Zion

A small group of the first settlers in the Fredericksburg area was of Lutheran faith. Their first religious leader was to be a minister invited by Mr. Schumacher. The man by the name of Schneider, who had lived in Victoria, TX appeared to be a Methodist. The minister must have been really convincing. Despite the fact that there were no Methodists in the colony, he encouraged the settlers to organize a Methodist congregation there (1849). 

 

The Lutherans taught their kids religion at their homes until 1850 when the first Lutheran ministers came to Texas. A year later, more missionaries arrived. In December of that year, the first Lutheran Synod took place in Houston, TX.

The Lutherans of the Fredericksburg colony applied to the Synod and asked for a religious leader. As a result of that, a missionary from San Antonio came to Gillespie County in August 1852. His name was Rev. Ziezelmann. 

The Lutheran congregation at that time consisted of six families. Soon, others joined them.

13 January 1853 - Zion Lutheran Church - the first Lutheran church of Gillespie County - was organized by 15 families and their spiritual leader Pastor Ziezelman.  The first church elders were G Roehrig, W Reider, D Rode, and FW Schumacher.

A site on which the church building would be constructed was chosen and a lot was purchased from Mr. Jacob Harth was purchased for $45. The members of the congregation (which grew to 28 families) and the pastor worked on the construction site. To obtain money for the building materials, they hauled corn and sweet potatoes to the market situated 300 miles away, by the ocean coast.

Not long after the construction was completed, Rev. Ziezelmann and his bride celebrated their wedding in the new-built church on 1 January 1855.

The very first parsonage built by the church was a two-room log cabin. 1878 - the cabin was replaced with a stone house. 1922 - the parsonage was enlarged and rebuilt.

The early pastors of the Zion church, besides Rev. Ziezelmann, were Rev. Bohnenberger, Schumacher (during the times of the Civil War), Holzinger, Gossweiler, Merz, Weiss, Fiedler, Glatzle (served for 27 years), and FA Bracher (since 1917).

Rev. Fiedler has already been mentioned in the previous post. I am going to write here about other ministers of Zion, too.

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

Photos: Zion Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, TX. Perfect skies and great weather in the forecast for the week  (taken April 2021). 

T W R Fiedler

Theodor Wilhelm Renatus Fiedler was born on July 9, 1855 in Lautenthal, Zellerfeld, Hanover, Prussia, German Empire . His parents were Georg Ludwig Adelbert Fiedler (a pastor) and his wife Antoinette Therese Marie Büttger.
The baby boy was baptized on 5 July 1855 at Evangelische Kirche in Clausthal, Clausthal, Landkreis Zellerfeld, Provinz Hannover, Prussia, German Empire (1). Renatus grew up in Lautenthal, Hannover. However, his father's ministerial work took the family to Hahndorf, South Australia, where Renatus was confirmed as well.
Renatus Fiedler came back to Germany. He studied at the University of Goettingen and Prediger-Seminar at Brecklum.

In 1884, Rev. Fiedler started his pastoral ministry at Zion Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, TX.
♡ On 25 February 1885, Rev. Renatus Fiedler married Miss Amalia Weber (born on October 30, 1865, in Fredericksburg, TX), the daughter of Johann Jacob Weber and Mathilde Christina Schlaudt.

Two sons of Rev. Fiedler and his wife Amalia were born in Fredericksburg. Adelbert Marius came to this world on 19 November, 1886, and Gottlieb Jacob was born on 8 May 1889 (2).

In 1890, Pastor Renatus Fiedler finished his work at Zion Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg.
During his service at the church, the clergyman officiated 170 baptisms, 76 confirmations, 40 weddings, and 24 funerals.

Later, Rev. Fiedler continued his ministry at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Phillipsburg, Texas, and in Sandy Hill, Texas.

In 1894/1895, Pastor Fiedler paid taxes for 1 carriage/buggy and 1 horse in Austin, TX (3,4).

The 1896 tax record paced Renatus Fielder in Justice precinct #1, Eastland, TX (5).

More children born to the Fiedlers:

• Lionel Theodore - on 1 October 1892, in Washington County, TX
• Matilde - on 22 September 1895, in Austin, TX
• Ernest Christian - on 2 February 1895, in Brenham, Washington, TX
• and Verena - on 26 December 1899 in Washington County, TX.

13 June 1900 - census clerk recorded the Fiedler family (Rev. Fiedler, age 44; his wife Amalia, age 34; Adelbert, age 13; Gottlieb, age 11; Lionel, age 7; Matilda, age 4; Ernest, age 2, and Verena, 5 months old) in Justice Precinct #5, Washington County, TX (6).

