George Martin Eichler

Aug 8, 1910 - Apr 27, 1966

Private graveside services will be held Saturday for George M. Eichler, 55, former St. Joseph County Republican chairman and former judge of St. Joseph Circuit Court, who died at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday in St. Joseph's Hospital. He lived at 2233 E. Madison St. Friends may call in the Forest G. Hay Son Funeral Home from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Rev. Daniel Kechel, pastor of First Christian Church, will officiate at the graveside services in Southlawn Cemetery.

Mr. Eichler was appointed judge of Circuit Court by Gov. Harold W. Handley to fill the unexpired term of Judge J. Elmer Peak, who died on April 3, 1960. Judge Peak, a Democrat, had served on the bench for many years. The term ended Dec. 31, 1960, and Eichler was succeeded by the incumbent, Judge Joseph W. Nyikos, a Democrat who was elected in November, 1960.

Mr. Eichler did not seek election as he was not a candidate in the Republican primary of that year. He gave up his post as GOP county chairman, which he had held since December, 1957, to accept the judgeship appointment. He served as president of the St. Joseph County Bar Assn. for one term in 1955-1956.

When he was elected chairman of the county Republican organization, Mr. Eichler was selected as the person who could heal a split that then existed in the party. He succeeded Thomas E. Bath, who had held the post for almost 12 years. Mr. Eichler long had been active in Republican political circles and was director of St. Joseph County Young Republicans in 1936 and 1937; director of the 3rd District Young Republicans in 1938 and 1939, and was South Bend GOP city chairman in 1947.

He sought office in 1954 as the Republican nominee for judge of St. Joseph Superior Court 2 but failed to win in the fall election. Other posts he held were as a member of the St. Joseph County. Alcoholic Beverage Board in 1949; member of the board of directors of the St. Joseph County Department of Public Welfare, 1957; and manager of the South Bend branch of the Automobile License Bureau for several years. In 1936 he was a deputy in the county clerk's office.

A lifelong resident of the community, he was born in South Bend on Aug. 8, 1910, and was married in 1948 to the former Ianthe M. Cole in South Bend.

Surviving are his widow; a stepson, Bert Handwork, South Bend; a sister, Mrs. Jeanette Maxson, East Lansing, Mich., and two grandchildren.

He graduated from South Bend Central High School in 1928 and from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1940. 

He practiced law in South Bend except for four years that he spent in the military service during World War II, two years of it in the South Pacific. He attained the rank of major. In recent years he had been associated in law practice with DeVere D. Goheen in the National Bank Bldg.

Mr. Eichler was a member of the American, Indiana and St. Joseph County Bar Assns.; the Organized Army Reserve Corps; the Reserve Officers Assn. of the United States; Post 50, American Legion; and Lodge 235, Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks. He also was former president and director of the Hearing Society of St. Joseph County; a member of the South Bend Federation of Musicians and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra..

Article from 28 Apr 1966 The South Bend Tribune (South Bend, IN)

Sources: Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com and FindAGrave.com

02/15/2026 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30210969/george-martin-eichler