By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

This autobiographical sketch was written prior to a Reflections: Oral History Program taping recorded on November 13, 1979. Mr. Fischer was born in December of 1896. He was the son of Fritz Fischer and Caroline nee Klinger Fischer and one of 12 children. He passed away 10 months after the recording, at the age of 83.

The following excerpt beautifully describes the joy and wonder of his younger years and his amazing life-long work ethic.

I was born on a farm Dec 9, 1896, in a small rock house at Twin Sisters, Blanco Co, Texas. In those days all small boys wore dresses and being the baby of twelve, I had lots of hand-me-downs.

After this period was over, my brother Walter bought me a four-month-old German Shepherd black dog. When this dog was 1½ years old and grown, Walter made me a gig out of two wheels, an axle seat and two broom sticks. I trained this dog, and after several months, I would get on the seat and drive him anywhere just like a horse. After about a year, I decided that I needed a two-span team and tried to teach a hound for the second member. This worked out very well until one day I was driving my two dogs in the pasture when the hound spotted a jack rabbit and took out after him. I fell off and the rig and harnesses were completely demolished. All the consolation I got out of my brother was, “I told you so!”

On account of my mother’s health, I was not baptized until I was five years old. She was not able to go, but my dad, brother Otto and sister Alwina took me. We drove to church in a big hack pulled by two mules. When we arrived at the church, my brother lifted me out of the hack and as we walked to the building he said, “Now this is your last chance to pick your name. What do you want it to be, Robert, George or Albert?” I picked Albert. Up to this time I was called “Manny”.

At the age of six I started to school. Had to walk two miles. My dog walked half the way with me and at 4:30 he would meet me at the same spot daily for the return walk.

At nine years of age, we moved to New Braunfels. At the country school everything was in German. I could not speak any English until I was eight. The first English I learned was from neighboring colored children. At the beginning of the fourth school year, we started English. Six months of English saved my standing in the New Braunfels School. I was ahead in about half of the studies, so they placed me in the fifth grade but I had to go back to the second grade for history, geography and English. In two years I caught up with the others in these subjects. The first day in the New Braunfels School, the teacher cut up a stick and an apple and explained the fractions. I was way ahead in arithmetic as I could add, divide and multiply fractions. After the adjusting years were over, I sailed away smoothly, never failed, and graduated from High School in the class of ’13 (1913) at the age of 15.

When I was 12, I went to work at a cleaning and pressing shop after school and Saturdays at a starting salary of 90 cents per week. I kept this up until I graduated, at which time I was drawing $5 per week. A little later my boss, Mr. Alex Floege, sold the cleaning shop as he had inherited an interest in a horse collar factory and he talked me into going to work for him at $10 per week. The work was hard and I got to where I could not take it. After six weeks, I went to work for the Henne Family as office boy at the lumber yard at $20 per month. After three years at this job, I was transferred to the general office at the hardware store at $40 per month working under the office manager, Curt Linnartz.

When I left for the Navy in 1918, I was drawing $85 per month which was the fourth highest salary out of their 27 employees. Some of them had been there 20 and 25 years.

During 1918, most of my friends were drafted, as they were several years older than I was and I felt lost at home. There was only one bright spot for me during this period. In those days, most of the boys had bicycles. I worked up a racket. I bought their bikes for $5 and I did not have any hard time selling them for $10. When it came time for me to go to the service, I had two bikes left. I sold one and gave the other to my nephew, Dr. Ottmar Stratemann. That was 60 years ago.

About ten years ago a dentist told me that I needed dentures. A few weeks later I visited Dr. Stratemann and told him what my dentist had told me. He is well acquainted with this dentist, but he decided that it was not necessary for me to get dentures. While we were talking, someone cancelled an appointment and upon learning this, he decided that he could x-ray my teeth during this time and see whether or not the dentist was right. He found the same thing, that is, I had only one good tooth in my mouth. I offered to pay him, but he said, “You don’t owe me anything. Don’t you remember that you gave me a bicycle when I did not have any money to buy one?” I did not expect that, but he insisted so we were squared off.

After the war, Albert went back to his job at Henne’s and then worked for the IRS in Austin. He eventually moved to the Cuero area where he worked for Magnolia Oil Company (MOBIL) and then the Crescent Valley Creamery as office manager.

He was married — twice — and had one son.

In 1952, he made a full circle back to his first job and bought a drycleaning/laundry business. In 1964, he sold that business to his son and retired.

Almost. His son bought a second laundromat in 1978 and Albert took it on. He ended his 1979 autobiographical sketch with a lot of pride in how he lived his life and his accomplishments:

During my business career, I opened or kept from sinking, eight establishments, four for the Crescent Valley Creamery and four for myself. All of them turned out successful and all but one are still operating. At 83, I work eight hours a day, seven days a week, and I enjoy it.

As I said before, Albert C. Fischer passed on 10 months later.

Well done Mr. Fischer, well done.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum & Archives, Fischer family genealogy, Reflections: Oral History Program #155.

“Around the Sophienburg” is published every other weekend in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

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By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

Have you ever heard of the song “Someone To Watch Over Me”? It was written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1926. I am, in fact, a fan of jazz and big band music, so my favorite version is the one recorded in 1959 by the deep, velvety-throated, Ella Fitzgerald. In truth, it is a love song, but really, who would not want someone to watch over them?

We each have family, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses and many others that watch over us. Then there are those that watch over our animals, our community and our future. Meet E.A. Grist, DVM. You may have known him. He was a man of many talents, most of which involved caring — for animals, for family, for people, for New Braunfels.

Born Edgar Alfred Grist in Austin, Texas, in 1915, he grew up being outdoors. He was a Sea Scout and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Having expressed an interest in caring for animals at a very young age, Grist set off for Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College after high school to be a veterinarian.

He arrived in New Braunfels in June 1937, just two days after he and the other 21 members of the Class of ‘37 graduated from Texas A&M. He promptly opened his veterinary practice at 637 W. San Antonio St. on June 25, 1937, becoming the first veterinarian in New Braunfels and Comal County.

In what could only be described as the “perfect meet-cute”, Dr. Grist met Elizabeth Ann (Betty) Wille, daughter of a prominent New Braunfels dentist and granddaughter of one of the first physicians to practice in the city, when she brought her sister’s sick dog into the vet clinic. That meeting was the beginning of a lifelong love affair. They married a couple of months later and eventually added four wonderful children to the family: John, Eddye-Beth, Mike and Joe.

