POWELL HOFF (1801-1870)

HOFF , BREWSTER , POWELL

Posted By: BILL HOFF (email)
Date: 1/2/2007 at 18:05:58

JANUARY 2, 2007

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE UNFOUNDED AND INCORRECT POSTINGS BY JOHN SCOTT HOFF. THEY STATE THAT JONATHAN HOFF (1775-1812) AND ELIZABETH (DUNCAN) HOFF (1785-1839) WERE THE PARENTS OF POWELL HOFF (1801-1870). THIS IS WRONG.

THE PARENTS OF POWELL WERE AMOS HOFF (1775-1855) AND PRUDENCE (POWELL) HOFF.

MY REASONS FOR THESE STATEMENTS ARE:

AMOS WAS THE FIRST GRAVE (PER THE GRIMES, IOWA CENTENNIAL) IN THE HOFF PRAIRIE CEMETERY. AMOS IS BURIED NEXT TO POWELL (POWELL’S WIFE, MARTHA (BREWSTER) HOFF, IS BURIED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF POWELL). THE MARKERS FOR AMOS AND POWELL HAVE AN ENGRAVED HAND WITH THE INDEX FINGER POINTING SKYWARD.

POWELL GOT HIS NAME FROM HIS MOTHER’S MAIDEN NAME. POWELL NAMED ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS PRUDENCE (NONE WERE NAMED ELIZABETH OR BETSY). POWELL NAMED ONE OF HIS SONS AMOS (NONE WERE NAMED JONATHAN).

SEVERAL DESCENDANTS OF DIFFERENT CHILDREN OF POWELL HAVE FAMILY DOCUMENTATION SHOWING AMOS AS POWELL’S FATHER.

MY UNCLE, PAUL HARRY HOFF (1919-1974), DISTRIBUTED A HAND WRITTEN FAMILY TREE SHOWING AMOS AS POWELL’S FATHER. UNCLE PAUL WAS THE GRANDSON OF POWELL DUDLEY HOFF (1840-1918).

KEVIN HOFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WROTE A 22 PAGE DOCUMENT IN 1994 SHOWING AMOS AS POWELL’S FATHER. KEVIN IS THE GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF WILLIAM H. HOFF (1826-1904).

THE LATE ORA (LAMAR) HAMELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, WROTE A LETTER, DATED APRIL 23, 1964, TO NEAL ELLIS KELLY. IN THIS LETTER SHE CLEARLY STATES TWICE THAT POWELL WAS THE SON OF AMOS. ORA WAS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF WILLIAM H. HOFF.

WILLIAM WESLEY GREER, OF WILLIAMS, CALIFORNIA, SENT ME A PERSONAL FAMILY HISTORY IN OCTOBER 2005 THAT SHOWS AMOS AS THE FATHER OF POWELL. BILL IS THE GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF WILLIAM H. HOFF.

MICHELLE RANEE (JOHNSON) FOX , PRESIDENT OF THE DALLAS COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, OF MINBURN, IOWA, AGREES THAT AMOS WAS POWELL’S FATHER. MICHELLE POINTS OUT THAT POWELL WAS BORN ALMOST A YEAR BEFORE JONATHAN AND ELIZABETH WERE MARRIED AND THIS DID NOT HAPPEN IN THIS TIME PERIOD. MICHELLE’S HUSBAND, JEFFREY ROBERT FOX, IS THE GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF MARTHA (HOFF) WOOD (1842-1875),

BREWSTER LUMAN HOFF, OF FREEPORT, TEXAS, HAS THE CONCLUSIVE PROOF IN TWO HAND WRITTEN DOCUMENTS FROM HIS UNCLE, RALPH H. HOFF (1883-1969), THAT AMOS WAS THE FATHER OF POWELL. RALPH WROTE A LETTER DATED JUNE 27, 1948 TO HIS NIECE, JANET HOFF, IN WHICH HE STATES VERY CLEARLY THAT AMOS WAS THE FATHER OF POWELL. RALPH ALSO PUT TOGETHER, WITH HIS BROTHERS, A HOFF FAMILY RECORD LISTING THE CHILDREN OF POWELL. MOST IMPORTANTLY IT SHOWED AMOS AS FATHER OF POWELL. BRUCE IS THE GRANDSON OF NATHANIEL B. HOFF (1844-1920) AND RALPH WAS NATHANIEL’S SON.

THESE ARE FAMILY HISTORIES, PASSED DOWN TO THE DESCENDANTS OF FOUR OF POWELL’S CHILDREN (WILLIAM H., POWELL DUDLEY, MARTHA AND NATHANIEL B.). THESE HISTORIES ARE INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER AND PASSED DOWN BY SEPARATE FAMILIES.

THIS IS FAR MORE ACCURATE THAN THE POSTINGS OF JOHN SCOTT HOFF.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PASS AN ACCURATE FAMILY HISTORY TO OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.

BILL HOFF
6214 PARKER STREET
OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68104
402-553-8029
WHHOFF@AOL.COM