By Madison Hylland, Museum Intern

Headstones were the last thing anyone expected to find under the Eaton House, but that is exactly what was uncovered during recent renovations to the 1902 building that you can now visit as part of the Windsor History Museum and home office for the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area.

The German-style headstones were found supporting the porch, with missing death dates, and the names of a couple that no one in the area had heard of in over 70 years.

Despite being lost to history until now, Katherine and George Hilterman made significant contributions to Windsor and the German-from-Russia community in Northern Colorado. They arrived in 1907 as farmers, not unlike the hundreds of other German families who would have fled Russia under the rule of Alexander II to end up in Colorado, where they could continue to grow sugar beets.

Along the way, the Hiltermans met another GFR family, the Geigles. In 1910, George voluntarily served as Anna Geigle’s power of attorney in a small money demand case set against her after she became widowed. This resulted in a highly publicized assault against George by the plaintiff, the details of which can be found in the archived publications of the Windsor Beacon.

Ten years later, in 1920, the Hiltermans faced their own tragedy when one of their daughters and her husband succumbed to the Spanish Flu epidemic, leaving behind four children in need of care. The Hiltermans stepped up, losing their homestead in the legal battle to keep their family together, but ultimately succeeded and raised the Hoffman grandchildren to adulthood.

Several family members, including George, owned the Eaton House before he gave it to one of his daughters in 1925, and it remained under her ownership until George died in 1948. It is unknown whether anyone in the family ever lived in the house, how the two massive headstones ended up underneath it, or why their story remained untold for so long. What we do know about this discovery has given way to a story of perseverance, advocacy, and family bonds that give us a glimpse into what being welcomed to a new place can look like.

To visit the Hilterman’s final resting place and to learn more about their story and others who picked up their lives to come to Windsor, join us for Twilight Tours of Lakeview Cemetery, guided by Museum Educators.

Image 1: Portrait of George (1864-1948) and Katherine (1862-1942) Hilterman, date unknown.

Image 2: Katherine's original headstone, found underneath the Eaton House porch.

Image 3: George's original headstone, found underneath the Eaton House porch.