Gustav Adolph Loeffler & Family

Gustav Adolph Loeffler was the youngest son of Johann Martin Loeffler and his second wife Julianna Ziezelmann, born in Fredericksburg on 14 November 1862.

On 11 June 1870, young Adolph, his parents, and siblings (Christian, age 15, and Caroline, age 7) were recorded during the Census. The boy's father was then a joiner (1). The online dictionary (Oxford Languages) gives a definition of who a joiner was: "a person who constructs the wooden components of a building, such as stairs, doors, and door and window frames". 

 

Young Adolf received little formal schooling as he was needed at home.

Adolph's mother grew vegetables in their family garden. The boy sold them to the neighbors, going on a wagon from door to door. The money supported the family income.

Later, when he was 14, Gustav Adolph found employment at the farm which belonged to Mr. Fritz Brandenberger. The money Gustav Adolph earned there supported his family as well.

By June 1880, Adolph lived in the household of Mr. Brandenberger in Justice Precinct #4, Mason County (2).

Three years later, on ♡ 18 September, 20-year-old Adolph married Miss Emma Eckert, the 22-year-old daughter of Karl Friedrich Eckert and Eva Christina Guthoerle. The girl was born on 5 April 1861 in Hilda, Texas.
When a child, Emma attended the local grammar school only for three months.

Karl Eckert gave the newlyweds some land and Adolph built a house there. Soon, children were born to the young couple:

♦ Herman Karl Johann 20 October 1884 (3),

♦ Otto Ludwig 16 March 1888 (4),

♦ Meta Marie 14 November 1890 (5).

♦ ♦ 1891 - death of Adolf's father (in January) and mother (in November).

Daughter ♦ Anna Christine was born on 11 October 1894, and ♦ Walter Gustav on 21 September 1899 (6). All the children were born at home (with the help of Emma's mother).

Adolf and his family were of Lutheran faith, and they all attended the Sunday church service very regularly. The family had a Sunday house in Mason where they spent Christmas, among others.

When Emma's parents reached elderly age, Adolf + family moved in (1899) to Mr. and Mrs. Eckert's home to help and take care of them.

1900 - they all were registered by a census clerk Louis J Kettner in Justice Precinct #6, Mason County, TX. Karl Eckert was 77 then, his wife Christine 76 (7).

1905 - Adolph Loeffler was a member of the committee which was responsible for the construction of the new church in Mason. During that time, on Mondays, he left his home on a chuck wagon and spent the weekdays at the construction site, hauling rocks and working there.

23 April 1910 - the census found the family in Justice Precinct #3, Mason County. Adolph was the head of the family, and the Eckert grandparents/in-laws also lived in the household (8).

Three years later, on ♦ 2 February, Emma's father died.

The year 1914 brought two weddings of Adolph and Emma's children

♡ Herman married Martha Kroll (born on 1 December 1889 in Blanco County), the daughter of Karl Ludwig Kroll and Bertha Mueller.

♡ Otto married 5-years-younger Mary Ziriax (born on 19 September 1893). She was the child of William Ziriax and Catherine Wartenbach. The Ziriax family lived in the Mason County area as well.

1916 - ♡ Metta Loeffler married Seth Paul H Martin (born on 11 February 1889 to Karl Louis Martin and Ida Reichenau). The young man was 2 years older than Martha.
 

♦ 25 June 1917 - the death of Emma's mother, Catherine Eckert.

1920 - only 25-year-old Anna lived with her parents, Adolph and Emma, at their family home (10).

In the same year, Adolph bought a car, and a year later, a new house was built in Mason.

♡ Anna married her brother-in-law Paul Henry Martin (age 32 then) in 1922. Since then, Adolf and Emma lived on their own.
Mrs. Loeffler taught herself English, read books, and copied recipes into her recipe book. She also enjoyed knitting, growing flowers, and making lace.

1930 - recorded Adolph and Emma (9) in the South of Justice Precinct #1 (the town of Mason).

Gustav Adolf Loeffler took care of his ranch business and of his livestock until the day when he suffered a stroke. The man died two days later, on ♦ 18 November 1930. He was 68 years old.

