Accidental Finding of Divorce and Toledo State Asylum Referencing - Balthasar and Rebecca Myers Hoffman

By Pamela Pattison Lash

It seems I can’t go anywhere without bumping into divorce material (and as I discovered asylum inmate info). In a volume at the Williams Co, OH Recorder’s Office titled Miscellaneous Record #1 p5 I found the following:

Balthasar Hoffman to Rebecca M Hoffman

“Article of marital separation

They can no longer live together and cohabit together.”

Balthasar gives a deed of warranty to their son Jacob Hoffman as trustee to land in St Joseph Twp on the sw corner of east ½ se ¼ of Section 36, T6N R1E of 10 acres on 21 Nov 1895.

Battes Hoffman, born on 15 April 1845, Wurtemburg, Germany, married Rebecca Myers in Crawford Co, OH on 21 December 1871. (possibly daughter of John G and Margaret Myers, both natives of Germany, living 1850 in Liberty, Crawford, Ohio; Roll: M432_671; Page: 416B; Image: 200 as John G 47, Margaret 44, Rebecca 2 OH and many siblings: Henry, John, David, Susanna, Jacob, William, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Daniel)

1860 Bucyrus, Crawford, Ohio; Roll: M653_951; Page: 47; Image: 51; Family History Library Film: 803951.

h/h 348/353 Hoffman, Charlotte 56 Wurtem

Jacob 22 Wurtem day laborer

Bartis 15 Wurtem day laborer

1870 Holmes, Crawford, Ohio; Roll: M593_1186; Page: 431B; Image: 248; Family History Library Film: 552685.

h/h 281/284 Myers, Daniel 21 OH farmer

Margaret 62 Wurtem

Caty 25 OH

Rebecca 22 OH

Eli 19 OH works on farm

1870 St Joseph, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M593_1282; Page: 233A; Image: 471; Family History Library Film: 552781.

h/h 24/34 Hoffman, Baltes 23 Wurtem farmer

Charlotta 67 Wurtem

George Hoffman, son of Baltz Hoffman and Rebecca Miers, was born on 9 Aug 1876 in St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH (Births V1 p101)

1880 Saint Joseph, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 591A; Enumeration District: 009; Image: 0042.

h/h 127/128 Hoffmann, Baltus 35 Wurtem-Wurtem-Wurtem farmer

Rebecca 33 wife OH-Wurtem-Wurtem

Jacob 7 son OH-Wurtem-OH

George 4 son OH-Wurtem-OH

Charlotte 77 mother, widow Wurtem-Wurtem-Wurtem

Edward Huffman, son of B Huffman and Rebecca Miers, was born on 22 Mar 1881 in St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH (Births V2 p24)

Daniel Hoffman, son of Baltes Hoffman and Rebecca Myers, was born on 9 Dec 1883 in St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH (Births V2 p61)

Charlotta Hoffman died in St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH on 12 Dec 1885, widow, born in Germany, age 82Y (Deaths V2 p35)

Baltasser Hoffman married Katie Mavis in Williams Co, OH on 3 December 1896 by Rev F Heckleman. (Marriages V7 p86); it appears that Catherine Mavis was born on 3 May 1872 probably in Defiance Co, OH, the daughter of Abraham Mavis and Caroline Stahl.

1880 Farmer, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: 1011; Family History Film: 1255011; Page: 222A; Enumeration District: 240; Image: 0669.

h/h 123/129 Mavis, Abraham J 40 OH-OH-OH farmer

Caroline wife 35 OH-PA-PA

Jenne dau 12 OH-OH-OH

Charles P son 10 OH-OH-OH

Catherin dau 8 OH-OH-OH

Nettie dau 6 OH-OH-OH

Elsworth son 5 OH-OH-OH

Mellie dau 3 OH-OH-OH

Beulah S Hoffman, daughter of B Hoffman and Kathryn Mavis, was born in Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH on 20 July 1898 (Births V 3 p88)

