Daniel was born on 8 December 1860 in Mason County (1), to the family of Johann Ernst Christian Franz Jordan /Yordan/ and Lisette Bickenbach.
The boy attended the community school where lessons were taught in German.
On 28 November 1883, Daniel married Miss Emilie Willmann (born 21 September 1863). The ceremony took place at the ranch of Emilie's parents, Anton H Willman and Christina Nies. The Willmann family settled on Comanche Creek in 1883. However, the Ernst Jordans and the Anton Willmanns were no strangers as 5 years earlier, August Willmann, son of Anton's, married Daniel Jordan's sister, Sophie.
At first, Daniel and Emilie lived at Ernst Jordan's house.
Daniel was a strong man and hard-working man who always kept his head straight. Besides building barns and sheds for the ranch and farm needs and taking care of the livestock, the man butchered meat and cured it, build fences, hauled items needed at home, and did many more things, being busy from sunrise to sundown. He liked singing to himself while he was working. One of Daniel's favorite songs was a piece written by Karl Friedrich Gottlob Wetzel, a German writer. The song, "Wie lieblich ist´s hienieden", Daniel sang most often.
Emilie was a short, vigorous and kind lady. She was also a dilligent woman, taking care of her family, doing not only all the usual home chores, which among others included cooking, baking, making preserves, cheese and sausage, but also sewing, feeding chicken and hogs, milking cows, taking care of the garden and orchard, and more. In her childhood, Emily completed 3 years of the elementary school (2) in Danville. She liked music and singing as well. According to the book* written by her son Gilbert, Emilie's favorite song "Jesus Heiland, meiner Seele" was the one included below (text by Charles Wesley/translated by Friedrich Schwarz).
♦ The first child and daughter, Ida Wilhelmina was born to Dan and Emilie on 21 August 1884 (3).
In 1885, Daniel built a house for his family on the land (320 acres) given to him by his father Ernst. The house had 2 rooms and a kind of attic.
♦ Daughter Annie Hulda was born on 2 August 1886 (4).
♦ Third daughter Dina H arrived on 1 February 1888 (5).
♦ Hulda was born on 14 December 1890 (6).
In the same year, Daniel donated 10 acres of his land on which a new church building was constructed.
Within the years 1891/1912, the house was expanded, and some more rooms were added to the main structure. Finally, the Jordans' house had nine rooms, a bath, a cellar, two attics, and two porches. An old type well was situated not far from the house.
♦ On 28 October 1892, finally a son was born to Emilie and Daniel. They named him Daniel Anton (7).
♦ Daughter Olga Rose was born on 3 November 1894 (8).
♦ The second son, Frank Emil Jordan came to this world on 19 November 1896 (9).
3 June 1900, a census clerk, Mr. Louis J Kettner visited the home of
Daniel and Emilie's. They were recorded in Justice Precinct #5, Mason
County. At that time, Emilie's uncle Daniel Willmann lived with the
Jordans, he was a farm laborer. (10).
♦ Milton Carl was born on 12 November 1900 (11).
♦ 1902 - a very happy Christmas in the family - Gilbert John Jordan, the youngest son of Daniel and Emilie was born on 23 December (12).
♡ 21-year-old Ida, the first daughter, married 16 years older, Mr. John Hermann Schuessler (born 25 September 1878), the son of Herman Ludwig Schuessler and Wilhelmine Leifeste. The wedding ceremony took place at the bride's home, and the following party was a big, all-day lasting event.
The youngest child, Emily Christine was born in Plehweville, Mason County on 22 February 1906 (13).
The front room was also Daniel and Emilie's bedroom. Among various pieces of furniture, there was a pedal-foot-operated Singer sewing machine that belonged to Mrs. Emilie. The attic area served as an accommodation place of the hired farm/ranch hands and men in general. There was also a storage room and a place for children where they played. The main room, which these days could be called a sitting-room/living-room, was the parlor. It was the area where guests were entertained, family ceremonies/gatherings such as weddings for example, and parties took place. The family pump organ was there. The Jordan girls played the instrument (they were taught music by Mr. Otto von Plehwe), Milton Jordan, their brother, played the German mouth harmonica.
1908 - a modern type well was drilled near Daniel Jordan's house by Christian Vater. All in all, there were three wells around the house - the modern one and two old fashioned ones.
The Jordans were members of the German Methodist Episcopal Church. Daniel was the church superintendent, teacher, and an exhorter as well.
