He was born in 1811/12, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [sources: date: 5 (42 in 1861), 13 (39 in 1850), 14 (48 in 1860), 23 (55 in 1867). place: 5, 13, 14, 23]
On 22 May 1834, he married Matilda Cromm (or perhaps Kroon). Their marriage was recorded in the records of the 10th Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was born about 1815/16, in Pennsylvania. They apparently had at least these children:
[sources: 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21 (52 in 1868)]
In 1850, he was living in ward 2, Spring Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with Matilda (presumably his wife), William Henry Catharine Romine and Theodore (presumably their children), with Catharine Kronn (perhaps his mother-in-law), and Christiana Wiegand. He was a wheelwright. [source: 13]
In 1860, he was living in ward 14, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was living with Matilda (presumably his wife), William, Romaine, Kate, and Theodore (presumably his children), with Elias John, John Holmes, and Catharine (perhaps the Catharine Kronn in the 1850 census?). He was a wheelwright. [source: 14]
I assume that William T Hooven is his son, and is the William he was living with in 1850 and in 1860. If so, his son also served in the 91st.
When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, hazel eyes, and brown hair. His nose was broken. [source: 5]
He enlisted and was mustered into service on 23 August 1861. He was enlisted for three years, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by Colonel Reiff. He was a private in company C. [sources: 1, 5, 25]
He was wounded on 3 May 1863 at Chancellorsville, Virginia On 7 May 1863, he was reported missing in action. On 17 May 1863, he was reported to be in the Corps Hospital as a paroled prisoner. [sources: 1, 2, 3, 11 (missing), 12 (missing)]
On 4 November 1863, he was detailed as a stretcher bearer in the ambulance corps. [source: 4]
On 26 December 1863, he reenlisted at was mustered in as a veteran volunteer, at Bealton, Virginia. [sources: 1, 21]
He may have returned to duty from Brigade Headquarters on 2 May 1864. [source: 7]
In May 1864, he developed chronic diarrhea, from exposure. He returned to duty about 13 August 1864. [source: 21]
About 20 March 1865 (or May 1865?), his chronic diarrhea recurred. He was treated at Mower US Hospital, in Chestnut Hill. While there, he was furloughed home, because of his illness. [source: 21]
He was absent, sick, when the regiment mustered out. [sources: 1, 21]
On 13 July 1865, he was discharged, effective 10 July 1865. He was a private, in company C. [sources: 21, 25]
In 1866, he was living at 1215 Citron Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 17]
On 27 May 1867, he died, at 1215 Citron Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died of consumption of lungs. (When testifying in support of his widow's pension application, the physician who signed his death certificate claimed that he died of chronic diarrhea and hemorrhage of bowels, which--presumably not coincidentally--made it easier to claim his widow was eligible for a pension.) He was a wheelwright. On 30 May 1867, he was buried, at Odd Fellows' Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [sources: 21, 22, 23]
On 18 May 1868, his widow, Matilda Hooven, applied successfully from Pennsylvania for a pension. Her post office address was 1215 Citron Street. Joseph Gilbert (formerly captain of company C) testified in support of her application. Her application was accepted on 6 July 1868. She received $8 per month, retroactive to 27 May 1867. [sources: 8, 9, 21]
In 1868, his widow, Matilda C Hooven, had a boarding house at 1215 Citron Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 17]
In 1870, his widow Matilda was living in ward 14, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with Kate (presumably her daughter), who worked in a trimming store. Matilda owned $225 in real estate, and $1,000 in personal property. [source: 15]
In 1875, his widow Matilda was living at 1215 Citron Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 17]
On 7 December 1875, the Pension Office instructed the Pension Agent to suspend payment of her pension. While the pension certificate file does not explain why payment was her suspended, in other cases involving Joseph E Devitt as attorney, payment was suspended because some documents were improperly executed. On 22 January 1876, the Pension Office instructed the Pension Agent to resume payment. [source: 21]
In 1880, his widow Matilda was living at 1215 Citron Street, ward 14, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was living with her children Kate, Romine, and Theodore, and with a boarder. [source: 16]
On 15 June 1882, his widow, Matilda Hooven, applied for a new pension certificate, to replace the one she had lost. Her post office address was 1215 Citron Street. [source: 21]
In 1883, 1885, and 1886, his widow, Matilda, was living at 1215 Citron Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 17]
On 4 December 1889, his widow, Matilda Hoven, died, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of dropsy. She died at, or was buried from, 1324 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On 7 December 1889, she was buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 20]
On 9 January 1897, his son Theodore Hooven died, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died at, or was buried from, 2222 Fairmount Avenue. He died of double croup, pneumonia. On 15 January 1897, he was buried, in Mt Vernon Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [source: 24]
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (William Hoover)
2 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 7 May 1863 (Private Hoover [?])
3 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 17 May 1863 (Private Hoover [?])
