Ludwig Bernhard S Eckert & Family

Ludwig Bernhardt S Eckert was the youngest surviving son of Georg Bernhardt Eckert and Anna Margareta Holoch. Ludwig was born on 19 October 1834 in Hüffenhardt, Baden, Prussia and christened 4 days later (1, 2).

Georg Bernhard Eckert, the son of Johann Peter Eckert and Eva Christine nee Eckert and Anna Margaretha, the daughter of Georg Philipp Holoch and Catharina nee Eckert, got married on 20 June at 10 o'clock. The marriage took place in Hüffenhardt as well (3). 

The couple's other children were

• Catharina Margaretha, born on 17 November 1820 (4),
• Karl Friedrich, born on 5 October 1822 (5),
• Georg Philip, born on 10 November 1824 (6),
• Elisabetha, born on 8 May 1828 (7),
• Eva Christina, born on 12 September 1831 in Neckarbischofsheim, Sinsheim, Baden (8)/died on 21 August 1832 (9),
• Wilhelm Peter, born on 15 October 1838 (10)/died on 18 November 1838 (11).

Ludwig's mother Anna Margaretha died on ♦ 15 November 1838 (12) not long after giving birth to her youngest child. Little Ludwig Bernhardt was only 4 years old then.

Two years later, on ♡ 3 September 1844, 24-year-old Katharina Margaretha Eckert (Ludwig's sister) married Johann Georg Groß (Gross), the son of Johan Georg Groß and Maria Sibilla Welch (13). Katharina's husband was a shoemaker. The couple had six children. 

Ludwig completed his primary education in the Hüffenhardt school in April 1849. Later, he worked together with his brothers and studied at night till the year 1851. 

When Ludwig finished his studies, the mandatory service in the Prussian army reached him. During that time (1853), Ludwig's siblings Karl Friedrich, Georg Philipp, Bernhardt, and Elisabetha left the family home and emigrated to Texas. I mentioned them in the articles dedicated to Georg Philipp and Karl Friedrich. 

As soon as Ludwig finished the military service, he joined his siblings in Texas. The young man first traveled to Wittenberg, then sailed to New Orleans where he arrived on 27 March 1856. From there, Ludwig went to Meyersburg. He stayed for three years at the home of his brother Bernhardt who lived in the area, together with his wife and children.

Then, Ludwig decided to move to Mason County.
Sad news reached the Eckert siblings in Texas in 1860. Their sister ♦ Katharina (age 39) died on 20 February 1860.

About a year later, in Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, he married Miss Karoline Herber on 16 April 1861. The two were married in Vereins Kirche by pastor Dangers (14). 

Karoline was the daughter of Peter Herber and Maria Magdalena Bonn. Born on 17 March 1843 in Coblenz, Prussia,  she was about 9 years younger than Ludwig.
At first, the two made their home in the community of Beaver Creek, on the land that was owned by one of Ludwig's brothers.
Sometime after that, The young couple moved to Mason County and lived by the Llano River.

♦ First daughter Anna Margaretha was born to Ludwig and Karoline on 11 February 1862.
♦ ♦ 8 January 1864 - a stillborn baby girl was born.

1865 -  Ludwig Bernhard Eckert was granted American citizenship.

♦ 18 June 1866 - daughter Louise Elisabetha was born.
10 August 1867 - Ludwig was registered on the Texas voters list. He was a resident of Live Oak Creek Community (15).

♦ 26 October 1869 - daughter Bertha Karoline was born.

1870 census, 13 July, Live Oak Creek Settlement, Gillespie County. Value of real estate was $250, value of personal estate = $350 (16).

1872, Ludwig and his family relocated to Gillespie County (Honey Creek area).

♦ Lina Maria was born on 24 May 1872.

1874, saddening news came from Europe again. Ludwig's father, ♦ Georg Bernhardt, died on 11 March at the age of 81 (17). He had lived in the home of his son-in-law Johann Georg Gross.

♦ 20 April 1877 - baby girl Lina was born. Tragically, she died ♦ 8 days later.

Census 1880 - 3 June - the family was recorded at the Commissioner's Precinct #3 of Gillespie County. Ludwig age 47 was recorded as a farmer, he was also a rancher. 1-year-old Caroline Hartmann, given in the record as Ludwig's granddaughter (?), lived with Ludwig and Caroline Eckert. Their nearest neighbors were Jacob Herber (age 48), farmer and laborer Ludwig Meier (age 28), Adam Meurer and family, and John Kuntz Jr. and family (18).

♡ 2 October 1884 - Louise Elisabetha (age 18) was married to Mr. Ferdinand Baethge (b. 12 October 1855), age 29. They had 11 children. Louise's in-laws were Johann Heimlich Ludwig Baethge and Sophie Christine Conradine Pape.

♦ Ida Konradina, the youngest daughter, was born on 22 February 1885.

♡ 14 November 1886 - 24-year-old Anna Margaretha married 27-year-old Jacob Reinhardt (b. 9 August 1859). The two had four children. Jacob was the son of Jacob Reinhardt and Wilhelmine Real (19).

♡ 25 November 1891 - Lina Maria's wedding. She was then 19, and her spouse William A Kunz Jr. (b. 8 May 1865) was 26. 

