Timeline
Timeline
Key events in the Goodman-Hofstätter family history, from the 1800s to today.
Patterns
Johann Gabriel Ellsworth born in Windham, Connecticut
Ancestor of the Ellsworth line, born in pre-Revolution New England.
Margaret Ann Taylor born in Spilsby, England
Born June 20, daughter of George Edward Grove Taylor and Ann Wicks. Future matriarch of the Arizona Goodmans, she will raise eleven children alone on the frontier after her husband's early death.
William Nicholas Goodman born in Bristol, England
Born September 9 to Thomas Goodman and Maria Symonds. One of at least eleven siblings, including brother Nathaniel. Orphaned young, he worked at foundry and carpentry before emigrating.
Nathaniel Goodman born in England
William's brother. The two will travel together from Liverpool to Utah and later to Arizona. Nathaniel stayed with the family in St. David and was known for hosting socials with dancing and games.
Henry John Platt's brother drowns on the Mississippi
Henry's brother Richard Speed Platt was washed overboard while swabbing the decks of a steamboat on January 1, 1844, during the family's journey to St. Louis.
Louisa Sheen crosses the plains in the first handcart company
Six-year-old Louisa Eliza Sheen walks alongside her family in the first Mormon handcart company from Iowa City to Salt Lake Valley. Her sister Emma dies en route, one of dozens who perish on the grueling crossing.
Dr. William Erastus Platt born in Salt Lake City
Born December 10. Clara's father. Started as a mail driver, became one of Arizona's first licensed physicians. Known for performing surgery on his dining room table with a butcher knife when no other tools were available.
William and Nathaniel board the William Tapscott
The Goodman brothers emigrate from Liverpool for a 42-day Atlantic crossing to America. They joined the Horton D. Haight Company and traveled overland to Salt Lake City.
William Nicholas marries Margaret Ann Taylor
Married February 27 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. Two English immigrants, both baptized as Latter-day Saints. Over the next 21 years they will have eleven children together.
Margaret Maria Goodman, the first child, born and dies
William and Margaret Ann's firstborn survives less than a year (1865-1866). The first of several heartbreaking infant losses in the family.
George Edward Goodman born in Minersville, Utah
Born November 11, the fourth of William Nicholas and Margaret Ann's eleven children. His surviving siblings include William George (1866), Joseph Thomas (1868), Francis Nathaniel (1873), Clara Grove (1877), Gertrude Ann (1878), Herbert Arthur (1880), Elizabeth Taylor (1883), and Theresa Hope (1885).
Roxanna Othelia Reed born in Salem, Utah
Born October 25, daughter of Heber Curtis Reed and Louisa Eliza Sheen. Future wife of George Edward Goodman and mother of George Nicholas.
Goodman family moves to Arizona
William moves his family from Utah to Arizona, settling first in the Salt River Valley, then St. David in January 1883. Twelve-year-old George Edward drives a four-horse team on the journey, taking turns with his older brothers.
Prof. Robert Wilhelm Ludwig Hofstätter born in Vienna
Born April 13. Viennese physician who established the intellectual and medical tradition that Peter would carry forward.
Dr. Platt marries Isabell Hill Romney
William Erastus Platt and Isabell Hill Romney are married January 4 in the St. George Temple, Utah Territory. Isabell's father, Miles Park Romney, insisted on a temple marriage. They will have eleven children, though several die in infancy.
William Nicholas Goodman dies at 43
Dies March 8 in St. David, Arizona, after a paralytic stroke on February 10. He had lived just two years and two months in St. David. Leaves Margaret Ann and nine surviving children, the youngest not yet born (Theresa Hope, born 1885).
George Edward Goodman marries Roxanna Othelia Reed
Married February 13 in St. David, Cochise County, Arizona Territory. George is 22; Roxanna is 17. Together they will raise eight children: Iva Othelia (1893), George Nicholas (1895), Louisa (1897), James Richard (1901), Clarence (1903), Robert Calvin (1905), Thelma (1909), and Fay Grace (1913).
George Nicholas Goodman born in St. David, Arizona
Born September 5 in St. David, Cochise County. Second of George Edward and Roxanna's eight children, and their eldest son. Future five-term mayor of Mesa, founder of Apache Drug, and civic titan of the East Valley.
Clara Platt born in St. Johns, Arizona
Born March 4, daughter of Dr. William Erastus Platt and Isabell Hill Romney. First cousin to the family of George W. Romney, future Governor of Michigan.
Earle Ellsworth born in Mesa
Born February 11. Future patriarch of the Ellsworth branch.