4 consolidated morning report, 91st PA, 4 November 1863 (Priv W Hoover [??]) (uncertain id)
5 company C, descriptive roll, entry 44 (William Hooven ['n' is clear])
6 company C, untitled list, probably of status at muster out, entry 36 (William Hooven ['n' is clear])
7 consolidated morning report, 91st Pennsylvania, 2 May 1864 (Hoover [uncertain ID])
8 pension index, by regiment, 91st PA Infantry, company C (William Hoover)
9 pension index, by name (William Hoover)
10 [removed]
11 'The ninety-first Pennsylvania volunteers', Philadelphia Press, Wednesday 13 May 1863, page 2 (Wm Hoover Sr)
12 'The Ninety-first Pennsylvania at Chancellorville', Philadelphia Inquirer 13 May 1863, page 8 (William Hoven, Sen'r)
13 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Spring Garden, ward 2, microfilm series M432, film 818, pages 422 = 122 handwritten to 423 = 123 handwritten (William Hoover)
14 1860 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 14, division 1, microfilm series M653, film 1164, page 181 = 181 handwritten line 40 to 182 = 182 handwritten line 8 (Wm Hooven Sr)
15 1870 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 14, district 41, microfilm series M593, film 1398, page 146 verso = 134 handwritten (Matilda Hooven)
16 1880 US census, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, ward 14, supervisor's district [1], enumeration district 239, microfilm series T9, film 1174, page 530 = 17 C handwritten (Matilda Hooven)
17 [Philadelphia city directories]
18 Philadelphia Pennsylvania death certificates 1803-1915, 9 July 1912, Catherine Hoover [not transcribed, data abstracted from FamilySearch, accessed 8 January 2012]
19 death notice [not transcribed], Philadelphia Inquirer, 10 July 1912, page 7, Catharine Hooven
20 Philadelphia Pennsylvania death certificate, 1803-1915, 4 December 1889 (Matilda Hoven)
21 widow's pension certificate file, National Archives and Records Administration, record group 15, certificate 115,950 (Matilda Cromm widow of William Hooven)
22 death notice, Public Ledger 30 May 1867, page 2 (William Hooven)
23 Philadelphia death certificate, 27 May 1867 (William Hooven (?))
24 [not transcribed] death certificate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 9 January 1897, Theodore Hooven (available at FamilySearch)
25 index to compiled service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Pennsylvania (William Hooven)
Distinguishing 'Hoover' from 'Hooven' is often hard; many of the records could be read as either.
I have tentatively assigned records to William T Hooven and William Hooven, but am not confident I have done this correctly.
Note that a William Hoover did die on 5 April 1865, and was buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery. However, he served in company D of the 99th Pennsylvania Infantry (and in the 26th Pennsylvania Infantry)--and the pension index by unit has a card for a William Huver in company D of the 99th Pennsylvania, whose widow successfully applied for a pension 18 May 1865 (certificate 80,802). (See the death notice in Philadelphia Inquirer on 10 April 1865, and the Philadelphia death certificate [available on FamilySearch].)
| line | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 1 |
| Dwellings visited | 791 | ||||||||
| Families visited | 837 | ||||||||
| Name | Catharine Kronn | Christiana Wiegand | William Hoover | Matilda " | William Thorne " | Henry Thorne [?] " | Catharine " | Romine " | Theodore Parkham Hoover |
| Age | 66 | 52 | 39 | 37 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Sex | F | F | M | F | M | M | F | F | M |
| Color | |||||||||
| Occupation of males over 15 years | Wheelwright | Farmer | |||||||
| Real estate owned | 2000 | Pennsylvania | |||||||
| Birthplace | Germany | Pennsylvania | " | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Married within year | |||||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Over 20 & can't read/write | |||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 40 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Dwelling number | 1058 | ||||||||
| Family number | 1286 | ||||||||
| Name | Elias Johnson | Jno Holmes | Wm Hooven | Wm Hooven Sr | Romaine " | Matilda " | Kate " | Theodore " | Cath " |
| Age | 23 | 23 | 23 | 48 | 18 | 45 | 20 | 13 | 77 |
| Sex | m | m | m | f | f | f | m | f | |
| Color | |||||||||
| Occupation | Brass Founder | Brass Founder | Iron Moulder | Wheelwright | Saleslady | ||||
| Value of real estate owned | 800 | ||||||||
| Value of personal estate | 100 | 800 | |||||||
| Place of birth | Penna | Phila | " | " | " | " | " | " | Germany |
| Married within year | |||||||||
| Attended school within year | 1 | ||||||||
| Cannot read & write | |||||||||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. |
| line | 6 | 7 |
| Dwelling-house number | [949] | |
| Family number | [997] | |
| Name | Hooven Matilda | - Kate |
| Age | 50 | 25 |
| Sex | F | F |
| Color | W | W |
| Occupation | without occupat | in trimming store |
| Real estate value | 225 | |
| Personal estate value | 1000 | |
| Birthplace | Penna | Penna |
| Father foreign born | ||
| Mother foreign born | ||
| Birth month if born within year | ||
| Marriage month if married within year | ||
| Attended school past year | ||
| Can't read | ||
| Can't write | ||
| Deaf, dumb, blind, etc. | ||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old | ||
| Male US citizen at least 21 years old who can't vote ... |
| line | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 |
| street name | Cit[ron] street | ||||
| house number | 1215 | ||||
| dwelling visit # | 144 | ||||
| family visit # | 157 | ||||
| name | Hooven Matilda | - Kate | - Romine | - Theodore | Flanagan William |
| color | W | W | W | W | W |
| sex | F | F | M | M | M |
| age | 63 | 39 | 38 | 35 | 45 |
| month born if born in year | |||||
| relationship | Daughter | Son | Son | Boarder | |
| single | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| married | |||||
| widowed/divorced | 1 | ||||
| married during year | |||||
| occupation | Keeping House | Clerk in store | Laborer | Brass finisher | Plasterer |
| months unemployed | |||||
| currently ill? | |||||
| blind | |||||
| deaf/dumb | |||||
| idiotic | |||||
| insane | |||||
| disabled | |||||
| school this year | |||||
| can't read | |||||
| can't write | |||||
| birthplace | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | New Jersey |
| father's birthplace | Darmstadt | Pa | Pa | Pa | N.J. |
| mother's birthplace | Wurtemberg | Pa | Pa | Pa | N.J. |
HOOVEN--On the morning of the 27th instant, WILLIAM HOOVEN, in the 56th year of his age
The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, from his late residence, 2215 Citron street, this morning, at 10 o'clock without further notice.