The Lives of Otto and Milly

Foreword

Mama had always told me that she and Daddy had corresponded for two years before they were married and that he had proposed to her in a letter. So when Pete and I found their letters tied in ribbons in the attic when we moved to this house I decided I would read those letters and find that letter Mama had always mentioned.

Mama was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but later moved to Cripple Creek, Colorado where her folks became good friends of the Schaefers. Uncle Herb went to the same school Mama did but was older and in a different class. However the families always kept in touch and when they both lived in Denver, Colorado they again visited each other.

Mama was working in the telephone office in Denver and had a good friend, Anita Chance, and they traveled together on several trips during their vacations. When they said they were going to make a trip to see the Pacific Northwest and go as far as Seattle—Uncle Herb said to be sure and stop in and see Helen who was visiting her family in Centralia as the train passed right through Centralia.

Pictures were taken that day and sometime later Daddy wrote his sister, Aunt Helen, and asked if Mama would send him a copy of some of the pictures that were taken. When Aunt Helen told Mama this she replied she would not send pictures to a married man. But Aunt Helen told her it was Uncle Philip who was married and that Otto was the single brother.

This is why Uncle Herb always claimed he was cupid but Aunt Helen claimed she was because she encouraged Mama to send those pictures to her brother Otto.

When I found so many pictures of Mama and Daddy I decided I could incorporate them with the letters and you would have more of an idea what your maternal grandparents were like.

The last time Aunt Helen visited their graves she commented to me: “These were the true lovebirds—their marriage was made in heaven.” This surprised me as I seldom ever saw my folks embrace or kiss each other—but always they showed admiration and respect for each other.

So this is telling of the lives of Milly and Otto Hilpert. You will notice Mama’s name was spelled differently in different records however. I just wish they could have known each of our children and I know they would be proud of their grandchildren too.

Foreword · continued

Mama had saved a great many pictures that were not in albums as well as letters before she and Daddy were married, and paper clippings. Then Lowell going through the effects of Aunt Helen and Uncle Herbs as well as Hilperts and his own father found some pictures and letters Aunt Helen had received from Mama. He returned these to me a few years ago and also some of Mother’s friends returned some pictures from Wisconsin to me that they thought I might like.

I have copied the letters—each one of you will get the same. Also made copies of the paper clippings so all will have essentially the same although one of you will have the original.

I’ve tried to divide the pictures evenly but no two albums will have the same.

I hope you’ll find some time someday to look through these albums and get to know your ancestors a little better.

David Hilpert

David Hilpert came to America on the Amaranth, a bark of 548 tons burden (“burthen”). It sailed from Bremen (no date given) with a complement of 194 passengers, and arrived in the port of New York on January 24, 1853. On the manifest, signed by the ship’s master J. G. Probst, David and his family are listed as passengers Nos. 98, 99, 100.

David Hilpert, age 25, father (sex), silk weaver, from Prussia and destination New York.

Mary Hilpert, age 27 or 37 (an overstrike), mother, from Prussia, and destination New York.

Regina Hilpert, age 1 year 6 mos., daughter, from Prussia, and destination, New York.

Notes:

1. A bark was a sailing vessel with the fore mast and main mast square rigged and mizzen mast rigged fore and aft.

2. The ship’s log indicated six passengers were lost at sea. No explanation. May have died from disease or may have been washed overboard during stormy weather. Either fate was common in those times.

3. David Hilpert was originally from the Kingdom of Saxony. According to information in letter written to him by his brother August their original home and place of birth was a village by the name of Weih located near Nordhausen at the east end of the Hartz Mountains.

4. According to my dad’s recollections David Hilpert worked for a time in woolen mills in Lowell Massachusetts and later spent sometime in Lawrence Kansas with a man by that name. According the American Encyclopedia (sic) the town of Lawrence, Kansas was founded in 1854 and named after the treasurer of the New England Immigrant Aid Society, one Amos Lawrence.

It is likely grand-dad was among one of the groups of settlers sent to Kansas by the Society which was active in getting enough free

David Hilpert · continued

settlers into the Kansas territory to prevent its being taken over by the slave interests of the Southern states.

Apparently grand-dad never discussed his first wife and daughter with either grandmother or their children. Until Lowell picked up the information by searching the ship manifests in the port of New York archives there was never any mention of grand-dad’s first family. What happened to Mary & Regina will probably always be unexplained.