Hulda Zordel was born 26 Apr 1849 in Berlin, Germany and died 1922. Liber E page 181 of the Berrien County Marriage Records shows that Hulda Zadel (Zordel) married Frederick Albert Westphal in St. Joseph, Michigan on 29 Sep 1873. She was 21 years of age. Their witnesses were John Westphal and Mrs. Emily Westphal. Hulda was born in "Zilia Court, Berlin, Germany" and Frederick was born in "Tangin Court Biton, Prussia".
Liber D page 376 of the Berrien County Death Records shows that Hattie Hulda (Zordel) Westphal died on 17 Feb 1922 in St. Joseph. She was 72 years, 9 months and 21 days old when she died. According to this record she would have been born 04 May 1849 in "Germany". Her father was listed as John Zordell born in Germany and Caroline Nitzel who was also born in Germany.

An article in the Hearld Press on 10 Feb 1922 describes her fate: "Aged Woman Is Struck By Car Doctors Refuse To Predict On Mrs. Westphal's Chance Of Recovery While attempting to cross State street at the intersection State and Market about 5:30 yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Huldah Westphal, 70, was seriously injured when John Walsh, a trusty at the county jail, ran her down in a Ford sedan and dragged her for a short distance, breaking three ribs. Westphal was also injured internally and this combined with the shock, naturally sustained by a woman of her years, makes doctors unwilling to state positively today whether or not she will recover. She is in an unconscious condition this afternoon. Mrs. Westphal was in company with her daughter, Mrs. A.G. Marshall. The later was uninjured. Eye witnesses of the occurrence say that Walsh was driving slowly and refuse to fix the blame on any of the participants in the accident. The injured woman was removed to the John Roberts home on State street where Dr. F. M. Gowdy administered first aid. She was then removed to the A.G. Marsahll residence at 609 Wayne street in Dean's ambulance. Walsh had been sent down town from the jail to have the tires of the Ford car inflated, It is said that he was looking for a garage and realized that he was getting out in the residence district of the city, made a complete turn at State street at the scene of the accident. The accident occurred jus as he was completing his turn, it is reported."

The Hearld Press carried another article concerning this incident on 17 Feb 1922: "Mrs. Westphal, 72, Struck By Auto, Is Dead Aged Woman Spent Almost Entire Life in St. Joseph Seriously injured a week ago when she was struck by a Ford automobile at the corner of State and Market streets, Mrs. Hulda Westphal passed away this morning at 10 o'clock at the home of her son-in-law, A.G. Marshall, 609 Wayne street. Mrs. Wesphal was born in Germany on April 26, 1849 and came to this country when she was 19 years of age. She has remained in St. Joseph continuously since that time. Her Husband passed away many years ago. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. John Lange, Sodus and Mrs. A.G. Marshall, St. Joseph; three grandchildren, Helen Marchall, St. Joseph, and Herbert Lange of this city and Arthur Lange, Sodus; one sister, Mrs. Elvina Dombrowsky, Harrison avenue, St. Joseph, and three brothers, Albert Zordel, St. Joseph, August Zordel, Ransom, Kansas, and Carl Zordel, Germany. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 1:45 at the Marshall residence and at 2 o'clock at the Trinity Lutheran church. Rev. Louis Nuechterlein officiating. Interment will be made in the City cemetery. The Ladies Aid society of the church will attend in a body. Mrs. Westphal met with the accident that contributed to her death while attempting to cross State street late last Friday afternoon. John Walsh, a trusty at the county jail, who has been sent down town with a Ford sedan to procure gasoline, was executing a complete turn on State street and was driving slowly when he struck the aged woman. Eye witnesses of the affair are unwilling to fix the blame." A family story is that her long skirt got caught in the spokes of the wheels of the vehicle and she was dragged to her death?