John (Johannes) Hintermeister

HINTERMEISTER

Posted By: Ed Hintermeister (email)
Date: 8/26/2008 at 13:16:07

John (Johannes) Hintermeister
18 June 1827 - 2 December 1919

John Hintermeister was born 18 June 1827 in Tuttlingen (State of Wurttemberg) Germany. John's father, Johann Jacob, was a day laborer and later a farmer. His grandfather, also Johann Jacob, was a knitter. It is believed that John was named after his father's oldest brother (also named Johannes) who was killed in Russia in approximately 1813.

It is assumed that John had a childhood typical for the era. He probably played along the banks of the Danube River, as this river runs through the center of Tuttlingen. It is also quite likely that he played in the ruins of the fortress Honberg, which is located atop a high hill in Tuttlingen. By this time period, Germany had an established school system and John presumably attended school and learned to read and write.

Although John came from a large family of nine children, he was the youngest of five to survive to adulthood. John had two older brothers, Johann Georg (11 years older) and Johann Jacob (7 years older). It is presumed that John looked up to them and tried to follow in their footsteps. John and his siblings are listed in order of birth as follows:

Maria Elizabeth ( 9 July 1814-February 1895)
Johann Georg (26 May 1816-Unknown)
Christiana ( 9 September 1817-27 October 1886)
Johann Jakob (Jake) (20 November 1820-24 February 1915)
Maria Barbara (31 October 1823-2 November 1827)
Anna Maria (13 December 1824-1 December 1827)
Johannes (John) (18 June 1827-2 December 1919)
Anna Maria (20 July 1831-7 May 1832)
Boy (Stillborn) (20 July 1831-20 July 1831)

At the age of 14, John was confirmed in the Lutheran church. While he was growing up he probably worked on his father's farm. When John was 21, he enlisted in the army of Wurttemberg and served three years. On 14 June 1853, two years after John completed his military obligation with the army, he married Elizabeth Huber , who's family was also from Tuttlingen. The following year the couple had a baby girl named Maria Barbara, who died two weeks later.

It is believed that John left Germany for the United States in 1854. The reason he left Germany, as has been verbally passed down, was to avoid being recalled to the army. However, during this period of German history, there were a number of other reasons which may have contributed to his decision to leave. Just as the potato famine caused many Irish immigrants to leave Ireland, Germany was also suffering from famine, although to a lesser degree. There was also political unrest in Germany, as the small kingdoms were trying to combine into a united Germany. Small revolutions were also appearing throughout the country in an effort to gain more personal freedom. The stories of success in the new land were also well known in Germany.

By the 1870’s the threat of serving in the Czar’s army caused many Wuerttemberg Germans to look elsewhere for a permanent home. Tens of thousands resettled on the Great Plains of North America.

It is also possible that Elizabeth already had family living in America. A very old German Book of Prayers exists with a handwritten inscription inside the front cover which reads:

"This is not a Bible but a Book of Prayer.
It is dated 1837 brought over from Germany
in 1838. Property of Mrs. Elizabeth
Hintermeister. Handed down to Mrs. F.
Hintermeister in 1918".

It was confirmed that the passage was written by Mary Kramer Hintermeister (Mrs. F. Hintermeister) , daughter-in-law of John and Elizabeth. Since it is unlikely that Mary would have recorded an incorrect date, and since the Book of Prayers belonged to Elizabeth, an assumption could be made that someone in Elizabeth's family came to America in 1838.

For all of these reasons, and the additional knowledge that his brother Jake (Johann Jacob) had gone to America in 1848 and was well established, were probably reasons enough for John to leave. It is likely that John gave this move considerable thought, however. Both of John's older brothers, and his oldest sister had moved from Tuttlingen. Jake had gone to America in 1848, his oldest brother Johann Georg had moved to Oldenburg City in 1845, and his sister had moved to Aspach. This left John as his father's only son still in Tuttlingen, and his parents were getting old. It must have been a difficult decision for John to leave.

