John Early Andrews Collection of Letters
Family Tree Letter from Dr. Gerald Norton Hoeffel to Mrs. Hall 1953
Gerald Norton Hoeffel, M.D.
November 2, 1953
My dear Mrs. Hall:
Your letter of introduction was very pleasant to receive. I am sorry
though, that the weather and traffic was so bad that you passed up the
opportunity to call. Your excuse is well taken and we forgive you this
time.
Regarding the Hoeffel family in this country. I am sorry to admit that I
have very little exact information written down concerning the various
branches and collaterals. This should have been obtained and recorded
during the years my parents and my fathers brothers and sisters and
cousins were available. As I remember it, however, here are some of the
details.
My grandfather was Joseph Hoeffel born of Antioine and Cecile Carabin in
Lutzelbourg (Moselle) November 12, 1825. His parents migrated to Ohio in
1827. Cecile Carabin’s parents were from Paris. Antoine evidently had
eight brothers and sisters some of whom followed him to the U.S.A.:
- Antoine born 12-1-1824,
- Jacques 26-5-1813,
- Louis 24-10-1827,
- Aloise 10-3-1882,
- Charles 15-12-1814,
- Veronique 2-5-1816,
- Angelique 16-6-1818,
- Antoine 6-6-1820.
In addition to my grandfather, Joseph, Antoine and Cecile had other
children as my father had first cousins who lived in Green Bay and
Fondulac, Wisconsin. Joseph Hoeffel married twice. One child of this
marriage was Louis. His second marriage was to Catherine Knowles who was
born in Ireland (County Cork) and migrated to Canada as a young girl and
I think taught school in Halifax. My father Sylvester was born August 12,
1854 in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Joseph moved his family from Brookfield to Green Bay in 1856. My father
married Genevieve Heath of Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1881. My parents died in
1938 as the result of an automobile accident. My immediate family
consists of a sister and two brothers. Marion Frances wife of Col. George
Albert Bentley, U.S.A. Ret. Chevy Chase
Dr. Paul Heath Hoeffel; Evanston, Illinois; Rear Admiral Kenneth Hoeffel,
U.S.N. Retired, Chevy Chase, Md.
To identify myself: Following my graduation from the Harvard Medical
School in 1920, I practiced Pediatrics there until June of 1952 when I
moved my large young family of seven to Cape Cod at Truro. In your city
of Rochester is Dr. Paul Hoeffel Garvey associated with the University as
professor of Neurology. He is the son of Louise Hoeffel Garvey a first
cousin of my father. Another cousin is Mrs. Joseph Sainton, 332 Batavia
Street, Toledo, Ohio. She is the daughter of my father’s sister Agnes
Hoeffel Cole. She is very interested in the genealogy of the family and
no doubt has collected material that is more substantial and complete. I
am sure she would be interested in hearing from you.
In 1925 I had the pleasure and satisfaction of visiting the Hoeffels
living in Lutzelbourg and Bourviller. These towns are between Nancy and
Strasbourg. It was pleasant to learn that the name is held in great
distinction in these parts. In Bourviller I visited with Doctor Jean
Hoeffel. He was an elderly man who represented Alaace Lorraine as a
Senator in the German Reistag for twenty years. He was held a hostage in
Berlin during the first world was. He told me that the original Hoeffels
moved from Saxe-Gotha to Alaace in the middle of the seventeenth century.
Doctor Jean’s younger brother Timothy was in active practice of medicine
in Bouxviller. He was on a fishing holiday with a daughter when I called
at his home. His wife was charming and had been educated in England and
talked English beautifully. They had three sons and two daughters. One
son Doctor Jean was home for a vacation from the University of Strasbourg
and was looking after his father’s practice. Another son, Ernest was in
the French foreign service and stationed in Indo China. A rather sad
instance happened in 1942 relating to this family. A letter came to my
house in Cambridge addressed to Monsieur Ernest Hoeffel, Cambogia, French
Indo China. It was from his father Doctor Timothy who with his wife had
fled the German invasion and were living in Vichy. The censors stamp had
covered part of the address and owing to the resemblance of Cambridge it
was sent to me. I in turn redirected it but have not heard any further
word from any of the Hoeffels in France since that time.
In Lutzelbourg I found only one remaining Hoeffel family. Emile was off
fishing with his son but I visited with his wife and daughter. Emile had
a large general store he inherited from his father Lorentz who had died
at the age of 76 some twenty years before my visit. I found Hoeffels in
Nancy and Strasbourg but did not contact any of them. No doubt the
American branch of the Hoeffel family are closely related and I trust
before long some one will gather together the facts and establish a real
family tree.
Again, let me say that it was a pleasure to hear from you and I trust
that the next time you are in these parts you will call.
Sincerely,
signed – Gerald Hoeffel
Edgewood Farm
Turo, Massachusetts
Submitter: John Early Andrews
jandrewsfam@juno.com
Notes: Dr. Hoeffel graduated from Harvard Medical School and
practiced pediatrictics in Brookline, Massachusetts. He started an
organization in Boston called the “Cradel” to assist prominent people in
adopting children, according to Elizabeth Jane Early Andrews. He was 58
when his son Christopher Knowles Hoeffel was born. Christopher is one of
seven children and he has a younger sister.
His cousin, Joseph Merrill Hoeffel, was an only child and a University of
Wisconsin football star. He was the first coach of the Green Bay Packers
in 1920, their first year in the National Football League.
His brother, Rear Admiral Kenneth Mortimer Hoeffel, was the naval liaison
to the white house for two presidents, Coolidge and Hoover, prior to
WWII. In W.W.II he was captured by the Japanese and was a prisoner of
war. He is buried in Arlington Cemetery, not far from John F.
Kennedy.