WILHELMINA HARTMANN
THE STORY AS I KNOW IT
Wilhelmina Hartmann was born Nov. 5, 1850 in Gellershausen bei Wildungen, Waldeck region of Germany. Her birth date was on her death certificate noted below. Her father's name was not given and her mother’s maiden name is unreadable. I have just received information from Scott Hanson that gave her parents names, dates as well as her siblings according to the Waldeckische Ortsippenbucher Band 62. (Hochgrebe, Heinrich; Waldeckischer Geschichtsverein e.V. Bad Arolsen; 1998. History of the village of Gellershausen. Contains index of family surnames and data taken mostly from Church records. Written in German.) Scott I am very grateful!
She was christened Friederike Wilhelmina Johannette Hartmann. Her parents are given as Karl Hartmann, born 29-6-1809 (June 29) died 21-12-1868 (Dec. 21) and Wilhelmina Fuchs who died 28-8-1855 (Aug 28) at 42 years of age. They were married Aug. 7, 1831.
There was a Charles Hartmann in Wilmington Delaware at the same time as Wilhelmina, who is buried with Wilhelmina and her husband. He was her brother. He was born in Oct. 2, 1836 Karl Christian Heinrich Hartmann . She emigrated to American in 1868 to live with him. Charles became a naturalized citizen on Sept 17, 1860. Wilhelmina became a naturalized citizen on October 27, 1896. Her papers just state she was from Germany. Index to Naturalization Petitions for US Circuit and District court 1795 – 1911 Reel RG0705
On March 26, 1870 Wilhelmina married Johann
Daniel
Maier at the Zion Lutheran Church. The
church
celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1999. They had seven
known
children, all born in Wilmington:
1. John Daniel born Dec. 25, 1870 wed Ella
Jane Taylor
Compton.
2. Charles, christened Carl born Nov 3, 1872 wed Florence
3. William Christian born March 1, 1875 wed Laura
4. Harry Ludwig
born
Feb. 18, 1878 wed Emilie Yates
Walsh
of Baltimore.
5. Lina Wilhelmina born Sept. 10, 1880 wed Harry
Bader
6. Maria Louise born July 24, 1889 wed William
Cramer
on May 2, 1907 in New York city, she died
April 22,
1965 in Topsham,Maine, buried in Cumberland MD.
7. Leonard Frederick born March 27, 1892 wed Beatrice.
Johann Daniel Maier had immigrated in 1868 from the Wurttemberg region of Germany to live with his sister, Regina Kurz in Wilmington. John Daniel. Kurtz and John D. Myer are listed in the Wilmington City Directory 1869-70 as bakers at 320 E. 4th St. By 1871 Daniel Maier had a bakery and home at 903 Market St. In 1877 they moved home and business to 619 West Front Street. They stayed there until he died in 1910.
Trying to track Wilhelmina’s family through Charles Hartmann, we
found the Delaware 1870 Census. It states that the
Hartmann
family was
Charles Hartmann,
born 1836 in
Waldeck Germany. He was a painter.
Mary Hartmann, born 1837 in Baden Germany
and 5 children Charles, age 11, Louis, age
9, George
age 7, Lydia age 4 and Albert age 2.
All born in Delaware. So he was here by 1859 at the
latest.
Charles Hartmann lived with the Maier family at the time of his death on Oct 11 1899. His Death Certificate is at the Delaware Hall of Records #58297. His son George Hartmann had also lived there when he died in Sept 13, 1898. It is probable that they all worked the bakery business together. None of the Maier children carried on the business. The Front Street buildings were torn down in the 1970s for a broad entry into Wilmington from I-95
The Godmother of Wilhelmina’s first child, John Daniel was Hannah Mammele, born Hartmann. from Zion Lutheran Church Records. They were probably sisters. In the 1870-802 Gottlieb Mammele was a butcher. The family later got into the painting business. The Mammele paint store continues into the 21st Century. Perhaps Charles, as a painter had some hand in the beginning of that business. The 1870 Delaware Census lists Hannah Mammele to be 35 years old, born in Hesse Kassel. That is next or overlaps Waldeck. One of the siblings given in the Waldeckische Ortsippenbucher Band 62 was Johannette Wilhelmina Henriette born Feb. 23, 1835. This is probably Hannah Mammele.
Other Hartmann’s noted were Louise Hartmann wife of George Hehl. Therese Hartmann, Johann Hartmann and Anna Hartmann. These were all children of John Hartmann.
John Hartmann and his brother-in-law John Fehrenbach opened the first large commercial brewery in Wilmington, Delaware. It operated from 1865 to after 1920. It was closed by prohibition. Gallucio's Cafe has been a Wilmington landmark for decades. It sits on the corner of Lovering & Scott Sts. The existing brick structure was part of the H&F brewery. The largest part of the structure behind Gallucio's, along Wawaset St., was torn down in the early '30's to make way for row houses. BF Shinn's paint store now occupies what used to be the area of the brewery's livery stables.
There is an unknown connection between Wilhelmina and the brewery founder. He was a member of the Hermann Lodge #29. We have a large wooden trunk with that name stenciled across the front. John Hartmann’s bio states that he was born at Heidelsheim, Baden, Germany. His birthplace is not near Wilhelmina’s. It may be they considered themselves "cousins" because they had the same last name.
Wilmington, Delaware had a very active German community.
They were
centered in the 1870s from Market to Walnut Streets,
and 1st to 7th
Streets. Johann
Daniel
became
John Daniel and
was called
Daniel in
Wilmington. Upon arriving in Wilmington he joined the
German singing
club, The Delaware Saengerbund as a tenor. He eventually
served
as its
President from 1887 to 1895. This is noted on a plaque
in the
Delaware Saengerbund Club building as well as their
records. Charles
Hartmann, was the piano
player
for the Saengerbund for 10 years.
Daniel died Dec. 22, 1910. Wilhelmina lived until Dec. 20 1925. Her Death Certificate #3081 says she died at 229 N. Connell St., Wilmington Delaware of an Aortic Regurgitation. She was living with the family of her son, Harry Ludwig Maier. Wilhelmina and Daniel are buried without a stone in the Lombardy Cemetery on Rt. 202.
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Date created 5/24/2000
Date Last Edited: 2/13/2012
Last edited 7/26/2015