Heinrich Konrad Pluenneke

Heinrich Konrad Plünneke (Pluenneke) was born on 26 December 1819 in the village Klein Lafferde, Kingdom of Hanover (nowadays Kreis Peine, Niederschasen).

In 1845,  Konrad, his parents, and 7 siblings left for America. They encountered a storm when they were reaching Galveston and their ship was wrecked at the Texas coast. The family lost their belongings, nevertheless, they all survived the wreck. However, Konrad's sister got separated from her people. Tragically, later, the parents and three of Konrad's siblings died of cholera. The Plünneke orphans continued their travel until they reached Fredericksburg. Konrad obtained a town lot and 10 acres of land in the settlement area, which would have been granted by the German Emigration Company to his late father.

When the war with Mexico started, Konrad became one of the Texas Mounted Volunteers.  His wartime comrades were, among others, Christian, Fritz, and Henry Leifeste (Leiweste). Konrad was introduced to their sister Sophie Christina (born 7 January 1824). He was very much taken with the young lady and the two got married on 23 August 1847.

After the war, Heinrich Konrad came back to Fredericksburg. 

♦ Sophia Emma was born to Sophie and Konrad in Fredericksburg on 1 March 1850. 

In 1850, Konrad and Sophie moved to the Llano River area, Mason County, where they made their dwelling. 

♦ Son Heinrich Conrad was born on 17 May 1852.

♦ Son Henry was born on 9 June 1854 (1).

♦ Daughter Dina (Conradine) was born to Konrad and Sophie on 1 April 1856 (2). 

♦ Johanna was born on 28 November 1857 (3).

1859 - Konrad obtained 640 acres of land, which had been granted to his father (Fisher-Miller grant).

♦ Son Heinrich August was born in Hilda, Mason, TX on 5 August 1859 (4). 

♦ Son Carl Friedrich was born on 28 December 1860 in Hilda (5).

♦ Son John Friedrich was born on 16 August 1862 in Hilda (6).

Due to the common demand soon, the Methodist Mission was founded at the Llano River. Heinrich Konrad Puenneke was its minister for 45 years. Since there was no doctor there, besides spiritual service, Konrad helped local people with his homeopathy based healing treatment when it was needed. Visiting members of his congregation, minister Pluenneke always carried not only the Bible, but a bag with herbal medicine as well.

♦ Maria Elizabeth was born on 5 February 1865, Hilda, Mason, TX (7). Grievously, the girl did not live long. She passed a few days after her 1st birthday anniversary, on 17 February 1866.

A joyful day - ♦ Daniel was born on 26 May 1867 (8). The youngest child of Konrad and Sophie did not have a chance to grow up. Sorrow came again when the baby died on 7 December 1867.

In 1870, the family lived in the town of Mason, Mason County. Conrad Sr. was registered as a Methodist Preacher, his son Conrad Jr. did the farming (9) with the help of the family.

20 March 1872 - a family event and celebrations - the eldest daughter Sophie Emma was married to Theodor Wiedemann (10).

Two years later, on 11 June 1874, Heinrich Konrad Jr. married Miss Elise Brandenberger in Hilda, Mason, TX (11).

2 December 1878 - Death visited the family - Konrad Jr.'s wife Elise passed. The widower and their three little children were left behind. A year later Konrad Jr. remarried. Karoline Henrietta Wiesemann was his second wife.

Johanna married John Henry Brandenberger in 1880, before the Census. The groom's parents were Rudolph Gottlieb Brandenberger and Maria Katherine Bierschwale.

18 June 1880, the Census recorded Conrad (farmer and stock raiser) and Sophie, who lived with their children at Precinct #4, Mason, Texas. Dena (Dina), August, Charles, and John still lived at the parents' home (12).

A year later, Dina left the family home - she married Mr. Heinrich Friedrich Kothmann, the son of Heinrich Friedrich Kothmann Sr. and Sophie Anna Hartwig. 

4 May 1886 - the family in mourning - Sophie Christine Leifeste Pluenneke, the mother of the family, Konrad' s wife passed.

A few months later, on Christmas Day 1886, Karl Friedrich married Miss Emilie Lemberg (13). After her death (which came in 1914), his second wife was Annie Willenberg nee Raesener, widow of Edward Bruno Willenberg. Karl (Chas) and Annie married on 20 August 1917 (14).

 

Heinrich August married Miss Mina Pape on 28 February 1889 at the Bethel Methodist Church in Hilda, Mason County (15). His in-laws were Mr. Heinrich Friedrich Simon Pape and Ms. Johanna Georgine Sievers.

John Friedrich started his family in the next year. His spouse was Miss Emma Mathilda Heins. John became a minister. He was President of Blinn College in Brenham, TX from 1901 to 1909.

Minister Heinrich Konrad Pluenneke retired in 1895. He passed two years later, on 13 May 1897. Konrad Sr. was buried at Lower Creek Willow Cemetery, Mason County, TX.

 

Resources: 

• "Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976.
• "Homestead: German Family Makes Texas Home"
  
• Findagrave.com 

1. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3WQ-VJB : 20 February 2021), Conrad Pluenneke in entry for Henry Pluenneke, 14 Aug 1913; citing certificate number 18835, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,050,996.

2. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-43T2 : 14 February 2020), C. Pluenneke in entry for Dina Pluenneke, 1856.

3. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LG8-83MM : 14 February 2020), C. Pluenneke in entry for Johanna Pluenneke, 1857.

4. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-MN3Z : 14 February 2020), Conrand Pluenneke in entry for H. August Pluenneke, 1859.

5. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-DLZM : 14 February 2020), Conrad Pluenneke in entry for Carl Friedrich Pluenneke, 1860.

6. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-XN3Z : 14 February 2020), C. Pluenneke in entry for John Friedrich Pluenneke, 1862.

7. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-DC2M : 14 February 2020), Conrad Pluenneke in entry for Maria Elisabeth Pluenneke, 1865.

8. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-FLPZ : 14 February 2020), C. Pluenneke in entry for Daniel Pluenneke, 1867. 

9. "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXGQ-4BV : 2 January 2021), Dina Pluneke in entry for Conrad Pluneke, 1870.

10. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-48C : 22 January 2020), Sophie Pluenneke in entry for Theodor Wiedemann, 1872.

11. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-F6P : 22 January 2020), Elise Brandenberger in entry for H. Conrad Plunneke, 1874.

12. "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJM-LGW : 20 February 2021), Conrad Pluenneke, Precinct 4, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 104, sheet 502D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,319.

13. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-W2X : 22 January 2020), Carl Pluenneke, 1886.

 14. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-88QT : 23 February 2021), Chas Pluenneke and Annie Willenberg, 20 Aug 1917; citing Marriage, citing Llano, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 982,996. 

15. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-4ZT : 22 January 2020), August Pluenneke, 1889.