Colorado County , Texas, Probate Book J, pages 291-344 Will of Hermann Hillmann ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ***************************************************************** Submitted Feb 10, 1999 by Carla Ratcliff Page 292 " In the matter of the application of the Probate of the Last Will and Testament of H. HILLMANN, deceased: In the County Court of Colorado County, State of Texas, Aug, Term, A.D. 1878. And now come C.H. HILLMANN, HENRY HILLMAN, CAROLINE HILLMAN, FRED'K HILLMAN, DORA HILLMAN, WILLIE HILLMAN and MARY HILLMAN the last four named as minors without legal guardians but who appear by their brother and next friend C.H. HILLMAN & object to the probate of the pretended last will and testament of H. HILLMANN, deceased they are the nephews and nieces of the said H. HILLMANN deceased and as heirs of the said HILLMAN are entitled to his estate." Page 293 Last Will and Testament of HERMANN HILLMANN, County of Fayette, State of Texas "I give and bequeath a legacy of one hundred dollars silver coin to each of the following persons, if living at the time of my death: 1. The children of my deceased sister META AHLHORN to wit: a. JOHANN AHLHORN; b. HEINRICH AHLHORN; c. FREDRICH AHLHORN; d. CAROLINE BUSE, wife of FRED'K BUSE 2. The children of my deceased brother, CARL HILLMANN, viz: a. HERMANN HILLMANN; b. HEINRICH HILLMANN; c. CAROLINE HILLMANN; d. FRED'K HILLMANN; e. WILHELM HILLMANN; f. DOROTHEA HILLMANN; g. AMALIE HILLMANN" Page 293 " I give and bequeath to my sister CAROLINE HELLER a life estate..." Page 293 " The remainder or residue of my estate I give and bequeath to the children of my said sister CAROLINE HELLER to wit: FREDERICKE GOERNER, wife of Stephen Goerner; MARIE GOERNER, wife of Edward Goerner, LOUIS HELLER, ELIZABETH HELLER, and THOMAS HELLER." Page 299 Listing of Inventory and Notes and Receipts of HERMANN HILLMANN's estate "1873 Aug 30- C.H. HILLMANN $200.00 Decr 23, 1876- C.H. HILLMANN $215.00" Page 314 Ludwig HILLMANN sworn for contestants says: " I believe I came to Texas in 1845. I came first and my brother HERMANN HILLMANN came the next year we came from the Duchy of Oldenburg Germany. The names of my brothers were HERMAN, JOHN & BERNHARD and CHARLES and the sisters were CAROLINE and METHA. The oldest of us was HERMAN, our parents were dead a long time before we came from Germany. We didn't live together in Germany, first me and CHARLES & HERMAN lived together in Germany and then I left and HERMAN & CHARLES lived together . The property in Germany belonged to the oldest of us in that country & HERMAN was the oldest. It first went to the wife after the father died, and upon the death of the wife the property passed to HERMAN. HERMAN sold the property and came to Texas . CAROLINE, CHARLES and BERNHARD came from Europe with HERMAN to Texas. When they reached Texas I was living with Capt. Frels. He bought from CHARLES EHLINGER 200 acres of land when he first came to Texas, he gave two ($2) dollars per acre for it. He first built a little house on the land and lived in it and afterwards built a better one and then CHARLES and CAROLINE lived with him & BERNHARD lived with Mr. Turner. I don't know how much money HERMAN brought along but he bought the land and loaned some money to CHARLES EHLINGER at 8% six or seven years after he built the house. CAROLINE and CHARLES got married and left and then I lived with him, and continued to live with him until Christmas previous to hi death. I and him we tended to the business together while I lived with him. JOHN just worked along with us. Afterwards HERMAN bought from John Toliver 111 acres of land at $1.50 per acre in Colorado County. I and HERMAN bought from Clark 177 acres of land for debt that Clark owed. ... My brother JOHN when a little boy was sick, and from this sickness he became deranged in his head. I do not know of any other family member affected this way." Page 318 " HERMAN died in August 1877" Page 322 HENRY HILLMANN sworn for contestants says: " HERMANN HILLMANN is my uncle. I am one of the contestants in this suit. C.H. HILLMANN is my brother. My father's name was CHARLES HILLMANN. My father is dead. The names of the children are : C.H. HILLMANN, HENRY HILLMANN, CAROLINE HILLMANN, FRITZ HILLMANN, WILLIE HILLMANN, DORA HILLMANN, MARY HILLMANN. Mrs CAROLINE HELLER is my aunt. I had another aunt who married a man by the name of AHLHORN , who had the following children: JOHN, FRIEDRICH, HEINRICH and CAROLINEA. These are the all nephews and nieces of HERMANN HILLMANN, dec'd." Page 336 H.G. COOK sworn for applicants says: " I know HERMAN HILLMANN, I have known him for 41 years. In Germany we were living in the same house together, we were not raised together. My Mother married HERMAN HILLMANN's stepfather, that way we got together. HERMAN HILLMANN was a little older that I he was about 8 or 9 years older than I. In Germany he was always as correct and had as much sense as I had... we immigrated to this country together- to Texas. The first year I lived in Post Oak Point and lived close by and we have lived together in the neighborhood within a mile or mile and a half.... He lived in the same house with his brother Ludwig most of the time except the first 4 years when he came to this country, before Ludwig came to live with him in this country, his sister Caroline and Brother Charles and John lived with him until Caroline and Charles married. When his brother Ludwig came to live with him, his brother John was turned over to him to take care of him by the Courts of Germany because he was not right in his mind. He was always very friendly with his brothers and sisters."