Johann Heinrich Hoerster and Family

Johann Heinrich Hörster (Hoerster) was born in Piertzenthal, Prussia, on 16 July 1814. The town of Pirzental which I have found in Europe is situated in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in nowadays Germany, south-west of Berlin.

Johann was a shoemaker, his wife was Maria Christina Gelhausen (born 25 August 1818). Three sons were born to them in Prussia Fritz (Friedrich) - born 11 November 1841 (1), Daniel - born 15 September 1843 (2), and Anton (Johann Anton) - born 8 January 1845 (3).

Johann had done his time in the Prussian Army and together with Christina, they decided to emigrate. The family traveled to Texas on the ship Prince Edward and arrived in Galveston, Texas in September 1846. From there, the Hörsters relocated to New Braunfels and subsequently to Fredericksburg. In the spring of 1847, Johann Heinrich obtained 10 acres of land (nowadays the area of Highway #9).

On 18 September 1850, during the Census, Johann Heinrich's /Henry's family was recorded in Fredericksburg, Gillespie County (4):

• Henry, age 36,
• wife Mary C (Maria Christine), age 33,
• Frederick (Fritz), age 9,
• Daniel, age 7,
• Anton, age 5,
• Mary Catherine, age 2, she was born on 11 April 1848 (5),
• William (Wilhelm), born on 16 April 1850 (6).

Johann Heinrich and Maria had 10 children, only 7 survived until their adulthood.

• Karoline was born on 12 April 1852 (7).

October 1856, the Hörsters moved to Mason County, nowadays Art area. They were one of the first pioneer families who settled there. Heinrich built a house close to other families, on a hill by Upper Willow Creek. The new home had 3 rooms, an attic, and it was made of logs sealed with mud.

• Wilhelmina (Minnie) was born on 11 November 1856 (8).
  

The pioneers were self-sufficient regarding produce and making their own food. Heinrich grew corn, potatoes, sugar cane, beans, and cabbage. The meat was provided by wild game. Later, the man also raised longhorns and hogs. His cattle brand was "HSTER". It happened that he butchered 100 hogs at a time. They made sausages, and Heinrich had his own recipe for curing meats. Johann Heinrich sold much of it to the soldiers at Fort McKavett, and in San Antonio as well. 

 

1856 - the family moved to the Mason area (nowadays Art). In 1859, Christina, the mother of the family, died. Some time later, Heinrich remarried. Anna Elise Gammenthaler (born 1 October 1833, Sumiswald, Switzerland) became the stepmother to Heinrich and Christina's kids. Seven children were born to Heinrich and Anna Elise Hörster:

• Rosina - arrived on 4 May 1862, Hilda, Mason, TX (9),
• Heinrich - born on 23 November 1864, Hilda, Mason (10),
• Lydia - born on 4 Aug 1867 in Hilda (11),
• John August Emil - born on 18 September 1870 (12),
• Henry John - born on 12 March 1872 (13),
• William Eddie born 9 November 1874, Art, Mason (14),
• Alfred Willie Eddie born on 4 April 1877 (15).

Only 3 of their sons, Henry (Heinrich), William Eddie, and Henry John - died 31 July 1957 (16), lived till adulthood.

The Upper Willow Creek area was not a safe place - Indian raids happened quite often there. On 19 July 1859, a band of Kiowas stole the horses guarded by nine-year-old Wilhelm and captured the boy as well. Bill had been shot in the neck. The band crossed the Sana Saba, they got to the Indian village after 6 days. Billy was mistreated by the kidnappers and  beaten often. Luckily his neck wound healed. Later, he Indians sold the boy to the Mexican Comancheros for a mule and other items which were worth $100. On 19 November 1859, one of the Mexican brought the boy to Ute Indian agent by the name of Christopher Carson who worked in Taos, the territory of New Mexico. Billy was in a bad condition and he was not able to say where his family lived. William hardly could speak English then, but remembered who his parents were (17). To make the story short, in the result of an exchange organized by the state legislature, Bill came back home in January 1860.  

Johann Heinrich (John Henry) Hoerster served as County Commissioner from 1858 to 1866.

In the middle of 1874, the Mason County War started. The war was all about cattle and cattle rustlers. Tragically, young Daniel, the son of Henry Hoerster, who worked as a cattle inspector, was one of the war casualties. He was killed on 29 September 1875 (18).

The note contains a mistake. Peter Jordan, mentioned in it, was a friend of the Hoerster family. Besides that, he was also Daniel's brother-in-law. Peter's sister Wilhelmine was Daniel's wife. The two were married on 1 December 1871. Deputy Sheriff John Wohrley (Johann Anton Wohrle) was married to Miss Helene Geistweidt.

 

Katherine married Karl Kothmann on 28 March 1867, in Hilda, Mason, TX (19).

Fritz married Johanna Leifeste on  5 January 1871 in Hilda, Mason, TX (20). She was the daughter of Anton Heinrich Leihfeste (Leifeste) and Elisabetha Sphie Henriette Viedt.