Early in his practice, Dr. Grist was awarded a scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., for sanitary engineering, adding a whole new dimension to this veterinarian’s life. In 1940, he began working for the Texas State Health Department, Food & Drug Division. The job required that he travel across the state for five to six weeks at a time by bus, and yet he still managed to practice veterinary medicine in Comal County. His wife Betty would meet him for weekends in various parts of the state when he was traveling.

He then worked as Assistant State Veterinarian for a year, before he was elected as Texas State Veterinarian in 1943. It was his job to investigate meat processing sites around the state to prevent illness from parasites and diseased meat. He would many times be sent out to find rural illegal slaughter sites set up in a canvas tent with poor sanitation in the heat of the Texas summers. Imagine cattle carcasses lying in pools of blood leaching into the ground water. The health and safety of his fellow Texans was very important to Dr. Grist.

In 1949, he and Betty bought 20 plus acres on 727 N. Live Oak along the Comal Creek, where they set up New Braunfels Veterinary Hospital to treat small animals — dogs, cats, birds. The barn for large animals was added later where they treated sheep, goats, pigs, horses and cattle. Their impressive patient list even included a python from the Snake Farm and Russian bears from a traveling circus. The whole family was involved in his clinic. Betty wore many hats. She became his receptionist, vet tech and bookkeeper. The children’s chores included cleaning cages and stalls, and sometimes assisting on ranch calls. In 1952, the Grists built their home on the property. Their youngest son, Joe, still lives on the family property with his wife, Susi.

Grist took his commitment to veterinary medicine seriously. Throughout his career, he held multiple offices at the state and federal levels. He served as Executive Secretary of the Texas Medical Association, Vice President of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Extension Veterinarian for Texas A&M and the first federal poultry inspector. In New Braunfels, Grist established the Comal Cooperative Creamery, which later became Ol’ Bossy Dairy.

Veterinary medicine presented multiple challenges to Dr. Grist. In 1955, he was appointed as the city’s Chief Meat Inspector. It was in this capacity that he worked to educate ranchers, deer hunters and pet owners about disease, proper sanitation and vaccination of animals, especially during several outbreaks of rabies, anthrax, psitticosis (parrot fever threat to humans from parakeets) and brucellosis (threat to humans from dairy products).

It was also in his capacity as meat inspector that he may have accomplished his most recognizable achievement, known by people far and wide. Grist and wife, Betty, hit upon an idea for a festival based on similar festivals in Germany. Grist presented his idea for a sausage festival to generate tourism, create commerce and pay tribute to the city’s heritage to New Braunfels City Council in 1961. I think he hit it out of the park! What began as a one-day sausage festival has grown to the 10-day Wurstfest we know today drawing over 230,000 visitors and generating over $2 million for local civic organizations, not to mention the commerce enjoyed by local businesses.

Dr. Grist retired in 1970 after 33 years in veterinary practice, and 15 years of meat inspection, but he did not slow down. He became the City Sanitarian, protecting our water, rivers, and aquifer from contamination by humans. Dr. Grist passed away in 1994.

Dr. E.A. Grist, veterinarian, family man, proponent of public safety and water conservation, and community minded leader. This is the kind of guy I want to watch over me and my family and my community. I can just hear the velvety tones of Ella’s words, “Someone to watch over me”.

The Texas Historical Commission will honor the achievements of E.A. Grist with a historical marker. The marker dedication will take place at 1 p.m. on June 2 at Wursthalle on the Wurstfest grounds.  The marker will be installed at the Grist property at a later date.

Sources: The Grist Family Collection; Texas Historical Commission.

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By Tara V. Kohlenberg and Mark Rahe —

I love the buildings in New Braunfels. I especially like the ones in downtown New Braunfels and Comaltown. Built over a period of 150 years, each building tells a story in every little detail of each window, porch, and roofline. They are a snapshot of the historical development of New Braunfels. Of course, I have my favorites, but then there are those that just break my heart because they look so sad.

The white house on the corner of Seguin Avenue and Garden Street is the perfect example of a heartbreaker. It has tragically deteriorated before our eyes. Even in its current state, it is captivating. So, what’s the story with this forlorn looking beauty?

For starters, it is known as the Blumberg House, so named because it was built by F.G. Blumberg, businessman and former mayor of New Braunfels, for his bride Bettina Scholl. Built about 1900, the Blumberg House is a typical example of the Queen Anne style Victorian house, generally built between 1880 and 1910. With its steep roof form, the cutaway bay window and asymmetrical placement of the rounded, wrapped porch, the house presents as a classic example of the Queen Anne style, even though there were a number of odd additions made to the house sometime after 1922 that do not necessarily fit the style.

The roof styles changed slightly over the span of the Queen Anne period. The pitch of the hip roof was initially very steep about 1885, becoming only slightly less so around 1895, as seen in the Blumberg House. After 1905, the pitch became much less steep, making the gable roof the more predominant feature. The Blumberg House’s steeply hipped roof and lower forward facing dominant cross gable, is common to over half of all Queen Anne-type houses. In addition, the Blumberg House’s overwhelming hip roof is ornamented with a cool decorative bay window dormer, topped with a simple pediment roof.

Another characteristic of the Queen Anne style is decorative detailing. The fanciful style seems to abhor flat, boring surfaces; therefore, they overly decorated absolutely everything, including the porch with its decorative trim spindlework suspended around the top. The repetitive pattern of wood lathe-turned sticks are called spindles because the design resembles wooden sewing thread spindles or “spools” used at the time. While the Blumberg House spindles are each the same, the simple knob-like beads, when designed in staggering patterns can resemble the notes found on a sheet of music. Spindlework has also been referred to as “gingerbread,” or Eastlake-style detailing, named for the 19th century English furniture maker Charles Eastlake. The porch columns and balustrade are composed of beautifully detailed period-styled turned wood. Even the cutaways at the front bay window and brackets at each porch column contain intricate wooden fret-sawn patterns.

By the time the Blumberg House was under construction, the railway was well established in New Braunfels, making possible delivery of all sorts of goods, including construction materials, ordered through catalogs. Decorative house ornamentation like spindlework was mass-produced and sold in pattern books with names like Anna Marie, The Lisa, The Mary Elizabeth. It’s likely the spindlework and possibly other ornamentation and turned wood constructs on the Blumberg House were sourced in this way.

Queen Anne s

tyling actually uses many other decorative devices to break up flat surfaces. They either do it spatially by the addition of bays, towers, overhangs or wall projections, or texturally by the use of varied wall materials with differing patterns and textures. Though the house does not have the tower structure so often identified with this style, the dominant feature of the Blumberg House is the asymmetrically placed cutaway bay window “cut away” from the overhang above it. The bay window provides the same function as inclusion of a tower, adding an intentional randomness. Likewise, the broadness of the hip roof plane that dominates the front of the house is broken by the elegantly proportioned dormer window noted previously. As for a textural contribution, they added chamfer-cornered horizontal bands of wood shingles that look like fish scales on the gables of this particular house.

