Herman William Carl Ahlfeld (1907 - 1984)

Born 31 Jul 1907 in Bayonne, Hudson, New Jersey, United States

Husband of Jean Elizabeth (Hallard) Ahlfeld — married 1972 in Watchung, Somerset, New Jersey, United States

Died 1 Dec 1984 at age 77 in Westfield, Union, New Jersey, United States

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Biography

Herman William Carl Ahlfeld was born on 31 July 1907 at Bayonne, Hudson, New Jersey.

In the 1910 census the Ahlfeld family was living at 34 West 26th St, Bayonne, New Jersey. Father Herman, aged 30, was a builder. Mother Wilhelmina was aged 24. Herman W C Ahlfeld was aged 3 years. ^[1]

In the 1920 census the family was still at the same address. Herman W C Ahlfeld was aged 12 years. He had a younger sister named Mathilda aged 7 years. Also living with them was his maternal grandmother Matilda Rabe aged 54. ^[2]

A photograph of Herman was included in the 1925 Westfield High School Yearbook named The Weather Vane with the following comments -
“Right noble is thy merit.”
Entered in Junior Year. Junior Prom Committee; Springtime (4); Senior Play Property Committee; High School News Editor (4); Class Day Property Committee.
Herman came to us from Bayonne in his Junior year and since has distinguished himself, in school and out. He is a quiet fellow, but always on the job. The Senior Class as a whole, as well as individually, appreciates the “Studey.” ^[3]

In the 1926 and 1927 Troy, New York Directory Herman was a junior student at RPI [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute] and was residing at Rens Union Club.
In the 1928 Westfield and Mountainside Directory [within Plainfield Directory] Herman was living at 633 Prospect St, Westfield with his parents. He was still a student. ^[4]

In the 1930 census the Ahlfeld family was living at 633 Prospect St, Westfield, New Jersey. Herman W Ahlfeld was aged 22, no employment recorded. ^[5]

That same year, 1930, a book entitled Design for a 220 Foot, Single Track, Through, Pin Connected, Railway Bridge, with Broken Upper Chord by Herman W Ahlfeld was published by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. ^[6]

Herman Ahlfeld married Margaret Hughes in 1930. ^[7]

This couple had three known sons.

In the 1936 Danbury, Connecticut Directory Herman and Margaret were living at NE Lake Rd. opposite Peek Rd RD 3. Herman was an engineer. ^[8]

In the 1940 census the family was living at Fayette Pike, Montgomery, West Virginia. Herman W. Ahdfeld or Aholfeld, as his surname appears to read, was aged 52 [sic]. He was working as an engineer. Margaret was aged 33 and son Leonard aged 8. ^[9]

Herman William Ahlfeld completed a WWII Draft Registration card on 16 October 1940. At that time he was living at 131 Jefferson Ave, Westfield and was aged 33 years. Herman had been born on 31 July 1907 at Bayonne, New Jersey. He was employed by Interstate Equipment Corporation, 18 West Jersey St, Elizabeth, New Jersey. The name and address of a person who would always know his address was recorded as wife Margaret Elizabeth Ahlfeld, of the same address. His address was amended on 20 June 1942 to 741 Oak Ave, Westfield. Physically Herman was described as 6 feet in height and weighed 185 pounds. He had a light complexion with blue eyes and blonde hair. ^[10]

In the 1956 Plainfield Directory Herman was living at 208 Baker Ave, Westfield. He was then employed as an engineer at Wighton-Abbott Corp. ^[11]

Wife Margaret Elizabeth Ahlfeld died on 25 November 1970 at Rahway, New Jersey aged 63 years.

From the Westfield Leader dated 3 December 1970, Pg 4 -
WESTFIELD - Mrs. Margaret Hughes Ahlfeld, wife of Herman W. Ahlfeld of 208 Baker Ave., died Wednesday, Nov. 25, in Rahway Hospital.
Mrs. Ahlfeld was born Jan. 4, 1907, in Buffalo, N.Y., the daughter of the late John Leonard and Lucinda Stewart Hughes. She lived in West Orange before moving here in 1937.
Mrs. Ahlfeld was graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1928 and was a member of the College Womans Club of Westfield. She retired in 1963 as a regional manager after 18 years with Field Enterprises Educational Corporation. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Westfield.
Surviving, besides her husband, are three sons, Richard B. at home, John R. of Lancaster, Pa., and Leonard H. of Millington, and five grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Saturday at the Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Frederick E. Christian officiating. Interment was in Fairview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the building fund of the Presbyterian Church of Westfield. ^[12]

