Karl Friedrich Eckert & Family

Karl Friedrich was the oldest son of Georg Bernhardt Eckert and Margarethe Eckert's. 

Georg was born on 26 January 1793 in Prussia to Johann Peter (stock farmer) and Eva Christina Eckert. The man served in the Prussian army and fought for his country during one of the military conflicts which rolled over Europe then.

After the service, on 20 June 1820, 27-year-old Georg Bernhardt married 4-year-old younger Anna Margarethe Holoch (born 17 December 1797). They settled in Hüffenhardt, county Mosbach, Baden province, not far from the Neckar River. It was a region where grapevine (mainly) were cultivated and all its inhabitants were farmers.

Georg and Anna had 8 children:

• Katharina Margaretha - born 16 November 1820,
• Karl Friedrich - born 5 October 1822,
• Georg Philipp - born 10 November 1824,
• Bernhardt - born 18 December 1826,
• Elisabetha - born 8 March 1829,
• Eva Christina - born 12 September 1831,
• Ludwig - born 19 October 1834,
• Wilhelm Peter - born 15 October 1838.

Young Karl did his mandatory service in the Prussian army.

♦ 21 August 1832 - death came to the family - baby Eva Christina left this world.

Karl's mother ♦ Anna Margaretha Holoch Eckert died on 15 November 1838.

Tragically, three days later, on ♦ 18 November, Karl's youngest brother Wilhelm Peter passed as well. Maybe the two - mother and baby contracted the same disease?

The oldest sister of Karl's, ♡ Katharina Margaretha got married on 3 September 1844. Her spouse was Johan Georg Grosz, a shoemaker (born 7 November 1816, Schwanheim, Baden).

After Katharina's marriage, Georg Bernhardt Eckert (the father of the family) lived with the daughter and her husband Johan Georg.

♡ The marriage ceremony of Karl Friedrich and his bride Eva Christina Guethoerle took place on 2 October 1846. Karl was 24 and Eva was 22. She was born on 10 March 1824 at Obergim, Baden.

Karl was a farmer, he grew vine and ran a winery. Four children were born to the young couple in
Hüffenhardt:

♦ Elizabeth - appeared on 7 February 1846,

♦ Katharine - born on 13 October 1847,

♦ Karl Earnest - arrived on 11 January 1849,

♦ Louis Georg - born 29 October 1850.

In 1846, Yonkers (Jonkers) Eckert, one of Karl's cousins and his father's nephew, emigrated with his immediate family to Texas. Those Eckerts were part of the group of  the very first settlers who reached the Fredericksburg area on 8 May 1846. Messages from Yonkers encouraged Karl and his siblings to relocate to Texas as well. Katharina, her spouse, and Georg Bernhardt, the father of the family, stayed in Prussia. The latter one did not want to leave the country he had fought for during the war.

Anyway, Karl (age 31), his wife (29) and children, Elisabetha (24), Bernhardt (27), his fiancee Christina Dirolf, and Georg Philipp (29). Since only 4 people from one family were allowed to get passports, Bernhardt and Georg claimed two of Karl's children as their own (Bernhardt one and Georg one).

The family reached Indianola in March 1853. They were met by cousin Yonkers Eckert who lived in Fredericksburg. The Eckerts traveled by wagon to Victoria where the party separated due to Bernhardt's sickness. Bernhardt, his fiancee, and Georg stayed there, the rest moved on to Fredericksburg. At the beginning, the Karl Eckerts lived at their cousin Yonker's. Since they were of Lutheran faith, the family became members of the Zion Lutheran Church.

♡ 1 May 1853, Elisabetha Eckert was married to Johann Georg Ischar.

♡ 3 May 1853, Georg Philipp married Margareda Karolina Vogler at Victoria, Texas. Margareda was born on 18 August 1828, and she had also emigrated from Prussia. Later, Georg Philipp and his newly-married wife joined the family in Fredericksburg. 

After about two years, Karl Friedrich and his people relocated and settled in Hilda community, Mason County. Karl built log and rock fences around his land on Beaver Creek started farming and raising cattle.

♦ Son Heinrich was born to Karl and Christine on 6 December 1856 (1).

In 1860, Karl received a message from Prussia about his ♦ sister's death. Katherina died at the age of 40, on 20 February of the same year. 

♦ Emma was born on 5 April 1861. 

 

A merry event in the family - ♡ daughter Elisabeth married Johan Martin Dittmar on 11 December 1864. The two settled at Cherry Spring.

♦ Twins Johann and Bernhardt arrived on 25 February 1865. Little Bernhardt died in 1866.

