Welcome

As long as I could remember my grandfather, Lee Hilgeford had repeatedly told his children and grandchildren the names of their forefathers. Clearly we can remember him saying, “My father’s name was Fritz and he married Katherine Drees. Fritz’s father’s name was Clemens who married a Poeppleman. And Clemens father’s name was Dietrich and was married to a Barhorst.”

Everyone would always listen but nobody wrote the information down. As Lee was aging, I realized how important his memories were to him and how easily they could be lost. I also knew my children would probably never know him. Consequently, I felt an urgent need to record everything I could find or observe about our family and it’s history.

This research involved many states, foreign countries, and years. The correspondence, interviews, court houses, churches, cemeteries visited and miles traveled are immeasurable. This was at a time before computers and cellphones. Photos had to be borrowed and taken to photographers to be copied and then returned. People were all fascinating and willing to help. My gracious thanks to everyone. I have tried to acknowledge them all in some way throughout the book.

I think it is important to note an interesting anecdote concerning my grandfather. His memory was unbelievable. He had always been know for the computations he could make in his head and was able to give me more information than anyone. I had doubts about some things he told but time and again facts would prove him correct. Why was I surprised? In his own hometown of Ft. Loramie or anywhere he was the only one who knew of Dietrich Hilgefort. I even started to doubt there was a Dietrich until one evening while searching microfilm at The Jesus Christ Church of the Later Day Saints in Dayton, Ohio. There I had a conversation with David Hoying he mentioned that Dietrich was another name for Theodore in Germany. And Yes! There he was in Sankt Catherina’s Vital records!

Family, this book is yours. The information is for you to pass on. Keep the fire burning …

Christine Hilgeford Connor

About Book 1

Included in this book are biographies and documents on the following people: Dwight Hilgeford, Lee Hilgeford, J. Frederick Hilgeford, Katherine Hilgeford, Clemens Hilgefort, Maria Hilgefort, John Henry Poeppleman, Johann Michael Drees I, Mary Gertrude Drees, John Gerhard Berning.

About Book 2

Included in this book are biographies and documents on the following people: Adele Hilgeford, Hugh F. McGilvery, Mildred McGilvery, George Washinton Daly, Michael Daily, Catherine Daily, James Galeese, Mary Galeese.

Ancestor Surnames

Hilgeford, Hilgefort, McGilvery, Poeppelman, Arkenberg, Baumer, Schmiesing, Drees, Spoltman, Berning, Dressman, Kenkel, Pohlschneider, Hoelscher, Borchers, Keifer, Seger, Schworer, Broerman, Barhorst, Wilman, Meyer, Wehebrink, Poppleman, Staggenborg, Welbaum, Wellbaum, Walbaum, Holliet, Piening, Hoying, Stuntebeck, Hogeman, Wilkens, Wellerding, Gerkison, Gerkins, Zimmerman, Halloran, Slack, Toomey, Galeese, Daly, Daily, Daley, MacKenzie, Costello, Dougherty, Theriac, Handwerker, Vanghaus, Mae, Snyder, Wetzel, Compton,Sims, Glaugau, Bryant,

Descendant Surnames

Hilgeford, Connor, Bell, Seall, Gough, Miller, Rowe, Chiles, Brooks, Kunz, Parker, Connaughton, Pryor, Prescot, Talbot, Anderson, Sasser, O’Reilly, Irwin, Alexander, Fulks, DeLong, Day, Stringfield, Partridge, Fischer, Gibson, Harshbarger, Coots, Roberts, Friel, Schneider, Mader, Moran, Byrnes, Donohue, Madsen, Stelzer, Davis, Heidenreich, King, Fitzpatrick, Few.