Herman Laidley Hoffman was the son of Herman Laidlie Hoffman and Charlotte M. Klein of St. Louis, Missouri. He went to California and was twice married. His first wife, by whom he had no children, was Susan Woods, who died on January 16, 1880. His second wife was Mary Constance Veuve, by whom he had a posthumous son, Herman Laidley Verplanck Hoffman, born in San Jose on Sept. 28, 1882.

—Source: "Genealogy of the Hoffman Family : Descendants of Martin Hoffman : with Biographical Notes" by Eugene A. Hoffman (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1899), part of the Ancestry.com North America Family Histories collection.

San Luis Obispo Tribune, Mar. 11, 1882. "HERMAN HOFFMAN, cashier of the Commercial and Savings Bank of San Jose, died suddenly at his residence in that city last Saturday evening. He was sitting in his chair and, without warning, fell over and in a few moments breathed his last. The cause of his death was heart disease. Deceased was a native of St. Louis, Mo., and fifty-two years of age. He came to California in 1850, and settled in Nevada county. About twenty years ago he took up his residence in San Jose, and after farming for awhile accepted a position as deputy in the Recorder's office, where he remained until called to fill the office of Cashier of Ryland and McLaughlin's bank. He continued in the same position when the bank was reorganized under the name of the Commercial and Savings Bank, remaining up to the time of his death. A few months ago he took a second wife, in the person of the daughter of E.L. Veuve, of San Jose. He was without children. Mr. Hoffman was one of nature's noblemen. Genial, whole-souled, upright and honest in all his dealings, he won the confidence and respect of all whom he came in contact with, and the friendship of his associates in business. He was an accomplished bank official and the institution with which he was so long connected has suffered an almost irreparable loss by his death. He was buried on Monday last, a large course of mourning friends following his honored remains to their last resting place."

Herman and Mary's son Herman Laidley Verplanck Hoffman was a doctor in San Francisco. He died Nov. 16, 1940.