Charles Hoffman, son of B Hoffman and Kate Mavis, was born in Pulaski Twp, Williams Co, OH on 28 Feb 1900 (Births V 3p89)

1900 Pulaski, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1332; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 110; FHL microfilm: 1241332.

h/h 207/209 Hoffman, Baltser 54 (April 1846) mar 3Y Germ-Germ-Germ to USA 1856 and naturalized, farmer, renting land

Katie A 28 wife (Mar 1872) 3/3 ch OH-OH-PA

Daniel C 7 son (July 1892) OH-Germ-OH

Beulah C 1 dau ((July 1898) OH-Germ-OH

Charles R 3/12 son (Feb 1900) OH-Germ-OH

Jake 25 son (Nov 1874) OH-Germ-OH farmer, single

On 27 January 1902 Rebecca Hoffman (Williams Co, OH Probate #4316 misc – aka probably confined to Toledo State Asylum) Note I did not find her in the 1900 federal census.

Franklin A Hoffman, son of B Hoffman and Katie Mavis, was born in Center Twp, Williams Co, OH on 24 March 1902 (Births V3 p91)

On 10 May 1906 Naomi Mildred Hoffman, daughter of Baltosser Hoffman and Katherine Mavis was born in Defiance Co, OH

1910 Farmer, Defiance, Ohio; Roll: T624_1177; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0011; Image: 249; FHL microfilm: 1375190.

h/h 112/114 Hoffman, Baltharsa 64 mar 2x mar 13Y Germ-Germ-Germ general farmer

Catherine wife 38 mar 13Y 6/6 ch OH-OH-OH

Beulah dau 11 OH-Germ-OH

Charles son 10 OH-Germ-OH

Franklin A  son 8 OH-Germ-OH

Burnell son 6 OH-Germ-OH

Mildred dau 4 OH-Germ-OH

Swager, Darrel step son 17 OH-OH-OH farm laborer, working out

1910 Toledo Ward 10, Lucas, Ohio; Roll: T624_1209; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0131; Image: 1151; FHL microfilm: 1375222.

Rebecca Hoffman 65 inmate of Toledo State Asylum, divorced OH-OH-OH, mother of 5 children, unknown how many are living

Rebecca Hoffman, born 1845, died in the Toledo State Hospital, Lucas Co, OH on 28 June 1913; burial in Edgerton, St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH; her death certificate says cause of death was exhaustion and senile dementia @68years of age; there is no tombstone to mark her burial

Rebecca Hoffman, Williams Co, OH Probate, 11 Aug 1913, estate  #5782

Baltoser Huffman died on 19 January 1914 at St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH at 68Y 9M 4D (born 15 Apr 1845 in Germany); he was married, a farmer; buried in Edgerton, St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH; father Baltoser Hufman and mother Charlotta Schwartz, both of German birth. Note there are tombstones for Baltoser and his mother Charlotta, but none for his wives, Rebecca or Catherine/Katherine.

Baltosser Hoffman, Edgerton Earth, 23 Jan 1914, p2 c2 obit

Ballis Hoffman, Williams Co, OH Probate, 17 June 1915 estate #5985 1/2

Caroline Mavis died on 1 Aug 1915 in Defiance Co, OH; daughter of Peter Stahl and Catherine Conrath.

Katherin M Hoffman died in Defiance Co, OH on 14 Jan 1916.

Jacob Hoffman, son of Baltasser Hoffman and Rebecca Myers, married Susie Mathias, daughter of Jacob Mathias and Mary Siraies, in Milford Twp, Defiance Co, OH on 1 March 1917. He was born in St. Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH and was 43 years old; she was born in Milford Twp, Defiance Co, OH and was 23 years old. (Marriages V7 p403)

Abraham J Mavis died on 15 May 1927 in Farmer, Defiance Co, OH at 77Y 3M 12D; he was born on 3 Feb 1840 in Knox Co, OH, the son of Andrew Mavis and Mary Husted; burial in Farmer Twp, Defiance Co, OH; widower; spouse Caroline.