Hess Family Genealogy

A compilation of our genealogy and life stories

Hess

Another Conversation with my Mom

by Leave a Comment

Jeanne E. Post
Jeanne E. Post

Tonight I was visiting my Mom and we got talking about genealogy and family history.  Somehow the conversation turned to her friend Maxine Howell who lived in the big house across Haring Ave from her parents house.  We talked about several families that lived in that house (I remember when the Morrison’s lived there.) and that Maxine’s family rented it along with her extended family.  In any case she indicated that Maxine and her whole family worked on Handwerks Farms both in Blauvelt, NY and in Florida in the winter.  It was through this friendship with Maxine that my mother met my father who also worked on Handwerks farms.   My Dad had a car so he came to visit Maxine and her family. My Mom indicated that her and my Dad double dated with Maxine (she didn’t say who Maxine went with) to at least the Auto races in Patterson, NJ.

I always wondered how my Mom and Dad met each other.  I remember my mother talking about going to the Hess farm in Old Tappan NJ for strawberries and eggs, but that was when she was young.

I didn’t know that Handwerks had a farm in Florida and that my Dad had been down there before he met my Mom.  When they got married they moved to Florida and farmed.  Now I know why.

Mom mentioned Maxine’s aunt in Florida that she kept in touch with and I said “Is that the one who would send us Christmas gifts that were either the wrong size or something we would never use?” and she replied “Yes, at least she was thinking of you.”

Does anyone else have more to add to this story?

If you are interested in where Handwerks farm was, the old farmhouse is on the corner of Blauvelt Rd and Van Wyck Rd in Blauvelt, NY right next to the South Orangetown Middle School.  A large part of the area surrounding the farmhouse was part of the farm.  The school was built on part of the farm.  My sister Karen was in the first class to go through that school for all 3 grades, sixth, seventh and eighth. My cousin Debbie and I were in the second class to go there for three years.

Frank Hess Sr. Immigration Records and a new photo

by 2 Comments

On New Year’s Day, I was out searching the internet for genealogy information and came across a link to obtain  the immigration file for a German immigrant ancestor who had registered starting in 1940.  With this new resource, I hoped to find more information on my grandfather Frank Hess Sr.  So I sent off my $20 and the information I had on him and 5 days later I received a letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  They had identified his file, but they no longer had it.  It was at the National Archives in Kansas City.  They then proceeded to tell me how to obtain a copy of the file.  I sent off another email and after another $20 fee and a wait of another week, I received the six pages of the file including this picture taken in 1942 of Frank Hess.

Hess Frank Sr 1942 INS Photo

I have posted the rest of the file in the Family Tree in an Album attached to Frank Hess Sr.

A couple of things I learned from this new record is that he immigrated in 1910 as a crew member on the S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm II.  He entered the US at Hoboken, NJ.  He could not recall the exact date he entered the country except that it was in 1910.

I knew he served in the German Army before he arrived, because we have a picture of him in his uniform, but I did not know it was from 1904 to 1906.  That is another clue that we might be able to use to find more information about him.

Here is a postcard and a picture of the S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm II.

SS_Kaiser_Wilhelm_II

 

300px-Kaiser_wilhelm_2

8 February 1972

by Leave a Comment

As the 8th of February past, I started to remember what happened on that day forty years ago.  It had been cold enough for the ice to freeze at the local Ice Skating “Rink”.  It was really an old ice pond where they had harvested ice for preserving food in ice boxes through the summer.  But in my day we had refrigerators and didn’t need the ice anymore. Anyway, we usually only had a couple of weeks to skate and I wanted to take full advantage of the time I had.

I went to skate right after school and my dad came to pick me up for dinner.  I didn’t want to quit so I ignored him and he finally went home.  I had a scout patrol meeting that evening so my dad came back to get me.  I saw he was there and was getting ready to leave when I got into a play in the hockey game where we were all fighting over the puck.  The next thing I know, I am falling down and hear a loud crack.  I didn’t know if it was the ice or my leg. The other players helped me off the ice on one leg and they took me into the warm-up shack.  I was soon helped to my dad’s car and taken home.

Later that night I was taken to Nyack Hospital and x-rayed. I had broken both my right tibia and right fibula.  I spent the night at the hospital, and the next ten weeks in various casts.  The first was most of the way up my thigh. Eventually they were walking casts with a removable boot.  It was months before I could walk without a limp.

Looking back on that experience, how much pain and suffering could I have avoided if I had just gone home with my father when he came the first time? I knew I should have gone with him, but who would have seen the consequences?

The sad thing is this isn’t the only instance where I can look back and see the consequences of not doing what I should or not being where I should be.  What would have happened on 13 November 2003 if I had left for Church on time?  Instead, I was just leaving when I should have been there.  Again another accident, this time with a totaled car and multiple broken bones.

