Eickelberg, 934 8th Ave. near 55th St., New York, 2003  

August Eickelberg (1850-1923) was an undertaker in New York from 1875 until his death 30 April 1923. The business was located here on 8th Ave. from 1880 until 1951. The 1900 U. S. Census says that Eickelberg was born Feb. 1850 in Germany and immigrated to the U. S. in 1857. In 1900 he lived at 337 W. 55th St. This would be about half a block away from the funeral home, on 55th St. between 8th and 9th Avenues. Living with him at this time was his wife, Margaret, 50, born Scotland, and two sons, Elliot Fitch Shepard Eickelberg (1880-1952) and Graham Alexander Eickelberg (1882-1951).

August Eickelberg's funeral services were reported in the New York Times, 5 May 1923, p. 11, and read in part, "Delegations from practically every Masonic lodge in New York City were present yesterday afternoon at the funeral services for August Eickelberg, past Master of Scotia Lodge, F. and A. M., and who at the time of his death was custodian of the work of the Grand Lodge of New York. The funeral was held at the Central Presbyterian Church, Madison Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street, of which Mr. Eickelberg had been sexton for fifty-four years. Mr. Eickelberg died after a short illness last Monday at his home, 934 Eighth Avenue. He was in his seventy-fourth year and was the oldest sexton in point of service in the city."

This Eickelberg ad from 1932 appeared in the Manhattan telephone directory. At this time the two sons, Elliott F. S. Eickelberg and Graham A. Eickelberg, were running the business. A similar ad appeared in the 1942 telephone directory. An earlier Eickelberg ad appeared in the Polk Brooklyn City Directory, 1933-34. It specifically claims "Established 1870."

Copyright © 2009 Walter Grutchfield