Nathaniel Goodman dies at 61
William's brother Nathaniel, who had emigrated with him from England in 1862 and followed him to Arizona, dies. The two brothers had been inseparable for four decades.
Leoma Ellen Dana born in Maricopa County
Born April 26. Future wife of Earle Ellsworth and grandmother of the Goodman children.
Dr. A.J. Chandler buys ranch land
Chandler acquires 18,000 acres of Gila River bottomland south of Mesa. In four years, he will open his planned townsite.
Robert Hofstätter marries Josefine Heller in Vienna
Married September 21 in Vienna. Robert, a physician, and Josefine (born 1887) will have one son: Peter, born two years later.
Lafayette Dana dies at 36
Lafayette Dana dies young, leaving his wife Adaline Amerilla Riggs to raise their daughter Leona and the other children alone on the Arizona frontier.
Chandler townsite opens
Dr. A.J. Chandler's planned community holds its first land sale. The town will become central to the Goodman family's story.
Peter Adolf Robert Maria Hofstätter born in Vienna
Born October 20, only child of Prof. Robert Hofstätter and Josefine Heller. Future psychologist, Wehrmacht officer, and Hamburg professor.
George Nicholas marries Clara Platt
Married June 30 in Safford, Graham County. The merging of two pioneering Arizona families. Together they will build Apache Drug and raise five children in Mesa.
George William Goodman born
First child of George Nicholas and Clara Platt Goodman (1917-1980). Eldest of five siblings: George William, Clarice Sue (1919), Clifford James Sr. (1921), Harold Raymond (1924), and Sherry Lynn (1934).
Clara's mother Isabell Hill Romney dies
Isabell, daughter of Miles Park Romney and Hannah Hood Hill, dies at age 56. The Romney family connection links Clara to future governor George W. Romney.
Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. born
Born August 6 in Mesa to George Nicholas and Clara Platt Goodman. Third of five children, between Clarice Sue and Harold Raymond. Future Chandler physician and patriarch of the medical dynasty.
Earle Ellsworth marries Leoma Ellen Dana
Married December 10 in Maricopa County, Arizona. Their daughter Leoma Earlene will marry Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr.
Leoma Earlene Ellsworth born
Born August 24 in Mesa. Daughter of Earle and Leoma Ellen. Future wife of Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and mother of the next generation of Goodmans.
Herta Susi Anneliese Stein born in Berlin
Born August 10 in Charlottenburg, Berlin. Future wife of Peter Hofstätter and mother of Nadina.
Margaret Ann Taylor Goodman dies at 84
Dies March 29 in St. David, Arizona, and is buried beside her husband William in the St. David Cemetery. She survived him by 41 years, raising nine surviving children to adulthood, and lived to see 68 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren.
Roxanna Othelia Reed Goodman dies at 57
Dies May 31 in Safford, Graham County, Arizona. Buried June 2 in Safford Cemetery. Mother of George Nicholas and seven other children. Her death leaves George Edward a widower at 62. He later marries her sister, Louisa Ann Reed.
Herta Stein participates in the Berlin Olympics opening ceremony
Thirteen-year-old Herta Susi Anneliese Stein takes part in the opening ceremony of the 1936 Berlin Olympics as part of a youth gymnastics display, performing before 100,000 spectators in the Olympiastadion.
Peter Hofstätter receives his doctorate in Vienna
His dissertation on cross-cultural child psychology is published. He studied under the Bühlers and Egon Brunswick at the Vienna Psychological Institute.
Anschluss: Hofstätter joins the Wehrmacht
After the Nazi annexation of Austria, Peter is absorbed into the Wehrmacht Psychological Service as an army psychologist. His Jewish mentors flee into exile.
George Edward's daughter Louisa dies at 41
Louisa Goodman (1897-1938), George Edward and Roxanna's third child, dies just five years after her mother. Another early loss for the family.
Clifford Sr. and Earlene elope to Florence
Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and Leoma Earlene Ellsworth elope January 10 to Florence, Pinal County, Arizona. They are later sealed in the Arizona Temple on June 25, 1948.
Dr. William Erastus Platt dies at 81
Dies November 13 in Safford, Graham County, Arizona. Pioneer physician of the Arizona Territory for over five decades. The whole town turned out for the funeral.
Peter Hofstätter marries Herta Stein in wartime Berlin
Married March 7 in Charlottenburg, Berlin. Their twin daughters, born later that year, die in infancy.
Dr. Clifford Goodman Jr. born
Born April 11 in Washington, D.C., to Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and Leoma Earlene. Eldest of five children. Future OB/GYN, MomDoc founder, and keeper of the family journals.
