Earl Hoellein, 1899 - 1995 Audubon, New Jersey

[Leon]

A month or so ago, I had partially told the story of the tobacco card collection, which is new to the hobby, in our current auction. As I was speaking with the consignor, a mid 60's retired, very nice lady from Florida, I told her that if we could know a little more about her great uncle, who collected them, it would be interesting. She said she had emailed the information, with pics, but then didn't check anything, got sick, and didn't come up for air for 3 or so weeks. Fortunately she is feeling better now. I guess I was mistaking on the front end as I thought the gentleman lived to be 101, but he lived to be 96. She believes he got the the cards from his dad as he would have only been 10-12 yrs old when the cards were issued. Instead of editing the information, I am posting it as sent. So here are some facts concerning Earl Hoellein, 1899 - 1995 Audubon, New Jersey.

"Earl Hoellein,
1899 - 1995
Audubon, New Jersey


Photos
1. Earl with three of his sisters: Grace, Vera, and Alma
2. Earl (in middle) with friends on bikes
3. Earl (high school?)
4. Earl, shortly before he passed

These tobacco cards and pins were carefully collected, categorized, and stored by my great-uncle Earl Hoellein when he was a child in the early 1900s; they were passed down to me after his death in 1995.

Earl was born in Philadelphia in 1899, the youngest of five children.

His father, Christopher Hoellein, was an orchestra conductor in the Philadelphia area whose smoking habit probably supplied him with most, if not all, of Earl’s tobacco cards and pins.

His mother Eveline was a well-known spiritualist who eventually divorced her philandering husband. Earl lived with her until her death, and then with his unmarried sister Alma, who had been a missionary in South America, in the same house. Two other sisters lived with them after their husbands passed away.

He never married, although he saved many letters from young women he had squired around town over the years who wanted desperately to settle down with him.

Working for the railroads afforded him the luxury of traveling across the country and around the world both before and after his retirement.

He passed over in 1995 when he was 96. He had been in relatively good health, but he simply gave up after his favorite sister, Alma, died one month earlier."



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