When I first began compiling my family tree into a database, one of the first resources I had was two
typed pages. They were an outline of Hillegass ancestors compiled either by or for my grandmother's
sister. Based on the dates and marriages included on the sheets they were probably compiled sometime
between 1926 and 1949.
I still have the pages in my files and they are far from original. In fact some of the text is so fuzzy
that it was obvious that it is either a copy of a copy of a copy, etc. Or it had been copied on a
poor machine. But it gave me a great start because the information takes my maternal grandmother's
line back to an immigrant ancestor. My Hillegass findings now go far beyond the information on those
original sheets but what a treasure.
Here is a transcription of those sheets:
(I have made no corrections to typos or other errors. Please refer to our online
database
for updated information.)
page 1
Outline of the HILLEGASS FAMILY, ancestors of
FLORENCE HILLEGASS RADCLIFF
(I)
(John) FREDERICK HILLEGASS
(Nov. 24, 1685-Jan. 6, 1765)
married
ELIZABETH BARBARA ----
(d.May 4, 1759)
JOHN FREDERICK, the immigrant was a native of Alsace in Germany. He, his
wife and some of the children (not his son JOHN ADAM) sailed from Rotterdam in the "William and Sarah",
arriving at Philadelphia on September 18, 1727. By 1731 he was settled in Upper Hanover Township (which was
at that time known as Hanover Township, Philadelphia County).
(II)
JOHN ADAM HILLEGASS
(Jan. 5, 1717-Mar. 12, 1779)
married
1) MARGRETH ------ (d.before 17??
2) Anna Catharine Bitting
(1728-1810)
JOHN ADAM and at least one brother arrived in America on August 11, 1732. MARGRETH is the mother of our line.
(III)
JOHANNES HILLEGASS
married Mar. 3, 1767
ANNA MARIA GERY
(June 6, 1743- Mar. 4, 1803)
(Oct. 25, 1746- Mar. 29, 1795)
daughter of JACOB GERY and
GERTRUDE GRIESEMER (dau. of VALENTINE)
JOHANNES and ANNA MARIA are the only ancestors in this HILLEGASS line that are not
buried at New Goshenshoppen. They are buried in the old portion of the Great Swamp Church cemetery, near Spinnerstown. JOHANNES was a
miller and farmer in the Hosensack area, and on his grave is a Revolutionary War marker.
(IV)
JOHN GEORGE HILLEGASS m. June 7, 1795 MARIA MARGRETHA HILLEGASS
(Feb. 28, 1771-May 8, 1851)
(June 18, 1775- Feb. 13, 1864)
his own first cousin, once removed, since she was the daughter of GEORGE
PETER HILLEGASS, brother of his grandfather, JOHN ADAM HILLEGASS. GEORGE PETER's wife was
ANNA BARBARA HORNECKER, daughter of RUDOLPH and MAGDALENA HORNECKER.
JOHN
GEORGE and MARIA MARGRETHA had at least six children who lived to maturity. It is to these children that
most of the Hillegasses to whom we are even remotely related trace their ancestry. One married a Kepler
and is the ancestor of the Heils and Kehls and Reeds, who are your father's second cousins. One
married Dr. Henry Bobb, who was the druggist in East Greenville around 1900. Another married a Steltz.
MARIA
MARGRETHA's brother is the ancestor of the line to whom Foster Hillegass traces his ancestry.
page 2
HILLEGASS FAMILY, Continued
(V)
GEORGE HILLEGASS
m.
ESTHER FEGLERY
(Aug. 6, 1802- June 3, 1883)
(Sept. 25, 1808- Oct. 11, 1866)
Daughter of PETER and ELIZABETH (LOW) FEGLEY
Only two children lived to maturity, EDWARD and Mary Ann (1840-1902) who
married Henry E. E. Roeder and whose children are your father's first cousins.
(VI)
EDWARD FEGLEY HILLEGASS m. 1) Nov. 3 1866 MARY ANN
EISENHART
(Mar. 15, 1846- Nov. 24, 1913)
(July 7, 1843- May 4, 1886)
Daughter of MICHAEL and RACHEL (SCHUMACHER) EISENHART
MARY ANN was the
mother of all of EDWARD's children, except Mabel, whose mother was the second wife.
EDWARD subsequently married
2) Oct. 21, 1886, Kate R. Linsenbigler, widow of Daniel Renninger
3) on Dec. 18, 1897, Matilda Schultz, widow of Thomas Keck
(VII)
(William) ALBERT HILLEGASS m.
ELLA MATILDA KECK
(Aug. 5, 1881-
)
(Oct. 22, 1888-
)
Daughter of WILLIAM and ELIZABETH (GERHART) KECK
(VIII)
FLORENCE VIOLA HILLEGASS m.
KINLEY RADCLIFF
Mar. 24, 1906-
(Jan. 1, 1898-
_________
Note:
The Roman numerals indicate the generation as removed from the immigrant ancestor
Capitals
indicate an ancestor.
end of document
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created and maintained by Wendy Scott Site established on February 14, 2000
This page was last updated on July 23, 2004