In the 1860s, the Mason County German Methodist settlers started the annual summer camp meetings (in which the Jordan family took an active part too). At first, the meetings took place by the Llano River. Later, in the 1870s, circus tents were set by the Willow Creek, for the people who attended the religious gatherings. Such a camp meeting was a week-long event. In the 20th century, metal-roofed pavilions were built for the summer meeting purposes. Some families camped under their own tents or brush arbors as well. People arrived at the camp by wagons filled with food (including the food for the pastor), clothes to change, and various items which they would need during the week of revival. It was a time of prayers, Gospel readings, songs singing, and socializing as well.
Some of the songs sang then
"Ich weiß einen Strom"/ "I Know a Stream" - written by Richard Torry Jr. in 1864/ translated by Ernst Gebhardt; music by Asa Hull
"Süße Gewißheit"/ "Blessed Assurance" text by Fanny J Crosby, translated by EC Margaret; music Phoebe Palmer Knapp
"Lässt mich gehn"/"Let Me Go" - lyrics by Gustav Friedrich Ludwig Knak; music by Karl Voigtländer
On Sunday, the last day of the camp meeting, at the end of the evening service, the farewell song came which the congregation members sang while walking in two circles (the inner and outer one).
"Gott mit euch, bis wir uns wiedersehn" / "God Be with You till We Meet Again" - text by Jeremiah Eames Rankin, translated by W. Rauschenbusch
The family attended the Sunday church service regularly. Actually, it was not only religious but a social event as well. Members of the congregation came from far and near to participate in Sunday church day - which lasted all Sunday.
First, there was morning church service,
then, Sunday school in the afternoon,
and another church service in the evening.
Families were camping on the church ground where they also had their meals (during the service intervals) brought from home.
During the Sunday mass, Psalm of David was read by the pastor - (Psalm 23 in English).
After a prayer, the hymn "Voran, voran mit Jesus" was sang by the congregation (here - the lyrics in English "Stand up for Jesus"), text George Duffield, music by George J. Webb.
Then, a song after the offering receiving came - "Segensströme"/"Showers of Blessings" lyrics in English - text by DH Whittle/translated by EC Margaret, music by James McGranaham
Another song was sang after the sermon - "Auf denn die Nacht wird kommen"/"Work for the Night is Coming" lyrics in English - text author Anna L Coghill/translated by Theodor Kuebbler, music Lowell Mason.
Work from sunset to sundown was the settlers' everyday reality, so they could easily relate to the song lyrics.
And another one at the end of the service - "So nimm denn meine Hände" - text by Julie von Hausmann, music Friedrich Silcher/"Oh, Take My Hand Dear Father" lyrics in English
At Sunday school, the children learned songs in English as well. One of them was "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam", text Nellie Talbot, music E O Excell.
Younger generation enjoyed more lively songs such as "Immer Fröhlich" notes + lyrics in Gemran/"Always Joyful" - lyrics by Fanny Crosby, translated by JA Reitz, music Robert Lowry.
or "Count Your Blessings" - text Johnson Oatman, music by Excell.
Children and young people sang songs both in English and German. Gradually, with time passing by, the youngest members of the congregation sang mostly in English, though.
"Shall We Gather at the River" - written by Robert Lowry
Prayer meetings took place in the home of the Jordans and other members of the German Methodist congregation. The meetings took place in the afternoon, on Tuesday or Wednesday. Daniel hosted the religious gatherings in the parlor of his house. Then, there was Bible reading, prayers, and song singing. One of them was "Welch ein treuer Freund ist Jesus" - text by Joseph Medlicott Scriven/translated by A Flamman , music Charles C Converse/"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" lyrics in English.
After the religious part of the meeting, a less serious one - coffee and cake - took place as well.
Occasionally, when there were things to do in Mason, the family traveled there on a wagon. Usually, it was only Mr. Jordan who went to the town to get supplies such as flour, sugar, salt or prune, or anything else they needed and they could not produce themselves. During his visit in Mason, Daniel enjoyed talking to people who met, store clerks, and other town inhabitants. Although Emilie always prepared food for Daniel that he would have for lunch when in town, sometimes, he tended to forget to take it (on purpose likely). The man simply liked having a bowl of chili with beans served in one of the Mason food establishments.
Daniel Jordan was a great story and anecdotes teller, he also sang German songs to his children. One of them was "Droben auf Gruner heide steht ain Birnbaum" about a pear tree that stood on a meadow. I could not find a video with the original lyrics, here is a modern version of the song.
