The Brockman Band of Brothers

date of photo early 1880's

back row:  August (half brother), Henry C.

Front Row:  Joseph, Wilhem, Charles

Charles, the eldest,  then Joseph, Henry, Wilhem are sons of Carl Brockman 

and Maria Schmidt.

Carl Brockman was born Oct 8, 1831,  died Nov. 29, 1902.  His first wife Maria Schmidt 

(Americanized in some cemetery records to Smith)  was born Nov 11, 1832, 

died Dec 20, 1872 or1878?    Carl Brockman had ten children, six with Maria, 

and later four with second wife Frederika.   Not included in the photo above is 

daughter Elizabeth (mother of Mabel),  and Bertha.  Maria Brockman died shortly 

after giving birth to Bertha, who died in infancy.

First set of Brockman children:

1. Charles (dates?) married Minnie Gale

2.  Joseph John (born Oct 16, 1864 Mecklenburg,Germany, died Feb 11, 1926 

in Dunkirk, NY  of arteriosclerosis

3.  Henry Charles. (born Dec 14, 1865, died Jan 8, 1964)  Married Amelia Wallace.

Their children:  Lionel, Pearl, Franklin, Wallace, Henry

4.  Elizabeth (Lizzie) born April 20, 1870 in Colden, NY, died April 11, 1951.  

Married Henry Christopher Hamann, (born April 28, 1861  died Oct. 21, 1922 

of chronic myocarditis)    They had one child, daughter Mabel Lucille, 

who was born Dec 14, 1894, and died Feb 11, 1916 at age 22 in a diabetic coma. 

5.  Wilhem (born May 14, 1872, died Jan 3, 1902)

6.  Bertha  the baby died at 9 months.  Bertha was born on Christmas Day, 

Dec. 25, 1872, died Sept. 18, 1873.   Her mother Maria died 

on Dec. 30, 1872, five days after giving birth.

These dates and details are from Forest Hills Cemetery records...Fredonia, NY

and Farnham Holy Cross Lutheran Cemetery,  Farnham, NY  

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Carl Brockman's second wife was Frederika Krull 

(born Aug 4, 1846, died Aug 7, 1920 or 1926?).

The second set of Brockman children:  

1.  Minnie A.  (married Henry Orts, and had three children:  Ella, Ray, Harvey.

Harvey had a son Keith.  According to Forest Hill Cemetery records, Fredonia,

Minnie was born Aug 24, 1875, died Mar 24, 1967, age 92.  

Husband Henry was born Oct. 16, 1869, died Aug 7, 1947 of colon cancer, age 78. 

Son Harvey Edwin was born Aug 31, 1897, died Feb 2, 1940 of a gastric ulcer, age 42.

Daughter Ella Marie was born Nov 27, 1899, died Oct 22, 1971, age 72. 

No info available on Ray?

2.  Augustus William (born Mar 2, 1877, Farnham, NY, 

died July 13, 1928, age 51 in Dunkirk, NY of endocarditis) 

August married Emma Brinkman, they had two children Arthur and Marie.

Arthur (born Jan 27, 1907, died Mar. 8, 1968, age 61)

Marie D. (born Dec. 7, 1918, died Jan 31, 1985, age 67)

3.  Emma Brockman (born Mar 6, 1883, died Mar 22, 1969, age 86)

married Frank Brinkman.  Siblings August and Emma Brockman 

married siblings Emma and Frank Brinkman.  How cool is that.

4.  Martin Louis (born Feb 2, 1887, died March 1, 1926, age 39.

Cemetery records indicate he was found dead  (the family version is he tragically froze to death in a snowbank)at the Glasgow Switch DAV RR* 

*The Dunkirk, Allegheny Valley and Pittsburgh Railroad is a historic railroad company that operated in Pennsylvania and New York.  Chartered in 1867, its first passenger train ran in 1871. After several mergers and name changes, it was leased to the New York Central and Hudson River RR in 1873 for a term of 501 years. It was later wholly absorbed by the New York Central. Passenger service ceased in 1937. 

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Forest Hill Cemetery
Fredonia, NY
Submitted by Nathan Towne

"Forest Hill Cemetery consists of about 40 acres in the Village of Fredonia. The entrance is on Lambert Avenue. Formerly a private cemetery, it is now owned and maintained by the Town of Pomfret. Record books survive, and Town of Pomfret personnel are available for questions by appointment. This transcript consists of data from the "Burials by Date" section of Record Books One, Two, and Three. It covers known burials from the mid-1850s into 2007. Some maiden names, spouse names, and related items have been have been added from other sources by the transcribers, Lois and Norwood Barris. The "Tiffany" note in a notes field indicates that this interment was also found in the burial records (Oct 1858 to Feb 1867) of Jesse M Tiffany, Fredonia undertaker. Only names and dates are available for interments less than 50 years old. There are 16,301 interments in this list."

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CEMETERY RECORDS OF FARNHAM HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CEMETERY Village of Farnham, NY; Town of Brant, Erie County, NY

The Farnham Cemetery is located just off route #249, or Commercial Street, behind the Holy Cross Lutheran Church. The cemetery is well kept but many of the stones are becoming illegible.Many of the residents of the Town of Brant were of German origin and this is reflected in the number of inscriptions which are in German. This also accounts for the fact that many of the names have been changed in spelling from one generation to another, a fact that is noted in this record. The German inscriptions have also been translated into English for ease of reading. NAMES WHICH HAVE BEEN CHANGEDBerns - Behrns, Bearns Cook - Koch Doring - Doering Lange - Long Noethling - Nothling Ohrt - Orth Smith - Schmidt Schrader - Schroder, Schroeder Schultz - Shultz Waterstreet - Waterstredt Winters - Winter  * * * * * * * *

 Frederika's death date is listed 1920 in the Farnham Holy Cross Lutheran Cemetery records or 

1926 family records,  not sure which date is correct, maybe a typo. But would probably guess the cemetery records are more correct. Unfortunately there's no one around who can verify if Frederika was still living when Martin died..... 

Looking at the photo of the boys one wonders if they all got along as a blended family?  Were they close?  Did the first set of boys get along with their stepmother?   Was there mischief and mayhem and typical roughhousing? How was Carl Brockman as a father!?  With so many children, was he strict and stern? Or kind and warm, maybe even fun? ... so many unanswered questions...