The Hilbert Family - Part 1

BECKIUS, BESCH, DONDLINGER, ETRINGER, FREYMANN, HAUPERT, HILBERT, KELLNER, KOOB, PETERS, PORTZ, ROLLING, SCHOLTES, TIES, WEIS, WEYDERT, ZEIMET

Posted By: Lorraine Weis Houghton (email)
Date: 4/25/2010 at 16:09:02

The Hilbert Family

Part 1 – and Table of Contents

Compiled by Lorraine Weis Houghton

Part 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

GETTING STARTED

THE HILBERT FAMILY COMES TO AMERICA

BIRTH PLACE OF CHILDREN

NAMING OF CHILDREN

Part 2

NICHOLAS HILBERT – 1817 – KATHERINE LANGENS - No descendants

FRANZ HILBERT – 1817 – MARIE CATHERINE GOELL and their descendants as follows

CATHERINA HILBERT – 1842 - PETER TIES

NICK HILBERT – 1845 – MARY FREYMANN

ANNA HILBERT – 1846 – FRANK KOOB

Part 3

ELIZABETH HILBERT – 1847 – JOHN N. ETRINGER and their descendants

Part 4

ANTIONETTE HILBERT - 1852

ARNOLD HILBERT – 1855 – SUSANNA ZEIMET and their descendants

The Hilbert family has always been of interest to me, since my great grandmother was Elizabeth Hilbert, who married John Etringer. We also had a neighbor named Charlie Hilbert and his wife Lena. We used to visit them and always enjoyed their farm. I assumed we visited them since they were our neighbors, but now I know that, in addition to being our neighbors, they were our relatives.

Acknowledgements

This history of the Hilbert family would not be possible without the help of very many people. Special thanks go to Sheri Feller, Richard Haupert, Katie Kilburg, Jane M. Miller, Betty Jean Moeller, Gerald Portz, Lois Jean Ruggeberg, Marilu Thurman, and many other people who, through conversations and emails gave important information on this family. I also was able to get information from http://www.rootsweb.com, and from http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library available for patrons of our local library. I am thankful for the generosity of contributors of their family trees, available on the internet, which were very helpful in finding information. Since three of the children of Elizabeth Hilbert and John N. Etringer married into the Weis family, a lot of information was gathered from The Weis Family books, compiled by Jane M. Miller. With the help of many, this biography of the Hilbert family has been constructed. We have tried to make it accurate, but if there are errors, please accept my apology. You may contact me at lahoughton@aol.com.

Also, I would like to thank my husband, Rex, for his great recall of comments that my dad made with regard to his mother’s family and for his tolerance of my spending so much time on the phone and computer pulling this information together.

Getting Started

In the July – August 2008 Letzebuerger Neiegkeet (Newsletter of Luxembourg Society of Iowa) there was a letter from Richard Haupert requesting information on the Hilbert family. His great grandfather was Nicholas Hilbert and my great grandmother was Nicholas’ sister, Elizabeth Hilbert. He had his email address listed, so I responded. Since Richard was in California and I was in Iowa, thanks to email, we were able to get a lot of information together on the Hilbert family. With additional help from Sheri Feller, who is a daughter in law of Ersula Etringer, we put a few more pieces of this family together and actually figured out that we are definitely related.

After several emails back and forth, Richard Haupert also remembered visiting Charlie and Lena Hilbert. It was really interesting reminiscing about that farm. I was always impressed with their outhouse, which was painted white, inside and out, and was decorated within. There were framed pictures on the wall. Another thing that as a child I remembered was the ladder built like a two sided step stool that stood over the fence. Charlie used this to cross the fence, rather than having to go down to the gate, when it was time to get the cows in for milking. Another neat thing was Lena would always serve us lunch at that big kitchen table when we visited. Richard wonders if it was the original kitchen table that Nicholas Hilbert and his family used.

Richard remembers traveling from Dubuque to Springbrook many times to visit the farm of Uncle Charlie and Aunt Lena. The roads were a combination of dirt, gravel and mud. Richard recalls going to the barn with Uncle Charlie and having Charlie "allow" him to turn the crank handle on the separator, as he poured the raw milk into it. He said it was "fun" and "educational". Richard also recalls spending the night on the farm a few times and in the morning finding ice in the water pitcher and wash bowl in the bedroom.

If you are interested in seeing where this farm is located, the easiest way is to start in Springbrook, Iowa. Travel west on the main road that heads through Springbrook. It is 150th Street. Go about one mile until you come to the first intersection to the left (south) with 340th Avenue. Follow that about ½ mile and on top of the hill you will make a right turn, which takes you to 124th Street. Travel about 1/8 mile. Before you turn the corner to the south, look straight ahead and that what used to be the Hilbert farm.

The Hilbert Family Comes to America

According to the "Arrival Gleanings" that was published with the Letzebuerger Neiegkeet, the arrival in New York City of the British steamship "Medway" included in its passenger manifest list of May 2, 1867 the Hilbert family. This ship traveled from Antwerp, Belgium to New York, U.S.A. See http://www.immigrantships.net/v11/1800v11/medway18670502_01.html

The list included Franz Hilbert, age 50, Arnold, age 55 and Nicolas, age 53, all three listed as farmers. Also on this list were Nicolas Hilbert, age 25, Arnold Hilbert, age 15, Elisabeth Hilbert, age 20, Catherine Hilbert, age 22 and Anna Hilbert, age 18.

