Matilda Louise Birnstill

Matilda Louise Birnstill was born in Baden-Baden, Germany in 1872. Her father owned a large dry goods store in Baden-Baden, but when it failed, Matilda's mother took her and her sisters, Leontype and Anna, to New York City in 1881. Matilda's father and four brothers remained in Germany.

Matilda married Frederick Karl Zweibelhofer (1867-1956), who was born in Rostock, Germany. They married in about 1892 at the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City. They had three children: Karl Frederick Zweibelhofer (1894-1985); Herbert Adolph Zweibelhofer (1896-1980); and Louise Zweibelhofer (1899-1976). Matilda and Frederick's oldest son, Karl, was born in New York City, but the family moved to New Britain, Connecticut in about 1906 because of the child's health and because Matilda wanted to get out into the country. Frederick opened a barbershop in New Britain. After World War I, the family changed their name from Zweibelhofer to Hofer, and in 1928-1929, Matilda and Frederick moved to West Hartford, Connecticut.

Matilda Louise Birnstill Hofer died in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1945.