Karolina married Caleb Cook Smith in 1872.

William Hoerster married 

• Anna Alperson on 23 January 1873 (21), she died in 1878.
  

• then he married Maria Seipp on 27 July 1880 (22),

• his 3rd wife Anna Theresa Scholl, they got married on  31 October 1884 (23).

  
  
  

Johann Anton married Louise Marschall on 19 September 1873 (24).

Minna married Heinrich Leifeste, the son of Johann Friedrich Leihfeste and Sabine Molzbergeron. The ceremony took place on 4 March 1875 (25). After Minna's death, he married Bertha Hartmann in 1912.

Henry married Emilie Leifeste on  22 July 1886 in Hilda, Mason, TX (26). Emilie's parents were Johann Heinrich Leifeste and  Margarethe Reihnhard.

William Eddie married Sophie Henrietta Steinmann about 1898.

John was married to Frieda Kassel on 16 September 1903 in Llano, Texas (27). 

John Henry Hoerster was proud of his children and grandchildren, and all of the family achievements in their new home Texas. He passed on 20 June 1900 in Mason, Mason County. Henry's wife Anna Elise died 12 years later on 31 July 1912 in Art, Texas.

 

Resources:

1. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K339-JVB : 13 March 2018), Fritz Hoerster, 23 Feb 1931; citing certificate number 9247, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,135,506.

2. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVG-KKMJ : 8 August 2020), Daniel Hoerster, ; Burial, , Mason, Texas, United States of America, Daniel Hoerster Cemetery; citing record ID 20061640, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

3. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K332-JT2 : 13 March 2018), J Anton Hoerster, 17 Jun 1932; citing certificate number 23997, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,135,874.

4. "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXLK-XDB : 23 December 2020), Henry Hoerster, Fredericksburg, Gillespie, Texas, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

5. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVG-GKW9 : 8 August 2020), Kate, ; Burial, Art, Mason, Texas, United States of America, Kothmann Cemetery; citing record ID 19494326, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

6. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVKF-BVS3 : 8 August 2020), William Hoerster, ; Burial, , Mason, Texas, United States of America, Art East Cemetery; citing record ID 41093091, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

7. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLD-GDLB : 8 August 2020), Carolina Hoerster Smith, ; Burial, Mason, Mason, Texas, United States of America, Gooch Cemetery; citing record ID 87812121, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

8. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGP-LDG1 : 13 September 2020), Minnie, ; Burial, Goldthwaite, Mills, Texas, United States of America, Goldthwaite Memorial Cemetery; citing record ID 123820367, Find a Grave, http://ww.findagrave.com.

9. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-D1MM : 14 February 2020), H. Horster in entry for Rosina Horster, 1862.

10. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-XBZM : 14 February 2020), Heinrich Horster in entry for Heinrich Horster, 1864.

11. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L2Q-GFT2 : 14 February 2020), H. Horster in entry for Lydia Horster, 1867.

12. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LP9-RK3Z : 14 February 2020), H. Horster in entry for John August Emil Horster, 1870.

13. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L27-4TT2 : 14 February 2020), H. Horster in entry for Henry John Horster, 1872.

14. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3XF-RFP : 13 March 2018), Henry Hoerster in entry for William Eddie Hoerster, 12 Dec 1963; citing certificate number 79257, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,356.

15. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4L2Q-5NT2 : 14 February 2020), H. Horster in entry for Allfred Willy Eddy Horster, 1877.

16. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K338-FGX : 13 March 2018), John Hoerster, 31 Jul 1957; citing certificate number 43508, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,135,798.

17. "A Fate Worse than Death: Indian Captivities in the West, 1830-1885", by Gregory Michno, Susan Michno, Caxton Press, Idaho, 2007.

18. Clipping: Downs, J. W. The Waco Daily Examiner. (Waco, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 234, Ed. 1, Saturday, October 9, 1875, newspaper, October 9, 1875; Waco, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth112150/: accessed February 20, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; . 

19. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-HT9 : 22 January 2020), Catherine Horster in entry for Carl Kothmann, 1867.

20. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-WLQ : 22 January 2020), Fritz Horster, 1871.

21. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-FXH : 22 January 2020), Wilhelm Horster, 1873.

22. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VK1T-QQV : 22 January 2020), William Hoerster, 1880. died 1883

23. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6BM-T8N : 17 January 2021), Wm. Hoerster and A. T. Scholl, 31 Oct 1884; citing Travis County, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 978,166.

24. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VK1Y-QVQ : 22 January 2020), J. A. Hoerster, 1873. 

25. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-4ZY : 22 January 2020), Minna Horster in entry for Heinrich Leifeste, 1875.

26. "Texas Marriages, 1837-1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2MM-W2N : 22 January 2020), Henry Hoerster, 1886.

27. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-Z1GT : 7 December 2020), Mr John Hoerster and Frida Kassel, 16 Sep 1903; citing Marriage, citing Llano, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 982,995.

• "Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976.
• Findagrave.com