Hetzl

Here is what Ancestry has to say about the origin of the Hetzl (which was Hözl – with an umlaut-) name: “from a pet form of the personal name Hermann. from a Germanic personal name, a pet form of a compound name formed with haid ‘heath’, ‘wasteland’ as the first element.from Middle High German holz, Middle Low German holt ‘wood’, a topographic name, an occupational name for someone who provided wood, or a nickname for a stubborn person.”

Our Hetzels hail from Ast, Germany and before that small towns in Waldmünchen near Ast: Treffelstein, Schäferei, and Speilburg. The furthest back we go is to my 6th grandparents, Thoma Hözl and Anna? (often the records that old do not list the wife’s last name!!!!). They both died in 1754 in Treffelstein, Bavaria. Their son, Andreas, my 6th grandfather, married Sophia Senfft from Wum. He was a homeowner and a weaver. Sophia’s parents were Georg Senft and Anna. He was a homeowner and owned a “garden.” She died in 1772 and he died in 1773, both in Treffelstein, Bavaria.

Debbie Blau from Donau, Germany has composed a lovely PDF of some of our Hetzel cousins and of the church of the Assumption in Ast as well as the miracles that have occurred there. It’s very reminiscent of the story of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. It’s well worth the read! Also, thanks to cousin Marty Limmex who sent me a descendancy of the Limmex-Hetzl lines from Wisconsin. Marty’s sis, Beth also fielded my endless questions. Vielen dank!

If you’d like to learn about our immigrant great-great grandmother, Eva Hetzl, click on her name.

To learn more about Eva Hetzl’s ancestors, the tailors and weavers from Schaferei and surrounding villages, click here.