John Frederick Louis "Louis" Hedderich^{[1, 2]}

Cal 1823 - 1900  (~ 77 years)

• Name	John Frederick Louis "Louis" Hedderich
  Born	CALC 14 May 1823	, Hessen, Germany   [1, 3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/236922798
  Name	Louis Hedderich  [6]
  Occupation	1871	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Cabinet Maker
  Residence	1871	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Lutheran
  Occupation	1881	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Carpenter
  Residence	91 King St. N., Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Residence	1881	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Lutheran
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-65624
  Died	24 Aug 1900	Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Buried	Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Person ID	I65624	Generations
  Last Modified	9 Jun 2025

  
  

  Family 1	Margaret Strobel,   b. 19 Sep 1830, , Germany ,   d. 19 Jul 1915, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 84 years)
  Married	6 Jan 1890	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Last Modified	10 Jun 2025
  Family ID	F10926	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Elizabeth "Elisa" Rockel,   b. 29 May 1823, Burkhards, , Hessen, Germany ,   d. 3 Aug 1888, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 65 years)
  Children	1. Amalia Hedderich,   b. CALC 8 Oct 1848, , Germany ,   d. 22 Jun 1891, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 42 years)   2. Georg Leonhard Heinrich "Henry" Hedderick,   b. 17 Jun 1850, , Germany ,   d. 9 Aug 1936, Ayr, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 86 years)   3. Lina Amelia Mary Hedderich,   b. 18 Oct 1859, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Dec 1924, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 65 years)   4. Sophia Hedderich,   b. 1861, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	10 Jun 2025
  Family ID	F37709	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Louis Hedderich was one of our well known citizens, and a public man in his way, for he ran the village sprinkling wagon for many years. This tankwagon, usually a bright blue in color, was his own manufacture, and had a number of ingenious contrivances to add to its usefulness or otherwise. A huge umbrella shaded his wagon seat on hot summer days, and he had an arrangement by which a whistle chirped merrily, musically and constantly when the sprinkler was sprinkling. He secured his water supply from the mineral spring where some enterprising villagers one time bored for oil or salt and secured a wonderful flow of mineral water. A bellows attached to the wagon was used to blow a horn that called the village clerks from the shops with their pails and pitchers, to get a supply of drinking water. The same horn was used to call out the bartender, when he operated it at one of the hotels, and the dispenser of drinks, recognizing the signal, came out with a schooner of beer and emptied it into a mug which Mr. Hedderich carried, and this saved an extra trip for him. The sprinkling was paid for by subscription, each business man along the business part of King Street, contributing a certain amount each year. Mr. Hedderich did his collecting in the beginning of the year, and made his call an annual social visit as well. He was a gun and locksmith, and an expert in repairing clocks and other articles of household use. His workshop on North King Street was an interesting bit of architecture, owing to the fact that Mr. Hedderich used a church in his native village in Germany as a model when he built it, and it had all the appearance of a small church, with tower clock that struck the hours, steeple and all. His wife was a very useful citizen as well, and was widely known and in great demand as an experienced nurse and midwife. I believe it was her proud boast that she officiated at something like two thousand stork parties during her busy life here. Mr. and Mrs. Hedderich were in Waterloo in the early 50's, or possibly sooner, and resided here for many years until their passing at advanced ages. Sixteenth Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society, 1928, A Historical Sketch of the Town of Waterloo, Ontario, Clayton W. Wells, L.D.S., D. D. S. _____________ DEATH OF LOUIS HEDDERICH. One of the Pioneers of Waterloo County and Waterloo's Veteran Water Sprinkler Passes Away to Join the Majority. The death took place at 6 o'clock Friday morning of Mr. Louis Hedderich for about fifty years a resident of Waterloo and a pioneer of Waterloo County. Mr. Hedderich suffered only two weeks from dysentry which together with old age was the cause of his death. Deceased was 77 years 3 months and 10 days old. The late Louis Hedderich was born in Hessen, Germany, May 14th, 1823, and come to America in company with his wife, nee Eliza Rockel, in the year 1852. He spent one year in the City of New York. In 1849 he came to Waterloo County and settled in Waterloo which was then a swamp. He is one of Waterloo's first settlers and pioneers. He was a carpenter by trade but for the last 35 years he has sprinkled the streets of Waterloo. His wife Eliza Rockel died in 1888 and about a year and a half after her death he was married to Margaret Strobel, of Bavaria, Germany. To him and his first wife were born eight children, three of whom are still living, viz: Henry and Mrs. Chas. Rockel of Waterloo, and Rev. Mrs. Riedel of Montreal. He had no family with his second wife. The family have the sympathy of the community in their bereavement. The funeral of the late Louis Hedderich took place from the residence, King St., on Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock to Mount Hope cemetery for interment, thence to St. John's Lutheran church for service. Waterloo County Chronicle (Waterloo, Ontario), Thursday August 30, 1900, page 5 ___________ LOUIS HEDDERICH DEAD. Louis Hedderich, whose familiar figure has been seen on our streets for a great many years, died this morning, after about a week's illness, at the age of 77 years, 3 months and ten days. Deceased was born in Hesse and came to Canada from Germany in the year 1852, and to Waterloo in the following year. He has sprinkled the streets of Waterloo for the past 35 years, and when he first began he dipped the water into his cart with a tin dipper. He leaves a widow and three children, The funeral will be held on Sunday afternoon. New Record, Berlin, Ontario, Fri, Aug 24, 1900 Page 1

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 9 Aug 1888. Died 3 Aug 1888 Elisa Hedderich, nee Rockel, wife of Louis Hedderich, died in Waterloo at age of 65 years, 2 months and 5 days. The deceased, known far and wide as a midwife, had assisted at the births of 1823 children in the last 35 years. The mourners at her funeral were great in number. [S3002] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 011113-77. Henry Hedderich, 27, occ. Shoemaker, b. Germany, res. Waterloo, S/O Louis & Elizabeth Married Maria Mehnke, 19, b. Germany, res. Guelph, D/O Michael & Wilhelmina, Witn Philip Kraft & Mrs Mehnke Of Waterloo, 27 December 1877 In Waterloo. [S302] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1881, Waterloo Village 1881 Div. 1 Page 6. [S192] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - Mount Hope CC#4500 Internet Link. South: Hier ruhet/ (unser) Mutter/ Elisa/ eine geb. (Roeszel)/ Ehefrau von/ Louis (H)edder(ich)/ geb. 2(9) Mai/ 1823/ ? Grosze ?/ gest. 3 Aug./ 1888/ Alt. 65 Jahren/ 2 Mo. u. (5) Tagen/ East: Hier ruhet/ unser Vater/ Louis ?/ (H)edder(ich)/ gest. 24 Aug. 1900/ Alter 77 Jah./ (3 Mos. 10 Tagen) [eroded]/ [S2658] aaaaWaterloo Village 1871, Sect. 1 Page 41. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register. Philipp Kraft Birth Place: Germany Residence: Waterloo Age: 22 Estimated birth year: abt 1846 Father Name: Heinrich Kraft Mother Name: Christina Giller Spouse Name: Amalia Hedderich Spouse's Age: 21 Spouse Estimated Birth Year: abt 1847 Spouse Birth Place: Germany Spouse residence: Waterloo Spouse Father Name: Louis Hedderich Marriage Date: 12 Apr 1868 Marriage County: Waterloo

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - CALC 14 May 1823 - , Hessen, Germany Occupation - Cabinet Maker - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1871 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Carpenter - 1881 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1881 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 6 Jan 1890 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 24 Aug 1900 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth