Adolph Toepperwein's Tombstone
Son of: E.A.F. and Johanna Bergmann Toepperwein
Grandson of: Joseph Bergmann
First cousin to: Julius Adam, my great grandfather
My first cousin 3x removed
Occupation: Exhibition sharp-shooter
Birth place: Boerne, Texas
Mission Burial Park South (San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas). Adolph Toepperwein marker, Calvary Garden,
Block 7, Lot 705, space 11 and 12; personally read, 2011.
Joseph Bergmann Home
Simon Menger sold 54 acres of land from Survey No. 182 and 183 to Joseph Bergmann on 1 November 1853. The land was situated on the Cibolo about twenty five miles northwest of San Antonio. The east side of the property ended at Dr. Herff’s field and the west side was bounded by Fredericksburg Road. This road is now called the Old San Antonio Highway. There was a stipulation made by Menger in the deed that if Bergmann desired to sell the land and premises (there isn’t a description of the building) Menger had the first opportunity to purchase it again. Sam S. Smith, Bexar County Clerk of the County Court recorded this transaction on 15 November 1853 at 5:00 pm. Witnesses: W. H. Cleveland and Mariano Rodriguez.
In 1846, Simon Menger and his family arrived in Texas. He was well educated and taught school and was a musician. The family moved several times before settling in San Antonio where he started Menger Soap Works which operated until World War I. The present day address is 500 North Santa Rosa St.
Bergmann, Joseph. Family Home circa 1900s. Photograph of the original. 2000. By Gunner Froebel. Digital copy privately held by Regina Adam and Kathryn Adam-Hurst. Boerne, Texas. 2011.
Kendall County, Texas, “Transcribed Records of Bexar County,” Vol. 1: 286-288; Simon Menger to Joseph Bergmann, 15 November 1853; County Clerk’s Office, Kendall County. Bexar County, Texas. “Deed Records,” Vol. 1: 605-606; Bexar County Clerk’s Office, Bexar County.
Menger, Rudoph. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscences. San Antonio: Guessaz and Ferlet Co., 1913. http://books.google.com
John G. O’Grady
While visiting the Boerne Cemetery a few weeks ago, I came across John G. O’Grady tombstone. I like saying his name. It just flows off the tongue. He served as the second Post Master in Boerne from 1861-1869. In 1862, he was elected the first District Clerk of the newly formed Kendall County. J. G. O’Grady owned and operated the O’Grady Inn which was located on the south side of the Cibolo Creek. There is still a house on the site and I was told by Mrs. Edith Gray that the house and several of the houses on Evergreen Street were built from the lumber of the O’Grady Inn when it was torn down. In 1879, he donated one acre of land so a school could be built for the Balcones Community. Both he and his wife, Katherine, were born in Ireland.
Boerne Cemetery (Boerne, Kendall County, Texas). John G. O’Grady marker; personally read, 2011.
Kendall County Deed Record 4, p. 589.
I can’t believe it! It’s the second week of October. Even though friends were visitng, I thought I would be able to squeeze in a post or two last week. But as you can tell, that didn’t happen. On Monday morning, October 3, my son called. He was in the hospital. It seems his appendix didn’t like him anymore and wanted to leave and it did just that! I am thankful he didn’t try to “tough it out” thinking the pain would go away. As a result, the week quickly slipped by.
St. John's Lutheran Church San Antonio, Texas
Great news! I have new information about Wilhelmina Bergmann, wife of Gustav Bergmann and daughter-in-law of Joseph Bergmann. I received an email from Maria Pfeiffer, archivist at St. John’s Lutheran Church in San Antonio. She checked their burial files and found that Wilhelmina’s maiden name was Knopp and not Finger as was stated on Mina Bergmann Federolf’s death certificate. Mina was her second oldest daughter. Wilhelmina’s birth and death dates were also listed! Yea!! She was born 2 April 1832 and died 5 May 1904. Her tombstone had 1905 as her death date and no other dates.
The Bergmann families were members of St. John’s Lutheran Church which is located on Nueva Street in downtown San Antonio. All three daughters married there.
