Surname Saturday- Hartmann

My 3rd great grandmother Catharina Hartmann came to New Orleans from Germany in 1850. Her port of departure was Antwerp, Belgium and the ship she journeyed on was the Charles Hill. Catharina traveled with her mother Maria and siblings, Barbara, George, and Elizabeth Hartmann.

New Orleans Passenger Lists

Catharine married a fellow German immigrant Philip Buhr and they had four daughters, Magdalena, Margaret Catharina, Katharina Henrietta, and Katherine Buhr. Katharina Henrietta Buhr died at the age of two years with her father following her in death two years later.

After the death of her first husband Catherina married again to John Hoffman another German immigrant. They also had four children, Jacob, Josephine, John, and Louise Hoffman. Louise died at age one.

Catherine Hartmann Buhr Hoffman died in New Orleans on January 2, 1896.

Through My Mother's Eyes

Four generations of women who each taught their daughter's the love and value of home and family. When I look at the photos of my great great grandmother and great grandmother, I don't have to wonder about them. I already know them. Through the stories told by my grandmother and mother of course, but I mean a deeper knowing. One made by actions and impressions handed down from mother to daughter. A little quirk of the mouth, a look in the eye, hand movements, mannerisms. These things we pick up without much thought. Or things a daughter who adores her mother and grandmother may spend hours trying to emulate.  Many women find themselves saying, "I've turned into my mother" after doing or saying something that their mother would have once done.
It is an honor to be anything like my mother, because being like her means that I am following in the footsteps of the women who made her who she is. Through my mother's eyes I can see her mother, her grandmother, great grandmother, and beyond. I am comforted to know that their love and guidance still lingers throughout the generations.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Birthday Irma

Today is a special day, it is the day that marks the birth of my grandmother Lucille Irma Wiese Ladner, known as Irma to friends, and MaMaw to me. I loved this day when I was a child. It was always so special as we would generally spend the day with my MaMaw doing something she liked. Whether it be going to lunch at Morison's Cafeteria, or Cajun's fried chicken and then going shopping of course, the day was always a happy one. The best part was that she would never fail to say, "Five more days until your birthday! What kind of cake do you want me to make you?" My grandmother and aunt baked cakes for a living. But on her day, my aunt usually bought her a baker shop cake. One she didn't have to bake herself.

As a child I always asked her, "What do you want for your birthday?" She would think a moment and say, "When I was a girl I always got a shiny silver dime. A dime would be nice." So each year I would search for the oldest dime I could find. Because the older dimes had more silver in them. I would shine it up and give it to her. She always seemed so pleased. As an adult I usually bought her a real gift, but I never failed to include a shiny old dime with it. Each year, I still place a shiny dime on her grave.

She and I shared a lot of things, but both being the middle child, and both being born in March were the two that we talked of most often. She always wore a birthstone ring that I loved to touch and look at because it would one day be mine. She promised it to me from the time I could remember. Because after all we were the only ones who could wear aquamarine as our stone.

We often talked about how nice it was to share our birthday with Spring and Easter. My birthday often fell on Good Friday or even on Easter, and on one of her last birthday's with us she and I were discussing how hers had fallen one time on Easter.  She told how back in those days there was no celebration at all until on Easter Sunday because of the restrictions of Lent and how lucky she felt to be able to have her birthday celebration that day.

 So, here's to memories, to Spring, and to Easter Birthday's! Most of all to the grandmother whom I miss today with all my heart! Until we celebrate together again.... Happy Birthday MaMaw!

Wordless Wednesday- Working for a Living

My Grandmother and coworkers at the National Hosiery Mills in 1929, New Orleans, La

Surname Saturday- Grimshaw

A few weeks back I wrote of the Berthoud family, the ancestors of my cousins,  Maud and Meta Grimshaw. Now I will write of their father's family, the Grimshaw's of Louisiana.

James Grimshaw was born in England and came to the U.S. around 1827. He was a wealthy merchant and an owner of  Tayleur, Grimshaw &  Sloan. James became involved in the business in 1827 as this notice given in the Louisiana Advertiser on February 23, 1827 will attribute:

The firm had a London branch as well as one in New Orleans at 79 Canal Street. The firm was apparently dissolved in 1834, as this notice in the London Gazette will attribute:

London Gazette 

After the dissolution of the firm of Tayleur, Grimshaw & Sloane, James founded a new firm entitled Grimshaw & Jones that operated out of Mobile, Alabama.  They later went bankrupt in 1843. 

