By Myra Lee Adams Goff

Sophienburg Board member Tobin Hoffmann invites you to the Sophienburg’s July 4^th parade and celebration on the Plaza. A big group of the members of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association will be gathering in New Braunfels and they will be in the parade. Plenty of folks will be showing their patriotism. The short parade will begin on Castell Ave., turn left on San Antonio St. and end at the Plaza with speeches and the rousing patriotic sounds from the popular Community Band. Hoffmann is a good choice for July 4th chairman. He has vivid memories of parades, picnics in Landa Park, and fireworks.

Before the July 4^th celebration was taken over by the Sophienburg in the late 1970s, it was sponsored by the Volunteer Fire Department. In the early days, a parade on July 4th culminated in water competitions on the Plaza. A real crowd-pleaser was water polo in which a beer keg was suspended from a cable. Two fire department teams faced each other, each team holding a fire hose in “tug of war” fashion. They would turn on the water, point the hose at the barrel and “let ‘er rip” trying to move the barrel over the line. If you were at the Plaza, you were guaranteed to get wet.

The New Braunfels Volunteer Fire Department has an interesting history. There was no fire department for 40 years and the biggest early fire was in 1861 when the Torrey Mill on the Comal River was destroyed and no one could do anything about it. Oscar Haas’ translation of the “Zeitung” reveals this: In 1866 the City Council passed an ordinance that no combustible material could be used for roofs, thus NB became known as the “City of Tin Roofs”. Mayor Hermann Seele recommended that fire equipment be ordered, but this didn’t happen due to an inability to raise funds.

Over 10 years later, a firefighting contraption called a “Feuerspritze” was purchased. It was an upright square box mounted on a two-wheeled cart, equipped with pressure pump and two pulling ropes. It was pulled by six men and pushed by six men, with eight men operating the pump shaft where they got water from private wells.

This primitive method ended in 1886 when the city water works system was installed and wooden water mains were dug up to the Plaza. According to Battalion Chief Darren Brinkkoeter 20 locations for fire hydrants and trenches had been identified. Two hose carts were purchased, one of which is in the Fire Department Museum. In addition, Mayor Joseph Faust announced that the City Council had taken steps to acquire hoses and asked for the formation of two volunteer fire companies. Forty young men showed up at Lenzen Halle and on June 10, 1886, the New Braunfels Volunteer Fire Dept. was organized with one hook and ladder company and two hose and reel companies.

The Hook and Ladder Co.’s elected officers were Capt. Joseph Roth, and Asst. Capt. Richard Weber. Hose and Reel Co. #2 elected Capt. William Schmidt and Asst. Capt. Carl Jahn. Hose and Reel Co. #1 elected Capt. Richard Gerlich, and Asst. Capt. John Sippel.

The Volunteer Fire Department was more than a fire-fighting organization. They sponsored the July 4^th parade, conducted a Maifest, sponsored dances, put on costumed shows, had a band, and for years were the most active of all social organizations. In 1918 a professional Fire Department was organized and by 2001 the Volunteer Fire Department disbanded.

Just like old times, leading this year’s July 4^th parade will be a 1950 Ford Pumper Truck. There won’t be any water displays but it willbe exciting. While you’re thinking of all those military heroes past and present, give a thought to the Fire Department, Police Department, the Volunteer Fire Department, and all those helicopter pilots.

A 1929 Fire Department Race Team. L-R: Marcus Adams, Herbert Barth, Norman Henne, and Ted Eggeling.

By Myra Lee Adams Goff

Even as a child I perceived that there must be some connection between one’s personality and one’s genes because when I behaved myself, both parents were quick to claim their genetic contribution. On the other hand, when I did something wrong, both disclaimed their genetic bestowal. Since my parents were complete opposites in abilities and personalities, it was inevitable that I was going to be claimed by one of them at least half of the time. They would say, “She’s from your side of the family.” or “She’s from my side of the family”. This is my favorite: “She’s from the other side of the family”. The subject of how much of your personality is inherited or how much is environmental is questionable but your genealogy is provable.

Before you can try to answer this age old question, you must know who your ancestors are (genealogy). The Comal County Genealogy Society has been the backbone of research at the Sophienburg for quite a while. Their research in booklet form can be used in family research. And some booklets are for sale in Sophie’s Shop.

The Genealogy Society has compiled a Comal County death record index from 1903 to 1931, a birth index for New Braunfels from 1910 to 1970, marriage records from 1846 to 1929, a naturalization index from 1847 to 1927, probate indexes from 1846 to 1940 and Census lists from 1850 to 1930. In addition there are cemetery records in and outside of New Braunfels.

The genealogists are never finished. They complete one project and then go on to the next. For example, Everett Fey and Marlena Schlather are compiling lists of emigrants who arrived at Indianola from 1844 until 1847. I asked, “Don’t we already know that?” to which Fey answered, “Not all the emigrants settled in New Braunfels and we want to trace where they went”.

Jane Phelps is another one of those busy genealogists. Fey calls what Phelps is doing “a genealogist’s dream”. She takes the translated obituaries from the newspaper and puts the information on the computer. The eventual aim is for a person to access an ancestor’s name, and find out parents’ names, date of birth, marriage, and date and cause of death.

Connie Krause is working on cemetery lists and preservation and Wilfred Schlather is researching Comal County’s Civil War involvement.

Through the generosity of about 400 families, Sophienburg has family books that are open to researchers. Sophienburg employee LaVerne Pearce is a good source of information because genealogy is one of her primary interests. Give her a local name and she can just about tell you who you’re related to.

Volunteer Ralph Koch’s job at the Sophienburg is to catalog the extensive Oscar Haas collection. In spite of his German name, Koch had no NB family connections until his parents moved here in 1955. Koch moved his young family here in 1974.

Now here’s where Pearce comes in: Koch received an obituary for an Alva Koch from a friend wanting to know if he was related. He and Pearce looked through the Weidner family book, found no connection between Ralph Koch and Alva Koch, but Pearce discovered her name instead and found out surprisingly that she was related to Alva Koch. That’s how genealogy works.

This next Saturday, the Genealogy Society is going to conduct a class at the Sophienburg in how to trace your genealogy - how to get started, what resources to use, etc. For a small fee of 10 dollars, members of this group will guide you in your quest to discover your ancestry (and maybe why you act the way you do, just kidding). The time is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an hour off for lunch. Call Lil at 629-1572 for a reservation.

Ralph Koch and LaVerne Pearce examine the 1862 muster roll of Capt. John W. Stayton Co. Infantry of Atascosa County, part of the vast Oscar Haas collection at the Sophienburg.