Gustav Bergmann
Born 13 June 1839 – Died 13 Jan 1895
Their children:
Rosa Bergmann
Born 6 July 1865 in Boerne, Kendall County, Texas – Died 25 June 1944 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Married 21 April 1883 to Alexander Goerges
Mina Bergmann
Born 31 December 1869 Boerne, Kendall County, Texas -Died 16 June 1960 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Married 15 September 1888 to George Federolf
Ida Bergmann
Born 4 December 1873 – Died 31 August 1901 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Married 7 March 1889 to Edward E. Dillard
Married 1900? Fritz Groos
Yesterday, my friend Donna and I went on a genealogy field trip. We visited five cemeteries and since it was the end of September we thought the 100 degree weather was over, but not so. Nevertheless, I found everyone I’d thought I would find including, someone I hoped I would find!
Our first stop was the Old St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery sometimes called the Old German Lutheran Cemetery. It is located East of downtown San Antonio near several other cemeteries.Gustav Bergmann, Joseph and Theresia Bergmann’s oldest son, was buried there according to the St. John’s Lutheran archive records. Of course, there always is a chance that there isn’t a tombstone, but I was not disappointed. A beautiful gray granite stone with curbing around the plot.
Gustav and Wilhelmina Bergmann’s Tombstones
Next we went to City Cemetery #1 to locate Johanna Bergmann Toepperwein’s tombstone. Johanna is the youngest daughter of Joseph and Theresia Bergmann.
Johanna Bergmann Toepperwein’s Tombstone
We visited the Hermann Sons’ Cemetery which is located in the same area as the Old Saint John’s Lutheran Cemetery and City Cemetery #1. We found Gustav’s oldest daughter, Rosa, and some of his grandchildren plus Ida his youngest daughter. I didn’t know where she was buried and was excited to find her and her husband!
Rosa Bergmann Goerges Plot at Hermann Sons’ Cemetery
Ida Bergmann Groos and her husband Fred. “Fritz” Groos. The lucky find!! Woo hoo!!
Ida was born in 1873 and died in 1901.
Ida Bergmann Groos’ Tombstone
Fritz belonged to the Woodman of the World. They always have the most interesting tombstones.
He was born in 1857 and died in 1906.
Fritz Groos’ Tombstone
It’s a fabulous Tombstone Tuesday!
City Cemetery #1 (San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas). Johanna Bergmann Toepperwein marker, personally read 2011.
Hermann Sons Cemetery (San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas). marker, Rosa Bergmann Goerges, Ida Bergmann Groos and Fritz Groos, personally read 2011.
Old Saint John’s Lutheran Cemetery (San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas). Gustav and Wilhelmine Bergmann marker, personally read 2011.
Conrad Adam
Once the Civil War was in full swing, every male from age 18 to 45 was required to register. As the war progressed and more men left home, the Indians began to raid more frequently. In December 1863 an act of the 10th Texas Legislature divided the state into districts and mustered men to help protect the frontier. In March of 1864, Conrad Adam was 37 years old and enlisted with the Company for the 3rd Frontier. The commanding officer was Capt. William E. Jones who reported to Brigadier General J. D. McAdoo. I’m not sure how much action the company saw, but they were prepared. Conrad served from March 1 to June 1, 1864, for a total of 23 days. He was paid $46.00 for his service but had to pay .50 for 1 powder horn, so he actually received $45.50. At the time of enlistment, he had 1 pistol, 1 shotgun, and 1 rifle. He was listed on the muster roll as Cornelius Adam but he signed for his wages as Conrad Adam. Thank goodness; otherwise, I would not have been sure it was him. Heinrich Dietert, his brother-in-law, served with him.
I have often wondered if Conrad was a strong supporter of the Confederacy. Many of the Texas Hill Country Germans were very upset about being part of the Confederacy. When they arrived in Texas, it was part of the United States and that is where their loyalty lay. The area was in turmoil for a several years with the lynching of German Union supporters in Fredericksburg and a massacre of Union German men from Comfort. It seems Conrad’s focus was on protecting his friends, family, and home from the raiding bands of Indians, so I guess I have my answer.
Conrad’s picture was taken well after the Civil War, but I love those wide lapels. It reminds me of the 1970s.
“Kendall County Muster Roll February 1864.” Confederate Card File. The Archives Library, Texas State Library, Austin, Texas.