Herta Ingeborg Nadina Hoffstaetter born
Born in Austria. Only surviving daughter of Prof. Peter Hofstätter and Herta Stein. Future wife of Dr. Clifford Goodman Jr.
George Nicholas Goodman (Uncle George) born
Born to Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and Leoma Earlene. Second of their five children, named after his grandfather the mayor. (1948-2021)
Sledding on Tunlaw Road
While the family lives in Washington, D.C., the Tunlaw Road hill becomes the neighborhood sled run. Young Clifford Jr. discovers the shortcut to Stoddart School through a small wood thick with squirrels and acorns.
Young Clifford Jr. explores the U.S. Senate Post Office
While Great-Grandpa Clifford studies at George Washington University School of Medicine, his five-year-old son tags along to the Senate Post Office at 2:00 AM.
Peter Hofstätter flees to America
Hofstätter emigrates to the U.S. and takes a position at Clark University, then MIT. He brings the Vienna school's methods to American academia.
Air Raid Drills and Kindergarten
At Stoddart Elementary in D.C., young Clifford Jr. practices duck-and-cover drills beneath his desk and navigates the social hierarchies of kindergarten nap time.
Summers at the Apache Drugstore
Clifford Jr. spends summer mornings at his grandfather's drugstore in downtown Mesa, eating breakfast with the 'drugstore cowboys' at the soda fountain.
Cross-Country Road Trips Begin
The Goodman family begins a tradition of marathon cross-country road trips, sleeping in the car, eating at truck stops, and covering thousands of miles between Arizona and destinations across the West.
George Edward Goodman dies at 81
Dies February 25 in Phoenix, Arizona, with his grandson Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. helping care for him at Good Samaritan Hospital. Buried in Safford Cemetery beside Roxanna. He had served as president of the Goodman Family Organization from 1936 until his death.
Sharen Goodman born
Third child of Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and Leoma Earlene. (1953-2014)
Stephanie Goodman born
Fourth child of Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and Leoma Earlene. (1954-2007)
Peter Hofstätter returns to Germany
Accepts the Chair of Social Psychology at the University of Hamburg. Publishes influential textbooks and becomes a public intellectual.
Michael Earle Goodman born
Fifth and youngest child of Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. and Leoma Earlene. (1957-2008)
Josefine Heller Hofstätter dies in Vienna
Dies December 8 in Alsergrund, Vienna, at age 72. Peter's mother and wife of Prof. Robert Hofstätter.
George Nicholas Goodman dies
Five-term Mesa mayor, pharmacist, and civic leader dies November 3 at age 64. Survived by Clara and their five children. Chandler will later name an elementary school in his honor.
Dr. Clifford Goodman Sr. dies at 41
Dies unexpectedly March 28 in Chandler, leaving behind Earlene and five children: Clifford Jr. (19), George Nicholas (14), Sharen (9), Stephanie (8), and Michael (5).
Clifford Jr. marries Nadina Hoffstaetter
The Goodman and Hofstätter lines converge. The wedding unites Arizona pioneer stock with Viennese intellectual tradition.
Prof. Robert Hofstätter dies in Vienna at 87
Dies August 19 in Alsergrund, Vienna. The eminent physician and patriarch of the Hofstätter medical tradition. Peter's father and Nadina's grandfather.
Binki (Clifford III) born
Clifford James Goodman III, the eldest of six children, is born on November 17, 1971.
Peter born
Peter Robert Hofstätter Goodman is born on November 13, 1973. Named after his grandfather, Prof. Peter Hofstätter.
Nick born
Earl Nicholas Goodman is born on November 21, 1975.
George William Goodman dies at 63
George Nicholas and Clara's eldest child dies. (1917-1980)
Matthias born
Robert Matthias Karl Goodman is born on August 21, 1981.
Dana born
Dana Susi Ana-lisa Clarice Goodman is born on November 23, 1983.
The Lead Pouring (Bleigießen) Begins
Mom introduces Bleigießen, the Austrian New Year's Eve tradition of melting lead and reading fortunes from the shapes. The annual ritual becomes a family touchstone for two decades.
Clara Platt Goodman dies at 86
The matriarch of the Goodman-Platt line passes away February 8 in Mesa. Licensed pharmacist, co-founder of Apache Drug, and first cousin of the Romney political dynasty. Survived by four of her five children. Buried in the City of Mesa Cemetery.
Mikey born
Michael Christopher Stephen James Goodman, the youngest of the six siblings, is born on April 27, 1985.
The 1985 Disneyland Lock-Out
A trip to Disneyland's 30th anniversary goes sideways when the van keys get locked inside. A screaming toddler, a hood rod, and security supervisor Bob save the day.
