William A. Eckerly (1848-1930) was born in Baden, Germany, and died in Los Angeles, California. In 1854, he immigrated with his family to the United States. He worked as a sawmiller while living in Ruby City, Colorado, in 1880. By 1885, he moved to Montrose, Colorado, with his sisters Rosa and Anna Eckerly. They moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, by 1900. By 1906, William had moved to Los Angeles and his sisters were living with him there in 1909 while he worked in real estate. Although both of his sisters joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1894, there is no record of him doing so. Anna wrote to Mary Baker Eddy in 1886, stating that she had given Christian Science treatment through prayer to others after reading Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and hoped to help William, who was having trouble with his teeth.

See more letters.