Children had their time to play, but they also helped with ranch and farm chores before going to school and in the afternoon. One of the jobs (neither pleasant nor easy) they did, was pulling up cockleburs to prevent the stickers to get in the sheep wool. Plenty of sticky cockleburs grew along Willow Creek.
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| cockleburs |
16 April 1910, the census took place again. The clerk, Mr. Otto H Mebus recorded Fred Bickenbach as a member of Daniel Jordan's household. Fred was Daniel's cousin, the man was a laborer who did odd jobs. Young Dan and Frank, Daniel's sons, worked on the family farm as well (14). 20-year-old Fred Bickenbach owned a phonograph which stood in the parlor of Jordans' house. The quality of the sound/music coming from the phonograph tube was poor and Daniel Jordan Sr. did not particularly like it.
In the same year, the telephone line was installed and the Jordans got a telephone. It was a so-called party line with 14 other families on it.
Daughters Anna and Dina were the first of Daniel and Emilie's children who became college students. Dina studied at the Southwestern University of Georgetown. Later, she served as a Southwestern Methodist Church missionary (of the German Mission Conference).
Clipping source: San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 47, No. 203, Ed. 1 Sunday, July 21, 1912, newspaper, July 21, 1912; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth432669/: accessed June 30, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.
Her health deteriorated, about which she informed her family in letters. She suffered for some time and had premonitions of her death coming. At that time she was assigned to An Marcos Street German Methodist Church (San Antonio). Daniel and Emily took the 25-year-old daughter to Austin, where the girl was operated on. Tragically, ♦ Dina died on 3 November 1913 due to the complications which came after the surgery. Dina's brother, Gilbert, mentions in his book (15) it was pneumonia that finally ended the young lady's suffering and took her from this side of life. The death certificate (16) informs that Dina died of Perotinitis (Peritonitis) which lasted 8 days. Anyhow, Daniel brought the daughter's body home (by train which stopped in Llano, then, by the hack. She was buried at the local cemetery. The song "In dem Himmel ist's wunderschön" - lyrics by James L Nicholson/translated by Ernst Gebhardt, music by William U Butcher/"It's Bueautiful in Heaven" was sung during Dina's funeral.
The grief in the Jordans' family was even more unbearable when a few days after Dina's funeral, Emilie's mother passed on 9 November 1913. They all attended another funeral ceremony.
1916, Daniel Sr. purchased an automobile. After the first attempt of learning how to drive the machine, the father of the family never drove it again. He simply did not find it enjoyable.
♡ 22 November 1916, Daniel Anton married Estella Sophie Pluenneke (17). Stella was born on 16 September 1893 in Mason County, to parents Heinrich August Pluenneke and Wilhelmina Pape.
1917/1918 - WW1 draft registrations reached the sons of Daniel Sr.'s.
Dan Anton (age 24) was registered on 5 June 1917. As a married man, he was exempted from the service. Besides, his health was not very good (18).
The man was single so he was sent to a training base and assigned to Head Quarters Detachment 18th Artillery Brigade. Luckily, he was not sent to war. Private Frank E Jordan, serial number 4,854,749 came back home in 1919, after his honorable discharge on 7 February (20).
27 January 1920 - the census again. Only Milton, Gilbert, and Emilie lived with the parents, Daniel and Emilie Jordan. They had a hired man Dan Elbracht (age 24), who also dwelled with them (21). Other children had already left home.
Daniel was an accomplished rancher and farmer. He accumulated about 5000 acres of land in Mason County. With the help of hired men and his children, he raised cattle and doctored his livestock. Daniel Jordan Sr.'s brand was the letter J with a bar beneath it. It was placed on the left hip of the animal, the burn was treated then, with axle grease. Daniel sometimes sold his cattle to cattle drivers/buyers. Occasionally, he shipped the animals to cattle markets (e.g. in Fort Worth) and sold them there.
When Jordan's children reached their teenage years, Daniel let each of them choose a heifer with which they could develop their own herd. Besides the cattle, Mr. Jordan raised sheep and hogs as well. The family also kept cats and dogs for practical purposes. The previous ones caught pests, the latter guarded livestock among others (e.g. hog dogs, cow dogs). Emilie raised chickens for meat and eggs. The lady sold both every now and then. Turkeys and ducks were also kept by the Jordans.
The farming included raising cotton for sale, however, the majority of the grain crops were grown to feed the family members. Other types served as the fodder for the livestock. Horses were used in the fieldwork.
