I've been interested in learning about the origins of the family cemetery as long as I can remember. As a child, I used to walk along the graves in the historic Witte section and wonder about the lives of those buried in the ground. When the Jaeger Witte Heritage Cemetery Association was still in its …
Category: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Water
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2 (KJV) My mother’s aunt Hertha was very fond of this verse from the Bible. You …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: In the Kitchen
Elsie Teufel (née Jaeger) was Grandpa Henry's older sister. She married Henry Teufel in 1914 and lived in Balaton, Minnesota, which was Henry's hometown. After deciding that it was too cold to stay, the couple and their son Earl moved to Port Arthur, Texas, where Henry took a job working in the Gulf Refinery with …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather From 1949 until 1957, severely deficient rainfall plunged Texas into a devastating water shortage. Wells and reservoir dried up, crops withered, and thirsty cattle bawled in the scorching heat. The number of farms and ranches shrank from 345,000 to 247,000 and the rural population declined to just one fourth of the state population …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Preservation
Preservation "Show me your cemeteries, and I will tell you what kind of people you have." Benjamin Franklin. There's an estimated 50,000 cemeteries in Texas, ranging from the 419 acre Houston National Cemetery to those located on family farms and measured in square footage. While large cemeteries are governed by paid directors who monitor all levels of operation, the smaller …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: In the City
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: In the City Throughout our nation's history, families living on small, diversified farms struggled to make ends meet. Farming was labor intensive work and one bad season could ruin the entire operation. Many households, therefore, supplemented their income through working outside of the farm. In extreme instances, the land was …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Favorite Name
Have you ever had a family member with an unusual name? A cousin named after their parent’s favorite car? Or maybe a nephew named after an obscure prophet from the Bible? In my family this honor goes to my uncle, Lanis Llayne Jaeger. Uncle Lanis, born on January 12, 1956, was the youngest of nine …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Brick Wall
An oft-repeated story in the Jaeger family is that of Peter Jaeger finding a black child along the Brazos River. In The Early Pioneer Families of Winedale, volume 1, Peter's great grandson Henry C. Jaeger Jr. tells the story: Another story of the freight line that my grandfather told me began with a load of …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Success
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Success Karl Emil Edwin Alexander Lorenz Hermann Rogalla von Bieberstein was born on March 12, 1823, in Brieg, a town in the province of Silesia in Prussia (present-day Poland). He was the son of Royal Prussian Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Rogalla von Bieberstein and Auguste Lorenz. Bieberstein studied law, finance, and …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Loss
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Loss Louis Lane Teague was born in Eagle Lake Texas on December 9, 1952 to Willie Vester and Rita Fern Teague. Little Louis was the great-great-great grandson of Carl and Marie Louise Hagedorn and his lineage is as follows: Carl + Marie Louise (née Knipping) Hagedorn Anna Marie (née Hagedorn) …