HOFF - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Nathaniel B. Hoff Married Danish Girl in Ohio Soon After Moved to Indiana Waynetown, August 18 - Sixty-five persons attended the first annual reunion of the Hoff family yesterday which was held at the home of Edgar Remley. The occasion was made note worthy from the fact that it was also the fifty-first wedding anniversary of two of the guests, Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Fruits. Those in attendance included; Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Busenbark, Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Busenbark, Robert Ball of Altoona, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Henderson of New Richmond; Mr. and Mrs. George S Hoff of Danville, Ill.; Mrs. Anna Jenkins of Danville, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Allison and family of Hoopeston, Ill.; Mrs. Frank Troxel of Hooperston, Ill.; Mrs. Ella Mullen, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Mullen and family, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer Humphrey and family, Mrs. Maggie Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Fruits, Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Harpel and family, Oscar Henderson, Mrs. Emma and Alma Henderson of Homer, Ill,; Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Osborne of Danville, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Thompson, J.S. Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Mullen and family, Mrs Frank Vancleave of New Market; Master Clayton Terry of New Market; Mrs. Frank Foster of New Market; J.E. Remley and wife, C.G. Remley and wife, John Mullen, Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Busenbark and family of Bloomington, Ind.; Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Busenbark The following program was given: George S. Hoff, presiding Song led by Gessner Remley Prayer by Ann Jenkins Readings by Master Clayton Terry, Evelyn Mullen, Amy Mullen, Mrs. Jessie Foster History of Hoff family by George S. Hoff of Danville, Ill. Short talks and stores by CA. Busenbark, Robert Ball of Altoona, Ill., Ed Remley, John Henderson, Oscar Henderson of Homer, Ill., J.A. Osborne of Danville.

George S. Hoff of Danville read the following paper; The history of the Hoff family is not very well established and probably not very authentic. Such information as I have has come to me only by story and doubtless very inaccurate in many ways, many of you doubtless have heard the same story told with its variation from the different members of the Hoff family. "So far as I am able to tell the father of Nathaniel B. Hoff, great grandfather to us, was born and reared in Holland, no one knows where so far as I am able to discover. Because of religious persecution and turmoil they removed to what was then known the Island of Jersey, living there for a time, being fired with zeal to come west in the new world and participate in the growth and development of the same, they came to New Jersey. "The year is not known and it is not known so far as my records goes whether he was a married man when landing in New Jersey or whether he married afterward, but, to him and his wife, whoever she may have been, the story is that there were five boys, Nathaniel B., our great grandfather, being one of the number. That great grandfather died while these boys were all small with no means of support, no one to care for them at that time they were put out as apprentice and scattered. Grandfather Hoff, Nathaniel B., after the boys were distributed never heard from any of them. He was apprentice to a wagon maker and learned the trade and after he moved to the farm just south of us, now owned by Ella Mullen, he plied his trade and was the wagon maker of the community, while digging out the beautiful farm as yous see now see it from the immense forest that stood on it "Sometime, the date no one knows he came from New Jersey to Ohio, Hamilton county, where he evidently became infatuated with a beautiful maiden, a Dane by linage and birth, names Jerusah Larson, in Hamilton county, who he married May 3, 1818. Sometime after the marriage, probably very soon, they moved to Montgomery county, Indiana, and located on the old homestead where all of the children of whom we are descendants were born. "So far as the record goes we know nothing, or at least I do not know of the Larson family. Nathaniel B. Hoff died in 1861, at the age of 72. His wife, our grandmother, died August3, 1879, at the age of 79.

The following children were born as follows:

Joseph M Hoff, March 4, 1819;

Catherine Hoff, June 17, 1821;

James Hoff, June 27, 1823;

Jonathan L. Hoff, July 20, 1825;

Mary J. Hoff, June 3, 1827;

Harriett Hoff, October 16, 1829;

Benjamin D. Hoff, June 20, 1831

Amos Hoff, May 3, 1833;

Nancy Hoff, June 15, 1838.

The analysis of the longevity is as follows;

Benjamin died in childhood, 11 years of age;

Joseph M. at the age of 58;

Larson, age 70;

James 73; Catherine, 79;

Nancy, 79;

Jonathan, 70;

Mary, 92;

Harriet, -; Amos, 87;

So far as I remember Joseph M had three children, all of which are dead;

Catherine -

James -;

Larson, 1

; Mary Jane

Harriet,-;

Amos, 4;

Nancy, 1