Herman Verheyen, 1842–1909

Herman Thomas Verheyen, born on 20 March 1842 in Qualburg, Rhenish, Prussia, was the son of Johann Verheyen and Bartholomea Zadelaer and grandson of Herman and Eva (Josten) Verheyen and Fredericus and Margaretha (Thunison) Zadelaer.

In 1849, Herman left Germany boarding the Oregon at the port of L’ Havre, France, with his parents and siblings, Frederick, Margaret, and Johanna, his uncle, Jacob Verheyen, and his wife, Johanna, and cousin, Helena, and others from their community. After a voyage of fifty-three days, they arrived in New Orleans on 27 April 1849. The family traveled upriver to St. Louis, then to Milwaukee before returning to St. Louis shortly after the Great Fire in May 1849.

Herman’s father, Joannes, died on 14 August 1850 and was buried the following day. Six weeks later, his mother married a recent widower, Joachim “Garms.” On 3 April 1853, Herman made his first communion and was confirmed at St. Joseph’s Church. The 1860 census shows him living in the Joachim Games household in the 8th Ward with his mother Eliza, brother, Fred, and half-sister, Louisa. Herman’s occupation was laborer, while there was no occupation shown for his sixty-three year old step-father.

The 1863 Civil War draft registration for the 8th Ward shows Herman was a single twenty-year-old teamster living at 384 Biddle Street. On 1 November 1865, at St. Joseph’s Church, Herman married Mary Crancer, the daughter of Joannus and Mary Ann (Romeis) Crancer. Together, they had nine children: William F., born 15 November 1866; John Thomas, born 26 October 1869; Boniface F., born 1 August 1871; Agnes, born 19 July 1874; Maria, born 8 July 1876; Benedict, born 3 April 1880; John W., born 6 November 1881; Mary “Mamie,” born 17 September 1884; and Annie, born 24 April 1887.

The 1870 federal census places the family in the 10th Ward in St. Louis City. Herman, a carpenter, lived with his wife and fifty-six-year-old mother. City directories for 1872 and 1876 show him as a foreman, living on North 7th Street and working at the St. Louis Planing Mill, sometimes known by the name of their proprietors, Lesley Garnett & Company.

The 1880 census indicates Herman was a machinist living at 1516 Cass Ave. with his family and sixty-five-year-old mother, Bartholomea “Gaumers.” By 1884, Herman had moved to Conde Street. The baptisms of his last two children in 1884 and 1887 were at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church at 20th and Linton, confirming his change of location in the city. The 1900 city directory shows him as a foreman living at 5229 Conde, but by 1903 he was working at Hader & Verheyen at 211 North Market. By 1907, he was the park keeper at O’Fallon Park, living in the “park house.”

Herman died on 17 January 1909 at the O’Fallon Park Cottage. The funeral mass was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. On 20 January 1909, he was interred in Calvary Cemetery.

Submitted by Joe Armour
February 2019

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Last Modified: 12-Jul-2019 15:02