George Dietrich Von Hofe

George Dietrich Von hofe was born on 10 November 1859 in New York to Frederick Von Hofe and Anna Maria Bastian. He had an elder brother, John Godfrey b. 1857 who married Sadie Heil. Four years later,  in 1863, brother Henry was born and two years after that, in 1865, sis Emma Margaret was born.

In 1860, George, 7 months old, shows up on the New York City census living in the 17th Ward, District 3 with his parents who were 37 years old and brother John, 3 years old. Dad, Frederick, was a carpenter. The census says that Fred and Mary were from Hanover, Germany.

Ten years later, according to the 1870 US census, the Von Hofes are living in the 2nd District’s 12th Ward. George’s parents are 46 years old. Though not only is his mother’s name listed as Anne; she also shows as coming from Hesse Darmstadt. John is 13 and attending school, as are George, now 10, and Henry at 7 Emma is 4. Frederick had become a US citizen.

In 1880, George was 21, living with his family at 120 88th St. NYC. He’d begun working as a printer.  His parents were 58 and 57. Dad was still working as a carpenter. John,23, was a comedian, Henry, 19, was a grocery clerk, and Emma,15,  was simply listed as “at home.” The 1880 New York City Directory confirms George working in printing, though it says “printer’s matls.” His brother John is listed as a printer. By the way, the name is listed simply as HOFE at this point.

He married Hannah Levy August 1883.  The ceremony was performed by Francis J Schneider, minister, and witnessed by Sigmund N. Levy, (Hannah’s father) and Georg Schwarz.

New York City Directory, 1890, lists him as a Printer, living at 1445 Park Avenue.

In 1900, Georg lived with wife Hannah, and three children at 617 160th St., Bronx dist 1015, New York. His occupation is listed as Engraver. (1900 census transcribed as Vanhoff)

On March 17, 1908, George received a patent for a machine that would cut pile designs on fabric. His address is 118 East 87th Street.

By 1910, George D., 50 years old, still working as an electrician, had moved to Manhattan’s 12th Ward (o378). The family lived at 118 East 87th Street, what was known then and now as Yorkville. A section heavily populated by folks of German ancestry. He owned his own home, free of mortgage.  Hannah, 44, had been married to George for 26 years. She’d given birth to 3 children, all of whom were alive. The children were growing up, though.  Eldest daughter Emma (“Memmie”), 25, was working as a stenographer, though she was presently not working, and had been out of work 16 weeks in 1909. Fred H.,18, was working as an artist for NY Staats-Zeitung; he had been out of work for 37 weeks in 1909.  George D. was 17, not working. There was a boarder, Emma Schiffer, 37 who worked sewing neckwear.

By 1920, George had moved out of the city and into New Jersey with Hannah, George Jr., Emma M, Frederick H and dau-in-law Dorothy. They lived at 531 Hillside Terrace, West Orange Ward 1, District 318, NJ. George is working in an Electrical Engineers Office, Frederick is listed as a Doctor, At Home, and George Jr. is listed as a College Student. (1920 census).

The 1924 Orange City Directory shows Emma a manager in NY (or at NY restaurant?), and George living on Hillside Terrace.

George was 70 in 1930. He lived with his son George and daughter-in-law Alice and his wife Hannah at 301 South Orange Street in South Orange district 601. Son George, a president of a cosmetics company, owned the home worth $160,00. They owned a radio. He was a veteran of WW 1. George Dietrich, his dad, was the vice president of the cosmetics company and not a veteran.

In 1932, when George was 73, and Hannah was 67, and their son, Frederick, 41, they traveled aboard the SS Dresden, sailing from Bremen to NYC. They departed Bremen on July 26 and arrived in Ne York on August 7. George’s passport No. was 537729 issued in Wash. DC.

George D. von Hofe
“SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., March 30.–George D. Von Hofe, vice president of Jordeau Inc., cosmetic manufacturers of New York, died yesterday on a train en route from St. Petersburg, Fla., to his home here. He was 76 years old. His widow, two sons and a daughter survive.”
(later on the same page)
VON HOFE–George Dietrich, after an illness of several weeks, on Sunday, March 29, 1936, beloved husband of Hannah von Hofe and father of Mrs. Wilfred J. Fuller, Dr. Frederick H. von Hofe and George D. Hofe, in his seventy-sixth year. Funeral service at his home, 301 West South Orange Av., South Orange, N. J., on Wednesday, at 3 o’clock.”