The Hillaker’s in my family tree are from the small town of Bonfeld in Germany. But they were in New York state for a long time before coming to Michigan.
In March 2024 I was fiddling around on FamilySearch.org as you do (well, as you do as a genealogist) and I played around with their famous relatives feature. I wrote a whole blog post about those discoveries.
The Hillaker line proved to be the one with deep ties to early American history. And it led me to all sorts of interesting ancestors. But the path to those famous ancestors is rather crooked, so let’s have a look.
Bertha Hillaker
My nearest Hillaker relative is great-grandmother Bertha Hillaker who married Rexford “Hub” Nichols on November 26, 1913 in Sandusky, Sanilac, Michigan. Bertha is the mother of Beva Nichols.
Bertha’s parents are Albert Gilles Hillaker (1860-1923) and Ada Redmond (1865-1910.) Albert was born near Caro, Tuscola, Michigan. Ada’s family are from Eastcotts, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom and settled in Michigan.
More about Albert Gilles Hillaker in just a moment. Let’s get to those famous people first.
Rachel McCartney
Albert Hillaker’s parents are Charles Hillaker (1838-1930) and Rachel McCartney (1843-1910.) Rachel McCartney is where the path to famous people in early American history really begins. Here’s how we get to my 8th cousin five times removed – poet Emily Dickinson.
All The Famous Relatives
Here’s a list of all of the famous relatives from this Hillaker line as of March 2024.
Bonfeld, Heilbron, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Those famous relatives are fun to look at. And someday I may bother to do all the research to prove what FamilySearch has found automagically. None of that explains where the Hillaker family is from.
As I said, Albert was born Caro, Tuscola, Michigan in 1860 and his parents were Charles Hillaker and Rachel McCartney.
- Charles Dunn Hillaker (1838-1930) son of…
- Gilles William Hillaker (1795-1867) and Julia Burnham (1800-1879)
- Gilles was born in Dutchess County, New York, USA. Julia was born in Vermont to Andrew Burnham and wife Julia. Gilles was son of…
- William Hilliker (1749-1825) and Deborah Tucker (1759-1825)
- William was born New York Colony, British Colonial America. He was christened at the New Dutch Reform Church in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester, New York, USA. Deborah Tucker was also born in New York Colony. William is the son of…
- Heinrich Hilliker (1707-1794) and Jannite Jurckse (1715-1771).
- Heinrich was born in Bonfeld, Baden-Wurtemburg, Germany. Jannite was born in Phillipsburg, Westchester, New York, USA.
Bonfeld is a rural town near about 30 miles from Stuttgart.
You can keep going back in time, too – all the way to 1612.
Heinrich is the son of Jacob Nicholas Hilliker (1680-1722) and Anna Elisabetha Roth (1685-1746.) Jacob was born in Heilbronn, and died in New York.
Jacob is the son of Hans Jacob Hilliker (1650-1706) and Eva Kohlen (1645-1722.) FamilySearch.org shows Hans as born Muhlbach, Eppingen, Heilbronn, Baden Wurttemburg, Germany.
Hans is the son of Conrad Hillicker (1612-?) and an unknown spouse. The only information on Conrad on FamilySearch.org is that he was born about 1612 in Deizisau, Neckarkreis, Wurttemberg, Germany.
People
The only person this website will talk about is Bertha Hilliker, first wife of Rexford Nichols.
