Hoffman Family

George Hoffman

Born April 27, 1831, in Hokenheim, Baden, Germany. With much unrest in Germany, in 1851 George and his brother Mike came to the United States. George remained in New York for 2 years working at the plasterer's trade. In 1853 he moved on to Galion, Ohio, where he met and married Elizabeth Gearhart of North Robinson, Ohio. They were married at the Reform Church at Galion•Ohio, of which both were members. They lived here on a farm until 1862 when he moved his family to a farm in Monroe Township, Henry Co., Ohio. A few years later he acquired 100 acres from the government, built a log cabin, cleared and farmed this land. About 1880 he acquired another 100 acres, cleared and farmed this also. Soon he took another 100 acres, cleared and farmed the land and built a frame house. This house still stands and the farm is still in the Hoffman name, located on Ct. Rd. J and a mile right of 108 in Flatrock Township. He helped organize the Reform Church and was a member of the first building committee. In 1893 he retired from farming to a house he built at 233 W. Barnes in Napoleon, Ohio. He also purchased the house next to him and a number of acres behind him extending to Huddle Rd. George and Elizabeth became the parents of 8 children: (An old sheet torn from his Bible records the birth of a 9th child in his handwriting, but this is only place indicating this child), Johanna Hoffman, William Hoffman, Magdalena Hoffman Rettig, Mary

Hoffman Yaichner, Lewis Hoffman, Anna Hoffman Rettig, (name not known) Hoffman, Dorothea Hoffman, and Henry Hoffman. On May 13, 1907, he suffered a stroke and died May 17, 1907, and is buried in Lutheran Cemetery on Ct. Rd. K. (His brother Mike moved on to Wheatland, Iowa, to form another branch of this family.)

Elizabeth Gearhart - wife of George Hoffman, was born Sept. 8, 1838, in North Robinson, Ohio, to John and Elizabeth Weaver Gearhart. Her parents were from Wuertemberg, Germany, and were married there before coming, with her 4 brothers (Joseph, Christian, Jacob, and George), to the United States, and to Crawford Ct., Ohio. Her parents and each of her uncles acquired a farm from the government, built a log cabin, and raised their families in Crawford Co., Ohio. When she and her husband moved to Monroe Township, it was quite a hardship on her with 2 children, 5 and 3, and third soon to be born and a new home to settle. She lived with her husband on W. Barnes, after his retirement, until he died in 1907 when she made her home with her daughter, Mary Yaichner. Here she died Jan. 20, 1917, and is buried beside her husband in Lutheran Cemetery. (The date on her tombstone is 1918 which is a mistake.) Her brother Christian Gearhart built and operated a store where the present South Side Community Bank is located.