| Notes |
- Henry Hoffman was born on a farm in the Hoyleton-North Prairie area. He was the third child and oldest son and helped on the farm until his younger brothers were old enough to help with the work, at which time he struck out on his own. He husked corn and did work on farms. It was in the Tower Hill, Il., area (75 mi. north of Nashville,) that he met the Gerhold family. The Gerhold family belonged to the Evangelical Church and at one time Henry considered the ministry but opposed the ceremony and the robes worn by Eangelical ministers.
Mary went to Castlewood, S. Dakota, in 1893 to keep house for her brother, Chris, and Henry soon followed and worked on farms there. On Sept. 18, 1894 they were married and took up farming. They joined the Methodist Church. The three oldest children were born here. Because Indians frequently stopped to water their horses and would look around in the house and leave, Mary and the children were frightened. They were not hostile and would not do or say anything but because of this and because of droughts and crop failure, the family moved back to Il. This was around 1900 and the family started farming around Bible Grove, Il. Two more children, Esther and Victor were born here. Because Henry had met and was a great admirer of Theodore Roosevelt, he named Victor - Victor Roosevelt and later Elmer - Elmer Theordore. Thile they lived at Bible Grove a salesman for Walter T. Raleigh Medicine Co. persuaded Henry to give up farming and go from farm to farm selling Raleight products. He was well-known and prospered. After he had accumulated a sum of money he wanted to buy a shoe store in Decatur but Mary didn't want her children brought up in the city and hoped they would become farmers.
About 1907, the family moved to Braddock, near Stude, N. Dakota, close to where his brother Edward owned a farm. Henry bought a farm and a steam threshing machine. Sine his was the only machine in the area, he was prospering. In the fall of 1910 he hired an engineer who disregarded Hy's,
orders not to cross a section of tall prairie grassland. Straw was the fuel for the engine and a stiff breeze set all the grass a fire. The dry grass burned fast destroying all faarms and crops in its path till it reached Long Lake. Henry had to pay for the damage so lost everything. Another baby, Ervin, was born ehre at Braddock. Now almost penniless and very depressed over his troubles he decided to move to Sedalia, Mo., where he had heard the Mo. Pacific R. R. was hiring men. Albert, the oldest son and his father took jobs in the shops. As soon as cheaper labor was available, they lost their jobs. Once agaain trouble hounded them - Ervin developed mastoditis and died.
In 1912 a friend from Fargo, N. Dakota, loaned the family train fare to Fargo where Henry worked for J. I. Case Tractor and Threshing Co. - Albert in the Post Office, and Lillian for Woolworths.
In 1914, the urge to farm came again. Through a Methodist Minister, a farm was located near Valley City, N. Dakota. Here in 1915 LeRoy was born. In 1920, a cyclone destroyed granaries filled with grain as well as crops in the field. Henry and Mary took bankruptcy to save the little they had.
The children except for Victor, Elmer and LeRoy had all left home. Henry bought land at Randall, near Little Falls, Minn. It was undeveloped with plenty of timber. He rented another small farm and most tillable land was planted with cucumbers to be sold to a Pickle Factory in the area. In winter Henry and Victor sold cordwood from the timber. When Copper Mining Co. was buying land in the area Henry leaned too late that the former owner had retained the mineral rights and he once again had to sell at a loss.
The family the moved to Russell, Kansas where Albert was hald owner of a tire shop - this was in 1923. Albert passed his postal exam, sold the shop and sent to work in the P. O. Henry worked as a salesman for Baker Medicine Co., which proved to be a dying business.
With the help of their children, Henry and Mary then went into retirement and lived in Valley City, N. Dakota, close to two of their daughters. In 1949, after putting up storm windows, Henry complained of being tired - three days later he died of a coronary thrombosis. Mary then went to live with her daughters, first with Esther and then with Lillian. On Jan. 30, 1960, Mary slipped, fell and broke her hip. She died three days later in her sleep.
Members of the family say the family had many hard times but also many happy times and were always close. The parents were always highly religious - did much work for the Methodist Church and had family devotions daily - morning and evening.
From "Hoffmans 1862 - 1972"
Compiled by Bernice Reinhardt
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1866 - 1949 (83 years)
(Age 82 years)