There are various conflicting documents stating the dates that John and Elizabeth came to America. The 1900 census shows that John came to the United States in 1855 and that Elizabeth came in 1856. However, John's obituary and the Evangelical Church Records Books of Tuttlingen indicates that the couple traveled to America together in 1855. A translation of the church book passage states:

"1855, went to America with his wife and without children. 1869, has really immigrated to America and is declared to have forfeited his citizenship"

One of the keys to this riddle lies in the ship's passenger manifest for the ship "Richard Cobden". This manifest was provided to the United States Port of Entry authorities on 24 July 1855. The manifest shows that the Richard Cobden sailed from Bremen, and landed at New York on Tuesday, 24 July 1855. This ship's passenger list shows that Elizabeth Hintermeister made this voyage with her youngest sister, Regina Huber, and that John was not listed as one of the passengers. This is strong evidence that John and Elizabeth came to America separately.

Excerpts from a copy of the Richard Cobden Manifest are provided in Figure 1, and Elizabeth and Regina are listed as passenger numbers 48 and 49. It is believed that the ship departed Bremen on or about 3 June 1855, as B. Balleer signed the passenger manifest on this date.

Although there are some inaccuracies in the data, the "Marine Intelligence" section of the 25 July 1855 New York Times reports that the Richard Cobden arrived on 24 July 1855, and the voyage took 49 days. The passage reads as follows:

"Bark Richard Cobden, (Brem.,) Ballier, Bremen
49 ds, in ballast, with 117 passengers to Poppe & Co."

A verbal accounting of John and Elizabeth's arrival, which has been passed down through the generations, and also Elizabeth's obituary further confirm that the couple traveled separately to America. Elizabeth's obituary states:

"She came to this country and to Muscatine August 3, 1855, her husband having preceded her to America the year before."

It is assumed that 3 August 1855 is the date that Elizabeth arrived in Muscatine. The exact date of John's arrival in America and Muscatine could not be determined. However, based on the evidence, it is likely that he arrived in 1854. An exhaustive search made of all the passenger list indexes for the East Coast and Gulf Ports for the period 1854-1856, failed to locate John's name. Therefore, the port of entry records for John are presumed lost.

The German Evangelical Church records show that Elizabeth's younger brother, Friedrich (Fred) Huber, went to America in 1854. Since it is presumed that John also went to America in 1854, it is possible that John and Fred traveled together to America, but this could not be confirmed.

Although it is known that Elizabeth departed from Bremen, the departure point from Europe to America that John took is unknown. However, there are three primary ports from which most Germans immigrated to the United States. They are the two major northern German ports of Hamburg and Bremen, and the port of LeHavre in France. All three of these major ports are approximately equal distance from Tuttlingen.

The most likely departure point would have been from Bremen, since John's oldest brother lived nearby, and this is also the port from which Elizabeth departed. The index to the Hamburg Passenger departure list was consulted at the Library of Congress and no Hintermeisters were listed for the years 1855-1856. The Bremen departure passenger lists are not available, as they were destroyed during World War II.

Many citizens of Wuertemberg requested permission to legally emigrate from the State of Wuertemberg. However, there is no record that John, Elizabeth, or Elizabeth’s sister, Regina, applied for permission. Therefore, there are no clues about the departure here.

Departure records for LeHavre do exist, but they were not searched due to the difficulty in obtaining copies of these records, and it was most likely that John left from Bremen.

Upon arrival to the United States, John immediately settled in Muscatine, Iowa, where his brother Jake (Johann Jacob) had settled 5-6 years earlier.

John's first glimpse of America was probably either from the port of New York or the port of New Orleans. Many settlers to the Midwest landed at these ports. From New Orleans, settlers traveled north up the Mississippi River. From New York, settlers often traveled overland to Pittsburgh via Philadelphia, and then down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Both routes were popular ways to reach the Midwest. Some settlers also landed in Canada, and then traveled to the United States, as these fares were cheaper.

