Fritz Brandenberger

The surname Brandenberger comes from the name Brandenburg which was later changed to Brandenberg. The Brandenberger family originates in the village of Adetswil, Bäretswil municipality, canton Zurich, Switzerland. If you want to know what Branderberger means, it is "fire on the mountain".

Friedrich Brandenberger was born on 29 November 1823 in Bern, Bern, Switzerland (1), to parents Hans Heinrich Brandenberger (born 5 May 1780) and his second wife Anna Katharina Gasser (christened on 16 January 1791). The baby boy was baptized on 11 January of the following year.

Bern, Switzerland

Little Fritz was the fifth child in the family. He had a half-sister Elisabetha (born on 30 November 1810), born to Hans Heinrich Brandenberger (a stable/dairyman) and his first wife Elisabeth Rieben. His other elder siblings, all born in the city of Bern, were:

brothers 

• Johannes - christened on 11 February 1813 (2), 
• Heinrich Johann - christened on 26 February 1816 (3),
  
• Jakob Kaspar Heinrich - born on 27 April 1818 (4), and sisters 
• Maria Elisabetha - born on 28 November 1819 (5), 
  
• Anna Maria - born on 20 September 1821 (6).

 

On 9 October 1925, brother Rudolph Gottlieb joined the family (7). Two years later, on 27 February, the youngest sister Maria Elisabeth came (8).

In March 1832, brother Johannes left for India (Java) with his military unit in the service of the Netherlands. 

When Friedrich was 11, on ♦ 17 November 1834, the boy's father died. Fritz learned the saddler's trade. 

Another death came to the Brandenberger family on 10 April 1839, when half-sister ♦ Elizabetha Brandenberger Mueller passed.

1846 - grieving news came from India. Brother ♦ Johannes died on 20 June in Kendong Kebo.  In the same year, on 29 August, the family celebrated Jakob Heinrich's wedding. The brother married Miss Maria Magdalena Schorri, daughter of Jakob Schorri. Their son Friedrich was born three months later, on 3 October.

When emigration opportunities opened to the citizens of Switzerland, brother 29-year-old Jakob Heinrich (Henry) left the homeland and together with his wife 23-year-old Maria Magdalena, and their baby boy Friedrich started the voyage to America on 10 July 1847. On 4 September, the three were registered on the Steamer New York passenger. they traveled from New York to Ohio (9). They got to some time in Evansville, Indiana, in October 1848. In the very same month, Gottlieb and Friedrich left home to join Henry and his folks in America. In the meantime, Henry, Magdalena, and Friderich settled in Center Township, Vanderburgh, Indiana (10).

In 1850, Fritz was recorded there during the census in Switzerland Township, Monroe, Ohio. The man lived at the house of Nicolas Welter and his wife Mary, both natives of Switzerland as well. Fitz was a laborer then (11) and probably did odd jobs to make the ends meet (11). Later, Fritz reached Evansville, where ♡ Fritz married Ursula Würthner on 15 April 1854. The two brothers decided to go to California (with a group of other men) to look for gold. Since they did not find the mother load, the young men switched to a different, more profitable job. They raised hogs and sold them to prospectors.

Fritz and Ursula's child was born child ♦ Eliese (Elise) was born on 25 February 1855. Sadly, ♦ Ursula died due to childbirth complications. Friedrich took the baby daughter and, together with his mother Katharina went to Texas, where Gottlieb had obtained some acres and gone before them.

At first, Fritz did any job he could find. In 1860, the census found him in Mason County. He was a stock raiser then. He lived with his daughter Elise. Fritz's mother Katharine lived nearby with Gottlieb, his wife Maria, and their three sons (12).

When the Civil War time came, Fritz served in the 2nd Frontier Brigade under Capt. Hermann Biberstein (from 1 March 1861 to 15 February 1862). During that time, on ♡ 17 October 1861, Friedrich married Miss Ernestine Apelt Lehmann, the widow of Charles Lehmann, in Hilda, Mason, Texas (13, 14). They made their home at a ranch on Beaver Creek, near Gottlieb's.

