J. M. Wyckoff was born near Russellville, Brown County, Ohio, Tuesday, June 5, 1849. In 1858 his parents removed from that county to Champaign County, Illinois, finally locating in Douglas County, near Camargo. His parents were Methodists.

In the fall and winter of 1863 he attended a small country school, but in the latter part of December of the same year, at the age of fourteen, he ran away from home and entered the army, enlisting in Company D. Twenty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry (Grant's old regiment) and serving until the close of the war.

After his return home he would work through the summer and attend school during the winter months, and at the little school house where he attended school, he found a time and place religion. In the year 1869 Mr. Wyckoff was called to preach the gospel.

In 1870 he entered Lincoln University at Lincoln, Illinois.

In the spring of 1871 he joined Foster Presbytery, finally uniting with Illinois Presbytery.

He was ordained at Concord Congregation, Illinois Presbytery, in the spring of 1880 and was married in July of the same year.

Rev. Wyckoff has built a few churches and been a supply most of the time.

On May 24, 1906, he was selected by a Special Committee to fill the office of Treasurer of the Board of Ministerial Relief; a few years later he was elected Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer of the Board.

[Source: Our Senior Soldiers: The Biographies and Autobiographies of Eighty Cumberland Presbyterian Preachers. Compiled by The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication. The Assistance of Revs. J. L. Price and W. P. Kloster is Greatfully Acknowledged. Nashville, Tenn.: The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1915, pages 75-76]