Barbara Elizabeth Bergmann wife of Rupert Hensle and Henry Steinlein, biography, records, and sources.
Barbara Elizabeth (Bergmann) Hostetter Hensle Steinlein
(1875–1945)
Barbara Elizabeth Bergmann
Born: 9 February 1875 • Schweinshaupten, Ebersberg District, Bavaria, Germany
Died: 30 June 1945 • Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, USA
Parents:
Mother: Eva (Rosenberger) Bergmann Hostetter
Biological Father: Mattheaus Bergmann
Stepfather: Frederich Hostetter
Siblings:
Klara Bergmann Schmidt (full sister)
Fred Hostetter (half‑brother)
Helena “Lena” Hostetter Thune (half‑sister)
Spouses:
Rupert/Robert Hensle (m. 1897)
Henry Steinlein (m. after 1912)
Children:
Carl/Charles Robert Hensle (1899– )
Friederick Julius Hensle (1902– )
Robert Hensle (1904– )
Early Life in Bavaria
Barbara Elizabeth Bergmann was born on February 9, 1875, in the small Bavarian village of Schweinshaupten. Her early childhood was marked by loss: her father, Mattaeus Bergmann, appears to have died young, leaving Eva to raise Barbara and her older sister, Klara.
In 1882, 15‑year‑old Klara crossed the Atlantic alone — the first of the Bergmann women to make the journey.
Immigration to America (1887)
Arrival at Castle Garden
On April 30, 1887, 12‑year‑old Barbara and her mother Eva arrived in New York, passing through Castle Garden, the immigration station that predated Ellis Island.
A New Family
Not long after their arrival, Eva married Frederich Hostetter, a fellow German immigrant. Barbara gained two younger half‑siblings:
Fred Jr. (born 1888)
Lina/Helena (born 1892)
But Barbara’s path diverged early. By the 1895 New Jersey State Census, she was no longer living in the Hostetter household. At just 20, she was already forging her own life.
Marriage to Rupert Hensle (1897)
A Times Square Wedding
On October 2, 1897, Barbara married Rupert (Robert) Hensle at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Times Square, New York City.
She was 23; he was 30 and newly arrived from Germany in 1893.
Rupert worked as a butcher and later in the abattoir, a demanding but steady trade common among German immigrants.
Their Children
Together they welcomed three sons:
Carl (Charles) Robert Hensle — born October 4, 1899, Manhattan
Friederick Julius Hensle — born March 1, 1902, Manhattan
Robert Hensle — born March 11, 1904, Jersey City
Widowhood and Loss (1912–1914)
Rupert died in 1912, leaving Barbara a widow with three young boys.
The following years brought more sorrow:
Her sister Klara died in September 1914
Her mother Eva died two months later
Despite these losses, Barbara continued to hold her family together.
Second Marriage and Community Life
Barbara later married Henry Steinlein, another German immigrant.
She became active in the Order of the Maccabees, a fraternal organization known for mutual aid, charity, and community support — a fitting place for a woman who had weathered so much.
Final Years and Death (1945)
Barbara passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 30, 1945, at her home at 85 Booream Avenue, Jersey City, after a stomach ailment. She was 70.
At the time, Henry was gravely ill in the Jersey City Medical Center; he died eight months later in March 1946.
Barbara was survived by:
Her three sons
Six grandchildren
She is buried at New York Bay Cemetery.
Descendants Wanted — Help Us Reconnect the Hensle Line
If you know anyone descended from Charles, Frederick, or Robert Hensle, please invite them to join our family history group.
Every new voice helps us rebuild the story of this branch — and honor women like Barbara, whose courage and resilience shaped the generations that followed.
Records & Sources Consulted
Vital Records & Immigration
New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Castle Garden & Ellis Island)
NYC Birth Index & Certificates
NYC Marriage Index & Records
New York Port Ship Images, 1851–1891
U.S. Passenger & Crew Lists, 1820–1957
Census Records
1900 U.S. Federal Census — Barbara Hensle
1910 U.S. Federal Census — Elizabeth Hensla
1920 U.S. Federal Census — Barbara Hensle
1930 U.S. Federal Census — Elizabeth Sternline
1940 U.S. Federal Census — Elizabeth Stienlien
1905 New Jersey State Census — Barbara Hensle
1915 New Jersey State Census — Barbara Hensle
Other Sources
Hudson Dispatch, July 2, 1945, p. 29 (Obituary)
U.S. City Directories — Mrs. E. B. Hensle
Dutch Reformed Church Records
Find A Grave Memorial #184866057
