Hermann Carl GABRIEL^[1]

1872 - 1950  (78 years)

• Name	Hermann Carl GABRIEL
  Nickname	Hermann
  Birth	8 Mar 1872	Kraschnitz, Militz Kreis, Silesia, Prussia, German Empire   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Emigration	17 Mar 1889	Hamburg, Germany   [2]
  	Click & move down to Family information
  Immigration	29 Mar 1889	New York City, NY   [3]
  	Click & move down to Family information
  Naturalization	20 Oct 1894	Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE   [4]
  	On 20 October 1894, Hermann petitioned the U.S. District Court, District of Delaware to be admitted a Citizen of the United States. His petition was accepted by the court.
  Occupation	1890 - 1942	Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE   [5, 6, 7, 8]
  	By 1890 Herman had found work in Wilmington as a baker. He was first employed by Charles Yetter. In 1893 he moved to the W. L. Gilbert bakery, where he remained until 1899. In 1899 Herman and his brother Paul joined their father Carl and their brother Charly at the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad yards. Herman would stay on with the company, which was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, until he retired in 1942. Some time around 1902, Herman was injured in an accident while cleaning out an ash pit in the steam engine roundhouse. An engine, whose wheels were supposed to be locked out, rolled over his left hand, severing the four fingers and leaving only the thumb. The railroad company management moved Herman inside to a desk job as a clerk. He did well in this new capacity. He had a knack for math and for organization. By 1907 he had been promoted to foreman, and within a couple more years he was an assistant yardmaster. By the time he retired in 1942, at the age of seventy, Herman had served the Pennsylvania Railroad as yardmaster of the Wilmington yards for twenty-one years
  resided	1942 - 1950	Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE   [7, 9]
  	2308 Lamotte Street
  	After Tillie's death in 1942, Hermann moved into the home of his half-sister-in-law, Nan Campbell [née Anna Helen Kemske]. He resided with Nan at her Lamotte Street home in Wilmington, Delaware until his own death in 1950. Nan's generosity in offering a home and care to Hermann was in part based on the fact that Hermann and Tillie had taken Nan and her daughter Alice into their home after Nan's divorce from Duane Cohee. And when Nan later married Willard Campbell, Alice chose to remain with Hermann and Tillie until her marriage to Reese Hitchens.
  Occupation	prior to Mar 1889	Kraschnitz, Militz Kreis, Silesia, Prussia, German Empire   [5]
  	Hermann worked as a kitchen boy at Schloss Volmerstein, the estate of Graf (Count) von der Recke-Volmerstein that was located near the town of Kraschnitz in Silesia, Prussia. Years later, he would recount stories to his grandchildren about the Grafin (Countess) and her friends; particularly their love of dresses with very low cut necklines.
  Death	1 Jul 1950	Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE   [7]
  	Hermann died at 11:10am on 1 July 1950 at Memorial Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware where he had been a patient for 29 days. He was 78 years old, and his death was attributed to generalized arteriosclerosis.
  Burial	5 Jul 1950	Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE   [7]
  	His body was interred on 5 July 1950 at Lombardy Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware next to that of his wife, Tilly.
  Person ID	I28573	mason
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

  Father	Carl GABRIEL,   b. 8 Jul 1845, Germany d. 16 Jul 1921, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Anne Rosine KIND,   b. 25 Apr 1846, Germany d. 11 Feb 1931, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	c.1868	Germany   [10]
  Notes	The 1900 census notes that Rose had given birth to 11 children, 6 of whom were living as of June 1900.
  Photos » Slide Show		Castle Garden Immigrant Station (1855 - 1890), at the Southern tip of Manhattan.
  		SS Wieland, c.1882. Built for Adler Line by Alexander Stephen & Sons at Glasgow, Scotland. Launched 16 June 1874. Purchased prior to 7 July 1875 maiden voyage by Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG). Last voyage 29 Aug 1894. Sold for scrapping 3 Jan 1896.
  		Rose Gabriel with daughters Emma Kramer & Anne Hofmann and grandson Charly Hofmann, c.1927.
  Histories		German Immigration
  		Castle Garden: The Forgotten Gateway
  Family ID	F1587	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mathilde GIZEWSKI,   b. 2 Oct 1876, Gross Schmuckwalde, Osterode Kreis, East Prussia, Germany d. 3 Jan 1942, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE (Age 65 years)
  Marriage	5 Aug 1896	Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE   [1]
  	The couple was married on 5 August 1896 by Rev. Paul Isenschmid, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Thomas W. Brooks and Emma Kemske, the bride's sister, acted as witnesses to the marriage.
  Children	1. Frederick Carl GABRIEL,   b. 30 Nov 1896, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE d. 7 Mar 1991, Harrisonburg, VA (Age 94 years)   2. Paul Hermann GABRIEL, Sr.,   b. 4 Feb 1899, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE d. 8 Jul 1981, Morehead City, Carteret Co, NC (Age 82 years)   3. Lillie Augusta GABRIEL,   b. 6 May 1901, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE d. 16 Feb 1904, Delaware (Age 2 years)   4. Alice Marie GABRIEL,   b. 8 Nov 1904, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE d. 15 Aug 1964, Lewes, Sussex Co, DE (Age 59 years)   5. Hermann William GABRIEL,   b. 26 Jan 1909, Wilmington, New Castle Co, DE d. 10 Jun 1972, Hamilton, Mercer Co, NJ (Age 63 years)
  Photos » Slide Show		Hermann & Tilly Gabriel at the beach, c.1896.
  		Fred and Paul, c.1903.
  		Paul, Alice and Fred Gabriel, c.1909.
  Family ID	F1498	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2026

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Hermann Carl Gabriel, c.1890.
  		Hermann Carl Gabriel
  		1910 US Census / Gabriel, Herman [poor film quality] Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware.
  		1920 US Census / Gabriel, Hermann p. 1. 416 McCabe Avenue, Wilmington, DE.
  		1920 US Census / Gabriel, Hermann p. 2. 416 McCabe Avenue, Wilmington, DE.

  
  

• Sources

  [S458] Hermann Gabriel - Matilde Gesewski, Delaware marriage record (1896). [S3204] Herm. Gabriel entry, SS Wieland passenger list, departure date 1889. [S660] Herm Gabriel, SS Wieland passenger list, 29 Mar 1889. [S3215] Hermann Gabriel, petition for U.S. naturalization (1894). [S305] Interview, Emil Kramer & Charly Hofmann, 1992. [S3214] Wilmington, DE city directories, 1814 - 1974. years 1890 - 1899: Herman Gabriel entries. [S456] Herman Gabriel, Delaware death certificate no. 1871 (1950). [S460] Herman Gabriel - Matilda Gesewsky, Delaware marriage bond (189_). [S1771] Anna Campbell, Delaware state death certificate no. 3531 (1957). [S618] 1900 US Census / Gabriel, Carl.