After his arrival to Muscatine, John established a teamster business. The census records for 1860, 1870, and 1880 all list John's occupation as teamster. While John was a teamster, he did general hauling, street grading, and sold goods at the city market. In the 1900 census, John listed his occupation as laborer in a lumber yard. The Muscatine City Directories of 1897-1900 show that John was employed at Hershey's Lumber Company. (Note: 1890 census records were destroyed by fire and Muscatine City Directories were not available. Therefore, John's occupation could not be established for this time period).

John became a U.S. citizen in 1865. His naturalization certificate states that on 16 May 1863, he declared his intentions to become a U.S. citizen and two years later on 17 October 1865, he renounced all allegiance to the Grand Duke of Wurttemberg, and his citizenship was granted, signed John W. Jayne, Clerk. A record of this certificate is recorded at the Muscatine County Court House , and a copy of John's citizenship paper is shown in Figure 2.

John and Elizabeth had a total of eight children. They are listed in order of birth as follows:

Maria Barbara (17 July 1854-29 July 1854)
John Buchanan ( 2 August 1856-29 July 1939)
Jacob ( 4 April 1858-10 March 1927)
Frederick John (15 February 1862-2 November 1926)
Rosina B (24 October 1864-30 January 1914)
George J (24 July 1867-20 March 1949)
William Bernhardt (15 February 1870-7 July 1887)
Male Child (Unknown)

It should be noted that no records could be located, which showed the birth and death of John and Elizabeth's eighth child, but John's obituary, the 1900 census, and Elizabeth's obituary all show that there were a total of eight children.

John and his family became members of the German Evangelical Church (now combined with the United Church of Christ). The old church was located on Sycamore Street between Third and Fourth Streets. The records show that John's wife, Elizabeth, was a member of the Women's Aid Society for many years, and a very devoted churchgoer.

From his earlier pictures, John appears to be a slim man about six feet tall and weighing about 175 pounds. In John’s older years his height was approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and he weighed about 160 lbs. He had black hair which turned gray in his later years, and although unconfirmed it is believed that he had blue eyes. John often smoked a pipe. His favorite foods were sauerkraut and pork, and chicken noodle soup. John was an honest, hardworking man and was reputed to be a man of good morals and good intentions. In his later years, he enjoyed making little toys for his grandchildren. Charlotte Holiday Potter (his great granddaughter) recalls that he made her a horse-drawn single-bottom plow and a small picket fence to put around her first Christmas tree.

Only two known original copies of a studio photo exist of John and no photos of Elizabeth could be located. An advertising inscription on the back of John's photo indicates that J.P. Phelps was the photographer. Although the exact age of the photographs could not be determined, John appears to be approximately 40 years old. It is estimated, therefore, that the photographs were taken between 1865 and 1870. John's photograph can be seen in Figure 3.

John never acquired much wealth. In the 1860 census, John estimated the value of his personal wealth to be $300 and he stated that he owned no real estate. (1860 was the only year that this type of information appeared in the census records). Because of his humble birth and limited education, John did not set high monetary goals of achievement for himself.

In January of 1877, John purchased his first home at 510 Main Street (see Figure 4) for two hundred dollars ($200), by taking out a mortgage for the entire amount. The 1880 Census shows that the whole family was living in this house, and the 1900 Census shows that only John and his wife were still living in the house. The Main Street residence was their home when his wife died after a four month illness on 28 December 1903 at the age of 72. Her cause of death was attributed to heart trouble. John was heartbroken over the death of Elizabeth and never totally recovered from his loss.

Since John was in his mid-seventies when his wife died, he decided it would be best to sell his home and live with his daughter, Rose, and her husband Henry Nicklas. In September 1905, John sold his Main Street home for one thousand dollars ($1,000), and the following month he purchased a 37.7 acre farm a few miles south of Muscatine with the proceeds from the sale of his home. It is assumed that John purchased the farm to provide a place for the Nicklas family to live as well as himself. It is also quite likely that John purchased the farm with the intention of eventually selling it to the Nicklas family, as two years later in March 1907, he did sell it to them. However, as a condition of sale, he reserved the right to use and occupy the farm for the remainder of his lifetime (a life estate).