His wife Emma lived two years longer, she died on ♦ 11 July 1932. Both spouses were buried in the Gooch Cemetery in Mason, TX.

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Sources:

• "Mason County Historical Book", Mason County Historical Society, Mason County Historical Commission, 1976.
• "The Eckert's Golden Opportunity" by Julius E DeVos, Mason, TX, 1977,
• "The Eckert Record. Story of Georg Bernhardt Eckert and his descendants 1793-1957" by Mrs. Estella Hartmann Orrison, San Angelo, Texas, 1957.
• Mason County Marriages

1. "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXL5-6RB : 29 May 2021), Adolph Loeffler in entry for J M Loeffler, 1870.
2. "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFJM-BVT : 15 January 2022), Adolph Loeffler in household of Fritz Brandenberger, Justice Precinct 4, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
3. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K33H-KJ4 : 20 February 2021), Adolph Loeffler in entry for Herman Carl John Loeffler, 11 Apr 1957; citing certificate number 21608, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,135,700.
4. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7D9-3NS : 20 February 2021), Adolph Loeffler in entry for Otto Louis Loeffler, 09 Jan 1964; citing certificate number 04933, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,404.
5. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3C5-4CZ : 20 February 2021), G A Loeffler in entry for Meta Marie Martin, 23 Oct 1951; citing certificate number 50290, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,074,868.
6. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K38J-3QL : 20 February 2021), Adolph Loeffler in entry for Walter G Loeffler, 15 May 1973; citing certificate number 41635, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,242,784.
7. "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3PK-63L : 14 January 2022), Adolph G Loefler in entry for Charles Eckert, 1900.
8. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2QH-DZH : accessed 7 July 2022), Adolph G Loefler, Justice Precinct 3, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 203, sheet 3A, family 34, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1576; FHL microfilm 1,375,589.
9. "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHBQ-VPK : accessed 7 July 2022), Adolph Loeffler, Mason, Texas, United States; citing , sheet , line , family , NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll ; FHL microfilm .
10. "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HXTY-NW2 : accessed 7 July 2022), G A Loeffler, Precinct 1, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 4B, line 95, family 101, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2375; FHL microfilm 2,342,109.

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Photos included in the post were taken on 29 July 2020.

One Birth And Baptism Certificate

Last month we visited the exhibition mentioned in the previous post. It was all about the History of the Lutheran Church. Among the exhibits, there were quite a lot of various old certificates.

This birth and baptism certificate (Geburts und Tauf Schein) caught my attention not only because it is so pretty, but also because of the birth date on it: 11 December. I know somebody else who was born on that day, more than a hundred years later.

The quote at the top comes from Matthew 28:19 (Luther Bibel 1545):
"Darum gehet hin und lehret alle Völker und taufet sie im Namen des Vaters und des Sohnes und des heiligen Geis(tes)"/
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".

The certificate states that the spouses Elias Rode and his wife nee Wendel were parents of the girl born on 11 December 1882 in Cherry Springs, Gillespie County, TX. The baby girl was baptized by Pastor D. Rode. She was named Rebekka Elisebetha Leonora Alvina. The godparents were Lorenz Wendel, Adolph Willmen, Elisebetha Wendel, and Maria Wendel.

 

D. (Dietrich) Rode was Elias' father. 20-year-old then Dietrich left Bremen with his family on 20 December 1844, they traveled on the ship Apollo (1) and came to Texas. At first, young Dietrich and his folks were members of Zion Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg. The man became a prominent rancher in the Cherry Spring area. During the Civil War times, Dietrich and a few other previous parishioners of Zion started religious meetings at Dietrich's house. He was granted a preacher's license by the war military government and served as a minister in the Cherry Spring neighborhood. The services were held in the hall of Mr. Rode's house (2).

Elias married Mathilde Wendel when he was 27. It was on ♡ 30 June 1881, about a year before Rebekka was born (3). 

 

The girl lived with her parents and siblings (Sarah, Sem, Seth, Enos, Regu, Thirza, Elam, Aaron, Obediah, Elie, and Artie) in Justice precinct #4, Gillespie County, TX.

Rebekka was married to William Friedrich Lehmann on ♡ 8 May 1918 (4). She was 19, her spouse was about 21 years older. 