It appears to me that Arnold (possibly the same as Adolph), born approximately 1811 and Nicolas, born approximately 1808 were also related to Franz, born 1817 and Nicholas, born 1817. I am wondering if they were all brothers. The 1870 census shows both Adolph and Nicolas living with Franz Hilbert. In the 1880 census, Nick Hilbert, who is then age 70 and retired is living with Nicholas Hilbert, who was born in 1817. I think the ages of all appear close enough, that they are of the correct Hilbert family.

I found information on the internet, which is not verified, that Nicholas Hilbert came to America in 1865. That would have been two years before Franz and other members of the family came. Since he is not on the passenger list with Franz Hilbert and family members, this could be possible, however I have not found a passenger list with his name.

The 1860 census for Jackson County, Fairfield Township, which is directly south of Jackson Township, shows a Nicholas Hilbert age 42 and a Catherine Hilbert, age 30. The post office for this area is listed as Rola (Rolley is a town that no longer exists.). I wonder if this is the Nicholas Hilbert, who was living with the Nicholas Hilbert family as shown in 1880 census. At that time, Nicholas Hilbert was retired and 70 years old, which would make his birth date around 1810.

The 1870 census shows Nicholas Hilbert, age 52 and his wife Catherine, age 50 living in Jackson County, Jackson Township, Iowa. Living with them is Nicholas, (son of Franz) age 25, whom it says works on the farm. This census also shows a Frances Hilbert, age 53 , Mary Hilbert, age 62. Others in the household are children; Elizabeth Hilbert, age 22, helps keep house; Arnold Hilbert, age 20, works on farm. Also in the household are Nicholas Hilbert, age 62, laborer and Adolph Hilbert, age 59, laborer. This seems to make sense for Franz’ family. Missing are Anna, who would have been 24 at the time, and married to Frank Koob, and Antionette, who would have been 18 at the time. I have found nothing else on Antionette. Knowing the custom at that time, I would assume that Antionette was working for another family and listed on their census. I am wondering if this is the same Nicholas Hilbert who lived with Nicholas Hilbert in the 1880 census. The age is close. Also, I am wondering if Adolph Hilbert (Arnold?) was another brother?

According to the 1880 census, in Jackson County, Iowa, Nicholas Hilbert, age 63, was the head of the household. He had living with him nephews, Nicholas Hilbert, age 35 and his nieceL (niece in law) Maggie Hilbert, age 32. Also living with him were his great nephews, Nicholas, age 6 and Alivis, age 2, and a great niece, Katie, age 4. Also, living with him was Nick Hilbert, age 70, retired, who was shown as "other" in the relation column. It appears to me that Nicholas had his nephew, Nicholas and his wife Mary (who must have been called Maggie) and their three children Nicholas, Jr. Catherine and Aloysius living with him.

The 1880 census from Rutland, Humboldt County, Iowa shows Frank Hilbert, age 63, a widower. A couple of doors away is Arnold Hilbert, age 29, Susanna, age 25, with son Mathias, age 4, Frank, age 2 and a daughter Anna, 11 months. According to the birthplace of Arnold’s children, it appears that they moved to Rutland very close to 1880.

Also, in checking the plat map of Jackson County, Jackson Township of 1893, the farm that I remember as the Charlie Hilbert farm was that of Nicholas Hilbert. Nicholas died in 1886. Nicholas Hilbert, the nephew of Nicholas and son of Franz remained on the farm and raised his family there. The 1900 census shows Nick, age 54 and his wife Mary, age 50, living on the farm along with Nick F. Hilbert, age 16; Louis Hilbert, age 22; Lizzie Hilbert, age 19; Peter Hilbert, age 14 and Charley Hilbert, age 11. By 1910, Nick Hilbert, age 64; Mary Hilbert, age 62; Peter Hilbert, age 24; Charley Hilbert; age 21 and a servant in the home, Mary Michels who was born in Nebraska. The 1920 census shows Charles Hilbert, age 31; Helena Hilbert, age 32 and Helen Herrig, age 69 (mother in law) living on the farm. Since Richard Haupert’s great grandfather was raised on that farm, it is no wonder that Richard’s family made several visits to that farm.

Birth Place of Children

You will notice that many of these family members are shown as being born in Springbrook, Jackson County, Iowa. These children were born at home in the Springbrook area. The records of their birth are in Jackson County, Iowa.

Naming of Children

It was not uncommon for more than one child in the family to have the same name, as they were usually named after their godparent of the same sex. They normally became known by a nickname or by their middle name. Also, if a child died, many times the birth of the next child of the same sex, would carry that name.

Of interest, there is a Nicholas Hilbert buried at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Springbrook, Iowa, with a death date of February 4, 1889, at the age of 77 years. That would make a birthdate around 1812. Possibly this is the Nicholas Hilbert who was born around 1810 and listed above. This makes me really think that Nicholas, 1817; Franz, 1817; Nicholas, 1810 or 1812 and Arnold, 1812 Hilbert were all brothers. See www.iowagravestones.org