So, just who is this F.G. Blumberg who owned such a magnificent home on the main thoroughfare of New Braunfels? Ferdinand Gustav Blumberg was the last of 11 children born to German immigrant farmers in Schumannsville, Texas, in 1879. He worked hard to move up in the world and had a lot of different kinds of jobs. He was listed as a dry goods salesman when he married Bettina Scholl in 1900. That is when their beautiful home was built on Seguin Street (changed to Avenue in 1926). By 1910 he was in the wholesale malt liquor business. He served as a director of the Chamber of Commerce and director of New Braunfels State Bank. He was listed as president of that same bank in 1920. Ferdinand was elected mayor in 1922 and 1924. In 1926, his fortunes began to change. He lost re-election in April of 1926, suffered financial misfortunes later in that year, and finally filed for bankruptcy. The bank sold off what was known as the Blumberg Building (the two-story building on Main Plaza now housing New Braunfels Coffee across from the courthouse) to satisfy debts.

About that same time, F.G. Blumberg left town. The beautiful Blumberg House passed to his wife, Bettina, in October of 1926. He married Elvira Tolle on February 14, 1927. Unfortunately, the notice of his divorce from Bettina was published four days later. Ferdinand went on to be a credit manager for car dealerships in San Antonio and Corpus Christi areas before returning to New Braunfels in the late 1930s to retire. Ferdinand died in 1952. His second wife, Vira, lived until 1981 on Tolle Street. He never produced heirs.

First wife Bettina maintained her residence in the Blumberg House until 1948 when she it sold to O.A. Stratemann Sr. It was utilized by the Stratemann family, as far as we could discern, as a rental property until a few years ago. The home has fallen into disrepair and was recently sold. I hope that magnificent example of Queen Anne architecture will go on living in New Braunfels for another 100 years.

Sources: A Field Guide to American Houses (1984, 2013), Virginia Savage McAlester; Sophienburg Museum & Archives.

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By Myra Lee Adams Goff

We are celebrating the 175th Anniversary of New Braunfels and its unique culture in which music played a large part. Music creates sounds that evoke different emotions. Sounds representing joy, sadness, patriotism, history and love and can be produced through many different instruments and particularly through the voice. “Music has charms to soothe the savage breast, to soften and bend the knotted oak.” (William Congreve, an English playwright and poet).

German immigrants brought their music with them when they made their way across the ocean to the shores of the Republic of Texas. One might say that the Germans brought their culture with them by singing. Vocal music can be easily produced and consequently shared by everyone.

The sounds of music are universal. Add words to the tunes and an even clearer picture of the culture emerges. Listen to the rousing Wurstfest song, “Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemutlichkeit” and immediately words added to the tune convey a toast, (“Ein Prosit”) and (“Gemutlichkeit “) meaning good wishes or happiness. Now you know something about the culture. The poet Longfellow said “…the soul of man is revealed through his voice.”

A humorous story first told by Hermann Seele, and repeated many times, was this: The immigrants had strung a table across the flooding Guadalupe River and made a boat out of the bed of an oxen wagon to bring provisions over across the river. One day a barrel of white wine was being hauled across the river and ended up on a stone embankment. The barrel sprung a leak and the men used hats or pots and pans to catch and drink the wine until their jubilation rose above the rush of the waters, singing the song put to verse by Prince Carl and set to music by Captain Alexis Bauer. The song was “Durch des Weltmeers Wogen,” meaning “Through the Ocean Waves.” This story has a lot of “Reallys?” to it but what good story doesn’t?

From the beginning of New Braunfels, music, particularly singing, was a part of family and community life. Germans love to gather together with people of similar interests. It is understandable that singing groups organized early on. I remember that as a child, I would go with my mother to be with her family and they would sit around talking and suddenly burst into song. I thought everyone’s family did that.

In 1850, a singing society named Germania was organized. Under the direction of Gottfried Petmecky, the group sang at their first event July 4th, celebration on the banks of the Comal River. Two cannons were fired to open the celebration. The cannons were brought to New Braunfels in the early years by Prince Carl. July 4th continued to be celebrated in the same manner for the next two years.

In 1853, the July 4th celebration was held on Hermann Seele’s property. A parade through town was led by the Rifle Company and the Singing Society. They were singing what they called “jolly songs.” The Singing Society kept good records of this first event. They (the Society) stomped the clay ground and covered it with tarps topped with branches. Tables were placed inside, and the celebration lasted until dawn the next day. Quite a celebration in true German fashion. Ein Prosit!

It was on this same property that the Society (Saengerbund) built a dance hall called the Saengerhalle. They decided that they would host a festival. Invitations were sent out to nearby groups. Seventy-three singers risked their lives crossing the flooded Guadalupe River to attend. After the event, an informal dance was held.

By 1876, many other singing societies had formed. During World War I and II, German singing society memberships declined due to the unpopularity of German singing. Texas Germans endured anti-German sentiments. They were forbidden to speak German and fewer were willing to openly celebrate their heritage. After WWII, several societies experienced a rebirth. Eventually larger singing leagues were formed and organized. These leagues sponsored Saengerfests or singing festivals.

Several local organizations formed over the years. In 1937, the Gemischter Chor Harmonie was established as a men’s singing club. By 1952, the Gemischter Chor Harmonie had grown to become a mixed choir with both men and women members. However, membership slowly began to decline by the late 1950s due to the aging of the original singers who had been with the group since its founding. Television by this time was competing on the entertainment scene. Then in 1959, the singing groups, Gesangverein Echo, Gemischter Chor Frohsinn and Gemischter Chor Harmonie, decided to build a new hall on property that was donated by Gilbert Becker. This second Saengerhalle was built to continue cultural traditions like Seele’s hall built in 1850. The new Saengerhalle hosted many concerts and family events. In 1996, that hall was sold due to the inability to keep up the expenses.

The Gemischter Chor Harmonie is the only singing group that’s still in existence in Comal County after eighty-two years. They show resilience and dedication and they continue to promote the German heritage and culture through their music.

Research for this article was done by John and Cindy Coers for the purpose of applying for a Texas Historical Marker to be placed in Landa Park.

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By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

There’s been a lot of chatter on a local Facebook group recently about Queen of Hearts. In an effort to satisfy inquiring minds, I did a little research. The Queen of Hearts is an age-old tradition of a bygone era (which is really hard to say and harder to see in print since I was around for some of it). Queen of Hearts was a week-long New Braunfels High School fundraiser that took place each February. It was THE social event of the year, featuring competition between the classes to finance the Unicorn yearbook. The week of competition culminated in a formal dance and crowning the winner, Queen of Hearts.

