He was born Martin Luther
Conrad Frank Eirich, but went by the name Frank L. Eirich. Frank was the eldest
of eight children born to Rev. J. Conrad Eirich and his wife, Margaret Young. Only
four lived to adulthood: Frank, Otto, Laura, and Constance. Frank was the only one of his
siblings to leave any children, a daughter. Thus he was the last Eirich of his
line.
Frank was born 19 Feb 1879 in Delphos, OH, where his father
was then a minister. In 1887, Rev. J. Conrad retired from the ministry to a
farm in Van Wert, OH, and Frank and his brother Otto began working the farm to
support the family. On 24 Oct 1906, Frank married Besse Carlo, as described in
the following article from an unknown local newspaper which appeared on Friday,
26 Oct 1906:
"A beautiful home
wedding was celebrated Wednesday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs.
Franklin Carlo, in Hoaglin township, when their daughter, Miss Besse Gertrude
Carlo, became the wife of Frank Luther Eirich, a son of Rev. and Mrs. Conrad Eirich, also of that township. The
marriage was held at six-thirty o'clock, performed by Rev. Ter Vahn of the
Lutheran church, in Middle Point, in the presence of about fifty guests. The
bridal couple, unattended, appeared in the parlor at the appointed hour, as Miss Laura Eirich played the beautiful Lohengrin
wedding march. They were met beneath a handsome bower of smilax and white
chrysanthemums by the pastor, who united them in holy wedlock. An elaborate
wedding dinner of four courses was served at the conclusion of the ceremony. Mr.
and Mrs. Eirich will reside at the home of his parents, north of the city, who
have gone to Salem, Virginia, to spend the winter. Among the guests were the
following from abroad: Mr. and Mrs. Edward Carlo, of St. Paris; Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph Leonard, of Bucyrus; and Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Eirich, of Toledo."
Frank and Besse had two
daughters, Louise and Evelyn. Sadly, Louise, whose full name was Princess
Louise, died young. A notice of her death appeared in an unknown local
newspaper on 19 Dec 1918:
Louise Eirich, aged nine
years, died at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Eirich, north of
town this morning. Her detah (sic) was due to influenza and pneumonia. She had
been ill about eight days. Her parents and one sister, Evelyn, remain.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been definitely made, but
will probably be held Saturday afternoon at two o'clock."
Another announcement
appeared the following day in another newspaper:
"Princess Louise,
youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Eirich, of Pleasant township, died
Wednesday at their home one mile Northwest of the city. The child, who would
have been nine years of age early in January, had been ill of influenza and
pneumonia the past nine days. The funeral arrangements have not been definitely
made but will probably occur at the home Saturday afternoon at two o'clock. Burial
at Woodland."
Frank continued to work the
family farm. He was injured in an accident there in 1943. The following article
appeared in an unknown local newspaper on Thursday, 9 Dec 1943. Although his
age is given as 60, he was actually 64 at the time.
Frank Eirick, 60, farmer,
residing in the Martinsburg road, about a mile west of Martinsburg, is in a
critical condition in the M. & S. hospital, Mt. Vernon, following a mishap
at his farm home Monday noon.
Eirick was unloading corn and after he finished he was
picking up the ears which had fallen to the ground, when his clothes became
caught on the shaft drive from a tractor to the elevator which he had been
using to hoist the corn. He was caught and thrown around the shaft and finally
thrown to the ground.
His wife heard his cries and at first thought he was calling
to the horses, but soon investigated and found him on the ground with his
clothes torn, and still caught on the tractor. He was exposed to the rain in
addition to suffering serious injuries. Neighbors were summoned and the injured
man was moved in the C. C. Law ambulance to the hospital.
In Mt. Vernon Hospital-Sanitarium he was found to be
suffering with an injured spine and possible right hip and ankle
fractures."
Despite the apparent serious
nature of these injuries, Frank lived 34 more years to the age of 98 and died
on 19 Sep 1977 in Columbus, OH.