Re: Herman Wille, Tx. & Germany
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In reply to:
Herman Wille, Tx. & Germany
5/26/98
Joe Shaw,
Your (1998) email address doesn't work for me.But you've had no other replies, so here goes:
You're looking for ancestors of Herman Wille. I'm not going to be much help, but maybe a little. (I'm Hermann Wille's gggrandson. You probably know that Herman and Marie--and several of their children--are buried in the Comfort Cemetery, Comfort, TX.) As I understand your Genforum posting, you're looking for any information about Marie. I have family oral tradition, for whatever that's worth.
The only record I have of Herman's parents is a very sketchy record left by my grandmother, in which she lists his father as "Ch'. Wille." I assume that's an abbreviation for Charles (Karl), but that's uncertain--particularly given that I don't think Herman's father and mother emigrated, so there'd be no reason to "anglicize" their names.
Having arrived in Texas in 1849, as you mention, Herman is included in the 1850 census--listed as a single man, living with a family named Karger in Fayette County, TX (nowhere near Comfort). William Karger, who was married and had a family, was listed as a "gunsmith," as is Herman--so I deduce Herman was an apprentice. He was considerably younger than Karger.
Here's the "family story" on Marie: One of Marie Metzdorf’’s sisters kept a diary of her trip from Germany. They left Tilsit, Germany (later part of the USSR) on July 16, 1851. They reached Liverpool, England in about 2 weeks and saw their first train, rode it part of the way. Their ship had no motors––just sails. They landed in New Orleans October 20, [1851?]. During the long weeks at sea, the wind stopped and they were stalled––rocking on the waves for about 3 weeks. Seasickness, shortage of food, and water. A storm later provided water and the Captain distributed food he had in reserve. The captain was a very ornery character.
They went to Galveston from New Orleans. The youngest child, Sarah, died before they landed. From Galveston they went to Indianola and the Mother died there in late November. From Indianola the family made their way to San Antonio by wagon, camping all the way. Eventually they settled in Comfort, Texas (says my aunt--a disputed point, I think).
The Metzdorfs left Germany because they opposed the militarism of the German government. They were, ostensibly, seeking both political and religious freedom.
When Marie (Mar 26, 1834 - July 27, 1923) married Herman, she is listed as having been born in "Prussia" and as living in Bexar, TX. Of course, at the time, "Bexar" represented a huge chuck of the state. Possibly as much as a quarter or even a third of it, I think (but I haven't recently checked a map from that era, so don't hold me to that). My late aunt says the Metzdorfs--Marie's childhood family, or what was left of it after the hardships the Germans immigrants of that era experienced on the Texas coast) had settled in Comfort. Maybe so.
My late aunt described Herman as a "locksmith." The 1860 census in Fayette County TX says "gunsmith." 1870 census in Kendall County TX says "blacksmith." The year of his death, Marie is said to be operating a "blacksmith shop." He certainly was a blacksmith (since Jacob Gass, his son-in-law, took over Herman's business at Herman's death and it was a blacksmith shop). He may have also worked on guns and locks.
Marie outlived Hermann by several decades and supported the family by operating a store out of her home, which was, reportedly, catty-corner across from the Gass blacksmith shop, High & 8th, Comfort. She also took in boarders from time to time. (One boarder was Jacob Gass, who soon married Marie and Herman's second daughter, Louise.)
Herman died of pneumonia before the census was taken in 1870. Marie lived into her 90s--or almost.
I can provide some census records, cemetery records, and a very few other records if you're interested.
More Replies:
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Re: Herman Wille, Tx. & Germany
Deena Sessums 12/17/07
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Re: Herman Wille, Tx. & Germany
Therold Farmer 7/29/08
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Re: Herman Wille, Tx. & Germany