You will read the story today about a Hoffmann who married a Richter who married a Popp who married an Eggers who married a Henn. Hang on! Because all of today’s characters were born in Germany, I will be able to only display a few German baptism and birth records that I located. Even one of the marriages mentioned in this story took place in Germany, and I will not be able to show it.

I will begin with the man who was the oldest of today’s characters. His name was Christian Gottlob Hoffmann, who was born on September 27, 1798. He was born in Frankenberg, Germany to his parents, Gottfried and Johanna (Naumann) Hoffmann. I was able to locate a birth record from Frankenberg for Gottlob.

Gottlob would get married in Germany prior to him coming to America, so let’s take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Amalia Rosina Richter, who was born on July 1, 1807. Amalia was the daughter of Carl and Rahel (Fritzsche) Richter. She was also born and raised in Frankenberg, so I can also display her birth record here.

Gottlob Hoffmann married Amalia Richter on July 14, 1831 in Frankenberg. Although I was able to locate birth records for Frankenberg, it was not the case for marriage records. Family Search lists 4 children born in Germany to this couple, and all of them died during the same year of their births. Then, in 1839, this childless couple decided to join the Gesellschaft. These two came to America aboard the ship, Johann Georg. We see them on this portion of that ship’s passenger list below.

This Hoffmann couple apparently remained in St. Louis instead of joining the group that settled in Perry County. In 1840, Gottlob Hoffmann died in St. Louis at the age of 41. His death record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis. There is no burial information that I could find for him. After his death, his wife, Amalia, probably moved to Altenburg, where several other Hoffmann’s from Frankenberg had settled. She would get married again, and her second wedding took place in Altenburg. Let’s take a look at the man who would become her second husband.

Johann Andreas Popp was born on September 2, 1812 in Sanspareil, Germany, which is found in the Bavarian region. Andreas was the son of Conrad and Anna Maria (Horn) Popp. Andreas’s family came to America in 1840 aboard the ship, Clementine. Andreas was listed as being 28 years old at that time.

Andreas Popp married Amalia Hoffmann on November 7, 1841. That means today would be this pair’s 185th wedding anniversary. These two were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg by Rev. Gotthold Heinrich Loeber. This wedding took place before Trinity had built their first permanent church in 1845, so it may have taken place in the upper floor of the Loeber parsonage, where services were held during those first years in Altenburg. The church marriage record for this event is shown here.

I failed to locate any civil marriage records for this couple. According to Family Search, this pair had 3 children, but only one of them lived to adulthood. When the third child was born in 1848, Amalia died as a result of the child birth. She was 40 years old at the time of her death. So, we never see Andreas and Amalia in a census entry together.

Andreas Popp would get married again later in 1848, so let’s take a look at the woman who would become his second wife. Her name was Catharina Adelheid Eggers, who was born on November 12, 1832 in Lamstedt, Germany. Catharina was the daughter of Claus and Dorothea (Buchholz) Eggers. I am able to display her Lamstedt baptism record here.

A later census entry says that the Eggers family came to America in 1834 when Catharina was still quite young.

The widower, Andreas Popp, married Catharina Eggers on September 21, 1848 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg. By this time, the 1845 church had been built. The church marriage record is displayed below.

The German Family Tree lists 5 children born to this couple. When the 1850 census was taken, we see the Popp’s with 2 children. One child was from each of Andreas’s wives. Andreas was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find the Popp’s in the 1860 census with 3 children, all from Andreas’s second wife. He was still farming in the same location.

Andreas Popp died in 1864 at the age of 51. He was likely buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, but there is no entry for him on Findagrave.com. Catharina would get married again, so now we will take a look at her second husband.

Heinrich Henn was born on February 16, 1839 in Mulsum, Germany. Henry’s German baptism record is pictured here.

I found no documentation for Henry’s life until he got married in America. Henry Henn married Catharina Popp on October 17, 1865. This marriage took place during what we call the “Koestering Hole” in the Trinity church books, so we cannot view a church marriage record for this couple. However, I am able to show 2 civil records for this wedding.

Some more children were born to Henry and Catharina, but I am not certain how many. In the 1870 census, the Henn’s had 4 children in their household. Just the 2 year-old, Emma, was actually a child named Henn. The others were Popp’s. Henry was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

In the 1880 census, there were 2 Henn children and 1 Popp child in the Henn household.

Henry Henn died in 1898 at the age of 59. There is only one Henn gravestone in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery on Findagrave.com, and it must be that of Henry. Findagrave.com just identifies it as a Henn gravestone. Perhaps Diane Anderson can get on Findagrave to put more information on that site for that entry.

Catharina is found as a widow in the 1900 census. She and her 29 year-old single daughter, Maria, were still living in the Brazeau Township. Neither of them was given an occupation.

Catharina and her daughter made a move during the next decade, but I do not know what motivated it. In the 1910 census, we find them living in Lake City, Minnesota. Once again, neither Catharina nor her daughter are given an occupation.

Catharina Henn died in 1912 at the age of 79; her daughter, Anna Maria, died in 1927. Catharina and Anna Mary are buried together in the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in Lake City.

Now you know the story that began with a Hoffmann and ended with a Henn with a bunch of other names in between.