Lenice John Gies and Lena Anna Hintz Ancestry

Personal Narrative from Pat Krajaefski

Born in 1848, John Hintz served in the Prussian army. He married hi s first wife, Augusta Trojan, and had two sons, Rudoph (2 years) and H erman who was less than one year old, when they came to Canada in 1872 . When I was young, he told me he had been a shepherd boy in Dormstad t, Germany. He became a naturalized Canadian in 1875. They had thre e more children, Emil, John and Augusta. Augusta married Henry Heer . There is a John Hintz on the Passenger list 1871 - destination Phi ladelphia.

His parents, Joseph and Caroline Hintz, and sisters came to Canada a s well and perhaps a brother. When my Mother (Lena) was very young , she was scalded on the top of her head with hot jam and she recalle d that her grandfather (Joseph) had 'charmed' her by chanting and th e pain left her immediately. I believe it was called Black Forest mag ic. She claimed she had a tender spot on the top of her head all he r life - but always remembered the excrutiating pain miraculously lef t her as if by magic. Mother also spoke of one of Grampa John's siste rs who lived upstairs in the King Street house - calling her Auntie Sh illing. I believe her name was Kate. She had also been married t o a Schultz. I think she had five sons and four daughters. She wa s born July 4, 1844 in Germany. Joseph died on January 1, 1910 in Can ada in his 94th year. (Kristi's add: John's sister Caroline Kadelina K ate Hintz married 1. Herman Trojahn, 2. Carl Schilling, 3. Ferdanand S chultz)

In Canada, John Hintz was a market gardener-florist. At one time he h ad a farm and greenhouse in the vicinity of K-W Hospital near Park an d Green Streets. Their home was at 20 Park Street in 1911. Later th ey lived on King Street near Agnes Street. I believe Grampa's siste r lived upstairs and stayed on there when Grampa built a new home a t 145 Benton Street. Since Mother (Lena) lived in all three of those l ocations, he may have lived elsewhere when he first came to Canada, du ring the years that Emil, John and Augusta were born to John and Augus ta nee Trojan.

Grampa's first wife died on November 18, 1886, at the age of 50. Eliz abeth Stieler was employed to tend her in her illness and care for hi s family. Elizabeth had arrived in Canada in 1885 along with two broth ers and two sisters. She was 21 years old. Her father had been a ta x collector in Schwatz Krieg, Alesfelt, Germany. Seven or eight sibli ngs remained in Germany. Elizabeth married John in 1887. They subse quently had four sons and four daughters, Bill, Albert, Oscar, Otto, E lsie, Ida, Lena and Emmaline. Grandma's parents were Johannes Stiele r and Elizabeth Eiflander. Johannes first wife was a Habermehl.

For many years, John Hintz attended Kitchener Farmers' Market, havin g a stand near the Frederick Street entrance. Mother also recalled th at they owned a horse-drawn surrey with a fringed top. Her seat was b ehind the horse and she was not happy sitting there.

Grampa later worked as a gardener at Victoria Park and tended the flow er beds for Harry Brown of Kitchener Collegiate at his home on Bento n Street. He always had a hot bed for young plants in his small backy ard and lilacs, orange blossoms and bridal wreath on his front lawn.

My memories of Grampa John are of his later years when he was retired . He sat in his rocker, singing hymns in German. He carried sticky , fuzzy humbugs in his pockets which he delighted in giving to us bu t which Grandma quickly replaced with a gingersnap or other goody.

Grampa John Hintz was born in Preissen, Germany on February 11, 1848 a nd died December 27, 1937 of pneumonia. I remember seeing him in th e big bed in his bedroom - he looked so small and weak. That was prob ably just hours before he died at the age of 89, less than two month s before his ninetieth birthday.

Grandma Elizabeth Hintz died on May 3, 1958 at the age of 94. She app arently collapsed and died as she was pulling down the shades in her l iving room before going upstairs to retire for the night. Her eldes t son, Bill, found her the next morning when he made his regular morn ing visit.

From a local newspaper - July 1914: "LOOKING BETTER Mr. John Hintz, caretaker of the park shrubs and trees, is busy doin g the summer pruning, that means fine bushy shrubs next year. John ha s had many years of experience in this work and while this is but hi s second year on the park staff the results of his handiwork are alrea dy in evidence in the improved appearance of the trees and shrubs at V ictoria Park."