When James (Jems) Erkenbrecht was born in 1782, in New York, United States, his father, Philip Erckenbrack, was 31 and his mother, Sarah Jung, was 20. He married Virtue Ann Shepherd in March 1802, in New York, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Turtle, Rock, Wisconsin, United States in 1850 and Illinois, United States in 1870. He died on 20 November 1880, in Hebron, McHenry, Illinois, United States, at the age of 98, and was buried in McHenry, Illinois, United States.