While living with the Nicklas family, a humorous event occurred concerning John and the telephone. It seems that the whole family went to town and left John at home alone. While they were gone someone called repeatedly on the telephone, but John would just let it ring without answering. Being annoyed by the continual ringing, John finally answered. "Stop calling, There is no one home!". He then hung up.

Rose had failing health , and died in January 1914. Henry Nicklas kept the farm for another year, but sold it in October 1915. In 1920, Henry Nicklas was living as a border at the home of Jacob and Etta Hintermeister at 1300 Oak Street. Jacob was Rose’s brother. Henry’s occupation is listed in the 1920 census as a carpenter.

After his daughter Rose's death, John moved to live with his son Fred. Fred owned a farm on the Muscatine Island (current site of the Muscatine Airport) not far from the Nicklas farm. By this time, John had exhausted his savings, as he was no longer working and was supporting himself through his savings. He was very disappointed that his funds had not lasted longer. However, John was getting very old and may not have been the best manager of his money. His few remaining possessions consisted of his bed, some clothes, and his little reddish brown colored dog named Cherry. When he moved in with Fred, he gave his last silver dollar to this grandson Hubert as a memento. While John was living on the farm, he tried to help out, but he was too old to do much. John often reminisced about "the Old Country", and enjoyed going for walks with his little dog.

When Fred moved from the farm in January 1917 , John moved with the family to their new home at 344 Stewart Road (now 2017 Stewart Road). Except for a month before he died, John enjoyed exceptionally good health throughout his life. He died 2 December 1919 at Fred's home on Stewart Road. Although John lived to the old age of 92 years, he remained mentally alert to his death. He is buried next to his wife at Greenwood Cemetery in Muscatine. The large granite tombstone reads as follows:

Front of Tombstone
HINTERMEISTER
John Hintermeister
Born July 18, 1827
Died December 4, 1919

Elizabeth
Wife of John Hintermeister
Born February 4, 1831
Died Dec. 27, 1903
Aged 72 Yrs 10 Mos 23 Dys

Sleep on dear mother
And take thy rest
God called thee home
He thought it best

Side of Tombstone
Willie B.
Son of John and Elizabeth
Hintermeister
Born February 15, 1870
Died July 7, 1857
Aged 17 Yrs 4 Mos
22 Dys

Ora N.
Daughter of H & RFB
Nicklas
Born Mar 22, 1886
Died July 2, 1887
Aged 1 Yr 3 Mos 11 Dys

Another smaller tombstone was located beside and in front of John’s Tombstone, which reads as follows:

Father
John B.
Hintermeister
1856 - 1939

In addition, there was a small circular stone that was engraved with the word “PERPETUAL”.
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JOHN (JOHANNES) HINTERMEISTER'S SIBLINGS

Maria Elizabeth (9 July 1814-February 1895)

Maria was the first born child to this family. The Tuttlingen church records state that she was married in 1843 and moved to Aspach, which is located about 75 miles northeast of Tuttlingen and about 15 miles northeast of Stuttgart. The church family records of Aspach show that Maria married Johann Georg Muller (7 March 1814-21 October 1875) on 24 October 1843. Johann Georg was a carpenter from the small town of Allmersbach.

Johann's father was Georg Michael Muller who worked as a weaver. Johann's mother was Esther Obermann. Maria and Johann had six children who are listed in order of birth as follows:

Luisa Barbara (14 October 1844-Unknown)
Gustav Adolph ( 6 November 1845-Unknown)
Johann Adam ( 8 December 1847-10 August 187x)
Georg Jakob (13 January 1850-Unknown)
Rosina Magdalena (23 March 1852-Unknown)
Marie Friederike (17 November 1857-Unknown)

Johann Georg Muller died 21 October 1875 in Allmersbach. Maria died 20 years later in February 1895 in Backnang.

