Or, How to Keep It In the Family
This is the story of a side branch of the McCue family tree that was lately brought to my attention and quite hijacked my time for the past couple of days, weeks really. Hopefully I will be able to keep everything straight and understandable with this side branch of the family tree, the Heddendorfs. The last posting of the McCue side was of Eben William Osterndorff and his family; what I should like to relate now is in connection to Eben's wife Margaret Blohm.
Back Story
Margaret was the middle child in a household of five daughters and one son: Mary E, Anna, John (passed away at the age of 2), Minnie and Augusta Caroline, all born in New York City to German immigrant parents of Lutheran faith. Their father, Claus Henrich Blohm, who sometime went by C. H., C. Henry or Charles Henry, was a baker and liquor dealer for the 16 years he resided in New York before his passing at the early age of 40 in 1858. The eldest daughter, Mary, was only 12 at the time of his death, whilst his youngest, Augusta, was just born. There is some evidence that C. H. Blohm may have extended his business into Blohm & Co with his brother-in-law but the evidence is not substantial. A group of businesses more than merely a bar owner would explain how the Blohm daughters were able to have control of a number of properties around Manhattan 10 to 15 years after their father's death. Sadly Claus' Letter of Administration cannot be located, despite being in the Index, which would have provided information on how the courts settled business affairs in the absence of a will.
In the years between Claus Blohm's death and the daughters appearance in the mortgage records, three of the daughters marry:
Anna Blohm Heddendorf
Anna Blohm, born 1848, remained with her family until her marriage at age 25 to Wilhlem Heinrich Diedrich Heddendorf on 24 Feb 1874, though he is often recorded as William Heddendorf. Thankfully for us, Wilhelm's profession and location are quite immutable: always living on West Broadway, Manhattan and dealing in liquors. By 1880, Wilhelm and Anna have four children: William Henry, Maria/Mary Auguste, Henry Blohm and George Walter. This is where it gets complicated, hence the Genealogical Road Map.
William Henry Heddendorf
William Henry follows in his father's profession of dealing in liquors but would appear to take full control of his father's and mother's liquor businesses after the death of Wilhelm in 1896. William H. continued to build up his liquor business with his brother Henry and the Lion Brewery company on the Upper West Side where the family had resided. After the acquistion of a number of tennant and store front buildings, William Henry is elected the second vice-president of the Waldamere Club, a social club comprised of the most prominent business men in Harlem, in 1901. It is at this time that William goes into the business of stabling horses, primarily as the third largest for the police in Manhattan. By 1909, William has given the liquor business to his brother Henry and branched out into the undertaking business.
Heddendorf Siblings
Maria or Mary took on the profession of piano teacher before marrying at the age of 25 in 1902 to Christian Gottlieb Loffler/Lofflier/Loeffler and having one son, Eugene. Maria and William's brother Walter, as he was often listed as, was married the year before to May and quickly had two sons, William Henry and Henry Walter. Sadly, Walter dies in 1906 with his wife following soon behind in 1912; the two sons were only aged 11 and 9, respectively, when their parents passed. Records show that the sons William H. and Henry W. went to live with their aunt Maria and her son.
Maria's brothers marry later in life, with Henry marrying in 1912 to Henrietta G. Hahner (no known children) and William marrying in 1925 (age 52) to a widow Victoria, producing two daughters, Edith and Victoria.
Business Continues
Perhaps it was the lack of interest by certain members of Anna Blohm's grandchildren or mayhaps it was the fact of being the namesake, but it would appear that William H.'s nephew, William Henry, took over the some responsibility, if not the profession, of owning and operating a bar. It should not be a surprise that William H.'s business started to fail at the start of Prohibition with debts being called in, and by the early 1930s, William H.'s marriage of less than ten years also crumbles. William H. passes in 1937, leaving an estate worth more than $8,000 personal and $32,000 in real estate, which is entirely left to his surviving family members.
The nephews William Henry and Henry Walter both move to Florida after World War II, where William H. continued the bar owner profession and had two sons of his own William Henry (Jr.) and Richard. It is believed that Junior also took on the bar owner profession. Edith and Victoria are known to have married though it is uncertain whether either produced any children. It is also uncertain whether their cousins Eugene Loeffler or Henry Heddendorf married or had any children. All four latter individuals are believed to have continued to reside in New York.
