Karl Wilhelm Adolph Quensell

Karl Wilhelm Adolph Quensell was born on 8 March 1829 in Rottehütte, The Kingdom of Hanover. He was the only child of Johann Christian Elias Quensell and his second wife Sophie Henriette Konradine Bethe.

Wilhelm attended school in Clausthal. For the next two years (from 16 April 1846) he continued his education as a forestry apprentice under Forester Meyer, at Kupferhütte not far from Lauterberg, the boy learned practical forest and hunting essentials.

In May, June, and July 1847, Karl Wilhelm learned all about charcoal burning. His mentor was Charcoal Master from Lonau, Andreas Ernst.

The successfully completed apprenticeship gave Karl Wilhelm A Quensell a government position of a Jäger (hunter) in Mündel. The job included field and office duties. Later Wilhelm was Forest Overseer in Welborn, Schulenberg, Lauterberg, and Oberhütte at Uslar.

The young man was not satisfied with the job and being dependent on several supervisors of various levels. His half-brother Christian L Bethje who emigrated to Texas inspired Wilhelm to seek a better life overseas. After practical preparations and having made several arrangements regarding his new life in Texas, Wilhelm left Germany on 19 April 1852 on the sailing bark Franziska which was owned by Friedrich Leo Quinsell (Wilhelm's relative) and William Stallworth.

Wilhelm traveled from Bremen to Galveston and later to Houston. In the beginning, he stayed at his half-brother's. After four months Wilhelm/William Quensell married Miss Anna Maria Louisa Reinermann nee Gerding. The girl was 17 years old and she was Christan L Bethje's stepdaughter. The marriage was performed by T. Cafer, justice of the peace, on 9 Sept. 1853.

William rented a farm in Harrison County. Both he and his wife frequently suffered from malaria attacks. Their life was full of hardship and chagrin. The couple had 12 children, however, ten died in infancy, one by one taken by fever, tetanus, and lead and arsenic poisoning (which came from enamelware). Only two daughters of William and Louisa's (Emma Quensell Helberg b. 1858 and Laura Quensell Lackner b. 1871) survived until adulthood.

William Quensell was granted citizenship on 4 July 1857. In the same year, he bought 300 acres of land with a house from his parents-in-law.

During the Civil War, he was inscribed in CA. He was private in Capt. H. Heidelmann's Battery of Light Artillery. He stationed in Arkansas and Louisiana from 1863 to 1864, participated in the battle of Mansfield, and Pleasant Hill. Later, private Quensell was transferred to the First Regiment of Texas Heavy Artillery at Galveston.

In 1871 William built a house in Houston on Dallas Avenue. He left the farm which he kept but rented only. On 20 Oct. 1820, malaria which had bothered William for many years, finally got him for the last time. The man died at the age of 65 from congestive malaria fever (1). William was buried at the German Society Cemetery (nowadays the Washington cemetery) in Houston.

Anna Maria Louisa Quensell passed in 1916.

Daughters

Emma Louise Ernestine Quensell - b. 12 July 1858 (2) - married Mr. D. Chris Helberg (3) on 7 Jan. 1880.

Laura Quensell - b. 15 July 1871 - married Mr. Fred W. Lackner on 12 Nov. 1901 in Bell, Texas (4).

Resources:

"From Tyranny to Texas (A German Pioneers in Harris County)" by E E Lackner, The Naylor Company Book Publishers of South West, San Antonio, Texas, 1975.

1.The Galveston Daily News. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 180, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 26, 1890, newspaper, October 26, 1890; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth467541/: accessed September 13, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium. 

2. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F65F-FJM: 13 February 2020), Emma Louise Ernestine Quensill, 1865.

3. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGZ-HHW : 4 November 2017), D Chris Helberg and Emma L E Quensell, 07 Jan 1880; citing Harris, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 25,224. 

4. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-CGRL : 10 December 2017), Fred W Luckner and Laura Quensell, 14 Nov 1901; citing Marriage, citing Bell, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 981,038.