Black-eyed-peas/Cowpeas and Sudan grass were aslo raised by Mr. Jordan
Despite being very busy doing ranching and farming, he had time to play with his children. When they were little he took them on his lap and sang songs such as "Hopp, hopp, hopp".
Both Emilie and Daniel taught their kids various traditional kiddy rhymes in German. One of them was "Backe, backe Kuchen".
In 1930, Daniel and Emily lived on their own. All their children had left the family nest already.
Daniel Jordan Sr. lived 77 years, 6 months and 9 days. The man died on ♦ 17 June 1938, he suffered from hypertension-related heart disease and arteriosclerosis (22).
At the end of her life, Mrs. Emilie Willmann Jordan lived at 512 Post Oak Street in Mason. She passed at the age of 95, on ♦ 9 June 1960, due to respiratory arrest caused by pulmonary edema (23). She was buried at Art Cemetery in Mason, where Daniel had been laid as well. During the late years of her life, Emilie's favorite song became "Heimatland, Heimatland", music by Joseph Barnby (lyrics in German here). The lady had sung it also whenever the time of sorrow came. The very song was performed at her funeral as well.
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Gott mit euch, bis wir uns wiedersehn...
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Photo of cockleburs by Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=342527
Photo of black-eyed-peas/cowpeas by Toby Hudson - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18417691
Photo of Sudan grass by Markus Hagenlocher - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2764551
Resources:
"Yesterday in The Texas Hill Country" by Gilbert Jordan, Texas A&M University Press, College Station and London, 1979,
"Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976,
Findagrave.com,
Hymnary.org
1. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LG4-FNT2 : 14 February 2020), Daniel Jordan, 1860.
2. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4SW-BQZ : 10 January 2021), Emelie Jordan, Justice Precinct 1, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 160-2, sheet 10A, line 1, family 223, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4103.
3. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K34R-SQX : 20 February 2021), Dan Jordan in entry for Ida Wilhimenia Schuessler, 25 Jun 1960; citing certificate number 37656, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,116,268.
4. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3W3-9FK : 20 February 2021), D Jordan, 03 Nov 1913; citing certificate number 24288, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,050,998.
5. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3W3-9F2 : 20 February 2021), Dan Jordan in entry for D Jordan, 03 Nov 1913; citing certificate number 24288, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,050,998.
6. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J535-Q2P : 10 January 2021), Hulda J Donop, 26 Dec 1989; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
7. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRBP-Y2Q : 10 January 2021), Daniel A Jordan, 09 Jan 1988; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
8. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9NX-6Y4 : 10 January 2021), Olga Schulze, Sep 1980; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
9. "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-XD1D : 9 March 2021), Frank Emil Jordan, 03 Sep 1918; citing Military Service, Mason, , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
10. "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3PK-VX8 : accessed 29 June 2021), Daniel Jordan, Justice Precinct 6, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 52, sheet 2B, family 19, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,658.
11. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K38R-6XV : 20 February 2021), Milton Carl Jordan, 17 Feb 1976; citing certificate number 12727, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,243,927.
12. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5QP-62R : 10 January 2021), Gilbert J Jordan, 28 Jan 1992; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
13. "Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VX9S-PS2 : 1 March 2021), Emily Christine Jordan, 22 Feb 1906; citing Plehweville, Mason, Texas, United States, certificate 104249, Texas Department of Health, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,371,100.
14. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2Q4-DRL : accessed 1 July 2021), Dan Jordan, Justice Precinct 6, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 202, sheet 1B, family 17, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1576; FHL microfilm 1,375,589.
16.. "Yesterday in The Texas Hill Country" by Gilbert Jordan, Texas A&M University Press, College Station and London, 1979.
17. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HCMJ-5T3Z : 22 January 2020), D. A. Jordan, 1916.
18. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3W3-9FK : 20 February 2021), D Jordan, 03 Nov 1913; citing certificate number 24288, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,050,998.
19. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZX2-YQF : 23 February 2021), Dan A Jordan, 1917-1918.
20. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZX2-YQG : 23 February 2021), Frank Emil Jordan, 1917-1918.
21. "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-XD1D : 9 March 2021), Frank Emil Jordan, 03 Sep 1918; citing Military Service, Mason, , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
22. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3M4-GDS : 20 February 2021), Daniel Jordan, 17 Jun 1938; citing certificate number 29135, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,749.
23. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K34R-SQQ : 20 February 2021), Emilie Willmann Jordan, 09 Jun 1960; citing certificate number 37653, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,116,268.