Pastor Renatus Fiedler passed on ♦ September 2, 1906. He was buried in Fredericksburg, TX.

 

 

Clipping source: The Daily Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 250, Ed. 1 Friday, September 7, 1906, newspaper, September 7, 1906; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth440972/: accessed August 25, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.

After his passing, Amalia with her children lived in Justice Precinct #4, Gillespie, TX. The lady worked as a Post Mistress at the US Post Office. Adelbert and Gottlieb were school teachers (7). The previous became a minister later.

Source:

1. "Deutschland, ausgewählte evangelische Kirchenbücher 1500-1971," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPD9-9P67 : 14 August 2023), Theodor Wilhelm Renatus Fiedler, 5 Jul 1855; images digitized and records extracted by Ancestry; citing Baptism, Clausthal, Clausthal, Landkreis Zellerfeld, Provinz Hannover, Preußen, Deutsches Reich, , German Lutheran Collection, various parishes, Germany.

2. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LK6-P72M : 14 February 2020), Renatus Theodor Fiedler in entry for Adelbert Marius Fiedler, 1886.

3. "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBMC-7BS : 20 February 2021), R Fiedler, 1894.

 4. "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBMC-86Y : 20 February 2021), R Fiedler, 1895. 

5. "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJ85-Z5MK : 20 February 2021), R Fiedler, 1896.

6. "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M35F-5TD : Thu Aug 03 18:14:58 UTC 2023), Entry for Renalus Fiedler and Amalia Fiedler, 1900.

7. "United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK12-HVW : Tue Jul 18 16:53:10 UTC 2023), Entry for Amalia Fiedler and Adelbert M Fiedler, 1910.

- "150 Years of God's Grace 1852-2002", Zion Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, TX;
- https://swtsynod.pastperfectonline.com/

G for Gdańsk

One of the Gs in "My Polish Alphabet" is for Gdańsk. The city situated by the Baltic Bay, in the north of Poland, is over 1000 years old. Its prettiest part is the old town, I think.

 The old town was totally destroyed during WW2. It was rebuilt in the 1950s and 60s.

Golden Gate (1612/14)

Long Street and the old town hall in the background

Long Street

Hedwiga in the attic window

Every day at 1: 03 PM, a figure of a young lady appears in that attic window on Long Street. It is Hedwiga, a heroine of an old romance described in a novel in 1891. As a young girl, she had been rescued from Turkish captivity and now is to be married by her guardian Johann. However, Hedwiga is in love with somebody else. She is waiting for her sweetheart, Lieutenant Kazimierz.

Neptune's Fountain (1605/16) in front of Uphagen's House.

 The two lions holding a shield (see one of the photos below) are the Gdańsk coat of arms.

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"My Polish Alphabet" is about things, places, and people that come to my mind when I think about Poland.

M for Mason County

A few years ago, when I started reading a genealogy-type book dedicated to the people who lived in the County, somehow, I found several names quite familiar. No, I had not come across them before, but the more I read about some of the early pioneers, the more it felt as if I had known them before. And it was like meeting them again.

 

When I looked at a photograph included in the book (a family, parents with their children), I felt great sadness. What was more, the one girl looked familiar. Why? I do not know. Maybe because she looked a bit like my mom when she was little? Or maybe not. No, I did not know then who those people were. So I looked closer to find out. The family in the photo was Friedrich Heinrich Kensing, his wife Mathilda, and their children. The "familiar" girl was the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Kensing. Bertha.

In Mason, TX

Subsequently, I started researching and writing about those early pioneers. On my blog, you can find quite a few posts dedicated to them.

I am not related to those persons. It is just that feeling of undefined connection. Does it have anything to do with what I mentioned in my previous post "H for Hill Country"? Did we know each other in my previous life? Who knows.

We visited Mason sometime ago. No special sentiments there, though. I liked the old city center, but it is the hills and the countryside that talk to me more.

Mason County Courthouse

PS
By the way, do you know that the first flush toilet* in Mason County was installed in the Mason County Courthouse?

*"Yesterday in The Texas Hill Country" by Gilbert Jordan, Texas A&M University Press, College Station and London, 1979
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"My Texas Alphabet" is quite a personal summary of our hitherto life in Texas.

