Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann, 3rd son of Barthold & Christina Margaret (Reese) Beckmann

(courtesy of George Beckman, The Villages, Florida)



Hinrich (Henry) Beckmann (1894-1939), Uncle Charlie, the owner of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Leonia, New Jersey, while visiting from America invited Henry to come to America, which he did. The year must have been around 1910 according to my math, he would have been very young, 16 or 17 years old. Since Uncle Charlie was a man of means, I'm sure he gave Henry a good start in his new world.

Like most German immigrants, Henry most likely started in the food business in NYC (Delicatessen) sandwiches, salads, soups, etc..

In 1917 America, through its English heritage President, Woodrow Wilson, decided it was time for America to enter the war against Germany, along with England and France.

Henry was drafted into the American Army, while in training, he felt uncomfortable because he might be called upon to fight against his brothers George and Carsten who were in the German army. He made his thoughts known to a cousin, also a Henry Beckmann, son of his uncle, John the grocer. Cousin Henry made arrangements for him to go before a judge, who had sympathy for his problem. The judge had him transferred to the Quarter Master Corps (Supply Corps) which prevented him from having to carry arms in combat. I belive Henry finished his Army tour in the United States and wasn't ever sent to France.
Henry met and married Dorothy Friedden, whose family had immigrated from Insel Fohr. Her family owned a delicatessen on 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn. Henry and his brother-in-law Julius Friedden ran this store together. Both Dorothy and Julius were big people about 6 feet tall (185 cm). Julius died suddenly of appendicitis in 1932. Prior to his death he and Henry opened another delicatessen on 5th Avenue, Brooklyn. It was written up in the Brooklyn newspapers as two of the best Deli's in town.
In 1935 the depression was hitting the nation very hard. President Roosevelt offered a bonus to American WWI vets, to stimulate the economy. With this bonus, Henry bought a brand new 1936 Buick 2 door sedan. He was also operating two Deli's at that time so he could afford it. Actually he and his wife owned two stores and they were only a couple, so it tells one that Henry was hard working and ambitious.
Henry was also well loved by his brothers, they used to swim at Coney island and Henry took his nieces and nephews for rides on Shore Road in his new car. He was known as a prince of a guy, loved and liked by all. Dorothy and Henry never had any children of their own.
In the spring of 1939, Henry contracted a bad cold. The infection from his bad cold spread to his kidneys and developed into 'Bright's Disease'. Henry died around June 10th, probably just a few months away from the introduction of the new miracle drug, penicillin, which would have saved his life. Anothe Brooklyn Newspaper article pointed out how the two fine Deli's, were closing, due to the untimely death of their owner. My father Harry was extremely sad on the loss of his brother.
Tante Dorothy continued living at the home on 3rd avenue, she always gave her husbands nieces and nephews gifts, toys, candy, etc. for the rest of her life.
Dorothy suffered deafness and always wore hearing aids. They would constantly squeal and make noise. We often had to repeat all our conversations with her, until she understood what we wanted to say. She never worked, apparently collecting rents, and living on the sale of Uncle Henry's businesses and her rental property.
As children she always offered us ginger ale and cookies and she enjoyed good food, especially hot dogs, which we all would enjoy in visits to the restaurants.
She kept Uncle Henry's new 1936 Buick in the garage until after WWII was over, she never learned to drive it, she later sold it to a plumbing contractor by the name of Messerschmidt, a distant cousin to the German Aircraft manufacturer.
In the 1950's she moved to 4th avenue, Brooklyn, because the Belt Parkway was expanding, and the city of New York wanted her house. Some of her last days she spent with us at my parents Salt Point home. She used to hold my infant son Bob, cuddling and cooing with him, he was less than 6 months old. She died in 1961 in NYC hospital, for ear, nose and throat care.