The very first Queen of Hearts was held in 1937. The Unicorn Band came up with the idea to hold a concert and dance to raise funds for the band. Along with it, they sponsored a contest to elect the Queen of Hearts. It was open to any girl in the area. Votes could be purchased for a penny a piece with votes being cast at Peerless Pharmacy, Richter Pharmacy, Plaza Drugs or in the Principal’s office. The winner that year was Mary Louise Hobson. The total amount raised was $17. That may not seem like a huge amount, but it was a lot in the post-Depression era.

In 1938, Queen of Hearts was promoted as a Valentine Carnival featuring a dazzling floor show, Games of Luck, Games of Skill and a supper which was sponsored by the Future Homemakers and the Senior Class. Instead of buying votes for the Queen, classes competed to raise funds to help finance the yearbook. One girl representative was selected from each class. The class earning the most money through their projects had their representative crowned queen. New Braunfels High School was located on Mill Street at that time and housed six classes of students 7th through 12th grades.

Queen of Hearts continued to be held annually, but the class competition projects changed and grew with the times. In 1940, participants from all six classes took part in the floor show entertainment for the coronation. The identity of the Queen was secret until coronation. At that time money was raised through service type activities. LaVerne Schwab Pearce remembers that during WWII, the classes collected/sold scrap newspapers, aluminum and iron and turned it in for money. She also remembers that cake bakes, which have always been a staple of Queen of Hearts class projects, did not take place during the War Years because sugar was rationed. Although the fundraising competition was held, there were actually no annuals produced for class years 1943 and 1944 due to shortages and rationing of supplies.

For many years the upper classmen would easily win the competitions, but in 1944, the 8th grade class stunned everyone by getting their candidate, Rachelle Mendlovitz, crowned Queen . In 1948, the designation of monies for yearbook changed slightly to include campus beautification.

By 1950, the funds raised were strictly to help offset the cost of printing the yearbook. Myra Lee Adams Goff remembers that one of the reasons that she was crowned Queen of Hearts was because her mother made “thousands of pralines” to sell. They were more popular than cakes or pies.

The Class of 1951 was the last class to graduate from the high school on Mill Street. The following year only the top three grades moved to the new Guenther Street high school. Mill Street became the junior high with grades seven through nine. In addition to having fewer classes competing, the 1952 Queen of Hearts decided to include the election of a King of Hearts in same manner as queen. Apparently, it had a surprise ending as Senior Esther Kanz was voted Queen and Sophomore Malcom Bartels was voted King. That did not set well with the classes. The following year, Class representatives were chosen as a pair. The first King and Queen of Hearts chosen as a pair were Juniors Mary Lou Obercampf and Charles Hower. Queen of Hearts celebrated their Silver Anniversary in 1962, also the year the current NBHS opened on the hill. They raised $2484.04 that year. By 1972, the classes easily raised $5260.09.

The 1970s and 1980s saw little change in the format or the money making projects, some of which included singing valentines, car washes, bake sales, Rent-a-Kid, and Queen of Hearts supper. The coronation ceremony had all the pomp and circumstance of any coronation in Europe. The trumpeters still heralded the entry of the court into the gym. The queens, each in ball gowns of white, performed a Texas Dip (deep extended curtsy) to her escort at center court before taking their place on the stage. In 1995, that all changed. The students still raised money through projects and competed for points in a “fun night” of games, but the annual dance was done away with. The coronation took place right after Fun Night and the girls wore casual street length dresses. As time progressed, Queen of Hearts popularity waned. There were multiple factors contributing to the decline, one of the most important being the inability to serve or sell homemade goods after a city hepatitis outbreak. Another was the district’s contract with an outside food service company that prevented any outside food sales on campus or use of the cafeteria for the spaghetti supper. The culture of the high school also changed, with overtaxed teachers and administrators no longer willing to support a tradition that did not directly benefit them. Queen of Hearts disappeared for a couple of years. In 2000, it made a return in a very pared down version that consisted mostly of Fun Night and the casual coronation. It lasted only a few more years before sputtering to a stop. The final Queen and King of Hearts were crowned in 2003 with monies going to Habitat for Humanity. According to what I can find, Queen CandiZeitungce Box and King Jody Walker will forever hold that notable distinction. The list is too long to print in the Herald-, but there is a complete listing of all of the Queens and Kings of Hearts from 1937 to 2003 below.

Request: The Sophienburg Museum and Archives is missing some NBHS annuals from our collection. If you have annuals from 1977, 1978, 1994-99, or anything after 2003 that you would like to donate to the Archives, we would gratefully take them.