In 1864, Private Brandenberger joined the 2nd Brigade again (15).

 

Friedrich and Ernestine Brandenberger were members of the German South Methodist Church and the Llano River Valley Circuit. In 1862, Fritz worked on the construction of the Methodist Church building on Beaver Creek. Elise was confirmed there on 12 November 1868 and did her school education in the same place.

Two years later, on 2 June, the Fritz Brandenberger family was recorded during the census by Mr. Francis Kettner, assistant Marshal. They lived in Mason County, Hedwig's Hill area. Fritz worked in farming (16), hired by other people until 13 December 1875, when he purchased 34,5 acres from Mr. F. Lemberg. 

A few months earlier, on 11 June 1874, ♡ Elise was married to Heinrich Konrad Pluenneke (17), son of Rev. H Konrad Pluenneke and his wife Sophie Leifeste.

In May 1875, Fritz bought more land (640 acres from H Kensing). Two months after that, on 24 July, Elise gave birth two her first son Alfred. The joy caused by the new arrival in the family did not last long. Baby ♦ Alfred died six days later.

Two years later, mourning came again, ♦ baby girl Alma, born to Elize and Heinrich on 17 November 1877, lived only one day.

At the end of September 1878, Fritz expanded his farm. On the 30th day of that month, he purchased 3655 acres from Mr. W Geistweidt. All in all, Friedrich owned 4310 acres of land in the Mason County area.

2 December of the same year - grief struck the Fritz Brandenberger family. Daughter Elise died while giving birth to baby girl Augusta Amalia Elisabeth. Elise was buried at the Lower Creek Cemetery. Her sister-in-law Johanna looked after the newborn baby Ellie.

In 1892, when the Methodist Episcopal Church was built in Mason, Fritz and his wife donated the bell to the church.

♦ Friedrich Brandenberger died on 5 September 1897. His wife ♦ Ernestine passed on 6 June 1896, both spouses were buried at Hilda Cemetery.

Resources:

Photo of Bern: H.Helmlechner, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

• "Brandenberger - A Family History" by Evelyn Duke Brandenberger and Frances Brandenberger Cole, 1975,
• "Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976, 
• West Kerr Current, 20 September 2020.
  

1. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDF-D2K : 9 February 2020), Friedrich Brandenberger, 1823.

2. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDB-P89 : 9 February 2020), Johannes Brandenberger, 1813.

3. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVD1-94F : 9 February 2020), Heinrich Johann Brandenberger, 1816.

4. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDX-TXS : 9 February 2020), Jakob Kaspar Heinrich Brandenberger, 1818.

5. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDF-7JD : 9 February 2020), Anna Maria Brandenberger, 1821.

6. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDF-7JD : 9 February 2020), Anna Maria Brandenberger, 1821.

7. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDF-JYF : 9 February 2020), Rudolf Gottlieb Brandenberger, 1825.

8. "Schweiz Taufen, 1491-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FVDF-LYD : 9 February 2020), Maria Elisabeth Brandenberger, 1827.

9. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27GP-C5R : 20 February 2021), Friedrich Brandenburger, 1847; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 2,315.

10. "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHVC-ZLX : 19 December 2020), Frederick Brandenberg in household of Henry Brandenberg, Center Township, Vanderburgh, Indiana, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

11. "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX3Q-5SJ : 21 December 2020), Frederick Brandenberg in household of Nicholas Welter, Switzerland Township, Monroe, Ohio, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). 

12. "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFV-SJL : 18 February 2021), Fredrick Brandenber, 1860.

13. Llano County, German Episcopal Methodist Church

14. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-W2G : 22 January 2020), Fritz Brandenberger, 1861.

15. "Texas, Confederate Army and Commanding Officer Card Index, ca.1861-ca.1865", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Z44R-6LN2 : 18 June 2020), Pvt Fritz Brandenberger, 1864.

16. "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXGQ-SPB : 29 May 2021), Fritz Brandenberg, 1870.

17. "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.