Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Hillmanns' 4 1910 Rose and Herman Have a Baby

THE HILLMANNS OF BROOKLYN

Chapter 4

1910 Rose and Herman Have A Baby

Herman and Rose got married.  According to census records and google maps this is where they lived.


In November of 1909 they had a baby girl, Marian



Rose and Herman liked to do the same things with their baby that people like to do today, like take her to the park.



On August 7, 1910 the Hillmanns went to Brighton Beach




Another summer day they went sailing.  I believe this was on Long Island with Hillmann relatives.












Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Hillmanns 3 1907 Herman meets Rose

THE HILLMANNS OF BROOKLYN

Chapter 3.

 1907 Herman and Rose

In 1907 Herman, age 24, was courting Rose Siegele, age 22.  Both Herman and Rose’s fathers were born in Germany and both their mothers were born in the United States to parents who immigrated from Germany.  


Herman and Rose grew up in Brooklyn.  Thanks to census records, mapquest and google, I can show you that Rose grew up in this house which was 3 miles from Herman’s house. 



This is Herman's house.


Rose was the second of five children. I don't know how Rose and Herman met, but I know Herman's father owned a bar. Census records tell us Rose's father, Henry, was also a "barkeeper."


Rose was the second of five children. This is her older sister, Henrietta, age 24, and her brother Henry, age 19.  


Rose is on the left and Angelica is on the right. Mr. Siegele hailed from Alsace Lorraine which was sometimes part of Germany and other times part of France.  The Siegeles viewed themselves Germans.


Rose is on the left and Henrietta is on the right with cannon balls.  There was many a canon and canon ball displayed in Brooklyn and all of NYC prior to the World Wars, when they were melted down to be used.


Here we have the entire group. Today we would call the Hillmanns and the Siegeles "Germans", but they didn't view themselves that way in 1907.  Herman explained to his grandson that his father was northern German, from Bremen, while Rosie's father was from southern Germany.   As an aside, I read a book that said northern Germans from Bremen, which is where Herman’s father was born, were Vikings. Herman looks Viking.)


The Siegele women, Angelica, Henrietta and Rose.  Henrietta never married and was a seamstress.


William, age 17, and Angelica, about 15. I think someone had a camera and everyone decided to go out and take pictures. I'm glad they did. Herman also had one sister, but by this time she was married.  Through Ancestry.com and Facebook I am now friends with descendants of William and of Herman’s sister.  These are people my father never knew existed.  


On the left we have the youngest Siegele, Angelica, with her brother William in August of 1907.  I don't know if this was the same day or another time, for an event. It was not Angelica's wedding, you'll see pictures from that day much later and her dress is not as elaborate as it is here.


Join us next week.  Herman and Rose get married.


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Hillmanns 2 1900 Abroad


The Hillmanns of Brooklyn

Chapter 2

1900  Abroad

Last week I introduced you to the Hillmanns of Brooklyn, John and his wife, Emma, along with their children, Herman and Louise.  Herman was my great-grandfather.  In 1900, at the age of 17, Herman traveled to Europe with a group of other young men from his church.  These are the pictures he brought back.


Herman is showing us what it looked like when he left New York.  You are looking at these pictures in exactly the order Herman placed them in his album.


Relaxing in steamer chairs


Ireland, the Road to Killarney


Killarney, Ireland


Clyde, Scotland


Dunollie Castle, Scotland


I look at these pictures and sometimes wonder how the same place looks today.  The below picture was taken from internet.


The Oban waterfront of Scotland


A thatched roof in Scotland.


After Scotland they journeyed to Holland.


After they went to Holland, Herman and his group traveled to Germany.  This is a picture of a country station in Germany, taken from the train on the way to Worms.  Herman’s father, John, and his mother, Emma’s, parents were all born in Germany.


Herman took this picture Heidelberg from his hotel window.  So far as we know Herman’s mother, Emma, never saw Germany, nor is it likely his father ever saw as much of Europe as Herman got to see on this trip.


Rhine rafts.

In 1900 Herman was proud to be of German descent.  By the time my father, Herman’s grandson, was old enough to understand concepts of ancestry, which was after the two world wars, Dad reports his grandfather was ashamed of having any association to Germany. 


The Rhine, taken from the train. 


Do you ever go somewhere and take a picture because you are filled with the beauty of the place? And then you see the picture and realize it does not capture the entire feeling of beauty.  At least it can bring back the memory.  


Rhine Falls, Shaffhausen, Germany


  

Bern, Switzerland


A small town in Switzerland taken from the train


Rapperswill Switzerland


Mountains in Switzerland


Herman with his friend Willie at 400 feet

    
 This is my favorite picture in this album. 


A cathedral in Naples


A cathedral in Venice


Closer—with a flock of tame pigeons


Grand Canal in Venice


more Grand Canal (view of the Grand Canal)


A gondola in Venice


returning home on the Trojan Prince


Back of the album


Please join me next week when Herman meets his wife.