Theresia Ohnesorge Bergmann
Joseph and Theresia Bergmann's tombstones 2011
I like to watch the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? One of the advertisers for the show is Ancestry.com. In the commercial, they say click on the “leaf for hints”. I was skeptical, what are the odds that I would actually connect with someone and we would swap information. I signed up for a three month trial. Well, let me tell you right now IT’S TRUE! I have been looking for information about the Joseph Bergmann family. According the Gunner Froebel family tree, there was another son named Gustav born about 1840. I added him to the family tree and a green leaf appeared. I clicked on the leaf and I found a picture of him and his wife! I learned he was a saloon keeper and had three daughters! Can you believe it?? Plus I contacted the person who submitted the information. Christy lives in California and if I figured it out correctly; Joseph is also her 3rd great grandfather! When my three month trial is up, I will be signing on. I’m pumped!!
Gustav Bergmann
Gustav was a saloon keeper on the Corner of Commerce and Presa in downtown San Antonio.
In 1891, the family residence was 256 Garden Street. The street name was later changed to Navarro.
He died about 1893.
Wilhemina Knopp Bergmann
Wilhemina and Gustav had three daughters.
Ida born 1873
Rosa born 1865
Wilhemina born 1869
Christy generously shared the pictures and information with me. Thank you!
This past weekend and today we did some sheep wrangling. We worked with a dozen lambs. They needed their tails docked, ears tagged, and vaccinations. I didn’t think that was too bad because they are small and fairly easy to handle. It takes three people to do the job efficiently. Today was another story. Two rams needed to go to the vet to be fertility tested. They didn’t want to go and were not agreeable to walking to the truck and stepping into the cage which was on the back of the truck. What’s up with that?? My husband took the brunt of the unhappy rams but eventually persuaded them to load up. So what was it like in the good old days?
I don’t think anyone would have taken a ram for fertility testing. A hand shake and your word was good enough. The only time you had to load up a ram was when you sold him. I think the wrangler and the ram would have been much happier!
Four generations of Adam men have raised sheep on their farms. They raised wool sheep in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 21st century this changed because it is difficult to find someone locally to shear the sheep.They now raise hair sheep which orginally came from South Africa.
Here is a picture of a herd of wool sheep taken in 1914. In the background, you can see the Conrad Adam/Julius Adam house.
Adam Homestead 1914
Sheep Grazing in front of Conrad Adam Home. Photograph of the original held by Gunner Froebel family. Digital copy privately held by Regina Adam. Boerne.
Balcones School 1930s
For most of the 20th century the school bells did not start ringing until the day after Labor Day. The last day was usually around Memorial Day. In the early part of the 1900s, school sometimes didn’t start until October and ended in March, as was the case in 1900-1901, when my grandfather, Willie Adam, was seven years old. The school year began October 15, 1900, and ended March 16, 1901. He attended the Balcones School located on the Boerne Stage Road or at that time it was the main road from Boerne to San Antonio. (Highway 9). The school building is located next to the Balcones Creek which is the boundary line between Kendall and Bexar Counties. Most residents in Kendall County call this school the Lower Balcones School.
In 1900-1901 school year, the Balcones School was a one room wooden school house with 20 double desks. During the 1908-1909 school year, Willie was the oldest boy in the school and his younger brother Eugene and his sister Hilda also attended school with him. The building had not changed from the 1901 assessment but in 1910 a new one was built. My father always understood the one room school burned down and in its place a two room school was built.
My father, his brother and many of his cousins attended the Balcones School. His grandfather, Julius Adam, was on the school board for a number of years and later his son, Willie Adam, served on the board. Sometimes during a school year, the school teacher lived with Julius and Ida Adam . It was about a mile walk to school from the Adam farm.
A couple of memories from attending school there in the 1930s.
One time, the wooden shingle roof on the Julius Adam home caught fire and someone came and got the school kids so they could form a bucket brigade. They put the fire out. Don’t you know that was exciting but hard work!
In 1936, Texas was celebrating its Centennial. The school teacher took a number of the Balcones students on the train to Dallas to experience the State Celebration and Fair. Daddy, his brother, his cousins Jack, Wallace, Julian, Doris and a number of others went. They stayed for three days. While on the train, it seems the older boys in the group (brother and cousins) convinced my father that he could fit in the luggage compartment. They assisted in squeezing him into the compartment but he got stuck and couldn’t get out! They had to call a conductor to help him. While at the fair, the kids rode the carnival rides, looked at the exhibits and had a great time. It was “lots of fun.“
What I want to know is, did the teacher have as good a time as the kids? What were all of their parents doing while practically all the kids in the neighborhood were gone? Were they dancing in the street?
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