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3rd Great Grandparents

2nd Great Grandparents

Great Grandparents

Grandfather

My Hilgendorf ancestors emigrated from Dresow, Kreis (County) Greiffenburg, Pomerania (Eastern Germany) to the United States in 1839. This region is on the Baltic Sea in what is now Poland. They emigrated primarily for reasons of religious freedom. They immigrated directly to Freistadt (now known as Mequon), Wisconsin, which is just north of Milwaukee. The husband of this family was Ernst Friedrich Hilgendorf (1796 - 1880) and his wife was Benigna Plack Hilgendorf (1797 - 1863). These are my great, great, great grandparents.   Ernst and Benigna emigrated together with their six sons aboard the ship Ajax; a daughter was born later in this country. Ernst was a farmer. Their emigration is documented in the monograph Nineteenth Century Emigration of "Old Lutherans" from Eastern Germany (mainly Pomerania and Lower Silesia) to Australia, Canada, and the United States by Neal Clifford Smith (Westland Publications ISSN 0094-7806).  This work draws heavily on a two-volume study in German authored by Wilhelm Iwan in 1943.  I have a copy of both the Iwan study and the Smith monograph in my possession. According to these sources, this was the only Hilgendorf family that emigrated from this region during this time period, and they immigrated directly to Freistadt. If this is in fact true, then any Hilgendorf who can trace their origins back to Freistadt/Mequon most probably is related to me.  Whether or not Ernst had brothers or sisters is not known.  However, given the large families that a lot of Hilgendorf ancestors had, it is probably safe to say that there were brothers and/or sisters and they quite likely remained in Germany based on the Iwan and Smith sources.

The children of Ernst Hilgendorf and Benigna Plack Hilgendorf:
 

The Freistadt/Mequon area is still very rural and given over to farming. There is a very well-preserved settler farm building that was built by Ernst Hilgendorf in 1842.  I was able to enter and inspect this building, thanks to the graciousness of the current Hilgendorf occupants who live in a separate farm house on this farm. I believe this settler farm building is a registered historic home site. The furnishings and home implements are representative of those earlier times. I have a number of photographs taken at this location, some of which appear below. Note the heavy exposed beam construction used.  This construction method (known as half timber construction) was undoubtedly brought over from Germany.
 

Rough stone-walled exterior of the family living quarters.	Attached barn structure.	The downstairs family sitting room.

The front side of the grave marker for Ernst Friedrick Hilgendorf. Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freistadt, Wisconsin.	The reverse side of the grave marker for Ernst Friedrick Hilgendorf. Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freistadt, Wisconsin

Ernst Hilgendorf's oldest son Carl Hilgendorf is my great, great, grandfather. He was 22 years old when the family emigrated. He was serving in the military at that time and had to get special permission to leave the military so that he could emigrate with his family.  He also was a farmer.  Carl Hilgendorf married Wilhelmine Schoessow about 1840 in Freistadt, Wisconsin.  The Schoessow family also emigrated from Kolzow in Kreis Wollin, Pomerania in 1839.  Wilhelmine was 16 years old at that time.

The children of Carl Hilgendorf and Wilhelmine Schoessow Hilgendorf:

 

Child	Spouse	Their Children
Wilhelm (1842 - 1909)	Marie Wilk (c. 1847 - c. 1882)	Arthur, Marie, Renata, Richard, Clara, Lydia
Charles (1843- 1926)	Louisa Bublitz (? - ?)	Louise, Albert, Paulina, Edmund, Lydia Magdalena, Lydia Maria, Charles, Alma, Walter, Frederick, Carl
Martin (1845 - 1926)	Hannah Bartell (1847 - 1915)	Johann, Adolph, Ella, Emil, Hugo, Richard, Amanda, Gustav, Paul, Lydia
John Gottlieb Michael (1847 - 1928)	Johanna Antonia Siebert (1851 - 1938)	See Below (My Great Grandparents)
Marie (1851 - 1918)	Henry Klug (1851 - ?)	Alfred, Edwin, Oscar, Rudolf, Clara
August (1854 - 1915)	Did Not Marry
Carl (1856 - 1930)	Augusta Hartwig (? - ?)	Heinrich, Flora, Dalla, Elsie
Wilhelmina (1858 - 1896)	1st Husband: Otto Klug (1855 - c. 1929) 2nd Husband: Eugene Albrecht (? - ?)	Walter Klub, Otto Klug, Adolph Klug Max Albrecht, Unknown daughter
Louis (1860 - 1940)	1st wife: Sarah Klug (? - 1892) 2nd wife: Anna Garbish (? - ?)	George, Lorenz, Ella Erwin, Clarence, Emma, Laura, Waldemar
Helena (1862 - 1941)	Albert Vilwock (1869 - 1942)	Else, Irma
Theodore (1864 - 1924)	Louisa Heis (? - ?)	Theodore, Edna, Emma, Elvira, Unknown Son, Theodore
Edward (1867 - ?)	Abbie Sonchia (? - ?)	Edward