Arthur Norman Howard

It has been a while since I discovered any new family tree branches and connections leading to our direct ancestors.
Not long ago, while looking at my notes related to the people who lived in the Hill Country, I realized there was such a connection I had overlooked earlier. First, it was the surname that caught my attention. Howard is one of our direct ancestry lines. The place where that man was born, North Carolina, matched too. Investigating deeper, meaning the predecessors of Arthur Norman Howard, led me (7 generations back) to John N Howard (born in 1718, in Virginia). He was the brother of our paternal 4 x great-grandfather Stephen.
Arthur Norman Howard was John N's great-great-great-grandson and our 5th cousin twice removed.
If it was not enough, there is also a family connection on our maternal side, via the Sigman family. According to the family tree software we have our family tree on, Arthur is the 3rd cousin of an uncle by marriage (Richard Lee Sigman).

Arthur was born on 24 August 1875 in Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina.

1880, the boy lived with his parents, Edward Edmond (27) and Fannie Elizabeth (Gabriel) Howard (26), and siblings, in Mountain Creek Township, Catawba, North Carolina (1). The siblings were Gertrude (age 4), Franklin (age 2), and Chattie (1-month-old).

By 1899, Arthur had been in Texas. On ♡ 8 November of this year, the 24-year-old man married 17-year-old Mary Emma Cook. It was in Caldwell, TX (2). 

 Mary was born on 9 August 1882 in Houston, TX.

After the marriage, the couple lived in Justice Precinct #4, Caldwell, TX (3). Arthur was a farmer.
Soon, children were born to them:
♦ Norman Franklin - born on 10 January 1902,
♦ Gertrude Francis, born in Martindale on 19 March 1904,
♦ Edward Troy, born in Lockhart on 11 October 1906,
and ♦ George Martindale, born on 26 August 1910.

Tragedy struck - Norman died on ♦ 24 August 1918.

Clipping source: San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 240, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 27, 1918, newspaper, August 27, 1918; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth430428/: accessed August 14, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.

About two weeks later, WW1 was still going on and on 12 September Arthur was registered by the Army (3).

 

Apparently, after Norman's death, Arthur and Mary drifted apart and their marriage did not survive. When exactly they got divorced, I do not know, but on 14 January 1920, Mary (age 37) had already lived with Gertrude (age 16) and George (age 9) in San Antonio, Justice Precinct #19. In the census record, Mary is listed as a "widow" (4).

At the same time, on 12 January, Arthur (age 44) and Troy (age 13) still lived in Lockhart, TX. However, they no longer had their own house. The father and son were boarders at Mr. and Mrs. John Clark's household. Arthur Howard was employed as a farmer there (5).

The records read that later, Mary with Gertrude and George moved to Los Angeles, California, and in February 1921, Mary remarried (6).

♡ 6 July 1921 - Arthur married again as well. His second wife was Miss Caroline Mathilde Willmann (age 29). The two got married in a Baptist Church in Lockhart, TX (7). 

 

Carrie was born on 11 July 1891 in Hilda, Mason, Mason, TX. She was the daughter of William Anton Willmann and Christine Wilhelmine Leifeste.

Caroline went to school in Mason and was confirmed at the Methodist Church. Later, young Carrie worked at the Deaf and Dumb Institute and then, enrolled in a nursing school. The lady graduated from the Physicians and Surgeons Hospital at the beginning of 1919.

 

 

Clipping source: San Antonio Express. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 33, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 2, 1919, newspaper, February 2, 1919; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth430576/: accessed August 14, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.

 

Clipping source: The Statesman (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 47, No. 343, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 23, 1919, newspaper, February 23, 1919; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1498366/: accessed August 14, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;.

 
♡ 15 September 1922, 18-year-old Gertrude got married as well (8). Her spouse was James Lacy McGee.

 

8 April 1930 census - Arthur and Caroline lived in Justice Precinct #1, Lubbock, Lubbock, TX (9).

♡ 12 December 1933 - Troy married Lillian Motheral in Caldwell, TX (10).

 

♡ 5 October 1934 - George married Virginia E Yates in LA, California (11).

♦ 12 January 1938 - Arthur's father Edward Edmond died in Mooresville, Iredell, North Carolina (12).

4 April 1940 - Arthur (age 64) owned a house and farmed in Justice Precinct #1, Caldwell, TX. Caroline (age 48) was a homemaker (13).

♦ 17 May 1941 - Arthur's mother, Fannie Elizabeth passed away (14).

♦ 2 February 1949 - Caroline died in Lockhart at the age of 57 years 8 months and 21 days, after a year-long illness (15).

It seems, after Carrie's passing, Arthur sold the house and farm. Census 10 April 1950 - the man (age 74) lived as a boarder at the house of John A Schaper, a meat cutter, in Caldwell, TX (16).

♦ 7 November 1959 - Arthur passed at the Lockhart Hospital, due to heart failure (17).

