Anna G Willy and Harry Joseph Hohl

Anna G Willy was born in June 1894, the oldest child of Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy. According to the 1900 US Census, she was born in June 1894, five months after her parents married. However, according to her death record she was born 18 Jun 1891. Her parents had married in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. At the time, her father was resident in Columbia, Lancaster County, while her mother was resident in Philipsburg, Centre County. All of this makes it difficult to determine where Anna was born.

As of 1900 the family was living in Baldwin Township, 14 km south of Pittsburgh. By 1910, they'd moved to Pittsburgh, where they were living at 106 Frustum Street.

In or about 1912, Anna married Harry Joseph Hohl. Or maybe Joseph Harry Hohl. His records are evenly divided between the two names. He even registered for the draft under one name for WWI and the other for WWII. Harry Joseph Hohl was born 06 May 1891 in Millvale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the son of Catherine Hufnagle and Frank Smith Hohl. As far as I know there is no link to the Hohl family of Freinsheim. Frank's father John consistently identified himself as having been born in France. Frank's mother's name is given in his death record as Francis. My best guess is that Frank was the son of Jean and Franceska Hohl, who immigrated from France with their son Martin in 1856, arriving in NYC 11 Jul 1856 aboard the SS New York out of Havre.

Anna and Harry Joseph's son George Frederick was born 19 Mar 1917 in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. As of 05 Jun 1917, the family was living at 309 Broadway. Harry Joseph was working as a munitions worker. By 1920 they'd moved along the street a bit to 331 Broadway, and Harry Joseph was working as a puncher in a steel mill.

Anna's parents had also moved to McKees Rocks by the time her mother Ida died on 27 May 1924 at 518 Chartiers Avenue. By 1930, Anna, Harry Joseph and George were living at 518 Chartiers along with Anna's father Frederick, her younger brother Frederick Jr, Harry Joseph's brother Clarence and Anna and Harry Joseph's "adopted son" Regis Pfender. All of the men were working in steel mills or possibly the same steel mill. Harry Joseph was a puncher. The older Frederick was a puddler. Clarence and the younger Frederick were labourers.

I don't know how formal (if at all) Anna and Harry Joseph's adoption of Regis Pfender was. Regis was the same age as their son George. His parents were Anna M Boehm and Charles J Pfender. As of 1920, the family had been living in McKees Rocks. Regis' mother died 02 Aug 1921. His father remarried, but then died 08 Feb 1926. Finally his stepmother Mary E Cobis or Coben Pfender died 27 Jun 1927. By 1930 the youngest of Regis' three older siblings was living with their grandparents, while his younger half-brother was living with their paternal uncle. It may be that Regis was already a friend of George Hohl's.

Anna died 22 May 1933. After this, the household broke up. Harry Joseph Hohl was still living in McKees Rocks as of 1935, but by 1940 he'd moved to neighbouring Stowe Township, where he was living in the boarding house at 707 Russellwood Avenue run by Elizabeth Babinger Hufnagle, the third wife and widow of Harry Joseph's maternal uncle Joseph Hufnagle. Harry Joseph was working as a punch operator in a contrasting operation. By 1942 he'd moved to 924 Woodward Avenue in Stowe Township and was working for the Dravo Contracting Company, as were two of his brothers, Eugene Leo and Frank Sylvester Hohl. Harry Joseph Hohl died of a heart attack on 23 May 1952 in his home at 305 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks.

I don't know where Harry Joseph's brother Clarence was as of 1940, but as of 1942 he was living at 717 Chartiers Avenue and was unemployed. He died 21 Oct 1950 and is buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in McKees Rocks.

Regis Pfender had married by 1940. He and his wife were living in Stowe Township.

As of 1940, Anna and Harry Joseph's son George was living in a boarding house at 1038 Chartiers Avenue, three blocks away from where his uncle Frederick and his cousin Frederick Jr were living at 26 Guthrie Street. George was working as a bus boy in a hotel. He enlisted for military service in New York City on 13 Aug 1943.

George Frederick Hohl died in Honolulu on 06 Feb 1990. His obituary in the Honolulu Advertiser mentions that he had retired from the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in New York. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and his son, Michael V Hohl of New York.