This is a photo taken at Carl and Wilhelmine's 50th wedding anniversary.  Top row: (left to right): Theodore, Edward, Martin, Marie, Charles, Carl Jr, and August.  Bottom row (left to right): Wilhelm, Wilhelmina, Wilhelmina, Carl, Helena, John, and Louis.  This photo was taken about 1890.

Many of my Hilgendorf  relatives lie buried in the cemetery of Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistadt/Mequon. Hilgendorf is a very common name in this area. I found the gravesite of Carl Hilgendorf and his wife Wilhelmine Schoessow Hilgendorf in this cemetery when I visited the area in 1988. Below is shown the monument for Carl and Wilhelmina Schoessow Hilgendorf on the left and a closeup of the lettering showing the name "Carl" and the birth and death dates as 24 Oct 1817 and 24 Dec 1897 on the right.  There is an active historical society at Trinity Lutheran Church that has published a history of the settlers of this area, where they came from, and what life was like in the early days. It is entitled By the Grace of God (Volume Two, 1964).  I have a copy of this history in my possession.
 

The monument of Carl and Wilhelmina Schoessow Hilgendorf in the cemetery of Trinity Lutheran Church in Freistadt, Wisconsin		Close-up of the monument showing the name Carl Hilgendorf.  Shadows prevent reading the entire name.  The monument is somewhat weathered.

My great grandfather John Gottlieb Michael Hilgendorf led a very fascinating life. He was an ordained Lutheran minister who served as a missionary pastor on the plains (Nebraska and Colorado) beginning in the early 1870's. Indian wars and gold rushes occurred during this time and this region was somewhat uncivilized. He supposedly was given a revolver by Buffalo Bill Cody for his protection while the two traveled on a train in this region. He evidently met Buffalo Bill on more than one occasion. My great uncle Paul Hilgendorf documented John Gottlieb Michael Hilgendorf's experiences in a monograph of approximately 150 pages. My great grandfather John and his wife Johanna Siebert Hilgendorf had four sons and two daughters. Three of these sons (Rudolf, Walter, and Paul) were Lutheran ministers.

The children of John Gottlieb Michael Hilgendorf and Johanna Siebert Hilgendorf:

 

Child	Spouse	Their Children
Rudolf Charles (1875 - 1923)	Sophie Lauppe (1873 - 1978)	Verona (Adopted)
Amalia Lina (1876 - 1968)	Did Not Marry
Maria Sophia (1878 - 1958)	Ewald Theophilus Otto (1881 - 1967)	Walter Adolph, Lando Clarence, Ewald Justis
John August (1883 - 1966)	Rosina (Rosa) Lauppe (1876 - 1968)	See Below (My Grandparents)
Walter (1891 - 1918)	Laura Albert (? - ?)	Walter, Doris
Paul Alvin (1894 - 1965)	Esther Marie Edna Krussrow (1901 - 1998)	Paul Alvin Jr. (Deceased), Rosalie Marie (Deceased)

The children of John August Hilgendorf and Rosa Lauppe Hilgendorf:
 

Photo Of Paula and Elmer	Photo of Paula Marie Berger Hilgendorf on her wedding day

The children of Elmer and Paula Berger Hilgendorf:

Dan, Don, Jane, and Judy	Michele and Wayne Evans and Susan Bruene Hilgendorf	The Johnson Family at Scott and Lisa's Wedding: Steve Hernandez, Lisa and Scott , Judy and Don, and Brad

Elmer and Paula Hilgendorf's Great Granddaughter:

Olivia Rose Johnson (Age 3 years and 8 months)

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