52 Ancestors Prompt “Reunion”
Hoffman Three Generations Photo:
William Hoffman: 1864-1932
Elmer Hoffman: 1903-1962
Delmer Hoffman 1929-1998
My grandmother’s family, the Hoffmans, were very fond of family reunions, and I can remember attending several as a child. My grandmother, Nora Hoffman Macbeth, had seven siblings, and her father, William Henry Hoffman, had twelve siblings, so the reunions, usually held at a park in Mankato, could be large gatherings. Picnic tables would be lined up, covered with dishes each family contributed, so everyone could grab a plate and enjoy a huge potluck luncheon. Hours were spent relaxing in lawn chairs, swatting mosquitos, and catching up on family news.
For this particular prompt, I am using a photo that I believe was taken at a family event, featuring three generations of Hoffman men: my great-grandfather William Henry Hoffman, his only son, Elmer William Hoffman, and the oldest of Elmer’s six children, son Delmer Edward Hoffman.
This photo was taken only a year or so before my great-grandfather’s death. William died at age 67 in 1932. Delmer was born May 3, 1929. He looks like he is about one and one half to two years old in this photo, which would place it in the fall of 1930 or the spring of 1931.
The photo shows the family resemblance between father William and son Elmer—they share the same broad forehead and long, lean face tapering down to a narrow chin. All three Hoffmans have good heads of hair, although young Delmer still sports the blond curls of early childhood.
It is interesting to note that all three of these Hoffman men died at comparatively young ages: William at 67, Elmer at only 58, and Delmer at 69.
This photo reminds me how many years the Hoffman family had been enjoying family gatherings, and how reunions provide opportunities to share experiences across generations.
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