Hilda (Garson) Loveman was born August 29, 1884, in Rochester, New York, the daughter of David and Amelia (Koch) Garson. In 1900 the family made their home at 270 East Avenue in Rochester. Hilda had an older sister Edna, born in 1882, and a younger sister Regina, born in 1888. Their father David worked as a clothier, and supported the family rather well, also having two servants.
In September of 1907, 23 year old Hilda, and 18 year old Regina traveled from Liverpool, England to New York City on the SS Arabic.
Hilda's engagement announcement appeared in the New York Times on November 22, 1908. Her fiancee was Bernard E. Loveman, the son of David B. and Eva (Wolfe) Loveman of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The couple were married on March 15, 1909 in Monroe, New York. They set up housekeeping at 708 E. Oak Street in Chattanooga, and in 1910 Bernard was working as a "dry goods merchant." What the census does not tell us is that Bernard worked for his own father at the family business- Lovemans of Chattanooga, a thriving department store.
In 1916 Hilda's father David Garson died. By 1920, many more family changes had taken place. Hilda and Bernard had three children: David B. born around 1911, Bernard Jr. born in 1912, and Hilda born in 1915. They had moved to High Street in Chattanooga, and Bernard was now the vice-president and manager of the family's department store.
A major change in their lives occured when Bernard's father David B. Loveman died on May 18, 1926.
By 1930 the family was living at Country Club Place in Chattanooga with a live-in servant, and Bernard was the president of Lovemans.
In 1935 Hilda's mother, Amelia (Koch) Garson died. In July of 1936, Hilda and her daughter Hilda took a cruise between New Orleans and Veracruz, Mexico on the SS Morazan. At this time they gave their home address as 407 E. Fifth Street in Chattanooga.
Bernard changed jobs by 1938, he was employed by the Cecil Phillips Agency, and Hilda was now employed as a saleslady at Shumackers.
In 1940, with all three children out on their own, the family at the Fifth Street home consisted of Bernard, Hilda, Bernard's sister Rose Brewer, Aunt Mary, a cook, and three lodgers. Bernard continued working as a real estate salesman, and Hilda as a saleswoman in a department store.
Bernard E. Loveman Sr. died June 21, 1941 in Chattanooga. He was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, with his parents and two sisters.
After such a major life upheaval, Hilda returned to New York, moving to 161 W. 16th Street in New York City. She filled her time by working 30 hours a week as a saleswoman in a retail store.
Hilda left on a cruise August 10, 1951, on the USS Talamanca, a combination passenger liner, mail, and banana transport ship plying the waters of the Atlantic between New York City and Panaman.
On May 18, 1954, Hilda departed Idlewild Airport on Pan American Airlines, bound for Europe by way of Shannon, Ireland. She returned to New York City on July 6, 1954, traveling on the SS Maasdam from LeHavre, France, accompanied by "two suitcases, three packages, and a hatbox."
By the 1970's Hilda's children were well established with their own families. Bernard Jr. was a manufacturing engineer in Indianapolis, Indiana. Hilda (Loveman) Wilson was a Barnard graduate, and a writer who had worked at Newsweek. Son David was a Princeton alum, retired Lt. Colonel in the Army, and a stock analyst when he died in 1974. By this time Hilda was living in Larchmont, New York near her daughter. She had acquired seven grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Hilda (Garson) Loveman died on November 15, 1978. She was buried more than two years later, January 26, 1981, on Hart Island.
Sources: Ancestry.com; US, Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014; US Newspapers.com; Findagrave.com; NY, US, County Marriage Records; 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950 US Federal Censuses; US, City Directories, 1822-1995; New Orleans, LA, US, Passenger Lists, 1813-1963; NY, US, State Census, 1892; US, Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1914-1966; IN, US, Death Certificates, 1899-2017; TN, US, Death Records, 1908-1965; NY, US, Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1957.