Henry H. Hillmer 1852-1920

HILLMER, GEGNER, ALBERTSON, BRUCHER

Posted By: Joe Conroy (email)
Date: 8/14/2010 at 21:39:57

The Carroll Times
Carroll, Iowa
18 Mar 1920
Page 1

Popular Railroad Man Died Friday

Resident of Carroll County for Twenty-eight Years -- Was Switch Engineer.

Henry H. Hillmer, one of the veteran railroad engineers of this city, died at his home in the fourth ward Friday afternoon, March 12th, at 2 o'clock after an illness since the first of the year.

He was born in Hamburg, Germany, April 17, 1852, and came to this country when sixteen years old. He located at Boone where he entered the employ of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad. With the exception of a few yeas with the Rock Island railroad, in the early seventies, he spent almost his entire life in the employ of the Chicago Northwestern, firing for this railroad when it was a narrow gauge out of Des Moines.

He was married to Miss Margaret Gegner in 1878, and the first years of their married life were spent in Des Moines. They moved to Carroll twenty-eight years ago and during this time Mr. Hillmer has been an engineer on the switch engine up to two months before his death.

Mr. Hillmer was highly respected and loved by all the employees of the railroad. He was a quiet home loving man, and home to him meant the dearest spot on earth.

Funeral services, conducted by his pastor, Rev. A. J. Mueller, were held at the home Sunday afternoon.

Besides his wife five children are left to mourn his departure, Louis of Des Moines; Bess (Mrs. Edward Albertson), of Carroll; Florence (Mrs. J. J. Brucher), of Galva, North Dakota; Harry of Carroll, and Oscar, of Algona. All of the children were home to attend the funeral. One son, Frank, died at the age of nine years.