Nicky's Rolling Racer Mishap
A soap-box racer ride goes wrong when eleven-year-old Nicky launches off a curb and crashes into a parked car. Dad patches him up with butterfly bandages and they finish the day at the pool.
The Era of Elaborate School Projects
Dad helps the older boys build ambitious school projects from scratch: a working volcano, a scale model of the solar system, and other creations that turn the garage into a workshop.
"Chinese Burritos" at Hop Louie's
A rainy L.A. weekend produces two classic family moments: young Matthias refuses Chinese food, then steals the show at the Camp Snoopy magic show.
The 1988 San Francisco Expedition
An overnight drive to San Francisco: a garlic festival with 75,000 sunburned tourists, the Winchester Mystery House, and a prolonged joke about Lompoc's Belly Button Lint Festival.
The Great 1989 Van Saga
A family vacation to L.A. is nearly torpedoed by an overheating van, Tonopah Joe's night mechanics, and one very persistent modulator.
A School Named Goodman
Twenty-seven years after Great-Grandpa Clifford's death, Chandler dedicates a new elementary school in his name. Eight-year-old Matthias preserves his own Sunday School talk in Dad's journal.
Peter & Aaron's All-Night Hustle
Two teenage boys work through the night clearing a vacant lot, haul boxes into the attic, vacuum the closet unprompted, and earn a civilized dinner at Wendy's.
Earl Rides as Ostrich Festival Grand Marshal
Eighty-six-year-old Earl Ellsworth rides as Grand Marshal of the first Chandler Ostrich Festival, a century after his father raised a thousand ostriches in the Salt River Valley.
Dina's Baptism
After years of quiet spiritual growth, Mom announced she was ready. 250 people packed the chapel on New Year's Day.
The Temple Sealing
One year and three days after Dina's baptism, the family is sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Dad fasted and prayed all night before the ceremony.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
When his prepared talk falls flat, Dad scraps it at the pulpit and delivers a powerful farewell speech about family legacy, pioneer ancestors, and the giants who came before.
Leoma Ellen Dana Ellsworth dies at 89
Dies October 5 in Chandler, Arizona. Wife of Earle Ellsworth for over 70 years. Grandmother of the Goodman children.
Leoma Earlene Ellsworth Goodman dies at 72
Dies September 22 in Phoenix, Arizona. Mother of five: Dr. Clifford Jr., George Nicholas, Sharen, Stephanie, and Michael Earle. Widowed at 39 when Dr. Clifford Sr. died in 1962, she raised her children alone. Buried in the City of Mesa Cemetery.
Prof. Peter Hofstätter dies at 80
Dies June 13 in Buxtehude, near Hamburg. The eminent social psychologist leaves behind a complex legacy spanning Viennese academia, the Wehrmacht, American universities, and the University of Hamburg. Cremated; his second wife, Dr. Hertha Zach, kept the location of his ashes private.
Earle Ellsworth dies at 91
Dies in January in Mesa, Arizona. Patriarch of the Ellsworth branch and father of Leoma Earlene. Harold Raymond Goodman, George Nicholas and Clara's fourth child, also dies this year at 71.
Clarice Sue Goodman dies at 82
George Nicholas and Clara's second child dies. (1919-2001). The second of the five Goodman siblings to pass.
Herta Susi Anneliese Stein dies at 79
Dies August 21 in Dortmund, Germany. Peter Hofstätter's first wife and Nadina's mother. Born in Berlin, she survived WWII and the loss of her twin daughters in infancy.
Stephanie Goodman dies at 53
Dad's sister Stephanie, the fourth of Clifford Sr. and Earlene's five children, dies. (1954-2007)
Michael Earle Goodman dies at 51
Dad's youngest sibling, Michael Earle, the fifth of Clifford Sr. and Earlene's five children, dies. (1957-2008)
Sharen Goodman dies at 61
Dad's sister Sharen, the third of Clifford Sr. and Earlene's five children, dies. (1953-2014)
George Nicholas Goodman (Uncle George) dies at 73
Dad's brother, named after their grandfather the mayor, and the second of Clifford Sr. and Earlene's five children, dies. (1948-2021). Sherry Lynn Goodman, the last of George Nicholas Sr. and Clara's five children, also dies this year at 87.
Dr. Clifford James Goodman Jr. dies at 79
Dies May 29 in Show Low, Arizona. The last surviving child of Clifford Sr. and Earlene. Physician, father of six, MomDoc founder, and the keeper of the family journals. His detailed writings form the backbone of this archive.