Herman Ahlfeld remarried to Jean Apgar nee Hallard in 1972 at Watchung, Somerset, New Jersey. ^[13]

Herman W Ahlfeld died on 1 December 1984 at Westfield, New Jersey aged 77 years. ^[14]

From The Westfield Leader dated 6 December 1984, Pg 14 -
HERMAN W. C. AHLFELD.
Westfield - Herman W. C. Ahlfeld, 77, of Westfield, died Saturday, Dec. 1 in his home. He was born in Bayonne and resided in Westfield since 1923. Prior to his retirement in 1974, Mr. Ahlfeld was employed by Wigton-Abbott Corp. of Plainfield for 23 years as an engineer and land surveyor. He was a member of the New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. A 51-year member as well as an ordained deacon and elder of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield, Mr. Ahlfeld was a member of the church's Triangle Bible Class and a past president of the United Presbyterian Men. He was a trustee, assistant treasurer and past treasurer of the Christ Union Chapel in Culver Lake. Mr. Ahlfeld was a volunteer member of the Westfield Historical Society, active with the United Fund of Westfield, and a committeeman for the Boy Scouts of America in Westfield. He was a 1930 graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. His first wife, Margaret Hughes Ahlfeld, died in 1970. Surviving are his wife, Jean Hallard Ahlfeld; three sons, Leonard H. of Morris Township, John R. of Lancaster, Pa., and Richard B. of Westfield; a sister, Mathilda H. Meglaughlin of Westfield; seven grandchildren and a great-grandson. Services were held at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield Tuesday. The Rev. Jeffrey Wampler conducted the services. Interment was at Fairview Cemetery, under the direction of Gray's Funeral Home, 318 East Broad St. Memorial contributions may be made to the Westfield Rescue Squad, Christ Union Chapel at Culver Lake, or the Presbyterian Church in Westfield. ^[15]

A photograph of Margaret and Herman's gravestone at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield can be viewed here - https://billiongraves.com/grave/Herman-William-Carl-Ahlfeld/5398240

Jean E Ahlfeld died on 27 August 1994 at Berlin, New Jersey aged 69 years. Her date of birth was recorded as 3 June 1925. ^[16]

From The Westfield Leader dated 1 September 1994, Pg 9 -
Westfield - Mrs. Herman (Jean E. Hallard) Ahlfeld, 69, died Saturday, August 27, at West Jersey Hospital in Berlin. Mrs. Ahlfeld was born in Plainfield and had lived in the city and in Westfield before moving to Watchung five years ago. She was employed as a bookkeeper with Wigton Abbot Corp. in Plainfield for many years before retiring. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield. Her husband preceded her in death. Surviving are two brothers, Donald J. Hallard of Scotch Plains and Theodore A. Hallard of Watchung. A graveside service will be held in Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains at 11 a.m. today, Thursday, September 1. Arrangements are being handled by the Memorial Funeral Home in Plainfield. ^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKYH-6KY : accessed 8 March 2021)
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4RX-7TK : 2 February 2021)
3. ↑ Yearbook can be viewed at Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
4. ↑ Directories can be viewed at Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4N4-ZN3 : accessed 8 March 2021)
6. ↑ https://books.google.co.nz/books/about/Design_for_a_220_Foot_Single_Track_Throu.html?id=LQV9zQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
7. ↑ "New Jersey, Bride Index, 1930-1938," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPH7-SVYC : 21 August 2019)
8. ↑ Directory can be viewed at Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7CS-K47 : 8 January 2021)
10. ↑ The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147
    Registration card can also be viewed at Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
11. ↑ Directory can be viewed at Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
12. ↑ Newspaper can be viewed at https://www.newspapers.com/
13. ↑ New Jersey Marriage Index available to view at Ancestry.com. New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
14. ↑ New Jersey State Death Index can be viewed at Ancestry.com. New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1901-2017 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
15. ↑ Newspaper can be viewed at https://www.newspapers.com/
16. ↑ New Jersey State Death Index can be viewed at Ancestry.com. New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1901-2017 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
17. ↑ Newspaper can be viewed at https://www.newspapers.com/