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The Golden Songbook and Herr Schmidt

director — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 06:00:18 +0000

PHOTO CAPTION: The Golden Book of Favorite Songs and Deutsche Fibel (German Primer).

By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

Some stories write themselves. Some, like this one, began as one idea before evolving into something completely different. The idea stemmed from a visit with Myra Lee Adams Goff, (you know, accomplished author and the one that started this column) when she handed me a copy of the The Golden Book of Favorite Songs. I had seen copies of this songbook in the Sophienburg Archives, but never researched it. I took it as a challenge.

The gold-colored 126-page booklet by Hall & McCreary Company, copyrighted in 1915 and 1923, was a favorite keepsake of hers, in part because she sang from the book when she was in school at the Lamar Ward School. A ward is like our attendance zone today. It was also the book used when she began teaching at Lamar Elementary School in 1954. Same school, updated name.

PHOTO CAPTION: Curt E. Schmidt: educator, attorney, author.

A man by the name of Curt E. Schmidt was named principal of Carl Schurz Ward School in 1931, a year before Myra Lee Adams Goff was born. Schmidt had begun his teaching career in 1922 in a one-room schoolhouse in Gillespie County before teaching English at New Braunfels High School. While at Carl Schurz, he earned his law degree from St. Mary’s University in 1942, leaving education to practice law. He returned to education as principal of Lamar Elementary in 1950.

At that time, principals were not required to teach classes, but he often taught art and music. He was fond of The Golden Book of Favorite Songs. The book was a teacher’s dream, teaching music, history, patriotism, reading and religion all in one. It had songs of every genre: children’s songs, Christmas, Civil War, folk, patriotic, religious, Negro “spirituals”, with many of the songs’ histories being given. There were also readings or recitations: Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Pledge of Allegiance and Twenty-third Psalm. Curt Schmidt led songs from the songbook frequently. He orchestrated children’s skits and musical programs every year.

Mrs. Goff graduated from Texas Christian University in 1953. Her first teaching job was at Lamar Elementary. Principal Curt E. Schmidt hired her because she could play the piano. She taught music and handwriting to fourth, fifth and sixth graders. She had a degree in secondary education, and there she was, hired to teach music to elementary kids. What’s more, she could not read a lick of music. She played by ear from the age of seven. If she heard it, she could play it.

As Mrs. Goff tells it, at one particular school assembly, while Schmidt was leading songs, he called out a Civil War song on page number sixteen, “Just Before the Battle, Mother.” Well, Mrs. Goff did not know it. She told me that she suffered through, plinking around, pretending, when he finally stopped to ask her what she was playing. She said, “I told you I couldn’t read music.”

I had a natural curiosity about Curt Schmidt. We lived next door to him on Magazine Street for a couple of years up until I was old enough to start school. I never attended school where he was principal. I would later see him orchestrating the Kindermasken Parade when school teachers helped put it on. I thought that the old German dance, Herr Schmidt, was about him. I remember him to be very energetic, almost intense about things. I wondered if my memories about his nature were correct.

Curt Schmidt was an innovator. He was proud of his German heritage and felt strongly about preserving the ways of the ancestors. German language had not been taught in New Braunfels schools since World War I. After thirteen years without German language instruction, Schmidt felt the children needed it. In 1931, he organized German Summer School, devoted entirely to teaching the German language, folkways, folk songs and German pioneer traditions. The number of German School students grew from the initial forty to over three hundred per summer over the years.

The summer program ran until it was crushed by World War II. Since the United States was at war with Germany, everything German became suspect again. Promoting the German language was considered subversive and the German program ended in 1940. You will frequently see the German language textbooks Deutsche Fibel (German Primer) and Erstes Lesebuch (First Reader) that he used in German Summer School in the Sophienburg collection, or estate sales. We have one of each at our house. Schmidt was very persistent. Later, in 1954, as principal of Carl Schurz, he was instrumental in finally getting German and Spanish language electives back into the elementary schools.

Curt Schmidt was ambitious. He first served as principal of Carl Schurz, then after returning from his law practice, he served as principal at Lamar for three years before returning to Carl Schurz. By the time Mrs. Goff returned to teaching after having a family (no pregnant women could teach!), Curt Schmidt was the superintendent of New Braunfels School District. Mrs. Goff’s teaching career led her to Carl Schurz, Lamar and New Braunfels Junior High before authoring her own articles and books to preserve the history of New Braunfels.