Besides cattle and livestock, Karl had many horses. It happened though, that all of them were stolen by Indians who raided the neighborhood.

4 June 1870, Karl (Charles now) and family were recorded at Hedwig's Hill, Mason County during the census. They were as listed: Charles (47), Christine (45), Charles (21), Ludwig (19), Henry (13), Emma (9), John (5). The family real estate was worth $80, and the estimated value of the family personal property was $1500. Their immediate neighbors were Elisabeth (Eckert) and Johann Ischar, the August Brockmanns, then, the John Andereggs, and the Bickenbachs (2). 

The children helped Karl and Eva with the farm and housework. Karl F Eckert often employed workers who did various jobs at the family estate. One of the men was stonemason Christian Strackbein. Young Christian and Katherine, the second child of Karl and Eva Christina's, fell for each other. On ♡ 16 December 1870, the two got married (3) and made their home in Fredericksburg.

In 1871, when his niece Katharina and nephew Ludwig (children of the late sister Katharina Grosz's, nee Eckert) decided to come to Texas. The two uncles - Karl and Georg Philipp - sent them the money for the passage, then. When the two young relations arrived in Mason County, they worked hard to repay the debt to their uncles.

In November of the same year, Karl met a Lutheran minister in Fredericksburg. It was Rev. E. Huber who had arrived from Germany. Mr. Eckert brought the minister to Mason County and as a result of that, the first Lutheran services were held there. At first, they took place at Karl F Eckert's home. The man was one of the thirteen charter members who on 15 February 1872, signed the constitution founding the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mason.

♡ Karl Earnest, the third child of Karl's born in Prussia, was united in marriage with Miss Mina Schupp on 15 July 1872. The young couple started their life together in Fredericksburg.

♡ 1873 - Karl and Georg Philipp's niece Katharina was married to Karl Hofmann (carpenter, cabinetmaker, and undertaker) on 20 April.

A year later, saddening news came from the old country. ♦ Georg Bernhardt Eckert, Karl's father, passed on 11 March.

♡ 10 April 1878, Ludwig (Karl's late sister Katharine's son) married Christina Maria Ischar. The newlyweds were first cousins.

June 1880, another census was done. Louis (28), Henry 23, Emma (19), and John (15) lived with the parents Charles (58) and Christine (56) at their home in Precinct #4, Mason County. The neighborhood had changed. The Eckerts closest neighbors were the John Dearings and the Adolph Boons. Then there were Georg Philipp Eckert and his family, the Henry Pluennekes, the Christian Loefflers, Henry Geistweidt, Louis Mund, and the JC Andereggs (4).

Two years later, on 9 February, the fourth child of Karl and Eva's, ♡ Louis Georg married Carolina Herbort (5). The young couple made their home in the Hilda Community. 

 

14 February 1883, ♡ Heinrich (Henry), Karl's fifth child, was united in wedlock with Martha Carolina Christina Klaerner (6). 

The marriage ceremony took place at Karl Eckert's home. Henry and Martha's wedding present given to them by Karl and Eva was a piece of land on which later, Henry built a house.

On 18 September in the same year, there was another marriage in the family. ♡ Emma married Adolph Gustav Loeffler.

♡ Johann (John), Karl's seventh child, who was named after his grandfather Johann Guethoerle got married on 10 February 1893. His bride was Sarah Elizabeth Anderegg. For the three first years of their marriage, the newlyweds lived in the Hilda community. Later, they moved with their children to the Ranch Branch community, where they settled for good.

♦ Karl Friedrich Eckert passed on 2 February 1913. His wife Eva Christina lived about 4 years longer, she died on 25 June 1917. The couple was buried at the family cemetery.

Resources:

"Eckert Record. Story of Georg Bernhardt Eckert and his Descendants 1793-1957" by Mrs. Estella Hartmann Orrison, San Angelo, Texas, 1957.

1. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LGH-873Z : 14 February 2020), Heinrich Eckert, 1856.

2. "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXGQ-S5G : 2 January 2021), Ema Eckert in entry for Chale Eckert, 1870.

3. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-VK8 : 10 March 2021), Christian Strackbein and Katharine Eckert, 16 Dec 1870; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.

4. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-9J3S : 22 December 2016), Louis Eckert and Caroline Herbert, 09 Feb 1882; citing , Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,802.

 5. "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJ9-MTT : 20 February 2021), Emma Eckert in household of Charles F Eckert, Precinct 4, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 104, sheet 499D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,319. 

6. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-9JQD : 10 March 2021), Heinrich Eckert and Martha Klaerner, 14 Feb 1883; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,802.