JOHN married WOLFMAN ANNA MARY ELIZABETH (WULFMAN) on 29 Jul 1859 in OR JULY 26; or Aug. 26. ANNA (daughter of WOLFMAN JOHN T. OR L. and UNKNOWN MARY) was born on 23 May 1838; died on 2 Jul 1920 in Valley City, N.D. at age of 83 yrs.; was buried in Unmaked graves in Greenwood Cem., Nashville, IL on lot with oldest dau. Anna & John L. Meyer & other members of Meyer family.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

North Prairie Church marriage records has name spelled Hoffmann.

ANNA married MEYER JOHN LOUIS on 4 Aug 1882 in North Prairie Ch., Washington County, IL; Wm. Kleinschmidt officiating, Joseph Meyer and Eva Meyer witnesses. JOHN died in 1927. [Group Sheet]

MARY married MEYER PETER. [Group Sheet]

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

HENRY married GERHOLD MARY CAROLINE on 18 Sep 1894. MARY was born on 31 Dec 1872 in Of Tower Hill, IL.; died on 2 Feb 1960; was buried in Valley City, North Dakota. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Edward's parents moved to Castlewood, S. Dakota around 1900 and it was here, through the church they both attended that Edward met Lydia Ganger, whom he married November 11, 1904. When Edward's folks moved back to Nashville, he took over their farm for a year and then moved to a farm in Hallock, Minn., where Leo, their first child, was born. Sometime later, Edward decided to become a salesman for Watkins Products and the family moved to Steele, North Dakota. The other three children, Milton, Harriet and Maynard were born here. In 1918 the family moved to Leonard, N. Dakota, where the father was employed by North American Creamery. Several years later in 1920 the family moved to River Falls, Wisconsin. Here Edward worked in an overall factory. Here the family grew up and when they moved to Minneapolis, Maynard chose to remain in River Falls.
From "Hoffmans 1662 - 1972"
Compiled by Bernice Reinhardt

EDWARD married GANGER LYDIA LOUISE on 11 Nov 1904. LYDIA was born on 25 Apr 1880; died on 23 Jan 1949; was buried in Clear Lake, S. Dakota. [Group Sheet]

EDWARD married FARR ALICE on 12 Jan 1951. ALICE died on 5 May 1956 in BURIED IN OAKLAND, CA.; was buried in Oakland, CA. [Group Sheet]

FREDERICK married UNKNOWN CLARA. [Group Sheet]

LUVINA married WITTER WILLIAM. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Edna entered a nursing home in Sedalia, MO where her son lives after the death ofher husband.

EDNA married DIEFENBACH HOWARD. HOWARD died in Feb 1972 in Approximate Date: at home in Percy, IL. [Group Sheet]

LAURA married MONROE UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN died in in Deceased.. [Group Sheet]

Living married BECKER U.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Lived in Omaha. Two children - Warren, in the grain elevator business and a daughter.

HARM married . Unknown [Group Sheet]

MATINA married TRIBE UNKNOWN. UNKNOWN died in in Deceased.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Lived in Kankakee, IL.

GRACE married STRAIN UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet]

ETHEL married HAY MAY. MAY died in in Deceased.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Lived in Kankakee, IL.

Notes:

Albert was a Postmaster, who after 40 years in postal Work retired at 65 and has an apt. In Denver close to brothers LeRoy and Edgar. No children. 2nd marriage June 27, 1971, in Denver to Helen Cortner, Widow of a Methodist minister.

ALBERT married DUTT KITTIE. KITTIE died in Jun 1968 in Died after a long illness; no children. [Group Sheet]

ALBERT married CORTNER HELEN on 27 Jun 1971 in Denver, Colorado. [Group Sheet]

Living married NOESKE A.. [Group Sheet]

Living married TAYLOR P.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Esther's husband was a successful farmer near Valley City, N.D. Esther died following surgery at Mayos for removal of a tumor on the pituitary gland. Garold has remarried. Esther had 3 children - 2 boys; 1 girl.

ESTHER married SCHROEDER GAROLD W.. [Group Sheet]

Living married TAYLOR F.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died of a mastoid infection which at that time doctors were unable to treat successfully.

Living married DRIESBACH E. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Leo was married and the father of 2 children. His wife died when the children were young and they were brought up in the home of Leo's sister Harriet. Leo was a mechanic for Singer Sewing Machine Company.

LEO married . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Living married MURPHY L.. [Group Sheet]

Living married WINANS K. [Group Sheet]

FRANCIS married . Unknown [Group Sheet]

BERNICE married GRACE THOMAS. THOMAS was born in in works for Coca-Cola in St. Louis, MO. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Jerry lives in Seattle where he is a buyer and contractor for Boeing Aircraft.

Notes:

Daughter is married and lives in St. Charles, Minn. Her husband is Supt. of Schools. They have 5 children.

Notes:

Works for N. American Insurance Co., Washington D. C.

EDGAR married UNKNOWN BARBARA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Oldest daughter is State Health Nurse and lives in Couer D'Alene, Idaho, where her husband is Postmaster.

Notes:

Youngest daughter and her husband are missionaries in Lima, Peru. 6 children.

Notes:

Manages a grocery supermarket in San Diego, California.

OLDEST married . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Social worker, Dallas, Texas.

SON married . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married a lumber Co. man in Crookston, Minn.

DAUGHTER married UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Married a teacher who taught at Columbia U.N.Y ; recently accepted a better paying position in Chicago.

Notes:

Nazarene Minister in Indiana.

Notes:

Nazarene Minister in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Notes:

After college she became Air Line Hostess for United Air Lines.

Notes:

Attended Colorado State University.

Notes:

Attended Colorado State University.