Peter Johnson Hegeman - A Royal Glove Maker

William - Prince of Orange - wikipedia

The Hegeman line hails from the Netherlands reportedly descendants of William, Prince of Orange ~~ royalty! 

Three Hegemen brothers left Holland for the new world – John, Adrian and Peter – once here, they went off to create their families & fortunes.

The focus of this blog is on a son of  John Hegeman.

Around 1818, John Hegeman married Eve Johnson from our lines ~~ the daughter of Peter Johnson & Margaret Rogers which traces back to Hezekiah Rogers & Hannah Vincent; they had 9 children and Peter Johnson Hegeman was the oldest boy.

Peter married Catherine Allen who hailed from Albany, NY and whose mother, Magdaline Houghtailing,supposedly had a maternal connection to a Lord Etherington ~~ royalty!  Ok, I am caught up in the Harry/Meghan mania lol.

Peter & Catherine eventually settled in Gloversville, New York where Peter spent some time mastering his craft - glove making.  For those who aren't in the know, Gloversville came by its name literally for being the glove making hub in Fulton Co, NY in the early 1800s, before that it was known as Stump City because of all the trees that had been cut down!  

Peter eventually moved his family to Sparta, WI where he manufactured gloves and other soft-leather goods until he once again relocated his family - this time to South Dakota - well back in the day it was known as Dakota Territory.  The family settled there because Peter was able to take advantage of the land patents that were being sold and obtained 160 acres of land in White.  However, once Catherine died in 1892, he moved in with his daughter in Brookings, SD. 

Peter Johnson Hegeman - courtesy of Maggie

Peter and Catherine were married in 1842 and together they had 9 children.  They, and many of their children, are buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Brookings, SD.

The Daily Times, Mon, 21 Jan 1901

Peter J Hegeman, Sr, a former well known citizen of Gloversville, died recently in South Dakota, aged eighty-two years.  He was a prominent Mason.  Two sons and three daughters survive.  His wife died several years ago.

Catherine Hegeman (nee Allen) - courtesy of Maggie

Brookings Register, May 1892

Mrs. Catherine Hegeman, beloved wife of Peter J. Hegeman, Brookings, S.D., May 27, 1893, aged 77 years, 1 mo. and 10 days.***Obituary. Catherine Allen Hegeman was born in Bethlehem, Albany County, N.Y., April 18, 1815.  Experiencing a desire to be identified with the people of God she joined the Presbyterian church at Perth, N.Y. in the fall of 1841.  Married Peter J. Hegeman at Perth, March 17, 1842, to whom she bore nine children, five of which remain to bless her old age and now mourn her departure.  In 1853 she changed her church relations to that of the first M.E. Church of Gloversville, N.Y. and in 1864 moved to Sparta, Wis., where she resided until 1878, when she and her husband, desiring to be with their children, moved to Brookings county, S.D., reaching here April 18, 1878, It being the 63rd anniversary of her birth.  March 17, 1892, with her aged companion, at their home in White, and surrounded by relatives and friends, they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary--just ten weeks prior to her death which occurred while on an extended visit at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E.A. Wright, at Brookings, S.D., on the morning of May 27, 1892, aged 77 years, 1 month and 9 days.