Schmidt served as superintendent from 1962 to 1966, during which time he established the first area vocational school in Texas, inaugurated the first Head Start program and established a vocational school of nursing. Overall, he spent forty years as an educator, mostly in New Braunfels. Some loved him, some did not, but he accomplished a lot in his time. He again practiced law from 1970 until his retirement in 1982.

Curt Schmidt loved his German heritage and his community. He was active in Scouting his whole life, earning the Silver Beaver and Scoutmaster Key awards. He was a charter member and past president of the New Braunfels Rotary Club, and active with the Sophienburg Memorial Association. Schmidt wrote and illustrated two books about German Texan pioneers and was the local correspondent to the San Antonio Light for ten years.

I may not have fulfilled my task of writing an article about The Golden Book of Favorite Songs, but in this final year of Lamar Elementary, I have managed to tie together a bunch of things that I did not know about before writing this article: the Songbook, the German primers, German School, Mrs. Goff and Herr Schmidt. It is almost like the Six Degrees of Curt Schmidt. Too much?

Sources: Myra Lee Adams Goff; Sophienburg Musuem and Archives.

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

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The art of history

director — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 05:00:35 +0000

By Tara Voigt Kohlenberg —

History is shared in many formats including art, the printed word and personal stories handed down from one generation to another. Quilts are special commemoratives given for births, graduations, weddings, and anniversaries or to someone who is moving away. Quilts are art. While more practical and useful than an oil painting, some quilts use textiles to paint pictures documenting people, places or events.

Every 25 years, New Braunfels has celebrated its founding and traditionally marked the occasion with a permanent symbol of historic importance. Fundraisers are required to support those projects. For the 150th Anniversary or Sesquicentennial, quilts were selected as one of the fundraisers, as well as, a way for the community to participate and to leave something behind to mark the occasion.

In 1993, two years before the 150th Anniversary, the Sesquicentennial Quilt Committee was formed. Bobbie Purdom, Historical Advisory Committee Chair, named Nell Morton and Mary Ann Thompson co-chairs of the Quilt Committee. Their project was to enlist the community to create three complete historically themed quilts; one to raffle and two for museums. They set about organizing The Pictorial Quilt Block Contest of historical places/events in New Braunfels.

Mission Valley Mills supplied the plaid fabrics for the contest. The fabrics were cut and packaged in bags with instructions. Contest rules required that each contestant: use only the fabric provided in their packet, hand-piece the square, and create an original design and pattern. But what to put in a quilt design? If you could choose a few of your most prized images or icons that represent your life’s journey and assembled them all into one place, what would you see? Mine might include a Unicorn and a Double T for starters, but telling my story in a dozen pictures would take some thought. What about the story of New Braunfels? That is what the Quilt Committee had to come up with.

Topics suggested for participants to use on the squares included Prince Solms, Landing at Indianola, The Comal Springs, the Bandstand on Main Plaza, Founders’ Oak, Wurstfest and more. The response was overwhelming, with over seventy packets being given out. The blocks were returned by March 15, 1994. The entries were judged by Fran Hensley of San Antonio, Betty Benton of Seguin and Beth Kennedy of Austin. First Place went to Brenda DeStefano for Lindheimer House, Second Place went to Rosemarie Ritchey for her Bandstand and Third went to Connie Cone and Alvena Armstrong for Prince Solms. Honorable mentions were given to Loyce Boarnet and Marie Mann. In the meantime, while the sewing was done, Betty Worl and Jane Hensley headed the committee members selling sponsorships and raffle tickets to support the anniversary celebration. The raffles netted about $800.

After the contest, the assembled squares were to be arranged into the three quilt tops. The committee soon learned that they had enough squares to make a fourth quilt, allowing for a second quilt to be raffled off. Mary Ann and Hank Thompson designed the quilt layouts, using a large center block format. The center logos were done by Jeanette Felger, Brenda DeStefano, Florence Brownfield and Mary Ann Thompson. All four quilts were backed and bound by Susan Derkacz and Brenda DeStefano. The quilts were truly a community project. The quilt frames were set up in the lobby of the Chamber of Commerce where the actual quilting was done. Women, men, children, the New Braunfels Area Quilters’ Guild, the Eagles’ Auxiliary, church quilters, and the Senior Citizens of New Braunfels all put their stitches in these quilts.

