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 …
Tag: History
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: 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) …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Relationships
Ever since I began researching the history of the Witte section of the Jaeger Witte Cemetery, I have become curious about the relationships among the individuals buried in the lower Witte section. Family cemeteries function as a sort of "phone book" detailing who lived in the general area. But I found that some individuals such …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Gratitude
Gratitude If you want to see an example of gratitude, look at a dog. You give them food and shelter and they thank you with love and loyalty. Dogs are everywhere on farms and ranches. Any farmer knows the importance of having a good dog. But they serve a much greater purpose than just being …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Back to School
Research of the Winedale School building, presently located at the Winedale Historical Complex in Round Top, Texas, brings us back to three of the original pioneer families who settled in the Winedale community. They are the John Burkhardt family, brothers Heinrich and Martin Mayer, and the Peter Stork family. In 1846, the Mayer brothers, Burkhardt …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Benno and Louise
Benno Jaeger was born on August 30, 1899 to Henry and Alvina Jaeger. He was the fourth child out of nine (two died in infancy). Benno, called Bennie by most of the family, grew up on his parent’s farm in Brenham, Texas. He moved to Port Arthur at the age of 19 to work as …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Land
Close your eyes and think of the word "land." What do you see? Maybe it's a forest you've walked through. Or maybe you see a vast field of corn. You might even picture an image from Google Earth! When I pause and think of land, I am brought back to my grandparent's farm in Burton, …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Strong Women
Strong Women In The History of Early Pioneer Families of Winedale, vol II, Grandpa Henry writes: “When (our foremothers) came to America, they had very little food, clothing, and shelter. They built log houses for shelter and open fires for warmth in winter…. they had back-breaking household chores and many worked along with their husbands raising …
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Unexpected
Unexpected If you’ve ever done genealogy work, you know that it is impossible to not fall down the rabbit hole. We click on one name, which leads us to a newspaper article, which leads to another name, until we find ourselves wide awake at 2:00 a.m. with 17 internet browser windows open. While researching the …