Friedrich Albert Bracher was born on 8 October 1877 in Lagenthal, Bern, Switzerland, to Albert Bracher and Rosette Meister.
🛳 In 1883, 6-year-old Friedrich came to America with his parents and 2 younger siblings: Maximilian Gotthard (born in 1880) and Gustav Adolf (born in 1882).
More children were born to Albert's parents in Brenham, TX
- Ida Bertha (born on 8 June 1877 ),
- William Paul (on 8 December 1888),
- Carl Benjamin Quintus (on 28 August 1895).
✟ He was ordained on 15 July 1900 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Brenham, Texas. In the following year, Rev. F A Brochard participated in the First German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Texas.
30 December 1902 - the man married Miss Olga Johanna Manske (born on 1 October 1880 in Pommern, Prussia). The ceremony took place in Washington, TX (1). Olga was the daughter of Louis Manske and Antonia Kypke.
♦ Mrs. Olga Bracher passed on 19 August 1911 (3).
Four years later, Rev. A F Bracher remarried on 5 May 1915 (4). His second wife was Emma Hardt born on 2 December 1876 in Meyersville, DeWitt, TX. Emma was the daughter of Valentine William Hardt and Anna Rumah Brandt.
Clipping source: Brenham Daily Banner-Press (Brenham, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 6, 1915, newspaper, May 6, 1915; Brenham, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth489649/: accessed January 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.
👉 1916 - Pastor Bracher participated in the Lutheran Synod which took place in Brenham, TX.
Two children were born to the minister and his wife Emma in Fredericksburg:
- Esther Elizabeth (on 24 May 1916) and
- Friedrich Luther (on 28 December 1917).
⛪ Rev. F A Bracher started his service at Zion Lutheran Church in May 1917. It was the year of the Quadricentennial Reformation anniversary.
Other monumental stone miles of his pastoral time in the church were:
⭢ 1927 - Diamond Jubilee of Zion. For this occasion, Pastor Bracher wrote the history of Zion Lutheran Church (from 1852 to 1927) and printed the form of a booklet. The man was also the author of the history of Lutheranism in Texas.
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⭢ 1929 - 400th anniversary of Luther's Small Catechism,
⭢ 1930 - 400th anniversary of the reading of Augsburg Confession.
⭢ 1934 - 400 years of Luther's translation of the Bible,
⭢ 1936 - organizing a Lutheran display for the Texas centennial - Dallas,
⭢ 1939 - Zion participated in the liquidation of the American Lutheran Church debt,
⭢ 1942 - Zion's 90th anniversary, 200th Anniversary of Henry M Muhlenberg's arrival in America (he is regarded as the Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America).
Other accomplishments and improvements that took place at Zion during Rev. Bracher's pastoral ministry were:
⭢ English was introduced into the services, Sunday School classes, and confirmation instructions
Zion's constitution was revised and translated into English,
⭢ 1922 - purchase of the pipe organ by subscriptions and donations (cost $3000+),
⭢ 1923 - a new parsonage was built,
⭢ 1930 - a new bell (dedicated to the memory of Mr. and Mrs. Kuennemann) was installed,
⭢ 1939 - the church building was renovated and rededicated; curbing and sidewalks were made; the school house was renovated,
⭢ 1949 - the Lutheran Standard/ "Kirchenblatt" (parish magazine) was delivered to Zion parishioners' homes,
⭢ 1950 - the Finance Council was created/the use of the Lord's Treasury box was introduced.
👉 May 1951 - Pastor F A Bracher retired.
During his service in Zion, the minister officiated 577 baptisms, 495 confirmations, 244 weddings, and 269 funeral ceremonies. Besides his regular pastoral work, the man was also a treasurer for the Texas District (1918 - 1948) and served on the Board of Regents of Texas Lutheran College.
Rev. Friedrich Albert Bracher died in the Fredericksburg Hospital and Clinic (206 E Center St.) on ♦ 8 May 1970 (6). He was buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Fredericksburg.
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This post is part of our series
Sources:
"150 Years of God's Grace 1852-2002", Zion Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, TX.
1. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1C-S5RH : Mon Oct 23 14:27:25 UTC 2023), Entry for Frederick A Bracher and Olga Manske, 30 Dec 1902.
2. "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M23G-LF9: Tue Oct 03 15:44:37 UTC 2023), Entry for Fredrich A Bracher and Olga J Bracher, 1910.
3. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKN-381M : 20 May 2020), Olga Johanna Manske Bracher, 1911; Burial, citing record ID, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
4. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZY-VB1X : 22 July 2021), Fred A Bracher Or Brocher and Emma Hardt, 05 May 1915; citing Marriage, citing DeWitt, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 5,860,369.
5 https://swtsynod.pastperfectonline.com/byperson?keyword=Bracher%2C%20Frederick%20Albert
6. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3DL-25Q : Tue Nov 28 01:35:17 UTC 2023), Entry for Frederick Albert Bracher and Albert Bracher, 8 May 1970.
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