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.