John Hess’ Elementary School Pictures

by 2 Comments

My mom has been saving these pictures for all these years.  I thought they would be good to share.  For most of you who have always had individual pictures, they used to only take class pictures.  The first 4 years I was in Sparkill Elementary School.  For Fourth grade they changed the school boundaries and I went to Tappan Elementary School so most of my classmates changed.  In each school we had 2 or three classes per grade so every year we had new kids in our class.

In the First grade picture, my cousin Debbie Post is in the center of the back row.  If I dug out my high school yearbook, I might be able to name most of my classmates.  I remember some of them but not all.

 

John Hess Kindergarten Class Sparkill Elementary School
John Hess 1st Grade Class Sparkill Elementary School
John Hess 2nd Grade Class Sparkill Elementary School
John Hess 3rd Grade Class Sparkill Elementary School
John Hess 4th Grade Class Tappan Elementary School
John Hess 5th Grade Class Tappan Elementary School

I don’t remember most of my teacher’s names, but the folder indicated my First Grade teacher was Mrs Bolander, and I remember my Fourth Grade teacher was Mrs Hartmuller and my Fifth Grade teacher was Mrs McConnell.

Mrs Hartmuller retired after my year with her.  She was the one elementary school teacher that had a big impact on my life.  We had to read 15 books as a minimum and do a report on each of them that year, and I really had a hard time finding a book to read.  She planted a book in the closet in her room and made me believe it was a special book that she thought I would like.  I read it and it kicked off a love for reading where I couldn’t get enough to read.  It was a part of a series and that helped me find additional books to read.  I still have a box of books from that series that I bought and read during 4th, 5th and 6th grades.

 

 

 

Marriage of Frank Hess and Jeanne Elizabeth Post

by Leave a Comment

My mom asked me to keep this booklet from their marriage ceremony and she gave me a note card with a drawing of the church where they were married.  I thought it was best to share it with everyone.

Document is found here:

F Hess and J Post Marriage

Christ Church, Sparkill, NY Where Jeanne Elizabeth Post and Frank Hess Jr. were married.

My Claim to Fame at BYU

by 1 Comment

The attached picture is my only claim to fame at BYU.  It was actually about 1/4 of a newspaper page in size.

The story behind it:

I was in an intermediate Racquetball class and my teacher had directed the class to play with our wrong hand to develop cross-body coordination.  My opponent and I were struggling with this when a knock came at the door.  It was a reporter with the Daily Universe (BYU Newspaper) and he said “You guys really look like you know what you are doing, do you mind if I take a few pictures for an article we are doing on fitness for the paper.”  We agreed as long as we could use our regular hands.  He took pictures of both of us serving and mine made the paper.

Aunt Jayne saved a copy and sent it to our Mom & Dad.

Remembrances of Frank Hess

by Leave a Comment

As I have gone through my records, I have found a few more remembrances of my dad.

I found a note from Vicki Vibbert where she says:

 

From the online Guest book I found:

Guest Book for

Frank Hess

 

April 25, 2007
My heart goes out to Jeanne and Betty. The family has always been one of love and support. My deepest condolences are with you as you grieve.
Gordon Burton (Sacramento)

April 24, 2007
Uncle Frank was a kind, sweet man, my mother’s favorite brother growing up (because he was quiet and kind I think). John’s eulogy of his dad and Jane’s reading as well as the stories of the grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbors (as well as Aunt Jeanne) allowed us all to see Uncle Frank as a wonderful, well rounded and loving man. It was wonderful to have the entire family gather to send him off. He looked so at peace. I know it is hard on Aunt Jeanne and all the children but I know Uncle Frank is happy gardening someplace.
Brenda Yanni (Hewitt, NJ)

April 22, 2007
A kind neighbor and a very thoughtful man. A man full of spirit and commitment. Each time I look towards his garden my family will always think of Frank’s commitment to growing something beautiful and meaningful!
Mike Lindhorst (Candor, NY)

Frank Hess Jr. Work highlighted in a magazine

by Leave a Comment

In the late 1970’s my dad worked for Rodger Pellegrini and his wife.  They had bought a large factory and converted it into several apartments.  Their apartment was the main floor with 30 foot ceilings. I helped him with some of the work including replacing the hot tar roof.  For the most part they went with an open floor plan.  My dad built a loft on one end for the bathroom and several bedrooms.  For beams he used rough hewn lumber some of which was at least 10 X 10.

He was then contacted by Rodger’s parents, Bruno and Frances Pellegrini to re-do their kitchen.  They were photographers and were doing this for a magazine spread.  I know I worked with him at there house, but I think it was at the beginning of this project.  The pictures below show his cabinets, shelves and range hood.  If you look carefully at the young girl in the picture you may recognize Erica Raab.  They told dad that they didn’t include people in the photos they took for magazines, but this picture with Erica and the cat was a classic.  The information in the center column includes a credit for the work of Frank Hess of Sparkill, NY.