New Braunfels High School Queens and Kings of Hearts

• 1937 — Marry Louise Hopson
• 1938 — Freddie Robertson
• 1939 — Martha Dietz
• 1940 — Elvira Kinser
• 1941 — Trilby Schnautz
• 1942 — Mary Ann Stollewerk
• 1943 — Mary Lynn Williams
• 1944 — Rachelle Mendlovitz
• 1945 — Jeanelda Denmark
• 1946 — Carolyn Karbach
• 1947 — Peggy Ludwig
• 1948 — Kathleen Karbach
• 1949 — Jane Warwick
• 1950 — Myra Lee Adams
• 1951 — Bonnie Ann Knox
• 1952 — Ester May Kanz, , Malcolm Bartels
• 1953 — Mary Lou Oberkampf, Charles Hower
• 1954 — Linda Larkin, Franklin Demuth
• 1955 — Mabry Otto, Fred Kappel
• 1956 — Carol Jean Hanz, Bop Reeh
• 1957 — Marjorie Hansmann, , Lawrence Stephens
• 1958 — Virginia Weisser, Maurice Fischer
• 1959 — Sandra Kneupper, James Norwood
• 1960 — Mary Ann Voigts , Kenneth Fiedler
• 1961 — Joan Wilkinson, Randy Heinen
• 1962 — Nancy Becker, Bill Oberkampf
• 1963 — Betty Jean Moellering, Kermit Forshage
• 1964 — Barbara Bean, Ronald Zipp
• 1965 — Barbara Eikel, Leroy Schleicher
• 1966 — Georgia Lynn Moore, Patrick Cobb
• 1967 — Connie Jo Hill, Marvin Klein
• 1968 — Renee Reinarz, Sam Kneuper
• 1969 — Vicki Alves, Jon Eikel
• 1970 — Debbie Kohlenberg, Donald Klein
• 1971 — Cheryl Sweet, Barry Buske
• 1972 — Lynda Kohlenberg, Kent Lohman
• 1973 — Suzanne Sacco, Jay Schriewer
• 1974 — Patty Goff, Rudy Gutierrez
• 1975 — Toni Castilleja, Clay Aguirre
• 1976 — Mary Burrus, David Shelton
• 1977 — Cheryl McCampbell, Randy Caddell
• 1978 — Donna Cook, Bob Simpson
• 1979 — Kim Pinson, Bryan Richardson
• 1980 — Pam Dunks, Alan Fischbeck
• 1981 — Gwen Thomas, Rory Duelm
• 1982 — Suzanne Nolte, Tony McKee
• 1983 — Susan Scheffel, Chris Lacy
• 1984 — Inez Villanueva, Paul B, rotze
• 1985 — Yvette Haegelin, Alan Matney
• 1986 — Jan Zimmerman, Derek Seidel
• 1987 — Melissa Garza, Tim Zipp
• 1988 — Misty Brink, Lonny Aleman
• 1989 — Kim Bing, Jimmy Simmonds
• 1990 — Kimber Streety, Cody Moos
• 1991 — Lynn Ann Carley, Wade Lindeman
• 1992 — Joleen Evans, Kevin Painter
• 1993 — Analicia Morales , Omar Hernandez
• 1994 — Alison Bruemmer, Brook Cavert
• 1995 — Diana Torres, Richard Perez
• 1996 — Stacey Kuhn, Scott Campos
• 1997 — Bryndy Zaeske, Chris Millett
• 1998 — N/A, N/A
• 1999 — N/A, N/A
• 2000 — Amy Eichmann, Bryan Vargas
• 2001 — Tasha Granzin, Chance Herblin
• 2002 — Stephanie Ramirez, Burton Speckman
• 2003 — Candice Box, Jody Walker

Sources: The Sophienburg Museum and Archives; Myra Lee Adams Goff; Fritzi Richter; LaVerne Pearce; Stephani Ferguson; Amy Kohlenberg Schorn.

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The articles of the Verein zum Schutz detscher Einwandrer in Texas (also known as the Society of Noblemen or the Adelsverein) required that the spiritual needs of the immigrants were to be met. The calendar and customs of church life were an important part of the Germanic culture. After their arrival and founding of New Braunfels on March 21, 1845, it is said that the people broke into two groups, Catholic and Protestant, and gathered under the shade of trees to literally say, “Thank you, God, for getting us here.”

And now, a little more info on the congregations. Please use the numbered photos for reference.

The Protestants chose to meet in a grove of elms at the foot of what became known as Sophienburg Hill. By 1846, a wooden church (1) with an onion-shaped dome (Zwiebelsturm) had been constructed on the corner of Castell and Church streets (Church later became Coll). The first pastor was Rev. L. C. Ervendberg. The present limestone First Protestant Church, at 296 S. Seguin St., was begun in 1875 and dedicated in 1889. The stately church has seen several renovations but remains alive and well.

The Catholics elected to worship under an oak tree near Comal Creek. The legendary Catholic Oak still thrives. The congregation moved into a small wooden chapel in 1847. This was quickly replaced in 1849 by a larger church built of black walnut (2); Father Claude Dubois led the first Mass. The present limestone Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, at 386 N. Castell St., was constructed around the black walnut church so that masses were not interrupted during the building process. It was dedicated in 1888. The church added a school in 1871 which educates young New Braunfelsers to this day.

As more immigrants settled in the area, other churches began appearing that reflected more specific denominations and congregations. In 1851, Theobald Kleiss, a German missionary, organized St. Martin’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Neighborsville area across the Guadalupe River (roughly the Milltown area). A wood church building was constructed in 1851, on Church Hill Drive, to house the growing congregation. In 1880, the main door was moved to the end of the building, the pitch of the roof was increased and the bell tower was added (3). The neighboring Church Hill School met the needs of the parish children. St Martin’s was moved to its present location in Hortontown Cemetery in 1968. Visible from Loop 337, St. Martin’s, the “oldest Lutheran church in Texas”, watches over its past congregation.

The New Braunfels German Mission, based on Methodism, was founded in 1853 in the Comaltown home of J. Hirschleber. In 1858, the first Methodist church building was erected at 124 N. Union Street (4) and held services until 1912, when the Karbach Memorial Methodist Church was constructed at 572 W. San Antonio Street. The present First United Methodist Church building replaced the Karbach church in 1952.

By the 1860’s, German-speaking Jews began to establish businesses in the area. Families usually worshipped privately in their homes but made several trips each year to celebrate with the larger Jewish community in San Antonio. There has never been a Jewish synagogue in New Braunfels (5).

The Colored Methodist Church, built in 1900 at 225 E. Commerce Street, was organized in 1890 by H.P. Evans. Though born a slave, Evans could read and write and had a desire to begin a congregation for the African American community of New Braunfels. The church first used a house on the corner of Comal and Castell. In 1907, the church took the name Allen Chapel A. M. E. Church (6).

Rev. Lucky McQueen organized The Colored Baptist Church under a live oak tree at the corner of Houston and Camp Sts. in 1900. By the end of that year, the 14 original members were worshipping in a new church building at 355 N. Washington Avenue (7). The church was built by Sam and Tim Williams and was renamed Live Oak Baptist Church in honor of its founding. Eventually, a cast steel bell was purchased and hung in the bell tower. During renovations in 1983, the weight of the bell was found to be too much for the historic structure and it was removed. The congregation gifted the bell to the Sophienburg Museum in 2008. This small church still holds services and is a testament to the faith of the families which have called it their spiritual home for generations.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church was organized in 1926 by Sts. Peter & Paul as a mission church to serve the growing population of Mexican farm workers settling in the Comaltown community. By December 5, 1926, 40 Spanish-speaking families celebrated Mass in a new church building at 138 W. Austin Street (8). Two years later, a fire destroyed the first church. It was rebuilt along with a school building. The present O.L.P.H. Catholic church was constructed in 1969 near the original location. In 1944, the old O.L.P.H. “Sisters’ House” was dismantled and moved to the corner of Hidalgo and San Antonio Sts. to be used as the first building for Holy Family Catholic Church.

Obviously, these are not the only churches in New Braunfels, but they are among the earliest founded within the city. Other churches, founded around the same time in townships and settlements in Comal County, will have to wait for another time. You can see photographs and artifacts from these early churches in an exhibit at the Sophienburg Museum & Archives.

Today, New Braunfels residents can worship in churches reflecting many denominations and faiths. The Adelsverein did well to uphold the right of freedom of religion in their new colony which was destined to become part of this great country we call home.