The following additional information is known about Maria and Johann's children:

a) Luisa Barbara married Karl Friedrich Benz on 28 January 1866.

b) Gustav Adolph went to America on the ship “Hermann”, and arrived in New York
on 3 May 1869. His occupation is listed as joiner. Gustav traveled to America with his cousins Elisa Hintermeister and Johann Teufel, and also Johann Kaufmann (a 21 year old turner from Wuerttemberg). Gustav may have settled in Muscatine, and changed the spelling of his name to Miller, but this was not confirmed.

c) Johann Adam was married on 13 June 1876.

d) Georg Jakob went to America. The most probable arrival date is 1 April 1867 on
the ship “Hermann”, but this could not be confirmed.

e) Rosina Magdalena married Christian Finkbeiner on 15 April 1888.

f) Marie Friederike’s life story is unknown.
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Johann Georg Hintermeister (26 May 1816-Unknown)

Johann Georg was the second born child and oldest son. He moved from Tuttlingen to Oldenburg City in 1845, which is located 375 miles north of Tuttlingen and 25 miles west of Bremen. The Wuerttemberg Emigration Index shows that Johann Georg requested permission to emigrate from Tuttlingen in March 1845.

On 16 May 1845, Johann married Anna Helene Buete. Anna was the daughter of Johann Hinrich Buete, a hired hand from Eckfleth/Kirchspiel Bardenfleth. In the Oldenburg Address Register of 1854 and 1855, Johann Georg is listed as an instrument maker and cutlery maker. His address is shown as Schutting Strasse 14.

The Oldenburg Church Register shows that Johann and Anna had four children, who are listed in order of birth as follows:

Elise Philippina Margarete ( 5 Mar 1846-22 Nov 1921)
Agnes Dorothee Frederike (15 Apr 1847-Unknown)
Johann Hinrich Georg ( 6 June 1853-Unknown)
Johanne Frederike Henriette ( 8 July 1855-Unknown)

The records do not show death dates for Johann and Anna, so it is possible that they may have moved from Oldenburg. We do know that there are no longer any Hintermeisters in Oldenburg.

Little is known about the children except for Elise. Elise went to America on the ship “Hermann”, and arrived in New York on 3 May 1869. She traveled to America with her cousins Gustav Muller and Johann Teufel, and also Johann Kaufmann (a 21 year old turner from Wuerttemberg). The 1870 census shows that she was living with the Jacob Herr family. On 27 September 1870, Elise married James Bowersox (7 September 1839-19 November 1907) in Muscatine, and the couple then moved to Davenport. Elise and James had five children: Lillie, Esther, Dora E., Leo, and Hugo. However, it is not believed that there are any living descendants from any of these children.

Elise died on 22 November 1921 at age 74 in Davenport, and is buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport.
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Christiana Hintermeister (9 September 1817-27 October 1886)

Christiana was the third child and second daughter born to this family. The Tuttlingen Family Church Records show that she married Johannes Teufel (25 April 1816-21 April 1880) on 11 October 1842. At the time of his marriage to Christiana, Johannes was on vacation and employed as a King's bodyguard. Since bodyguards were generally selected because of their size, it is assumed that Johannes was a large man. The records show that Johannes was later a farmer and shoemaker. Johannes' father was also named Johannes and his occupation was shoemaker. Johannes' mother was Maria Katharina Stang.

Johannes and Christiana had seven children, but only three reached adulthood. They are listed in order of birth as follows:

Christiana Barbara (10 July 1843-17 July 1843)
Maria Katharina (29 July 1844-5 August 1844)
Johann Jakob (25 August 1845-2 September 1845)
Anna Maria (28 March 1847-Unknown)
Johannes (27 December 1849-1929)
Johann Jakob (24 November 1852-Unknown)
Anonymous (30 May 1861-30 May 1861)

Johannes Teufel died on 21 April 1880 in Tuttlingen. He died four days before his 64th birthday. Christiana died six years later in Tuttlingen on 27 October 1886. She was 69 years old.

The following information is known about the children of Christiana and Johannes:

a) Anna Maria was married on 11 July 1868. No further information is known.

b) Johannes immigrated to America in 1868. The ship passenger records show that Johannes departed from Bremen on the ship named "Bremen," and arrived at New York on 14 April 1868. Johannes is listed as 19 years of age and his occupation is shown as shoemaker. From the passenger list, it appears that Johannes was traveling alone, and was not traveling with friends or family.

