Germany to America

We had some exciting visitors to the Home recently who have made me more eager to continue my research into the Hormel family line.  Three generations of Jay’s family were here as well as two granddaughters of Ben Hormel.  It was a pleasure to be able to visit with them and hear a few stories of their lives.  I will talk more about these people when I get to them in the genealogy timeline.

So back to Germany we go.  Christian and Elizabeth are now married.  “Christian was a merchant tailor by trade, very likely a trade learned from his father before him.  He operated his business from his home”, from In Quest of Quality, 1966. On January 24, 1830 their first child, George John, was born. 

William Henry Hormel (one of George A.’s five brothers) tells us in One Generation Under the American Flag how Christian and Elizabeth made their way across the sea to America. “Our grandfather and grandmother Hormel were the first of our ancestors to come to America.  Grandmother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Heiser.  She was one of twelve children. Her brother Godfey, after hearing and reading of the wonders of America, came here to see for himself, locating in Albany, New York in the year 1827.  Two years later he settled in Buffalo, New York…His letters to his relatives in Germany were full of accounts in glowing terms of all that he saw and experienced.  It was not long before most of them were persuaded to come.  Our Hormel grandparents came with a second group in the year 1833.  Our father (John George) was only three years of age. His little sister was an infant of only one year; she died on the voyage and was buried at sea.”

Upon arriving in Buffalo Christian and Elizabeth settled in to their new community.  In May of 1838 they welcomed their second son also named Christian.  On October 14, 1839, Christian applied for American citizenship and he was a founding member of The German Evangelical Reformed Zion Congregation Church in 1845. 

From France, to Germany, to Buffalo…  We are still a ways from Austin, MN, but we will get there in the coming weeks.