Alfred Konrad Kordzik

Some time ago, I wrote a post about the Kordzik family - Henry, Augusta, and their children, including Alfred. Today, more about him. 

Alfred Konrad Kordzik was born on 30 November 1887, in Fredericksburg, TX (1), to Henry Kordzik (age 50) and Augusta Mayer (age 37). The boy was their youngest son.
By 1900, little Alfred, his parents, and his siblings had lived in justice Precinct #1, Gillespie, TX (2).
Alfred Konrad was confirmed on 23 March 1902 at the Holy Ghost Lutheran Church by Pastor Gustav Hone.

About twenty years later, during the 1910 census, the family was recorded in the Cave Creek area, Gillespie, TX (3). Only Alfred and his younger sister Meta lived in the home of their parents then. Their elder siblings had already left the family home. 

22-year-old Alfred started his own family in the very same year, on 7 June. He married a few months younger Miss Cora Auguste Moellering (4). She was born on 23 February 1888 to Heinrich and Louise Moellering. 

Cora and Alfred lived in Justice Precinct #1, Gillespie, TX. Alfred was a farmer like his father (5).
WW1 time - Alfred was registered by the Army (6). The man was exempted from the service as he was the only supporter of his wife Cora.

31 May 1928 - Alfred's father passed. Two years later, on 24 June, his mother Auguste died.
Census 4 April 1950, Alfred (age 62) ranched in Fredericksburg, and Cora helped him with the ranch work (7). 

Alfred's time came on 21 October 1968. He died in the Nix Memorial Hospital in San Antonio, where he had been treated for four weeks (8).

More about Alfred's parents and siblings: Kordzik Family.

Sources:
1. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS1D-TDC : 20 February 2021), Alfred Kordzik, 21 Oct 1968; citing certificate number 67999, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,137,150.
2. "United States Census, 1900", database with images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3GC-PMY : 14 January 2022), Alfred Kordzila in entry for Henry Kordzila, Sr., 1900.
3. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK1K-LM9 : accessed 26 November 2022), Alfred C Kordzik in household of Henry Kordzik Sr., Cave Creek, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 147, sheet 1A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1554; FHL microfilm 1,375,567.
4. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-9PKQ : 10 March 2021), Alfred Kordzik and Cora Auguste Moellering, 07 Jun 1910; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,803.
"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HY92-LN2 : accessed 28 November 2022), Alfred Kordzik, Precinct 1, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 14A, line 27, family 320, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2335; FHL microfilm 2,342,069.
6. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXZ-KKC : 29 December 2021), Alfred Conrad Kordzik, 1917-1918.
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8. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS1D-TDC : 20 February 2021), Alfred Kordzik, 21 Oct 1968; citing certificate number 67999, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,137,150.

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F for Fredericksburg

I am not going to write about the history and early beginnings of Fredericksburg here or what you can see in the town. I did that quite a few times in the posts written earlier. We do have our favorite spots in Fredericksburg and things we enjoy doing. Well, the town is changing and (in my opinion) gradually losing its original charm. More and more stores on Main Streets that have been there almost forever cease their existence, and more and more wine-tasting rooms and art galleries selling art pieces for N thousand dollars each come into being instead. The town is getting in the "all-about partying and drinking" direction more and more, becoming a weekend party gateway. Its traditional German spirit is, little by little, fading away.

Luckily, quite a lot of cultural events are still there. Most of them are run by the people of the older generations. Will the ones who are younger continue their work? Well, I am not sure. Enjoy till they last! I mean the events. Well, at least, we are going to.

Some things have already changed. For example, the lighting of the town's Christmas tree in December. It used to be a merry event with live music, hot chocolate, cookies, lots of cheer, and Christmas spirit. Not long ago, it all was replaced with a tape recording. You can listen to it daily at Christmastime. Now, it is as in any other city. You have heard the recording once, you do not need to listen to it again.

More and more people come to live in the town, bringing more and more traffic. My guess is that soon, Fredericksburg will become just like Gruene. It used to be a separate settlement, in the middle of nowhere. These days it is part of New Braunfels, with millions of cars around the place 24/7. 

Well, we do like Fredericksburg a lot. We just wish we had lived there 20+ years ago. 

During one of our visits to the town, some years ago

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More posts related to Fredericksburg, TX from the past:

• Fredericksburg - National Museum of The Pacific War 
• Fredericksburg - Side Streets & Roads 
• Fredericksburg, TX & Its Main Street

My Texas Alphabet is quite a particular and personal summary of our hitherto life and my blogging time in Texas.

L for Lonely Frigate

 

Since I used to live by the Baltic Sea, quite a few entries of "My Polish Alphabet" in one way or another  are related to the sea.

"Lonely Frigate" ("Samotna Fregata") is one of those traditional songs that were known and sung by many Poles despite the fact, that it was not played on the radio or TV. Well, at least not in my time. The tune, which is rather sad, was quite popular where I lived. Combined with the lyrics, it has sometimes made me teary a bit. 

For so many years, I had no clue who the authors of the song were. I guess it is never too late to learn something. While preparing this post, I found out that the lyrics had been written by Konrad Łapin, a Polish poet who lived by the sea. Henryk Hubertus Jabłoński, a Polish composer of Gdańsk, wrote the music of  "Lonely Frigate" (and many other songs well).

Here is the song.

My translation of the text:

In a faraway port, somewhere at the end of the world,
Where a dead wave hits the shore,
A lonely frigate, for long years,
Has been waiting for something at the mouth of two rivers.

The rivers fall into one sea,
But a current carries them in two directions,
The frigate waits, though she might want to
Pick up the anchor and sail away.

In a faraway port, somewhere at the end of the world,
Where a dead wave hits the shore,
A girl lives who, for long years,
Has been waiting for someone at the mouth of two rivers.

The rivers fall into one sea, but a current carries them in two directions.
The girls has been waiting,
Though she might want to leave everything and sail away.

But the anchors hold too tight,
Two rivers have been flowing in both directions for years,
On the water only, at the northern lights,
A snow-like flower floats away.

And this is how the fate of the girl
Intertwines somehow with the fate of the frigate
That has been standing for years.
At a faraway harbor, somewhere at the end of the world,
Where only the wind sings carelessly.

An instrumental version of the song is included below. I have no clue why the lady is kneeling in the water (a mermaid ?). The music is nice, though.