Monday, February 8, 2021

August Heinrich Leifeste Sr. & Family

The surname Lifeste has its origins in France where it was originally "la Feste". In Germany, it was changed to Leiweste, and later the name transformed to "Leifeste" (1).

August Heinrich Leifeste Sr. was born on 1 August 1812 in Broistedt, Grossherzogtum, Braunschweig, Hanover. He was the second oldest child and son of Johann Heinrich Konrad Leiweste (b. 11 July 1782/d. 1 February 1867) and Johanna Sophie Wöbekind (b. 1786/d. 4 July 1827). August's parents got married on 27 January 1774. The boy had 7 siblings, 4 brothers, and 3 sisters:

Johann Konrad (b. 18 April 1810), Johann Heinrich Karl Christian (b. 6 December 1814/d. 11 November 1897), Marie Christine Elizabeth (b. 19 January 1817/d. 2 March 1823), Johann Heinrich Gottfried (b. 2 May 1819/d. 18 March 1908), Johann Friedrich (b. 1 September 1821/d. 30 July 1896), Sophie Christine Elizabeth (b. 7 January 1824/d. 9 January 1898), Johanna Sophie Elizabeth (b. 13 September 1826/d. about 1847).

On 4 July 1827, August's mother Johanna Sophie died. On 30 November in the same year, his father Johann Heinrich Konrad remarried. The step-mother of August and his siblings became Marie Karoline Dorothea Juliane Heike. Johann Heinrich Konrad Leiweste and his second wife had 5 children.

August's step-siblings were (2):

Johann Heinrich Julius (b. 22 December 1828), Karoline Henriette Dorothea (b. 1 December 1830), Sophie Dorothea Henriette (b. 18 May 1837), Ernst Friedrich Christian (b. 25 March 1840), and Heinrich Julius Theodore (b. 4 December 1841).


In 1838, August Heinrich Leifeste married Elizabeth Viedt (b. 1 January 1816). The couple had 5 children born in Boistedt: 

  • Sophie Christine Henriette (b. 5 December 1839), 
  • Friedericke Henriette Elizabeth (b. 5 March 1842),
  • Heinrich August Konrad (b. 11 November 1844), 
  • Wilhelmine (b. 5 May 1849), 
  • and Johanna Dorothea Friederike (b. 27 March 1850).
 

In winter 1845, Johann Heinrich Gottfried, Johann Friedrich, and their sister Sophie Christine Elizabeth emigrated to Texas. Another brother of August's, Johann Heinrich Karl Christian, followed their siblings and relocated to Texas in 1848 (3).

August and his wife decided to leave their home area and seek a better life in Texas as well. The family landed in Indianola in 1852, next they traveled to Mason County by an ox-driven wagon. August, Elizabeth, and their children settled by the Llano River (on its north bank) where forty-three-year-old August built a log cabin for his family.


Four more children were born to the couple in Texas:

  • Sophie Conradina - b. 12 February 1854 (4, 5),
  • Auguste - b. 28 January 1856 (6),
  • Fritz - Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm - b. 14 February 1858 (7),
  • and Charles Hermann - b. 31 October 1861 (8).

Henrietta (Sophie Christine Henrietta) married Karl Lehmberg on 7 Nov 1856 (9). 

Elizabeth (Friederike Henriette Elizabeth) married Christian Winkel on 25 May 1860 (10).


August (Heinrich August Konrad) married Ida Wiedemann in Hilda, Mason County on 17 August 1868 (11).

In 1870, August Leifeste and his wife joined the Bethel Methodist Church in Hilda (12). In that year, on 1 August they were registered during the census. The August Leifeste family lived in Castell, Llano, TX. August was a farmer and the value of his real estate was $1500. The estimated value of their personal estate was also $1500 (13).

Johanna married Fritz Hoerster in Hilda Methodist Church on 5 January 1871 (14). Fritz was the son of Johann Heinrich Hoerster and Mary Christina Gelhausen.

Mina (Wilhelmine) married Herman Schüssler in Gillespie County on 8 October 1874 (15). Herman's parents were Johann Adam Schüssler and Eva Katharina Dieschinger.

 
Augusta married Friedrich Bode, son of Robert Emil Bode and Johanna Carolina Radetzky.
 

Sophie married John Brandenberger on 20 April 1877 - in Hilda Bethel Methodist Church (16).  Sophie's in-laws were Rudolf Gottlieb Brandenberger and Maria Katherine Bierschwale.
 
Fritz  (Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm) married Wilhelmina Geistweidt in 1879.
 
Charles H. married Emilie Lehmberg on 6 June 1883. The ceremony took place in Hilda, Methodist Church (17).  After Emilie's death Charles married Louise Vasterling, daughter of Heinrich Vasterling and Mary Frederike Werthmann on 10 April 1901 (18).



Elizabeth, the mother of the family, died on 11 June 1883, a few days after Charles's marriage. August Heinrich Leifeste passed 11 years later, on 25 June 1894.

Resources:

1. "Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976.

2,3. leifeste.net

4. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L2Q-236Z : 14 February 2020), August Leifeste in entry for Sophie Leifeste, 1854.

5. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3CP-ZM2 : 13 March 2018), August Leifeste in entry for Sophie Conradina Brandenbergeu, 10 Feb 1935; citing certificate number 9228, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,116,312.http://augustleifeste.org/sketch_august.htm

6. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-C33Z : 14 February 2020), August Leifeste in entry for Auguste Leifeste, 1854.

7. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3HK-33Q : 13 March 2018), August Leifeste in entry for Fritz William Leifeste, 12 Jan 1937; citing certificate number 3977, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,126.

8. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3HD-L6T : 13 March 2018), August Leifeste in entry for Charles Herman Leifeste, 31 Jul 1936; citing certificate number 37194, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,116,938.

9.  "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VK1T-ZG9 : 22 January 2020), Henrietta Leifeste in entry for Charles Lehmberg, 1856.

10. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-LQK : 17 January 2021), Christian Winkel and Elisabeth Leifeste, 25 May 1860; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.

11. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-WLM : 22 January 2020), August Leifeste, 1868.

12.  http://augustleifeste.org/sketch_august.htm

13. "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXG3-Y45 : 2 January 2021), August Leifeste, 1870.

14. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-WL3 : 22 January 2020), Johanna Leifeste in entry for Fritz Horster, 1871.

15. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VXGC-LSQ : 17 January 2021), Herrman Schüssler and Mina Leifeste, 08 Oct 1874; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,801.

16. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-487 : 22 January 2020), Sophie Leifeste in entry for John Brandenberger, 1877.

17. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-F6B : 22 January 2020), Carl H. Leifeste, 1883.

18.  "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-487 : 22 January 2020), Sophie Leifeste in entry for John Brandenberger, 1877."Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HCMJ-R7W2 : 22 January 2020), Charles Leifeste, 1901.

Findagrave.com 

Geneanet.org 

 




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