Sources: Newspaper collection, Sophienburg Museum & Archives; History of New Braunfels and Comal County, Texas 1844-1946 and First Protestant Church Its History and Its People, Oscar Haas; A Journey In Faith, Gregory and Goff; The History of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and Parish 1844-1974, Monica Fuhrmann

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Oh. This. Car.

The circa 1930 photo of Locke’s Nursery & Floral Co. parade entry is fantastic, isn’t it? It was taken in front of one of the Locke greenhouses at 298 West Landa Street. The entire car has been draped with what looks like shiny (green?) colored fabric so that real flowers, vines, ivy, moss and ferns could be pinned or even sewn on. The hub caps are stuffed with fringed fabric. A large parrot is perched on each of the front corners of the roof. Decorative cords extend from the hood ornament all the way over the roof. Wait a minute — is that the FTD Mercury logo on the hood?

It was August 18, 1910. Thirteen florists met at the Society of American Florists convention in Rochester, New York, and formed the country’s first flowers-by-wire service. The new group, Florists’ Telegraph Delivery Association (FTD) would use the telegraph system to partner flower shops. The idea was the brainchild of John Valentine who had the idea of expanding the floral industry by offering customers a way to send fresh flowers anywhere in the United States.

Valentine was already using the telegraph system to get orders from out-of-state florists. He would cut, arrange and pack the flower order, then send it by train in an ice (refrigerated) car to its destination. He guaranteed his fresh flowers in an incredible three- to five-day delivery time! By networking the FTD members via telegraph though a central clearing house, florists around the country could fill orders for clients in just hours. Valentine even came up with the slogan: “Say It With Flowers.”

In 1912, FTD introduced their logo — Mercury Man — a symbol still in use today. This same symbol graced the hood of the Locke’s Nursery parade car.

I got to wondering just when New Braunfelsers were able to participate in this flower-by-wire technology. How fantastic it must have been to be able to “Say It With Flowers” to friends and relatives seldom seen. A dig into the newspapers revealed that two local floral companies were members of FTD as early as 1926: Locke’s Nursery & Floral Co. and Linnartz Floral Co. In a time when women often grew their own flowers for gifts and decor, these two businesses appear to be the first to venture into the floral industry.

Locke’s Nursery was begun by Johahn Joseph Locke in 1856, on Comal Creek (Town Creek development and Landa Street). In the 1870s, the business was taken over by his eldest son, Otto Martin Locke Sr., and was renamed Comal Springs Nursery. In 1928, his sons, Herman and Otto Jr., split the business: Otto and wife Etelka opened Locke’s Nursery on property between W. San Antonio Street and Highway 81 South; Herman and wife Thekla (along with their son Howard) formed Locke Nursery and Floral Co. at the old property in the area of Lockner (Locke Nursery), Floral and Howard (Howard Locke) streets. According to newspaper adverts, Thekla ran the floral company part of the business.

Linnartz Floral Co. was located at 876 and 882 W. San Antonio St. Curt Linnartz had built a grocery store on the property around 1920 (today that’s the William Edge Salon across from the Children’s Museum). He added a 14×15-foot building next to his store to accommodate his wife Paula’s flower shop a few years later. The shop was expanded to include a glassed-in greenhouse for growing flowers and plants year round in the mid-1920s. Linnartz Floral Co. got its own phone line in 1926. Upon retiring in the mid-1940s, Curt and Paula sold both the grocery store and the floral company building to Erno Weyel. Some of us remember Weyel’s Foodliner.

These two seem to have been the main town florists and the only ones regularly advertising in the newspaper and phone books throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Both Locke and Linnartz participated in several FTD-sponsored National Flower Shut-In Day events. This was a nationwide noncommercial project that utilized over 5,500 florists together with local garden clubs and other organizations to distribute bouquets and potted plants to hospital patients, disabled veterans, handicapped children and other shut-ins. Its objective was to make a large part of the shut-in population “happy with the gift of flowers.”

It didn’t take long for other townsfolk to get into the flower biz. A quick scan through old phone books, city directories and newspaper adverts revealed a growing number of florists and nurserymen springing-up all over town.

• 1928 — A. W. Steinbring Nursery, Wald Road
• 1937 — New Braunfels Nursery and Floral Co., 288 W. Landa St.
• 1945 — Weidner’s Flowers, 1153 Lee St., FTD member
• 1947 – Viola’s Flowers, 822 W. San Antonio St., FTD member
• 1950 — Salvador Gonzales Nursery, Highway 81 West. FYI: When Landa Park Manager Harley Schulz had the giant elephant ears thinned out each year, Gonzales would trade shrubbery and plants for the elephant ear bulbs! He would sell the bulbs and plants to his customers.
• 1952 — Eduardo Sanchez Nursery, 1614 W. San Antonio St.; Kiesewetter Gardens, 224 Landa St.; Kneupper Flower Shop, 287 W. San Antonio St.

The floral industry in New Braunfels exploded in the 1950s due to an increase in population and in expendable finances.

Even in my lifetime, women who grew and cut flowers from their own yards began ordering flowers to give to friends or use for church and event decoration.

Today, there are about a dozen florists and half a dozen nurseries in NB, and that is without counting lumber companies and grocery stores. We can still “Say It With Flowers” and I, for one, am happy about that!

Sources:

• New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung — Sophienburg collection
• New Braunfels telephone directories and city directories — Sophienburg collection
• Curt Linnartz recording — Sophienburg “Reflections” oral history program
• “Locke nurseries business of the past” — Around the Sophienburg, newspaper article August 26, 2012

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Every child passing through the Texas Public Education System receives an introduction to history. I say an introduction, because they may not remember all of it, but they are definitely shown it. Elementary students begin learning about their own community history in third grade, eventually adding two years of Texas history and two years of U.S. history, followed by World history and government in high school.

I first really dove into history when my sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Christianson, told us that “history” is just that, “his story,” the story of man. (She also taught me how to write outlines, but that’s a story for another time.) She made history come alive for me and I was hooked. There are rewards for those hooked on history. Each year, The Sophienburg Memorial Association awards the Myra Lee Adams Goff Sophienburg History Scholarship to a local graduating senior with an interest in history. The 2019 scholarship recipient is Canyon High School Senior Ross Bedgood. Ross is the son of Steven and Amie Bedgood and will be attending Southwestern University. We are extremely proud to publish his essay in our column today, lightly edited for length and clarity. Enjoy!

The Comal County Fair:

The Resilient Historically Significant Event That Keeps on Giving

When determining an event to be a historically significant one, some consider only those caused by natural disasters or war. However, an established event and its impact on a community throughout time, meets the criteria. The Comal County Fair is one such event.