William was a widowed stock rancher. His first wife ♦ Sophie Light passed at the age of 28 (5). The man was also the brother of two ladies mentioned on this blog before: Wilhelmina (who married John H Keyser) and Phillipena (wife of Henry Montgomery Dye).

Anyway, on the day of her marriage, Rebekka became a mother of 4 (21-year-old Maurice John, 20-year-old Alma, 17-year-old Augusta, and 13-year-old Gus).

In the same year, on 5 June, Maurice Lehmann had been drafted and enlisted (on 3 September) into the army. At that time, the young man lived in San Antonio, at 409 Presa St., and worked at Brooks Field (6,7). Luckily, the war ended and Maurice never had to be deployed overseas. He was honorably discharged at demobilization on 9 June 1919 (8). Rebekka's stepson came back home.

♡ Alma was married to Mr. John Ziriax (9), the son on William Ziriax and Katherine Wartenbach.

On ♦ 30 October, Rebekka and William's first daughter Gerda was born (10).

In 1920, the census recorded the family in Loyal Valley, Mason County, TX. William Lehman was 58, Rebekka 37, Maurice 22, Augusta 22, Gustave 13, and Gerda was a few months old (11).

Soon, ♡ Augusta became a wife and left the family home as well. Her husband was Mr. Herbert H Hoffmann (12), the son of Karl Louis Hofmann and Ellen Keller. ♡ Maurice married Nancy Saunders. His in-laws were Mr. Joseph and Ms. Annie Schuetz Saunders.

 

The second daughter of Rebekka, ♦ Esther, was born on 5 October 1923 (13). 

Two years passed and mourning came - ♦ Mathilda Rode, Rebekka's mother passed on 19 June 1925 (14).

By 1930 Rebekka and William Lehmann had lived with their two daughters Gerda and Esther. At that time William's 70-year-old brother Herman was recorded at their household as well (15). 

Decades ago, in 1870, both Herman and Willie were captured by Apaches. The latter managed to escape, the older brother lived for about 9 years with the Indians.

Gus had moved to Merzton town in Irion County. He rented a room at the John F Vardy family /census 1930 (16).

Brother Herman died of heart failure on ♦ 2 February 1932 (17). He was 71 years old.

Clipping: The Lampasas Daily Leader (Lampasas, Tex.), Vol. 28, No. 285, Ed. 1 Friday, February 5, 1932, newspaper, February 5, 1932; Lampasas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth894667/: accessed June 7, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lampasas Public Library.

More about Herman and his life was written in the article here.

 

At the end of April 1940, Rebekka, William, and their two daughters were recorded during the census at their home in Llano Valley. William was 78, Rebekka 57, Gerda 20, and Esther 16 (18).

William Lehmann was the youngest child of his parents (Johann Moritz Lehmann and Agusta Johanna Adams). While children were being born to Rebekka's stepchildren, all of Willie's siblings preceded him in death.

Sister Caroline Phillipena passed on ♦ 24 January 1937.

A few weeks later, death knocked on the family's door again when Rebekka's father, Elias Rode, died on ♦ 3 February 1937 (19).

A happier event came when ♡ Gerda married Mr. Kothamn Lansing in 1940 (20), the son of Heinrich Daniel Kothmann and Lina Rosa Loeffler. Sadly, in the same year, the family attended another funeral - brother ♦ Gustav Adolph Lehmann passed over on 29 March 1940.

Clipping source: Collins, Will. The Llano News. (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 4, 1940, newspaper, April 4, 1940; Llano, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth816082/: accessed June 6, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Llano County Public Library.

The first child of Rebekka and William's daughter Gerda's was born on ♦ 13 December 1942 (21), two days after Rebekka's 60th birthday. It was a baby girl, she was named Carol Ann.

The second child was born to Gerda and Lansing Kothmann eight years later, on 28 January 1950. The boy's name was ♦ Lester Lansing.

William Friedrich Lehmann's last day of life came a few weeks before his 89th birthday. The man died of heart failure/senility on ♦ 11 September 1851. It happened in Fredericksburg. The man had been treated in Fredericksburg hospital for 20 days (22).