James married  Mary Julia Berthoud, daughter of  Nicholas Berthoud and Eliza Bakewell, in New York in 1835. They later settled in the New Orleans area. James was a much respected citizen and a staunch supporter of the Christ Church, Episcopal Church in New Orleans where he served as vestryman.


James and Mary had twelve children:
Mary Julia Grimshaw, who married Brigadier General Johnson Kelly Duncan.
Henry Grimshaw, who married Lida Travis
Elizabeth Berthoud Grimshaw, who married William Seymour
Augustus Berthoud Grimshaw
James Russell Grimshaw, died at the battle of Shiloh
Alexander Gordon Grimshaw, who married Josephine Booth (parents to Maud, Meta and Russell)
Edith Grimshaw, who died as an infant
Newton Mercer Grimshaw, died young
Edward Kenyon Grimshaw, married Annie Reade
Francis Hammond Grimshaw, died young
William Grimshaw, married Hattie Knight
Meta Grimshaw

Their son, Alexander Gordon Grimshaw married Josephine Booth, daughter of Margaret Conrad and William Booth. They had four children, Edith who died as a child, James Russell, and the twins, Maud and Meta Grimshaw. James Russell, who was known as Russell never married and died without issue. The twins Maud and Meta devoted their lives to taking care of others, both of them becoming nurses after dedicating themselves to caring for their sick father for many years before his passing. They never married, nor had children, though they cared for many of their nieces and nephews as though they were their own children. They adored their Uncle Alan Wiese, my great grandfather and doted upon him.

There is a fantastic website about the Grimshaw family by Thomas Grimshaw at, Grimshaw Origins and History, which details Grimshaw's from England to America which may prove beneficial to any who are researching this family. I would suggest you contact Mr. Thomas Grimshaw if you have anything to add or any questions regarding the Grimshaw line, I myself have contributed numerous times to his site regarding my cousins portion of the family.

Tombstone Tuesday- Wiese

Tomb of James A. Wiese and Edna C. Delherbe. They were buried in the Grimshaw -Withan tomb in Greenwood Cemetery, New Orleans, La.

Wordless Wednesday- Family Visits

Surname Saturday- Wiese

A German family in New Orleans

My grandmother was one of three children, all girls, born to James Allen Wiese and Edna Cecelia Delherbe. Unfortunately James A. Wiese was the only son in his family with two living daughters. His name died with him. Or so we always thought.

My mother had always told me that there were no other Wiese families in New Orleans. Her grandfather was the only one. Other than family in Germany the name here in the US had died out. My mother would stress that the family spelled their name Wiese not Weise. Ours was pronounced WHEEZ while the other was WISE. They were two different families and we were the only ones. However, when I began the search for the father of James A. Wiese I began to discover there were many others with the Wiese surname living in Louisiana. 

Since my grandmother never knew her grandfather there was not much to go on. He had passed away long before she was born. We knew his name was Joachim, or Joseph. He was from Germany, came over to the US before 1860 and lived and died in Plaquemines Parish, La. He also fought in the Civil War.

I had to sit and go through each page of the 1860 census in Plaquemines Parish before I finally found him. He was born about 1835 in Holstein, Prussia. He also had listed with him a son named John. 

My mother was shocked when I told her this news. She declared that this could not be true. They were never told. They would have know if there was an Uncle John. I then showed her the many other Wiese families also living in and around New Orleans. There was a Wiese Soap Factory in New Orleans itself that burned down in the early 1900's.

By 1870 Joachim Wiese had married the widow Margaret Conrad Booth who had two children from her first marriage. In the 1870 census he was listed with his family and his son John Wiese was living several houses down. Joachim is also listed in the 1880 census with his wife, two daughters, and his son James. He apparently died sometime between the 1880 census and the one in 1900 as Margaret is listed as a widow in 1900.

James A. Wiese was born in 1877. He went on to own several stores, both liqueur and grocery stores throughout Plaqumines and New Orleans. He was an elected board member of the grocer's union. He ran a lotto as did many grocers. He was as my mother remembers a jolly sweet man who liked a good joke.

I continue to work on the little pieces of this German family of mine. I want to know more about Joachim and his son John. I want to know where in Germany he was born, who his parents were. I hope to find out more about John, and what happened to him. Did he have a family as well? Are the other Wiese family in Louisiana somehow connected to mine? 

Wordless Wednesday- Sisters