In 1856, Friedrich Tillman (1835-1893) of Elbing, Germany, sailed to America, and sent back to his family in Germany a “diary” of his trip. His brother, Wilhelm (1839-1900), emigrated soon afterward, and in 1859 the two moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin. There they established Tillman Brothers, a family furniture store that later included an undertaking business, and members of the family operated it for more than one-hundred years.
After Friedrich died in 1893, Wilhelm bought the interest of Friedrich's widow, and Wilhelm's unmarried sons, Herman and Walter, carried on as a second generation of Tillman Brothers. With Herman's death in 1955, Friedrich's grandson, Frank W. Tillman, inherited seventy percent of the firm and operated it as Tillman Bros. Inc., until it was discontinued in 1960.