Clipping source: Davis, Jack R. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1951, newspaper, September 13, 1951; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth852198/: accessed June 7, 2022), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.

In July 1951, Carol Ann, Rebekka's granddaughter, got sick. She was taken to the Breckenridge hospital in Austin. On 18the day of the month, the girl was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis. Tragically, ♦ Carol passed after two days. She was 14 years, 7 months, and 14 days (23). Carol's body was buried in the Gooch Cemetery in Mason (24).

Rebekka possibly lived with her daughter Esther. The mother died on ♦ 11 September 1961, exactly ten years after her husband's passing (25). In two months Rebekka Lehmann would have been 78. She was survived by her children and many grandchildren.

PS

When in Poland, I had a student whose name was Rode and a co-worker by the name of Lehmann. According to the site polskienazwiska.pl which counts the surnames existing presently in Poland, nowadays about 588 persons of the surname Rode live in the country and 2574 Lehmann people as well.

Sources:

findagrave.com, 

bible-hub.com

1. Galveston Immigration Database.

2. "German Pioneers in Texas: A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements", Don H. Biggers, Gillespie County Edition, Press of the Fredericksburg Publishing Co., 1925.

3. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-9JMH : 10 March 2021), Elias Rode and Mathilde Wendel, 30 Jun 1881; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,802.

4. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK8T-9PMR : 10 March 2021), Wm Lehmann and Rebecka Rode, 08 May 1918; citing Gillespie, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 982,803.

5. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17395687/sophia-lehmann 

6.  "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXY-VDJ : 23 December 2021), Maurice John Lehmann, 1917-1918.

 7. "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7Y2X-962M : 23 October 2019), Maurice John or John M Lehmann or Lehman, 9 Jun 1919; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.

8. "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7Y2X-962M : 23 October 2019), Maurice John or John M Lehmann or Lehman, 9 Jun 1919; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.

9.  "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6PM-MRX : 13 February 2020), Gerda Mathilde Lehmann, 1919.

10. Mason County Marriages

11. "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHBQ-WFB : accessed 3 June 2022), Rebecca Lehmann in household of William Lehmann, Mason, Texas, United States; citing , sheet , line , family , NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll ; FHL microfilm .

12.  Mason County Marriages 

13. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159975469/esther-wilhelmina-lehmann

14. "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZDP-3DP : 24 May 2014), Mathilda Rode, 19 Jun 1925; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2006); citing certificate number 21901, Gillespie, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin. 

15. "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HXRH-BPZ : accessed 4 June 2022), Rebeka Lehmann in household of William W Lehmann, Precinct 7, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 5A, line 38, family 104, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2375; FHL microfilm 2,342,109. 

16. "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:C97K-5PZ : accessed 4 June 2022), Guss A Lehmann in household of John F Vardy, Mertzon, Irion, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 2B, line 76, family 52, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2360; FHL microfilm 2,342,094. 

17. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K33C-HN2 : 20 February 2021), Hermann Lehmann, 02 Feb 1932; citing certificate number 7941, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,135,794. 

18. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4S4-CMT : 10 January 2021), Rebecka Lehmann in household of Wm Lehmann, Justice Precinct 7, Mason, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 160-8, sheet 4B, line 78, family 89, 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.

19. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3HR-HH1 : 20 February 2021), Elias Rode, 03 Feb 1937; citing certificate number 8610, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,117,168.

20. Mason County Marriages 

21. "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VDGB-948 : 1 January 2015), Carol Ann Kothmann, 13 Dec 1942; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.

22. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3CK-BDM : 20 February 2021), William F Lehmann, 11 Sep 1951; citing certificate number 46770, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,074,778.

23. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K338-WRS : 20 February 2021), Carol Ann Kothmann, 20 Jul 1957; citing certificate number 40582, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,135,797.

24. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV2V-XR7D : 9 June 2020), Carol Ann Kothmann, 1957; Burial, , ; citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

25. "Texas Death Index, 1903-2000," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZV4-V8D : 24 May 2014), Rebecca Lehmann, 12 Sep 1961; from "Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2006); citing certificate number 60152, Mason, Texas, Texas Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Austin.