He was an Assessor of Hayes Township, Ida County, Iowa, and was born in Sweden in 1858. He was the son of Frederic and Sophia (Anderson) Eckman, natives of Sweden. Edward was reared and educated in the schools of Sweden and De Kalb County, Illinois, arriving there in 1875.
He was engaged in farm labor and in 1878 located on his farm in Hayes Township, Ida County, which he purchased in 1876. He served as Road Supervisor for 4 years for Hayes Township, as Constable two years, and was Assessor beginning 1890. He had a brother Peter, a sister Augusta (wife of Ben Larson of Hayes Township); Christine (Mrs. Charles Gran of De Kalb County, Illinois); and a brother Swanter.
He married Ida Johnson, a native of Sweden, in 1885. She was from Grundy County, Illinois, and her family located there at Morris, Illinois, in 1871. Her parents were John and Helena (Johnson) Johnson. She had a brother Albert and a sister Viola. Ida’s family came to Ida County in 1887.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Eckman had two children: Roy and Hazel.