William Hoffman

Born April 14, 1859, on a farm near Galion, Ohio, to George and Elizabeth Gearhart Hoffman. He was 3 years old when the family moved to Monroe Township, Henry Co., Ohio, and a few years later to Flatrock Township where he remained to help his father on the farm. On Jan. 22, 1882, he married Eva Catherine Wahl in the German Reform Church at New Bavaria, Ohio, and started housekeeping in the log cabin on his father's farm. He helped his father on the farm until spring of 1886 when he took his wife and small child to Little Rock, Arkansas. The family suffered much hardship and illness and staying only a short time returned to Napoleon, where he worked in the grocery for his uncle Chis Gearhart. In 1889 he bought andoperated a saloon near the canal. It was at this time he also joined the voluntary fire dept. He built a house at 124 W. Barnes. When his saloon burned in 1893, he found a job at the Hoop Mill Factory. In 1897 he moved his family to a farm in Monroe Township and again did farming. He also resigned from the fire dept. and was given a letter of praise for his service. (Letter still in the family.) Again in 1907 he moved the family back into his house on Barnes and in the process of moving he fell and broke his hip and was unable to work for nearly a year. In 1909 he opened a shoe store on South Perry, third store from bridge, and ran it until 1912. He worked several places after this, Thiesen Hildred lumber, Gendrow Wheeling (Toledo), and Overland (Toledo). He acquired several houses and 3 acres near his home on W. Barnes which he planted in garden when he retired. He raised his own tobacco and made delicious home made wine. He died at his home Nov. 19, 1937, and is buried in Reform Church Cemetery on Co. Rd. I and 108 in Henry Co. He played the pump organ and accordian many times for his family on Sat. nights.

Eva Catherine Wahl Hoffman - wife of Willman Hoffman was born to Johann Wahl and Eva Barheis Gehringer Wahl on a farm near New Bavaria, Sept. 24, 1863. She was the youngest of 9 children. She helped her parents on the farm until she was 20 years old when she married William Hoffman on Jan. 22, 1882. She had many hardships and raised her family with few conveniences. In her later years she crocheted rag rugs to pass her time. After her husband's death she continued to live in the family home on W. Barnes until her death on Dec. 3, 1950. She is buried beside her husband in Reformed Cemetery. She baked many big delicious sugar and molasses cookies from memory and the recipe being lost at her death. William and Eva Wahl Hoffman were the parents of 9 children, Marie Elizabeth, Sarah, George, Magdalena, Charles, Daniel, Minnie, Ida, and Emma.