Biographical / Historical
Sophia (or Sophie) Lang Hennighausen Bolgiano (1866-1926) was born in the District of Columbia, but by the time she was four, in 1870, her family was living in Baltimore's 3rd ward, the neighborhood of Washington Hill. In 1886, Sophia married to John Bolgiano (1865-?), who was born in Baltimore. He was the son of Joseph Ault Bolgiano (1836-1913) and Mary Elizabeth Walton (1838-1893). Sometime before 1900, they divorced. She appears in the 1910 Maryland census as a 43 year-old widow living in the 9th ward of Baltimore, with her parents, Louis P. Hennighausen (1840-1918) and Louisa (or Louise Marie) Hennighausen (1845-1918), as well as her brother, Julius Hennighausen (1878-1910), and her three children: Charlotte Hanna (1887-1912), Ralph (1888-1964), and Louis Paul (1890-1960).
Sophia's father, Louis P. Henninghausen, was born in Germany. He was a prominent member of Baltimore's German community, serving as an officer of German organizations in Baltimore, and writing several books, including, History of the German Society of Maryland, and Reminiscences of the political life of the German-Americans in Baltimore during the years 1850-1860. He was "one of Baltimore's leading lawyers" before retiring to Towson, Maryland. He served as the attorney for the German consul in Baltimore and legal counsel to the German Society.
Sophia Bolgiano's son, Louis P. Bolgiano (1890-1960), was an attorney in Baltimore and married Amanda S. Rice (1894-1976). Their children are listed in the 1940 census as Louis Bolgiano (b. 1923) and Duane Bolgiano (b. 1933). Ralph married Edith A. Bolgiano (1895-1986) and had two children, Charlotte (b. 1920) and Ralph (b. 1922-2002). Both Ralph and Edith were elected as active members of the Maryland Historical Society in May 1927.
Sophia invested in real estate, stocks, and mortgages. These assets were managed by her son, Louis, at least from 1922 to 1925.
Sophia, her parents, her brother, her children, and their spouses are all buried in Prospect Hill Park Cemetery in Towson, Maryland.
