Brother Burg and Malissa (now Mrs. Maurer) were with mother and I in the outkitchen. Scott, a five year old boy had been sent to Dr. Priestly for a neighbor’s sick child. Father came hurrying in…”Sarah, there is an awful storm upon us”….Brother Willard and John Ulp, whom mother had raised were both boating with Uncle George Eckert.”

Looking at deeds. DD/49. In 1842, Jacob and Levi Eckert both of North’d Borough sell to Benjamin Matthews, John Youngman and E P Shannon various items including a canal boat called Pochontes & fixtures, a horse, 2 setts boat harness?, a tin plate stove, a wagon, a mantle clock, 60 yards carpeting, 2 cherry bureaus and a walnut clothes press. My guess would be that Jacob and Levi were brothers and this was either their father’s stuff or stuff they had bought together and now were going their own way.

https://books.google.com/books?id=qQNAAAAAYAAJ&...20eckert&f=false

I don’t think this is the Eckerts of interest to us but it is interesting that Peter Eckert died in 1828 and left his estate to his sister but when she died to any surviving brother, his brothers were: George, Jacob, William and Levi. I think they were all of Lancaster. The upshot was that only Levi was surviving when the sister died in 1864 which I think rules out our guys. But the similarity of the names makes we wonder if there is some connection.

Looking at the ages of Levi’s kids, it also seems clear he must have had a first wife prior to Sarah and so some of those Eckert children in 1850 were not her children, likely some of the younger ones were. The dividing line may be Clara and Emma by Levi’s first wife, Millard, Malissa and Winfield Scott by Sarah.

In 1860, in Northumberland, we find Levi Eckert age 46, Mary 47, William 18, Scott 16, Burg 14, John 5 and Elizabeth Kline 11. The absence of John I Ulp who I don’t think has yet married makes me think Mary, though the same age as Sarah, is a third wife, that Sarah must have died. The dividing line in this case is William (aka Millard), Scott (aka Winfield Scott) were Sarah’s kids, John was Mary’s kid and Burg (who is not Malissa) has appeared out of nowhere. It might also seem that Mary was previously married to Kline and Elizabeth Kline her daughter.

In 1840 in Northumberland, we find Levi Eckert age 20-29, his presumed wife the same age, and 3 daughters, 2 under the age of 5, 1 age 5-9. Note, there is no son. So he has not yet married Sarah, I don’t think.

1870 Northumberland. Levi Egbert 56, Mary 56, George 22, Brgh 19. Also John Kline 15, Elizabeth Kline 21 and Elsie Rhodes 22 (domestic servant). Who’s George?

In 1880 in Northumberland, we find Mary Eckert age 64 with John Eckert 24 and George Kline 28. Levi is not to be found in 1870, in fact most of this family is elusive in 1870, but my guess would be Levi died in the 1860’s.

So I believe Mary was wife 3. That means Sarah died not long after the 1850 Census.