Hilgenbergs Worldwide

Little happens all week and then this morning, without warning, The Box re-appears. I’m whisked off to the vet again! Althought I manage to avoid one dose of anti-worm pill, the vet eventually won - ugh…

Tuna and a good long kip afterwards… I suppose it wasn’t so bad afterall.

I’m sure there are more famous Hilgenbergs, but my brother came across this link about Dr Ing Ott Christoph Hilgenberg, who taught at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. He worked on the theory of an expanding earth.

Principally his idea was that all continental shelves would fit neatly together - an accepted theory devised by Alfred Wegner, however Ott’s ideas led him to the conclusion, that if they fitted neatly together, and they are now further apart, the earth must have expanded….

Whatever you think, he still was a Hilgenberg (*1896 - +1976)

Now I like sushi, not the rice, but the fish. Problem is, it’s expensive and the other guys usually eat it all before I get my share. Bummer!

Angelika says she is the daughter of Heinz Hilgenberg and Cilly Hilgenberg, ne矔erfloth, living in Ramsdorf, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Her Grandparents were Heinrich Hilgenberg and Auguste Hilgenberg, ne矆ridag, from D� She has two brothers, Martin and J�and a sister, Edith.

I got sardines in tomato for dinner - I like the sauce, but the fish is overrated!

From Dutch Hillenburg about Daniel Hillenburg: His father was Johannes Christian Hilgenberg. I believe his brother went to Russia. Johannes and one brother had fought for several years as Hessian Grenadiers. I believe it was the brother who went to Russia.

Daniel Hilgenberg came to the USA as a Hessian soldier in 1774-5 and was captured at the Battle of Trenton. He was repatriated a few months later but switched sides in 1779 and fought in the Revolutionary Army for several years. Many Hessians deserted in this period when it was clear the British were not going to honor the terms of their contract and return them to Germany as scheduled.

Daniel settled near Wythesville, Virginia his name was slowly changed to Hillenburg. The area was still rough and some of his sons married Cherokee girls.

In 1835, the US Government rounded up most of the Cherokees, including some of the Hillenburgs and forced them on the “Trail of Tears” in which they walked 2000 kilometers to Oklahoma where they remain. Naturally this caused considerable resentment as families were split up at bayonet point.

Some family moved to southern Indiana in 1840s-1850s. Still angry, several Hillenburgs fought for the Confederacy but a couple fought for the Union. Thus it happened that a Confederate Hillenburg fought a Union Hillenburg. This Southerner is said to have been visiting his brother in hospital only to meet a
captured and very poorly fed Indiana cousin whom he brought food to whenever he could.

After the war most Hillenburgs moved to Dutch Ridge in southern Indiana and remained. That’s were I grew up and the family had established deep roots there. Some remain in Wytheville but the families lost touch about 1930 as the cousins who knew each other died out. My grandfather made trips to Oklahoma in the 1920s and 30s to visit his Cherokee relatives and the family maintains it’s Indian link.

Samuel W Hillenburg, father of Daniel Hillenburg

Judy writes: I am descended from Daniel Hilgenberg. Daniel came to the USA about 1775 as a Hessian Soldier. He decided to remain and started a family. His daughter Catherine Hilgenberg married John Deckard, the line I am descended from. Around the 1830’s many of the Hilgenbergs migrated to Monroe County, Indiana. Many Hilgenberg descendants still remain in that area today, but many name variations of Hilgenberg have taken place during the last couple of centuries. Some of these changes are: Helenberg, Hiltenberg, Heltonburg, Hilenburg.

She just came back from a trip to Melsungen and Heinebach in Germany. She found out lot’s of Hilgenberg info and even took photo’s of Hilgenberg gravesites and spoke with 2 living relatives.

Marie stood in the house and went to the second floor of Conrad’s house. Went into the butcher shop still standing in Heinebach where George, Martin and Heinrich learned to be butchers and bought some Bologna there. She found out that she was named after two sisters of her father George, Marie and Elizabeth.

She saw the school they attended and has lot’s of photo’s. When she gets them back she will try to put them on the computer for all to see. Very charming town cobble stone streets and still quite small.

Apparently there were 4 boys and 2 girls. All butchers in Heinebach. There was not enough business for all 4 so her father came to America. He had an uncle from Melsungen living in Baltimore, Washington who sponsored him. His name was Whilhem. He left Melsungen at the age of 16 and went to America and met his wife Anna in USA. They had 14 children nine lived. She is corresponding with them as I write this.

Marie married Ludwig Semmler and had a son Willie and a daughter Lezel. Lezel had a daughter Kareen. She is 60 years old today and still living in Melsungen. Marie spoke to her on the phone and sent her pictures. She told her Heinrich another brother had 4-5 kids and one, Imgard married to a doctor Heckman, is still in the area. Marie spoke to her and she promises more info. The son of Marie ….Willie owned a soda bottling co. in Ffulda known as Fulda bottling. Marie was able to find the building . It has been sold to the city water works.

That’s all for now.

I’ve been absent for the last few weeks simply because it has been so hot here in London. It has been extraordinarily hot. The other people, too, seem not to have enjoyed it. They’ve been sitting around not doing much.

Unlike me, they are not as experienced at taking things easy, but even for me it was difficult to get comfortable. Even my special cooling places in the shade on the floor boards were getting too hot.

But finally we’re back at more acceptable temperatures and I rest more peacefully now.