Currier and Ives Doc filled out by Sanford Hoffman. Henry's is very hard to read.
My Most Exciting Genealogy Research Find on Mom’s Side by Susi Jones Pentico
My Mom had me help her do research and write letters to our
family in Wyoming from the time I was 12.
We had inherited some great information and facts written by
her ancestors.
But when I went to help her find Henry Huffman/Hoffman’s
parents, the world came crashing down.
I found 5 H H’s
in the neighborhood. I spent 3 years separating the families and finding the
partial list of the children.
I wrote to Historical and Genealogical Societies I joined
many lists and groups.
These men I learned in the end were all family but only one
was the ancestor of my Henry Hoffman b 1803 in Greene Co. PA.
Census did not lists names before 1850 so no help at least
not much but where these men’s homes appeared to set.
Having talked many times to Grandad Hoffman in Wyoming I
knew some things to watch for but not much to actually help in researching
ancestors back 80 years or better.
I did Land Deeds, Every Will for a Hoffman/Huffman, Probates,
Court Records, Newspaper researches.
Writing more letters than I ever thought I would.
I looked at
school records, I found some help when the newspaper would report about
arguments on school meetings. It
listed who was whom, generally.
Looked at Civil War Records, looked at Rev War Records.
Since everyone said his father was in the Frontier Rangers and Rev War. Many had thought the one they found was
right but not in the end. My first
break came in a tax record.
The Henry Hoffman b 1803, I was aware of, had to fill out a tax paper in
Maryland and PA. It listed where his father was born and when . He sold Apples he grew in
his orchards.
A lot of the data I dug out was against what most of the
family had written down 80 years or more before. Yes, I went to Pennsylvania and met the descendants of
Sanford’s siblings that never left PA. Sanford being my line down from Henry
Huffman. Sanford’s sister and one brother came to Iowa right after the Civil War.
Loved the pictures and documents (Greene Co. PA kin) they
had and it helped me to point out where the connections were not correct. They are super great cousins.
One was a History Professor and when he read my papers he
called and said it has to be wrong. I asked him to please track the sources and
if I was wrong I would change my data, because I did not grow up hearing the
daily stories on my ancestor like they did..
About a week later he called and was excited to say I was
correct in my paper trails and connections. How the family had lost some of that data, he did not know.
Yesk we are all human and we all make mistakes.
Two of the Henry Huffman’s/Hoffman’s were cousins, one was
an Uncle, one was my direct which I knew of, the other one was the Father whom
I was looking for. Henry Huffman b abt 1740 in VA died 1811 Dec or 1812 Jan
when Probate took place.
The name in records was spelt Huffman, Houghman, Hoffman and
HOOFMAN.
One of my biggest breaks was when Henry’s brother George
sold him land in Virginia and the Sr. Henry did not sell it until 1805 in
Greene Co. PA. I tracked it
back to VA and found the original transfer to Henry from George, paid for by a
gun.
Many thought he was his father but no that was not true.
Thanks to an elderly relative who had more data in a trunk in Ohio she shared.
The oldest three boys were Henry, John and George, known to
us. My cousin whom died last
spring had tracked John’s line down, I did Henry and another worked on George.
Actually we all worked on John because the father of Henry
Sr. born 1740’s was a John or Johann Hoffman from Germany. John had land in Westmoreland Co. PA., early.
I have the land deed. But tax license
for Henry b 1803 stated on it Henry Sr was born in VA.
We worked together and separately to put the pieces together. John’s descendant we learned lived in
Fallbrook Ca and moved to Michigan to care for her Mom about the time we found
each other in the early 90’s,
George’s line lived in Ohio where George had land in both Ohio and PA at
the time of his death in PA. abt 1814
Those records are in the OGS Library. I have lived in San Diego since
1970 this last trip. I have been in and out of San Diego since 1848.,
When we founded the CVGS Group, there were to our amazement
5 Huffman/Hoffman cousins as part of the first 7 members, myself included.
Yes, I saw Pat
Postma the other day and she is hoping to come visit us soon.
She has had knees fixed but suffered a small stroke in
May. Nina Schulteis was a close
cousin and her kin did another book on Greene Co. that is in our library.
Geni Powell was related but not via Huffman/Hoffman. I kept close contact with Pat and Nina.
The others are gone but Sandy.
My older computer has all the data if I can ever get it open
again. My back updrive died as did computer.
So never give up, leave no rock, tidbit or thought unturned.
Do not forget to pay attention to family traits,
birthmarks, medical history and
other things many never mention or
discuss. A cowlick in the hair,
twisted fingers, webbed toes, ear defects, (not really but different than
others).
There appears to be three more members of Huffman/Hoffman’s
that if DNA was done would verify they also were from Johan Hoffman. I worked with Rudolph’s line with
cousin In Kansas. His work was awesome.
We never found the link but the data implies they were all kin. I just hope some of Bill’s down line
does the DNA test. They have all
the same traits, and quirks the rest of us have. Some more pronounced than mine. Truly believe Rudolph was
also a brother and an Elizabeth was a sister. Their family pictures all fit right in. I have his CD and book for use.
Never Found proof of Rudolph on paper, but we all agreed ,
he lived near the rest of them , they married into the lines and moved together
when moving.
What we know now is Johan Hoffman came to USA, time unknown, had sons : John, George,
Henry, and two daughters and
probably 2 more sons.
My Henry b abt 1740 in Va died 1812 Jan Probate. Lived in
Hampshire Co. a while but not named that then, moved to now Greene Co. married
Mary Provator, had daughter (?), divorced her and went back to VA. Was told jumped the broom with new
spouse Catherine and had five
children in Va before coming back up to Greene Co. PA in 1801 where Joseph
Huffman was born then my Henry b 1803 d 1879 Greene Co. PA and brother Rezin b 1805. Earlier children have stated Va for
birth.
Many moved to Monroe Co. Ohio when they learned PA was
claiming their land as being Pennsylvanian for taxes. They signed papers when purchasing land that it was VA
land. Tax base different, rules
different, etc., England had different rules for almost every boat load that
left England it seems.
Henry b 1803 died 1879
m Elizabeth Higgins, had several children including our Sanford
Huffman/Hoffman. Sanford had
Franklin whom walked behind wagon herding the animals with his dog to
Iowa. Several other children were
had by Henry and Elizabeth.
Sanford had several children besides Franklin, oldest male,
living in Iowa,
Wife was Rachel Plants also from Greene Co. first child
buried there. Sanford served in the CW there for WVA. The PA Units were full.
Franklin and his wife Samantha Abigail Duvall, family also
from this Greene Co. region, living in Fayette and Washington Co. at times.
They had 3 living children
Robert, Grace and Cecil L Hoffman (my grandfather).
The Duvall line moved to Wheatland, Wyoming first. Grandad
moved due to chronic bronchial problems in Iowa.
Grandad was married to Inez Mae Scott from Iowa, Moravia
region etc. Her line came from
Halifax Co. VA. , via Kentucky, Indiana.
Submitted by Susan Carol Jones Pentico
SusiCP@cox.net
