Little is known about Herman Frederick Beyer prior to his marriage to Frances Jane Gregory, and even less can actually be documented. To compound the dearth
of actual records concerning him and the numerous seeming contradictions
contained in the records which do exist, there is a story, which has circulated
through the family, which adds to the mysteriousness of his early life and his
seeming reluctance to leave an accurate record. The story, related by him to a
family member, states that in order to escape obligatory service in the
Imperial German Army, Herman stowed away on a vessel bound for the United
States. While this story may or may not be true, it may indicate an answer to
the question of why it is so difficult to locate any record of him in Germany.
According to his death certificate Herman Frederick Beyer was born 30 November
1861, but this is probably an error, as he listed his birth date as 30 November
1860 on his Petition for Naturalization and his obituary listed his age at his
death as 84. Herman's Petition for Naturalization also listed his birthplace
as Bremen, Germany, as did all other subsequent documentation. However, a
search of the vital records for Bremen and its surrounding metropolitan area
failed to locate a record of his birth. It is probable that Herman was born in
a place other than Bremen, for if in fact he was born in Bremen, the absence of
his birth record would be highly unusual, especially in a country where records
were kept religiously.
The first actual record concerning Herman that has been located is a passenger
list for the Habsburg, a trans-Atlantic passenger liner. The Habsburg departed
from Bremen and arrived at the port of New York on 22 November 1883. In the
passenger list, Herman is listed as age 23 and a laborer. Additionally his
destination is listed as New York. However, no other family members are listed
as traveling with him.
After his arrival in New York City, Herman traveled to Canajoharie, Montgomery,
New York. While in Canajoharie he evidently lived with or near his father, John Beyer, who had arrived in the United States in 1882. On 6 November 1885
both Herman and his father filed their Declarations of Intention with the
County Clerk of Montgomery County. Herman was listed as age 25 at the time,
while his father was listed as age 53.
On 24 December 1889 Herman Frederick Beyer was married to Frances Jane Gregory
by the Reverend H. W. Carter at the Congregational parsonage in Platteville,
Wisconsin. Both of them were residents of Harrison Township at the time of
their marriage.
Evidently, after their marriage, Herman and Frances lived for a time in
Platteville Township. Their daughter, Flossie, stated that their first two
children, Ernest who was born about 1890, and an unnamed boy who was born about
1892, were born in Platteville Township. Later Herman and Frances moved back
to Harrison Township where their next four children were born. These were Gertrude Ethel who was born in 1893, George Albert who was born on 22 April
1895, Otto Carl who was born on 29 January and died on 27 February 1897, and Flossie Ellen who was born on 27 May 1899. However, by 1900 the family had
moved again to Fourth Street in the city of Platteville. Here their remaining
children were born. These were Herman who was born 21 March 1900 and died 2
March 1902, Jesse who was born 13 October 1907 and died 31 January 1908,Douglas Henry who was born 8 October 1912, and Clarence Leroy who was born 18
December 1916.
Only five of their ten children lived to adulthood. The probable reason for
this was later discovered by Ruby Hinkle Beyer, Douglas Henry's wife. She
found out that Douglas was a carrier of the gene for cystic fibrosis. This
gene is carried only by male members of a family, but each child of a carrier
can die from the disease. Although unknown at the time, Herman Frederick Beyer
was a carrier of this disease and it is likely that five of his children died
from it.
Herman and Frances joined the First Congregational Church in Platteville,
Wisconsin on 7 March 1897 shortly after the death of their son, Otto Carl.
Frances remained a member of that church until her death on 14 December 1934.
During his lifetime Herman worked as a common laborer, a farmer, a miner and
finally a boiler maker on the Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Paul Railroad.
After retiring from the railroad he lived at the home of his son, Douglas Henry,
in Kenosha. He passed away on 20 November 1945. Both Herman and Frances are
buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Platteville, Wisconsin.
(George Wm. Phillips, Ancestry and Family History of Mary Anne Iverson, Family
History Group, 2001 - 2003, GWP Archives and Databases.
Based on personal research of the author commencing in 1980. Published on the
internet, beginning 2001. Source Media Type: Electronic Data.
)