William was the son of Peter Felix Kunz and Anna Maria Roeder. Lina and William had six children.

♦ 21 March 1897, Ludwig's wife Karoline died. She was 54. After her passing, Ludwig lived with his daughter Ida Welch and her family.

♡ 30 November 1893 - Bertha Karolina (age 24) married 31-year-old August Ochs (b. 31 January 1889), the son of Christian Ochs and Suzanne Marie Molz. Bertha and August had three children.

♦ 2 December 1904 - daughter Anna Margaretha Reinhardt nee Eckert died.

♡ 16 October 1906 - Ida Karolina (age 21) married 24-year-old Mr. Bertle B Welch (b. 26 February 1882). The couple had nine children.

♦ 25 November 1907 - another daughter Bertha Karoline Ochs nee Eckert died.

1910 census - Ludwig (age 75) was the head of the household situated by the Pedernales River, in which his daughter Ida lived with her husband, and 2 children (20).

1920 census - 85-year-old lived on the farm (which he owned) in Justice Precinct #2, Gillespie County. The family of Ida and Bertle Welch + 6 children lived in the same house (21).

Ludwig B S Eckert died of kidney failure on ♦ 27 December 1920. He had suffered from chronic nephritis (22).

Clipping source: Dietel, William. Fredericksburg Standard (Fredericksburg, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 11, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 4, 1920, newspaper, December 4, 1920; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1418370/: accessed July 24, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;.

Ludwig's grave at the old City Cemetery, Fredericksburg, TX. Photo taken on 30 Jan. 2022.

Source:

"The Eckert's Golden Opportunity" by Julius E DeVos, Mason, Texas, 1977.

1. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRRL-D4KJ : 26 October 2021), Entry for Ludwig Eckert, 19 Oct 1834; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Hüffenhardt, Mosbach, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
2. "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:MLLZ-1QB : 24 October 2021), Entry for Ludwig Eckert, 1834.
3. "Deutschland Heiraten, 1558-1929", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:9SW1-NMT : 26 October 2021), Entry for Georg Bernhardt Eckert, 1820.
4. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPDT-WF1T : 27 October 2021), Georg Bernhardt Eckert in entry for Catharina Margaretha Eckert, 19 Nov 1820; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Hüffenhardt, Mosbach, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
5. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPDT-6B51 : 27 October 2021), Georg Bernhardt Eckert in entry for Karl Friedrich Eckert, 6 Oct 1822; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Hüffenhardt, Mosbach, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
6. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRRD-51KN : 27 October 2021), Entry for Georg Philipp Eckert, 12 Nov 1824; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Hüffenhardt, Mosbach, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
"Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NC4J-NVN : 26 October 2021), Georg Bernhardt Eckert in entry for Elisabetha Eckert, 1829.
7. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRRV-369V : 27 October 2021), Entry for Eva Christina Eckert, 16 Sep 1831; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Neckarbischofsheim, Sinsheim, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
8. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRRV-369V : 27 October 2021), Entry for Eva Christina Eckert, 16 Sep 1831; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Neckarbischofsheim, Sinsheim, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
9. "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:M1F5-5TW : 24 October 2021), Entry for Eva Christina Eckert, 1831.
10. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRRJ-D5H9 : 27 October 2021), Entry for Wilhelm Peter Eckert, 25 Oct 1838; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Neckarbischofsheim, Sinsheim, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
11. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRRV-7CTZ : 27 October 2021), Entry for Wilhelm Peter Eckert, 21 Nov 1838; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Burial, Neckarbischofsheim, Sinsheim, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
12. "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:9M9H-V7K7 : 27 October 2021), Entry for Anna Margareta Holoch, 1797.
13. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP6H-LXCH : 27 October 2021), Georg Bernhard Eckert in entry for Johann Georg Groß, 3 Sep 1844; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Marriage, Neckarbischofsheim, Sinsheim, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
14. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:M6PB-2M1 : 22 January 2020), Entry for Ludwig Eckert, 1861.
15. "Texas, Voter Records, 1867-1918", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:WQ3V-WZN2 : 15 December 2020), Entry for Ludwig Eckert, 1867.
16. "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:MHPN-FX9 : 29 May 2021), Household of Ludwig Eckert, 1870.
17. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:QRR6-R1LJ : 27 October 2021), Entry for Georg Bernhard Eckert, 13 Mar 1874; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Burial, Siegelsbach, Sinsheim, Baden, Deutschland, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.
18. "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:MCSB-8BF : 15 January 2022), Household of Ludwig Eckert, Justice Precinct 2, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,305.
19. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:9M6R-21HZ : 20 February 2021), Entry for Jacob Reinhardt, 16 Mar 1943; citing certificate number 12285, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,137,251.
20. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:9ZZZ-QJQ : accessed 19 July 2022), Household of Ludwig Eckert, Pedernales, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 148, sheet 1B, family 12, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1554; FHL microfilm 1,375,567.
21. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:M827-9TN : 3 February 2021), Household of Ludwig Eckert, 1920.
22. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:9M61-YMQS : 20 February 2021), Entry for Ludwig B S Eckert, 29 Nov 1920; citing certificate number 34858, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,073,875.

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Photos included in the article were taken on 29 July 2020.