The research related to creating this post took me quite a lot of time.
As usual, I first tried to find as many sources of information on the family members as possible. Then, I analyzed and compared the data to discard discrepancies and possible errors. It was again followed by more research to complete the missing pieces of information and possibly find new threads. The fact that quite a few family members (both men and women) used the same given names, did not help at all. Quite contrary. All in all, here are the results of my work.
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Heinrich Strackbein was born on 9 September 1807 in Frohnhausen, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia. He was the son of Georg Andreas Strackbein (b. 2 November 1776, Frohnhausen/d. 28 November 1851, Frohnhausen), a miner and Marie Elisabethe Kunz (b. 18 July 1771, Frohnhausen/d. 26 September 1836, Frohnhausen).
Heinrich worked as a weaver in Frohnhausen and was also a citizen of Steinbrücken.
⚭ On 28 November 1830, he married Elisabeth Anna Eckhardt (born on 25 December 1809 in Steinbrücken), She was the daughter of Johann Philipp Eckhardt (b. 1 May 1783, Strassersbach/d. 3 February 1828, Steinbrücken) and A. Katharina Bräuer (b. 6 February 1778, Steinbrücken/d. 18 February 1833, Steinbrücken). The marriage ceremony took place in Steinbrücken.
Clipping source: Frohnhausen - religious marriage records 1817-1874
Children born to the couple in Steinbrücken:
♦ 27 November 1831 - daughter Elisabeth Katharine,
♦ 4 March 1834 - daughter Katharine Margarethe came to this world.
♦ Son Friedrich was born on 16 April 1836/ ♦ died 10 May 1836
♦ Christian was born on 7 May 1838/ ♦ died 13 June 1838.
♦ 22 November 1839 - Heinrich Johannes was born,
♦ 16 December 1842 - the oldest child/son, Christian Johann Heinrich, arrived.
🚢 On 15 August 1845, the family boarded brig Semiramus (Arminius) and sailed to Galveston where they arrived on 25 October of the same year (1). Heinrich had obtained a Fisher-Miller grant
The family traveled with other persons of their area, including Elisabeth's brother, Heinrich Anton Eckhardt, born in 1821 in Steinbrücken, and the Wickel, von Reede, Scholl, and Kraft families.
Jakob Aurand (b. on 19 December 1801 in Ebersbach), farmer and innkeeper in Steinbrücken, traveled with his wife Elizabeth Anna and their 6 children (all born in Steinbrücken):
♦ Jakob - born 10 June 1827,
♦ Friedrich - born on 14 January 1830,
♦ Wilhelm Friedrich - 14 February 1835,
♦ Christine - b. on 22 March 1838,
♦ Wilhelmine - b. on 3 February 1841,
and ♦ Karl - born on 5 August 1844.
Their son, Daniel - born 4 July 1832/died on ♦ 10 September 1834 in Steinbrücken.
Jakob Aurand Sr. died on ♦ 10 June 1846* in New Braunfels (2) and was buried there (grave without a marker.) He was the son of Johann Danie Aurand (b. 1756/d. 1813), church elder of Ebersbach and Anna Christine Blecher (b. 1760/d. 1885) of Mandeln/lived in Ebersbach.
Before 1847, Heinrich's wife, Elisabeth Anna passed, too. Some time after that, the man remarried. His second wife was Elisabeth Aurand nee Wickel of Ebersbach, widow of Jakob Aurand. She was the daughter of Jakob Wickel the younger (b. 1777/d. 1813) and Anna Christine Nassauer (b. 1878/d. 1823). Elizabeth Anna was born on 18 July 1804*, in Steinbrücken.
1847 - Heinrich received town lot #147 in Fredericksburg, TX. Jakob Aurand owned lot #492 (3).
👉 Heinrich Strackbein (age 43), his second wife Elisabeth (age 45), and children were recorded in Fredericksburg during the 1850 census. The children were: Elisabeth (age 18), Christiana (Aurand? age 15), Henry (age 10), Christian (age 8), and Minna Aurand (age 8). The family name is given as Strackbein (4). I am not sure what happened to Karl Aurand. At first, I thought he might have died on their way to Texas, but another source** gives that Karl lived until 1934.
⚭ Elisabeth Katharine was married on 18 August 1851, to Johann Georg Steubing, Comal County, TX (5)
⚭ 15 December 1851, Gillespie, TX - Katharine Margarethe married Johann Durst (6) of Dettenhausen (born on 13 January 1829). Johan was the son of Johannes Durst and Christine Margaretha Binder.