Shortly after arriving in America, Johannes moved to Moscow, Iowa, where he lived the rest of his life. Moscow is a small town near Muscatine. On 17 December 1870 Johannes married Otilda Wiese Barewald (21 September 1842-5 March 1932), who had immigrated from Arnsfeld, West Prussia. The couple had four children: Regina, Herman R., William A., and John Carl.

The 1880 Census shows Johannes' occupation as shoemaker, but he later operated the hotel in Moscow for many years. Johannes died circa 1929 at the age of 80.

c) Johann Jakob went to America on the ship “Hermann”, and arrived in New York on 3 May 1869 at the age of 16. His occupation is listed as joiner. Johann Jakob traveled to America with his cousins Elisa Hintermeister and Gustav Muller, and also Johann Kaufmann (a 21 year old turner from Wuerttemberg). Johann Jakob moved to Moscow, Iowa, presumably to be near his brother. He married Anna Elizabeth Pilgrim (27 October 1848-27 March 1929) in Wilton, Iowa, on 21 January 1877. The couple had five children, who are listed in order of birth as follows: John Henry, Anna Catharine, George Eldon, Otto C., and Rosa Christianna. The 1880 Census shows that Johann's occupation was farmer.

Since Anna Maria Hintermeister (Mother of Christiana Hintermeister) was a widow in 1862, and was included in the Teufel family portrait, it is very probable that she was living with the Teufel family.
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Johann Jakob Hintermeister (20 November 1820-24 Feb. 1915)

Johann Jacob was the fourth born child and second son. At the age of 14 Jake was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. While he was growing up he probably worked on his father's farm. At the age of 21 Jake enlisted in the Army of Wuerttemberg and served five years between 1841 and 1846.

Jake must have been a bit of an adventurer. In 1848 he left his family and homeland and immigrated to America. Jake was part of a group of 13 people from Tuttlingen who traveled to America. The ship “Columbia” departed Bremen on 20 March 1848 and arrived 59 days later at New Orleans on 18 May 1848. The stated final destination for the entire Tuttlingen group was St. Louis.

The St. Louis Church records show Jacob Hintermeister married Rosina Magdalena Dold on 31 December 1848. Rosina and her family came to America on the same ship as Jake.

It is believed that Jake Hintermeister, Rosina, Rosina's father, and Rosina's sister and brother-in-law moved from St. Louis to Muscatine together in 1849. In 1849, a cholera epidemic in St. Louis claimed 4500 lives out of a population of 63,000, and this epidemic may have been a determining factor for the family move from St. Louis to Muscatine.

The 1850 Census shows that Jake and Rosina were definitely living in Muscatine on 17 September 1850, the date of the Census . Jake's occupation was listed as farmer in the 1850 Census. For a short time, Jake ran the Great Western Saloon, and was a partner in the Hintermeister and Dold Brewery, but Jake eventually went back to farming.

Jake and Rosina had three children. They are listed in order of birth as follows:

Jacob John (3 March 1851- 27 October 1929)
Rosina Barbara (8 April 1854- 11 July 1930)
Mary Catharine (8 August 1856- 9 May 1907)

Although Jake lived the majority of his long life in America, no record could be found that he ever applied for United States citizenship.

On 26 March 1873 Jake's wife, Rosina, passed away at a relatively young age of 51. The cause of the death was listed as Erysipelas in the face. She is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Muscatine.

After Jake retired he lived with his daughter, Mary. The 1900 Census shows that Jake was living with Mary and his son-in-law, George Stuhler, Jr. in Monticello, Iowa. However, sometime prior to his death, Jake returned to Muscatine and lived with his son, Jacob John. On 24 February 1915 Jake died at his son's home located at what is now 216 West Fifth Street. He had lived to the very old age of 94 years. The cause of death was attributed to ills attendant upon old age, and was not unexpected. Jake is buried next to his wife in Greenwood Cemetery.