Catherine Hess
(1849 – 1930)
ANCESTORS:
Through letters CATHERINE HESS had from an aunt (CATHERINE JOSEPHA HESS, who married SEBASTIAN BINZ wrote 20 Nov 1881) and from an uncle (JOSEPH ANTON HESS who wrote 6 Jun 1888) we were able to locate the family in Germany. The researcher found the family information which had a record of a son that left from Germany for North America. His name was FRANZ MELCHIOR HESS, born 5 Jan 1819 in Amorbach, Unterfranken, Bavaria. He is the brother of CATHERINE and JOSEPH, mentioned above. A picture of the Catholic church in Amorbach is shown below. FRANZ’s grandfather was from Weilbach, Unterfranken, Bavaria and some postcard scenes of Miltenberg, a larger town of that area, are shown below. From this information, the researcher was able to extend the family information back a number of generations on several of the lines.
Family verbal tradition says the name of FRANZ’s wife was MINK. I have seen no written records to support that.
An entry in the Catholic Church records beside his birth information says he left the city before 1849 to North America. There is a possible record of him on a ship’s passenger list, (which needs to be confirmed.)
The letter from JOSEPH HESS states his son GEORGE HESS landed in America on May 22, 1888. He was a butcher and another son, KARL HESS, also a butcher, was leaving soon to go to America. The letter is somewhat confusing, but has the names of what appear to be CATHERINE’s sisters: ELIZABETH and MARGARETHA
BIRTH:
According to family records, CATHERINE HESS was born in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester, New York on 1 Jul 1849.
The Dobbs Ferry newspaper didn’t start until 1899.
The Dobbs Ferry village clerk indicates the records started about 1880.
The Catholic Church records in Dobbs Ferry started in 1862.
MARRIAGE:
CATHERINE was in Quincy, Illinois in 1855. [How do we know?]
She married in Quincy, Adams, Illinois to WILLIAM AWERKAMP in the Catholic Church 7 May 1867. The Quincy newspaper was searched in the Springfield, Illinois library a week either way from the marriage date to see if there was any information about her family. No entry was found.
The marriage certificate just says they were married on the above date in Adams Co., Illinois.
The Catholic Church records list no parents, but lists a witness as MARGARET HESS. [Is this the sister Margaretha mentioned above?]
FAMILY
WILLIAM was born in Holtwick, Westphalia, Prussia and came to America with his mother and younger brother, BERNARD, when he was only six years old. [see story about GRASMETER] WILLIAM’s occupation is listed as a typesetter in the 1870 census.
Children born in Quincy were:
FRANK WILLIAM 12 Apr 1868 died 17 Aug 1923 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif.
BERNARD ANTON 18 Jun 1870 died 4 Jul 1870 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois
THERESA JOHANA 24 Jun 1871 died 8 Mar 1946
JOHN HENRY 12 Jul 1873 died 29 Mar 1931 in Bell, Los Angeles, Calif.
He went by HENRY CHARLES during his life.
AUGUST ALOYSIUS 1 Aug 1876 died 31 Jan 1877 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois
THERESA married MARK P. TROTTER 26 June 1928 in Los Angeles. He was a widower and three years older than THERESA. He died in Oct 1938. THERESA was living with her mother up through the 1920 census. She signs her mother’s death certificate in 1930 as THERESA TROTTER
The census records provide some information on CATHERINE and her children, but we haven’t located any that help identify her parents.
1850 Census:
Not able to find a FRANK or FRANZ HESS that matches. [Need to search more as more of the census records get computerized.]. 2003: Eric found a FRANCIS HESS (shoemaker) age 31, a wife CATHERINE age 25, a daughter CATHERINE age 1, born in New York, and CATHERINE GULGE, age 59 born in Germany. Everything matches for our line here.
1860 Census:
Not able to find CATHERINE HESS in Quincy.
1870 Census
CATHERINE HESS AWERKAMP is listed in Quincy as age 20, born in Prussia. Her husband WM HAVERKAMP is listed as 26, born in Prussia.
1880 Census
CATHERINE HESS AWERKAMP is listed in Quincy as age 33, born in New York. Her father and mother were born in Germany.
1900 Census
KATIE AWERKAMP is listed in Quincy, age 43, born 1856 in New York. Her father and mother were born in Germany. Her daughter THERESA, age 28 is living with her. [Note this birth date is inconsistent with her marriage date and the birth of her children.]
1910 Census
No CATHERINE HESS was found in California
1920 Census
CATHERINE is listed in Los Angeles, age 71, born in New York. Her father and mother were born in Germany. Her daughter THERESA, age 48 is living with her.
WILLIAM AWERKAMP died 5 Sep 1877 in Quincy. The 1880 census indicates she was a widow and was keeping house for a HENRY MILLER. CATHERINE was living with her daughter on South 7th Street in Quincy in 1900. Her occupation at this time was listed as seamstress. CATHERINE went to California when her children, FRANK and HENRY did in 1905.
The 1920 census shows she was living at 1340 S. Olive St. in Los Angeles, and was doing laundry as an occupation.
She was living at 1706 S. Hoover in Los Angeles at the time of her death. She had been living there for about 2 years. She died 26 Apr 1930 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 29 Apr 1930. Her death certificate lists her parents as unknown and her birth date and place as shown above.
<< Back