Sources:
US Federal Census 1850 - 1880, 1900 - 1940; New York, Florida
New York State Census 1855, 1905
New York County, Letters of Administration Index, 1743 - 1875
Trow's City Directory, Manhattan and Bronx
New York Times, Obituary
New York Times, Real Estate and Mortgage
New York Times, Wills for Probate
The Tammany Times
This is the story of a side branch of the McCue family tree that was lately brought to my attention and quite hijacked my time for the past couple of days, weeks really. Hopefully I will be able to keep everything straight and understandable with this side branch of the family tree, the Heddendorfs. The last posting of the McCue side was of Eben William Osterndorff and his family; what I should like to relate now is in connection to Eben's wife Margaret Blohm.
 |
| Here is your Genealogy Road Map. Sorry it was hand written, on the fly, with the Blohm children placed unintentionally out of order. If you are able to follow this then the daughter of William H. is a fourth cousin to my Mom, making me a fourth cousin once removed from the daughter. |
Back Story
Margaret was the middle child in a household of five daughters and one son: Mary E, Anna, John (passed away at the age of 2), Minnie and Augusta Caroline, all born in New York City to German immigrant parents of Lutheran faith. Their father, Claus Henrich Blohm, who sometime went by C. H., C. Henry or Charles Henry, was a baker and liquor dealer for the 16 years he resided in New York before his passing at the early age of 40 in 1858. The eldest daughter, Mary, was only 12 at the time of his death, whilst his youngest, Augusta, was just born. There is some evidence that C. H. Blohm may have extended his business into Blohm & Co with his brother-in-law but the evidence is not substantial. A group of businesses more than merely a bar owner would explain how the Blohm daughters were able to have control of a number of properties around Manhattan 10 to 15 years after their father's death. Sadly Claus' Letter of Administration cannot be located, despite being in the Index, which would have provided information on how the courts settled business affairs in the absence of a will.
In the years between Claus Blohm's death and the daughters appearance in the mortgage records, three of the daughters marry:
- 1865 Mary (age 19) to Leo Zimmerman
- 1868 Margaret (age 18) to Eben Osterndorff
- 1874 Anna (age 25) to Wilhelm Heddendorf
Anna Blohm Heddendorf
Anna Blohm, born 1848, remained with her family until her marriage at age 25 to Wilhlem Heinrich Diedrich Heddendorf on 24 Feb 1874, though he is often recorded as William Heddendorf. Thankfully for us, Wilhelm's profession and location are quite immutable: always living on West Broadway, Manhattan and dealing in liquors. By 1880, Wilhelm and Anna have four children: William Henry, Maria/Mary Auguste, Henry Blohm and George Walter. This is where it gets complicated, hence the Genealogical Road Map.
William Henry Heddendorf
William Henry follows in his father's profession of dealing in liquors but would appear to take full control of his father's and mother's liquor businesses after the death of Wilhelm in 1896. William H. continued to build up his liquor business with his brother Henry and the Lion Brewery company on the Upper West Side where the family had resided. After the acquistion of a number of tennant and store front buildings, William Henry is elected the second vice-president of the Waldamere Club, a social club comprised of the most prominent business men in Harlem, in 1901. It is at this time that William goes into the business of stabling horses, primarily as the third largest for the police in Manhattan. By 1909, William has given the liquor business to his brother Henry and branched out into the undertaking business.
Heddendorf Siblings
Maria or Mary took on the profession of piano teacher before marrying at the age of 25 in 1902 to Christian Gottlieb Loffler/Lofflier/Loeffler and having one son, Eugene. Maria and William's brother Walter, as he was often listed as, was married the year before to May and quickly had two sons, William Henry and Henry Walter. Sadly, Walter dies in 1906 with his wife following soon behind in 1912; the two sons were only aged 11 and 9, respectively, when their parents passed. Records show that the sons William H. and Henry W. went to live with their aunt Maria and her son.
Maria's brothers marry later in life, with Henry marrying in 1912 to Henrietta G. Hahner (no known children) and William marrying in 1925 (age 52) to a widow Victoria, producing two daughters, Edith and Victoria.
Business Continues
Perhaps it was the lack of interest by certain members of Anna Blohm's grandchildren or mayhaps it was the fact of being the namesake, but it would appear that William H.'s nephew, William Henry, took over the some responsibility, if not the profession, of owning and operating a bar. It should not be a surprise that William H.'s business started to fail at the start of Prohibition with debts being called in, and by the early 1930s, William H.'s marriage of less than ten years also crumbles. William H. passes in 1937, leaving an estate worth more than $8,000 personal and $32,000 in real estate, which is entirely left to his surviving family members.
The nephews William Henry and Henry Walter both move to Florida after World War II, where William H. continued the bar owner profession and had two sons of his own William Henry (Jr.) and Richard. It is believed that Junior also took on the bar owner profession. Edith and Victoria are known to have married though it is uncertain whether either produced any children. It is also uncertain whether their cousins Eugene Loeffler or Henry Heddendorf married or had any children. All four latter individuals are believed to have continued to reside in New York.
Sources:
US Federal Census 1850 - 1880, 1900 - 1940; New York, Florida
New York State Census 1855, 1905
New York County, Letters of Administration Index, 1743 - 1875
Trow's City Directory, Manhattan and Bronx
New York Times, Obituary
New York Times, Real Estate and Mortgage
New York Times, Wills for Probate
The Tammany Times