It is opening night of the 2018 Comal County Fair and I am waiting for my friends. I take in the sights, sounds, smells and excitement the fair offers. I begin to wish I could go back in time and visit the fairs. Then I feel someone tap my shoulder. Thinking it was one of the guys, I turned and…

It was 1894 and I was on a train from San Antonio headed to the first Comal County Fair in New Braunfels, Texas. A man sitting next to me said, “I am Frederick, your fair guide for the next 124 years. He explained how he felt the fair was going to be a success because of the trains bringing people and the community had supported a fundraising fair for the Krankenhaus, the hospital, last year.

When the train stopped, we were on Harry Landa’s property, the sight of the first fair. There were displays of plants, food, livestock, sewing, artwork and so on. It was all I had imagined it would be and more.

Quickly, Frederick motioned for me to follow him. “We’re now on the 11 acres of the Guadalupe River purchased by the Comal County Fair Association in 1898. Just like 1894, it did not disappoint. However, due to financial difficulties, the property was sold to the City of New Braunfels in 1905 with the stipulation that the fair would use the property for the next 50 years.

With the fair of 1908, the stores closed at noon and it was declared New Braunfels ISD Fair Day. The exhibits increased and awards were given for flowers, fruit, handmade men’s suits and so forth. The livestock was in abundance.

For the years 1910-1922, Frederick said he could not find any information about the fair. He thought it might be because of WWI, but did know the land became a dumping ground for the city. I felt sadness and wondered how the fair recovered.

When we entered the year 1923, Frederick’s sparkle returned. He began to explain to me how Comal County Fair Association regrouped into a corporation and was ready for the start of the fair. As we slept, the grandstand burned to the ground, but the fair opened for business and we visited the small house filled with tiny furniture, clothing and other essentials and listened to the Edison playing records. The following two days were rained out.

The next few years were good times, but then I saw Frederick’s demeanor change. “Frederick, you’re not looking so happy. What now?” I asked.

He replied, “Son, we are all in hard times. It is the Great Depression. You see how the fair is not bustling? It had to do away with the queen’s contest, give no cash prizes, lower admittance prices and exhibitors are let in free. It is relying on local cowboys for the rodeo and local musicians for entertainment.” It was a somber time.

I enjoyed the 1933 fair. It was celebrating ’Real Beer’….no more ’Busto’ or ’near beer.’ This fair was filled with dances, the Heidelberg Orchestra playing German music, a football game between New Braunfels and Yoakum horse racing, rodeo and carnival.

Frederick zipped us past the WWII years of scaled back fairs to the 1946 Centennial Celebration, which had been postponed a year due to war. Its highlight was the automobiles that people were becoming interested in. And there was the Greater United Shows Carnival. Frederick was not much of a carnival rides person, I rode the Merry Go-Round, Tilt-A-Whirl and Ferris Wheel and then we watched the horse races. What an adventure I was experiencing!

Frederick said that 1952-1954 were some tough times for the fair. After not being able to have livestock in the parade or at the fair due to Anthrax in 1948, floods and polio spread fear in 1952 to the point the grounds were sprayed with disinfectant. In 1954, the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers almost dried up causing dust issues and few agriculture entries. “But never fear,” said Frederick, “the fair kept on going.”

The 60s were amazing. First it was the rodeo spotlighting Leon Adams riding a Brahma bull through a hoop on fire followed by tied-down calf roping, barrel racing and more. I realized one had to be really tough to participate in these rodeo events. Next, in 1962, came Night in Old New Braunfels and concerts by Canyon, Smithson Valley and New Braunfels High Schools. A quick stop in 1965 allowed us to meet Bobbie Specht, the first rodeo queen. In 1967, we met the first Fair Queen since 1931, Jacque Sahm.

Becoming tired, Frederick informed me that there were only two more stops, one in 1974 and 2001. In 1974, we listened to a country singer by the name of George Strait, who was a rising country star. For 2001, I found Frederick and I at the Comal County Fair Parade. It was just a couple of weeks after the terrorist attack and the parade overflowed with patriotic themes and patriotism swelled from the crowds. It was a time of hope, determination and pride.

Finally, we reached 2018! I thanked him for being a knowledgeable history guide. I now understood that the Comal County Fair was a historically significant event because it had withstood droughts, fire, floods, wars and tough economic times. It continues to give to the community of New Braunfels and Comal County. Thank you to the citizens for organizing the Comal County Fair Association on January 4, 1893. My friends have arrived and we are going to enjoy a night at the fair.

(Information used in the paper came from a report by Myra Lee Adams Goff, author of It’s Fair Time, History of the Comal County Fair.)

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Imagine it’s 1920. You’re making your way north on Seguin Street and you can just see the roofs of Landa’s flour mill and cottonseed oil gin over the tree line. You get to the “Y’ where Landa Street and N. Seguin split and you stay right because you’re going to catch the morning train to San Antonio on the Missouri – Kansas – Texas (MKT) rail line. The last time you came to the station was last year when you met your older brother coming home from France and The War to End All Wars.

The pale green “Katy” depot in front of you was built in 1900, on the ridge above the Dry Comal Creek, after tracks were laid the year before. The white NEW BRAUNFELS sign sits on top of the roof below a decorative diamond-shape attic vent which in later years would hold the MKT logo. Tracks run down the long sides of the depot because both freight and passenger trains use the station. Directly in front of you is the baggage area with double doors, but you are headed for the passenger waiting room. Here it gets tricky.

If you are white, you walk to the left side (trackside) and go in through the door with a white and black sign above the lintel designated WHITE. If you are black, you will make your way to the right side and enter through the door marked COLORED. In 1920, you still have to choose the correct door because “Jim Crow laws” (separate but equal) pertaining to train travel were passed in Texas in 1891. Those laws said “white and colored” could not share the same waiting room, water fountain or the same coach. This was true in most of the country. However, as early as 1893, black passengers began filing suit against the railroad companies when they had bought 1st class or Pullman tickets and had been moved to the black only coaches. More often than you’d think, the courts ruled damages be paid to the plaintiffs.

Part of the problem lay in the fact that some railways followed the Jim Crow laws and some did not; a black passenger would be allowed to ride in the car he purchased a ticket for, but when he changed lines, he might be asked to move. For the Pullman company, having a second set of coaches for segregation was just too costly so they tended to not enforce the rules as strictly. Then again, there weren’t that many people who could afford 1st class let alone that many prosperous black passengers.