Source:
1. "United States Census, 1880", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC6F-2H7: Thu Aug 03 01:54:39 UTC 2023), Entry for Edward Howard and Fany Howard, 1880.
2. "Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL7V-J7M : 10 March 2021), A Howard and Mary Cook, 08 Nov 1899; citing Caldwell, Texas, United States, county courthouses, Texas; FHL microfilm 980,084.
3. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXS-T83 : 29 December 2021), Arthur Noruson Howard, 1917-1918.
4. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH1Z-8QL : Sat Jul 22 22:42:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Mary Howard and Gertrude Howard, 1920.
5. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCMM-4YX : Fri Jul 21 18:40:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Arthur N Howard and Troy Howard, 1920.
6. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8FB-2TT : 17 August 2022), Ralph H Mc Coy and Mary E Howard, 1921.
7. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1H-Y41T : 23 February 2021), A N Howard and Caroline Willman, 06 Jul 1921; citing Marriage, citing Caldwell, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 1,703,894.
8. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8N9-4JR : 9 March 2021), James Lacy Mc Gee and Francis Gertrude Howard, 15 Sep 1922; citing Los Angeles, 9. 9. California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,281.
"United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HX7H-8T2 : Fri Aug 04 20:39:11 UTC 2023), Entry for Arthur N Howard and Carolyn N Howard, 1930.
10. "Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K61R-F5C : 23 February 2021), Troy Howard and Lillian Motheral, 12 Dec 1933; citing Marriage, citing Caldwell, Texas, United States, Texas State Library, Archives Division, and various Texas county clerks; FHL microfilm 1,704,024.
11. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JN-9VV : 17 August 2022), George Martindale Howard and Virginia E Yates, 1934.
12. "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPN7-151 : 29 September 2022), Edd Howard, 1938.
13. "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWJ9-Z34 : Tue Jul 25 18:19:43 UTC 2023), Entry for Arthur Howard and Caroline Howard, 1940.
14. "North Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HW16-1QT2 : 14 February 2020), Fannie Elizabeth Howard, 1941.
15. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K39B-Y1P : 27 March 2023), Arthur Howard, 1949.
16. "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGR-MJDR : Sat Jul 29 12:03:48 UTC 2023), Entry for Albert Schneider and Myrtle Schneider, 10 April 1950.
17. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3SL-H18 : 5 April 2023), Arthur N Howard, 1959.
"Families of Kimble County" 1998, Kimble County Historical Commission, South Llano Printing Company, Junction, Texas

 

About Sports

When I once mentioned I used to play handball, people who I talked to had no clue what game I was talking about. They tended to associate the game with throwing a ball against a wall.

Well, the handball I used to play in high school was a team sport/game. We also played volleyball, but I preferred handball.

 

Elementary school level - we played basketball and sometimes rugby. The latter was awful, though. No, that game was not our choice. Our teacher must have liked rugby, so he made us play the game a few times.

What games/sports did you do at school?

In the Hill Country, TX

Edward Isaac Johnson

Edward Isaac Johnson was born to Edward Isreal Johnson and his wife Elisabeth David in 1816, in Portsmouth, England. After relocating to America, the E I Johnsons became one of the prominent families in Cincinnati.

Summer of 1835 - during the Texas Revolution, Edward Isaac joined a company of volunteers in Maysville, Kentucky. Their destination was Texas. The volunteers were promised land for their participation in the Revolution fights (800 acres in case they survived/1600 if they were killed).
November of the same year - together with Capt. Thomas K Pearson's company, the man landed at Matagorda. The company soldiers hauled a cannon retrieved from the San Felipe schooner. It was delivered to Bexar, where Gen. Edward Burleson's army was stationed.

After the siege of Bexar, E. Johnson was a man of Capt. A B King's company and he took part in the battle of Refugio. When the Company commander was killed, Edward marched to Goliad, where he joined Capt. B H Duval's unit. During the executions of the Texan prisoners in Goliad, Edward Isaac Johnson set off the explosion of the gunpowder storage area and perished, killed by the detonation. It happened on Palm Sunday, 27 March 1836.

Fort Martin Scott, Fredericksburg, TX

More about
Siege of Bexar: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/bexar-siege-of

Battle of Refugio: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/refugio-battle-of

Goliad Campaign of 1836: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/goliad-campaign-of-1836

Goliad Massacre: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/goliad-massacre

Source:
"The Jewish Texans. The Texians and the Texans ", Institute of Texan Cultures, University of Texas, Institue of Texan Cultures, San Antonio, 1996.
Texas Handbook Online

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This post is part of our series: They Lived in Texas