👉 1855 - Heinrich paid taxes for 53 acres of land and 53 acres granted to J. Aurand (7)
18 November 1859 - Christine Aurand married Theodor Schlaudt from Westerburg (8), the son of Georg Schlaudt. Theodor was born on 6 March 1835.
⚭ 18 November 1859, in Gillespie, TX, Christine Aurand married Theodor Schlaudt (9). He was the son of Georg Schlaudt and was born on 6 March 1835.
👉 1860 - Henry Strackbein (age 52), Elizabeth (age 56), Henry (age 20), Christian (age 17), Fritz Aurand (age 30), a wagoner, and Minna Aurand (age 17) were registered in Precinct #2, Fredericksburg during the census (9).
The Civil War came - Christian Johann Heinrich and his brother Heinrich Johannes Strackbein served in the CA (10):
- Company E, 1st Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Yager's) (1st Mounted Rifles),
- Company C, 8th Battalion, Texas Cavalry (Taylor's Battalion, Mounted Rifles).
⚭ 4 December 1865 - Wilhelmine Aurand married Wilhelm Wiedmann (11), the son of Christina Lauterwarser Wiedmann.
⚭ 2 April 1866 - Johann Heinrich Strackbein married Katherine Elisabeth Crenwelge (born on 26 March 1844), the daughter of Johann Peter Crenwelge and Katharine Henriette Siegmund (12).
♦ 29 Ferbuary 1868 - Heinrich Strackbein Sr., the father of the family, died.
👉 1870 Census - Elizabeth Strackbein, the widow of Henry, lived with her daughter Minna and her husband Wilhelm (13).
⚭ 16 December 1870 - Christian Strackbein married Katharine Eckert (14), the daughter of Karl Friedrich Eckert and Eva Katharine Guthörle.
♦ 2 December 1878 - Anna Elizabeth Wickel Aurand - Strackbein passed away. Interestingly, her gravemarker does not include the name Strackbein (?).
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⚭ 24 December 1890 F. Aurand married Mrs. M J Haskeill (16).
** geneanet.org
Sources:
"From Dillenburg to Texas. Emigration in the District of Dillenburg from 1845 to 1846" Ursula Hatzfeld, translated by Henry Salzhandler, El Gritodel Lobo Press, 2015.
2. Deaths in New Braunfeld 1845-46
3. Fredericksburg, TX town lots - 18474. "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXLK-LNG : Sun Mar 10 18:10:29 UTC 2024), Entry for Henry Strachbine and Elizabeth Strachbine, 1850.
5. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL43-PV3 : Fri Mar 08 16:49:37 UTC 2024), Entry for Mr. Johann G Henbing and Miss Cath Elizabeth Strackbei, 18 Aug 1851.
6. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FX3B-BMJ : 22 January 2020), Katharine Strackbein in entry for John Durst, 1851.
7. "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ85-RNKV : Sun Mar 10 19:56:18 UTC 2024), Entry for Henry Strackbein, 1855.
8. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-VC1 : Fri Mar 08 05:57:33 UTC 2024), Entry for Theodor Schlaudt and Christine Aurand, 18 Nov 1859.
9. "United States Census, 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFX-BTM : Fri Mar 08 16:48:57 UTC 2024), Entry for Henry Strackbein and Elizabeth Strackbein, 1860.
10. Soldiers database
11. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-L8L : Sun Mar 10 22:30:14 UTC 2024), Entry for Wilhelm Wiedmann and Wilhelmine Aurant, 04 Dec 1865.
12. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VK1T-Q8T : 22 January 2020), Johann Heinrich Strackbein, 1866.
13. "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXL5-NLN : Tue Mar 05 12:44:08 UTC 2024), Entry for Wm Wiedmann and Wilhelmina Wiedmann, 1870.
14. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-VKZ : Sun Mar 10 21:06:32 UTC 2024), Entry for Christian Strackbein and Katharine Eckert, 16 Dec 1870.
15. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MK-H8L : 22 January 2020), Eliza Jane Montgomery in entry for Frederick Arrand, 1862.
16 "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-G6TQ : Sun Mar 10 10:28:02 UTC 2024), Entry for Mr F Aurand and M J Haskeill, 24 Dec 1890.
17. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6BW-L22 : Thu Mar 21 00:34:08 UTC 2024), Entry for F. R. Aurand and M. J. Williams, 04 Aug 1897.