Hello, I was so excited to see this post regarding Goldie Eckels and her father, William H Eckels, a pilot on a steamer. Her mother was Caldonia Edna (Callie) Latil I believe.
I have found some census with William and Callie and his children Shepard, Willie and Goldie Edna...she was 6.

Goldie was my grandmother ( my father is William Charles Smith)... I have some history on the smiths. Herman Ziesemer is my dad's 1/2 brother and my brothers and myself allway thought of him as no different because of different fathers.

I was so ignorant of ancestry for tooooo long. Now, I am so anxious to gather as much as possible. I have pictures too.

Please send me your phone or email...this is exciting to share and exchange data...Irin Smith