Providing “separate but equal” coaches was the law, but railroad corporations usually just provided the “separate”. Black coaches did not always have working windows or a toilet. They were usually pulled at the front of the train where the soot and steam rained down on them from the engine; white coaches were attached at the rear where it was quieter and the air quality was better.

While economic concerns continued to push rail companies to disregard the Jim Crow laws in many states, it wasn’t until WWII’s need for national unity and economy that gradual desegregation on trains really took off. This happened sooner in Texas than in the rest of the deep South because of our military bases. However, waiting rooms and depot cafes continued to be segregated until desegregation legislation in the 1950s (Brown vs. the Board of Education) and the 1964 Civil Rights Act ended the Jim Crow era.

The Sophienburg Museum & Archives recently acquired the WHITE sign off the old Katy depot. The big Katy steam engine, No. 719, made its last trip through NB in April of 1952. By the mid-1960s, the MKT had abandoned the use of the depot. Standing proud but in disrepair, the old depot lost bits and pieces of memorabilia to the public. In 1969, the WHITE sign was taken off the building to be used in college American history classes. For 45 years, it has served as a tangible relic to impress upon students the injustice of segregation. Now at the Sophienburg, it will be used as an emotional survivor of our history.

The Katy depot building was eventually bought and moved over to Loop 337 to be used as a restaurant, but it was destroyed by arson soon afterwards. There may be other pieces of this building in New Braunfels homes, but as far as I know, this sign and a pair of doorknobs (NB Railroad Museum) found in its ashes are the only surviving artifacts. If you have stories, photos or artifacts regarding the rail roads in NB, please stop by the Sophienburg or the Railroad Museum and share your part of history with us!

Sources: Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. CV, No. 3, “Curtains for Jim Crow”, T. Lindsay Baker, Kermit Baese (New Braunfels Railroad Museum), “Reflections” #196 – Charlie Burr, SA Express, Sunday, April 13, 1952, txtransportationmuseum.org

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I was born in New Braunfels in 1932 on Camp Street in a home built by my grandfather. My parents were Marcus and Cola Moeller Adams. I am a fifth-generation New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas, and American citizen and proud of it.

It is 2006 and I have just been asked to write a column for the Herald-Zeitung newspaper and I am on my way to a meeting about the column.

I left my home on Camp Street where I was born, turned left on Union Avenue towards East San Antonio Street, reflecting on the changes since I grew up in New Braunfels. At this time of year (early spring), there are no river floaters and I recalled that my swimming was done almost entirely in the spring-fed pool at Landa Park and the rapids at Camp Warnecke. I don’t even remember swimming in the Comal and never in the Guadalupe. Hinman Island was a wilderness area.

Many of the homes on Union Avenue have been beautifully preserved and many are now businesses. This practice of conservation has become a satisfactory practice for homes that are now on commercial streets.

Turning right onto San Antonio Street, I drove over the old bridge towards the Plaza. I decided to drive around the Plaza, just to prove that I could do it. There used to be two-way traffic around the Plaza. All the locals knew the rules, but it sure was confusing for newcomers and visitors.

Driving through town on San Antonio Street, all the old buildings are there. I know those buildings because A.C. Moeller, my grandfather, built lots of them. His name is on the cornerstones as well as on the sidewalks. Of course, the beautiful Landa House on the Plaza is gone and on the corner of West San Antonio Street and Academy, one of the loveliest homes in town, the Holz home, gave way to changes that took place here in the late 1960s. That same era eliminated the Garwood home on Seguin Avenue and the bathhouse and other buildings in Landa Park. Those in town who see the value in historic buildings are fighting hard to save existing artifacts. Many people have witnessed the conversion to the “concrete and asphalt” jungle in other parts of the state.

Now I’m on Academy Avenue, one street within the first named historic district in New Braunfels, the Sophienburg Hill. The Sophienburg Museum and Archives is in this district and it’s where I research my facts for their column, “Around the Museum and Archives.”

Writing this column is as close as I can get to living the life of Brenda Starr, Reporter, of the comic strip of my younger days. Her character was the inspiration that began my long-time journalistic career.

In New Braunfels High School in Hallie Martin’s journalism class, my dream of being Brenda Starr was inspired when the San Antonio Light contacted her to recommend a student to report New Braunfels news to be printed in that newspaper. My friend, Phyllis Reininger and I took on the challenge. My next journalistic experience came when I was a senior and had an invitation from Helen and Joe Baldus who wanted me to write a weekly column for their newly established Town and Country News. It was embarrassingly called “Myra-Go-Round” but it could have been the launching of a history column 50 years later.

I began my study of journalism at Texas Christian University, but after a year, found out that journalism was more than Brenda Starr had portrayed. I switched my major to education to be able to teach history, German and English. I met Glyn Goff at TCU and we got married in 1952. I wanted badly to move back to New Braunfels and so we did.

I began my teaching career of 31 years in 1953. I had three children, Karen in 1956, Patty in 1959 and Marc in 1962. After staying home for eight years, I returned to teaching.

After retiring in 1991, Rosemarie Leissner Gregory and I formed a writing partnership that resulted in the publication of three books about New Braunfels history, Kindermaskenball, Past and Present; New Braunfels, Comal County, A Pictorial History; and A Journey in Faith, the History of First Protestant Church. The last book that I wrote independently was about the Comal County Fair, It’s Fair Time.

All of the research for writing these books led me to become well acquainted with the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. In 2006, Linda Dietert, Executive Director of the Sophienburg, asked me if I would be interested in writing a column about New Braunfels and Comal County history for the Herald-Zeitung. Of course, I said yes. Linda, Doug Toney and I worked out the details for a column twice a month and I have been doing that ever since for 11 years.

My creed is what my mother told me, “Always write the truth,” and “Never write down what you wouldn’t want everyone in the world to read.”

After eleven years, people are still asking me how I come up with my subjects and the answer is simply “There is no end to history and those who make it are so interesting.” I hope you have enjoyed reading this column as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Can you just imagine how future generations will view us? Change will happen and the “good old days” are now. I love living in New Braunfels. “In Neu Braunfels ist das leben schön.”

On Tuesday, May 23^rd from 2-4 pm, a special event will occur at the Sophienburg. This event is the release of the book, Around the Sophienburg and it contains all of the articles that I have written over the past 11 years. It also contains the photographs that appeared in the newspaper. My daughter, Patty, painted the artwork for the cover and illustrated 26 pictures that will be on display on the 23^rd. Due to the generosity of some special Sophienburg donors, the cost of the publishing of the book was underwritten so all proceeds go to benefit the Sophienburg Museum and Archives. Many people over the years have cut the articles out of the newspaper and saved them in very large notebooks. The published book contains over 250 articles and photos and is almost 500 pages.

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