I am John Hillenbrand a grandson of Marie R (Eyerman) Hillenbrand. Marie was the sister of George, Emil, and Charlie. I know a little Eyerman family history and I would like to pass it along. The Eyerman (Eyermann) name, or at least our branch, came to this country when George Jacob Eyermann emigrated from the Rhine Land in 1887. Arriving in America on March 9 of that year. He was 19 years old, having been born July 8, 1868. He was the youngest of 5 brothers and 5 sisters. His parents were Maria Troutmann and Peter Eyermann. George had at least one (older) brother here in America by the name of Peter. George kept in touch with his family in Europe and we know that his parents lived to ages of 83 (Mother) and 79 (Father). According to the Eyermann family Bible George s place of birth was Windstein Elsass (Alsace), however, Georges daughter Marie always said that her father was from Wurttemberg Germany. In the mid 1800 s the German province of Wurttemberg was just east across the Rhine River from the Alsace region of France and just north of the Swiss border. The Alsace area was historically part of Germany and is today is part of France. During the 1800 s and through the end of WWII the national allegiance of the Alsace region was contested with both Germany and France claiming the area. George Eyermann was ethnically German. He (and his wife Marie) spoke German and some German was spoken in the Eyermann household when the children were growing up. George settled in Allegheny PA. (North Side Pittsburgh today) where he met and Married Marie M. Yost. (The M was probably for Magdalene her mothers name) Marie commonly used the less formal first name Mary (as did her daughter). Marie emigrated from Europe arriving in America on her 19 birthday, October 31, 1887. The family bible lists her place and date of birth as Selz Elsass, October 31, 1868. Marie s daughter Marie Rose said that her mother was from Alsace-Lorraine which is west of the Rhine Valley and the same general area from which George emigrated. Marie Yost was the oldest of six sisters. Her parents were Magdalene Itzel and Michel Yost. Michel was the Mayor of the town in which they lived. Three of Marie s sisters also came to America, Adela, Carolinea and Phyllis. Adela and Phyllis both married. George Jacob Eyermann and Marie M. Yost married at Saint Mary s RC church in Allegheny Pa. on Monday April 16, 1891. Marie s sister Carolina was her Brides maid. George and Mary Eyermann had five children. George, Gregor, Marie, Emil and Charles. Gregor died when he was 3 months old. The family first lived on Overbeck St. on Allegheny Pa s (North Side) Spring Hill area and later moved to Haslage Avenue also on Spring Hill. When they first moved to Haslage Avenue they lived at the corner or Haslage and Hunnel on the second floor of the building where for years they ran a corner
grocery. Later they built a home just up the street at 1127 Haslage. Eventually as the children became adults they all acquired there own homes on Haslage Avenue and continued to live there for their entire lives. Marie s sister Adela along with her husband Pete also built a home at 1131 Haslage Avenue making five households of parents, aunts, uncles and cousins within about a block of one another. This was about 1920. The George Eyermann family initially belonged to St. Marys RC parish on the North.Side. Later while living on Overbeck street they belonged to St. Boniface s RC parish on East Street and finally they became members of St Ambrose parish on Haslage Avenue in September of 1895. George was a laborer or electrical worker somewhere locally for a company that made electrical equipment probably for the steel mill industry. Georges work history is vague and based on George s daughter Marie s childhood memories. (I have seen a picture of George standing on a factory floor in front of what looks like a large electromagnet but I don t have the photograph.) Marie said that her father had worked for Westinghouse for a while but it was probably another big name manufacturer as I don t believe that Westinghouse had a plant on the north side. In any case it seems that he was working for a smaller company (Possibly having the name Stimple & Ward) in the same electrical equipment industry when a heavy piece of equipment dropped on his foot and did significant damage. This was before the days of workers compensation and George lost his job and his lively hood. The chronology for when the family opened the grocery store is unclear but the grocery store on Haslage Avenue and Marie s employment by a pediatricians by the name of Dr. Shushman, supported the family. The Eyermanns lived on the second floor above the grocery for years and ran the store as a family business. They owned the store and the building during the 1910 s. They moved into their new home at 1127 Haslage prior to 1918 but it not clear when they sold the store. The grocery was still open in the early 1950 s but it was no longer owned and operated by the Eyermans. The oldest child in the Eyermann family was George John Eyermann. He was born on October 16 1892. He was probably baptized at Saint Bonifice RC Church on East Street. He grew up and Married Mary Sieman from Milvalle PA. He and his wife eventually purchased property at 1135 Haslage Avenue and he built a home there where he and Mary (Sieman) lived for the rest of their lives. The home was almost directly across the street from the store that his family operated. George and Mary had no children. George worked for the City of Pittsburgh and was active in Republican Politics in the city. His political affiliation eventually cost him his job during a democratic administration. The third child, Marie Rose Eyerman, was born August 22,1895 and was baptized at St Boniface church. She grew up on Haslage Avenue and as a young woman worked in the family store. She Married William J. Hillenbrand on July 12, 1916 at the age of 20 and for some time the couple resided with Mary s parents at 1127 Haslage Ave. William (Hillenbrand) who was 5 years older than Mary had also grown up on Spring Hill on Iten Street along with his five brothers and two sisters. In 1920 two years after the birth of their first child William George, they built a home at 1133 Haslage where they lived most
of the rest of their lives. Mary and William had two more children after William, Regis John born in 1923 and Raymond George born in 1927. These boys grew up with cousins aunts uncles and grand parents within a stones throw and part of their everyday lives. For example, Reg Hillenbrand and Jack Eyerman were first cousins and friends throughout their lives hanging out together as boys, double dating as teenagers, graduating from Allegheny High School together in 1941 and double dating to their senior prom. Marie Rose like her mother was a very active individual. In addition to raising her three boys she took in a foster child for a number of years, helped her husband with his business, was very active in St Ambrose parish and was active in Politics on Spring Hill, holding the post of democratic chairperson for that ward for many years. When her oldest son Bill and his wife separated after World War II Marie took on the task of raising her grandson Jim who grew up like his father and uncles surrounded by family. Marie lived to the age or 94 and is buried with her husband and three sons in St. Mary s cemetery on Mt.Troy Road. When she died she had 7 grand children, five great grand children, and 3 great great grandchildren. The story of the other second generation Eyerman children Emil and Charles add volumes to the family history with these two brothers marrying two sisters, Josephine and Catharine Gaus. This part of the Eyerman story is better told by their children and grand children. Although, I can clearly and fondly remember visiting these families and playing with my cousins at family events which seemed often during the 1950 s and early 1960 s. The first generation passed with the death of Marie (Yost) Eyermann on January 8, 1932 at the age of 63 and her then the death of her husband George on December 20, 1943 at the age of 75. They are both buried in North Side Catholic Cemetery located on Perry Highway just north of Ivory Avenue.
George Jacob and Marie M (Yost) Eyermann