Frances Joseph TILLMAN

 

Frances Joseph TILLMAN, whose death occurred about one month prior to the eighty-fifth anniversary of his birth, was one of the historic company of California pioneers of the memorable year 1849, and in the state of his adoption he gained prestige as one of the representative business men and influential citizens of San Francisco, where he was familiarly known as Frank TILLMAN and where he continued to maintain his home until his death, in the fullness of years and well earned honors.

Mr. TILLMAN was born in Arnesburg, Germany, on 14^th of March, 1819, and his death occurred February 7, 1904.  His father, Henry TILLMAN, passed his entire life in Germany, where he died in 1833 and where his widow passed away in 1843.  Their children were nine in number, namely:

Clement, William (Came to the United States and established his residence at Vicksburg, Mississippi), Henry, Bernard, Francis Joseph, Jennie, Sophia, Caroline and Minna.

The subject of this memoir gained much of his early education in Catholic institutions at Cologne, Germany, and in this connection he became a close student of the Bible, much of which he memorized and from which he was able to quote copiously and accurately throughput the subsequent course of his long and useful life.  Upon coming to the United States he remained for a time in the City of Philadelphia and he then went to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he engaged in the sale and installation of lightning rods.  When gold was discovered in California he promptly decided to make his way to this new Eldorado.  After a journey of nine months duration, by way of the straits of Magellan, he arrived in San Francisco, on the 3^rd of October 1849. Thence he made his way to the gold mining camps in the McCollomey Hills [Poss. Mokelumne Hills], and in his quest for gold he was successful to the extent of accumulating $5,000, but he suffered an attack of scurvy and before recuperating his health he had spent all the money he had thus won. In 1851, he engaged in the safe and scale business in San Francisco, where he became sole agent for the TILTON-MCFARLANE safes. His establishment was destroyed by fire in the following year, but he rebuilt and restocked his establishment and with the passing years he developed a substantial and prosperous business, to the management of which he continued to give his attention until 1879, when he retired, with an unblemished record and with standing as one of the reliable and influential men of affairs in the California metropolis.  He commanded unqualified popular esteem, and  was an appreciative and popular member of the California Society of Pioneers at the time of his death.

On the 22^nd of August, 1867, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.  TILLMAN and Miss Anna MCKENNA who was born on Prince Edward Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, of Irish and Scotch ancestry.  Of the children, the first born was Christine, who is deceased; Minna is the wife of a Mr. BRIGGS, of Victoria, British Columbia; Frances is a nun of one of the Catholic sisterhoods; John Henry resides in San Francisco;

Annie is deceased; Francis Joseph, Jr, is a representative physician and surgeon in San Francisco; Amy Josephine is the wife of J. M. CLINE, of this city; Miss Louise likewise remains in her native city: Joseph Eugene is in practice in San Francisco.  Mrs. TILLMAN is venerable in years, and is one of the loved pioneer women of San Francisco. She is an earnest communicant of the Catholic Church, as was also her husband.