Heinrich (Henry) Schmitt was born in Engers, Koblenz, Stadt, Prussia on June 3, 1828. Located about 9 miles north of Koblenz and 60 miles northeast of Frankfurt.  The Schmitt’s arrived in New York on April 22,1852 on the packet ship Gallia which sailed from Havre. From the Schmitt Family Tree 1991 “Henry’s parents, Jacob and Anna Schmitt, brought their family to the Honesdale-Hawley area of Pennsylvania.  There the family worked on the barge canal that was used to transport coal from the mountains of Pennsylvania.  During the winter when the canal would freeze there was no work.  The canal company gave each man thirty-nine acres in Hawley to use as he needed.  The family was able to sell timber during the winter and they also had a farm.  According to Leo Schmitt who still lives (he died in 1995) on part of the land, Henry did not like the place because it was hilly and too rocky.  Henry gave up his land to come to Brooklyn and he got a job with a man named Herman Sappelt who was a foreman in charge of laying out roads in Brooklyn.  Herman had a daughter named Ernestine.”  Henry married Ernestine on August 19, 1860 and they lived for a while in New Hyde Park, New York before settling and farming in Fosters Meadow (now Rosedale) NY with the Sappelts.  They had 4 children - Ferdinand Robert Martin, Albert Henry, Clara Francisca and Emma Ottilie.

Henry died Nov. 3, 1903 in Elmont, NY.  Ernestine died Aug. 21, 1909 in Rosedale, NY.  Henry and Ernestine are buried in St. Boniface R.C. cemetery, Elmont, NY.

The first child, Ferdinand, was born on July 23, 1861.  He farmed and in later years spent much of his time between Rosedale and Montgomery, NY.  He is buried in St. Boniface R.C. cemetery, Elmont, NY.

The second son, Albert was born on April 6, 1863 in New Hyde Park, NY.  He was a farmer in Fosters Meadow.  He married Margaretta Kappelmeier, daughter of George and Magdalena (Reichert) Kappelmeier on Feb. 12, 1889 at St. Boniface in Fosters Meadow,  NY.  Margaretta was born in Brooklyn on December 24 and baptized on Jan. 22,1865 at St. Benedict RC Church in Brooklyn, NY, by Rev. Franz de Sales Klisterbauer. They had 9 children - 8 married.

The oldest daughter, Clara, was born on July 27, 1867.  She married a farmer, Anton Rottkamp on Feb. 8, 1887 in St. Boniface, Fosters Meadow, NY.  His father was Bernard Rottkamp.  Anton farmed on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont and produced 16 children - 5 married.

The youngest child was Emma Ottilie, born on July 14, 1869.  She married Philip Hoeffner son of Nicholaus and Gertrude Kraus Hoeffner on Feb. 16, 1892 at St. Boniface in Fosters Meadow, N.Y.  Philip farmed first in Elmont and then on Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park, NY across from the Daniel Stattel farm. In 1920 he moved his family to Montgomery, NY which is in Orange County and about 60 miles north of NYC. Philip and Emma had 13 children - 4 married.

Philip and Emma are buried in St. Boniface R.C. cemetery in Elmont, NY.

Submitted by Bal Hoeffner

Email: Caribal@optonline.net

Updated 4/10/14