The first quilt was raffled off in April of 1995, at the Sesquicentennial Festivities. Carol Torrence won. The second quilt was raffled off at the Chamber dinner in January 1996 to end the sesquicentennial year. Ann Kuehler won the second quilt. The last two quilts went to the Sophienburg Museum and Archives… and are currently on display.

Sounds like a busy couple of years for those quilters, but wait, there’s more to the story.

In 1995, the city of Braunfels, Germany, also gave New Braunfels a quilt for our 150th Anniversary. It is a beautiful piece representing Braunfels Castle and the city of Braunfels. That treasured quilt is still on display in Honors Hall at the Chamber of Commerce offices. After completing the four quilts for New Braunfels Sesquicentennial year, Brenda DeStefano and Susan Derkacz decided it would be great to return the sentiment by giving the city of Braunfels a quilt marking their 750th Anniversary in 1996. DeStefano and Derkacz designed the quilt and presented the list of blocks to the Sesquicentennial Commission for the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. They came up with several landmarks that had to be in the design, and then added Texas items, like the yellow rose and prickly pear. They already had patterns for five of the blocks and then created the rest.

The women began the quilt in September 1995 (after the other four were done) and finished it in May, putting in more than 500 hours of work. They were pretty much working 40 hours a week at the end just to make sure they got it done on time. The finished quilt includes landmarks such as the Comal County Courthouse, the Pioneer Family Monument, First Protestant Church, Sts. Peter and Paul Church and others. It also has several crests representing the heritage of the people living in New Braunfels. The blue around the center seal represents our local rivers. The fabrics again came from Mission Valley Mills. The inscription on the back of the quilt reads: Presented to Braunfels, Germany on their 750th birthday by the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce Sesquicentennial Commission. The quilt was on display in New Braunfels for the month of June before Herb Skoog delivered the quilt to Braunfels in July 1996.

Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives; Brenda DeStefano; Susan Derkacz; New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce.

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Look and Learn! Part 1

director — Sun, 13 May 2018 05:00:03 +0000

By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

Don’t know your early NB history? No excuses, people. There are many outstanding works of art and memorials you probably see every day just driving through our beautiful downtown. Pack up the kids or load up your Omie and Opie and take a mini field trip or two. Enjoy the summer weather and connect with your community’s past.

Start with a trip to the NB Civic Center on S. Seguin St. for a really good overview of New Braunfels’ beginnings. Out in front is a bronze of our city founder, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. Did you get that? Solms-BRAUNFELS. There. You know how we got our name. We are the only city in Texas founded by a Prince!

Walk up on the front porch and you will find an entire wall of metal plaques that lay out the basics of our town’s history. There are 20 etched metal “photos” of early NB sites and leaders and four rectangular metal etchings of the German immigrants’ journey from Indianola. It’s a lot to take in, but there is more.

Go around the left side of the building. You will pass a blue-tiled fountain that honors citizens who have been designated as “Legends”. These individuals have given countless hours to make our city better. Maybe one day your name will be etched into our history.

Continue to the back entrance and find a long polished grey granite marker in the flower bed. Check out the towns the immigrants passed through as they followed the Guadalupe River up from the coast. That trip took almost six weeks to walk. I just drove that route with a group of fellow citizens; it took us a day in an air-conditioned van. I can truthfully say that I would not have made it to NB. No apology.

Another concentration of art, architecture and memorials is found on our beloved Main Plaza. On the north side, find the rough pink granite rock with a plaque from the City’s 150th Anniversary; it has an outline of the changes made to the Plaza. Having been planned from day one to be the City Center, the Plaza is almost overflowing with information of our past.

And flowing in front of you is the Plaza Fountain, bought and installed in 1896, with funds from the City’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The fountain has not only survived time, it has survived being hit (and badly damaged) several times by drunk or speeding drivers. Did you know that the fountain has not always been black?

The Bandstand has been New Braunfels’ centerpiece since 1905. Just imagine that for over a century, singing and shooting society festivals, presidential and gubernatorial visits, community meetings, concerts and city anniversaries have been celebrated in its shadow. It has witnessed hundreds of 4th of July, Dies y Seis, Loyalty Day, Comal County Fair and Kinder Maskenball parades. Innumerable wagons, carts, bicycles, automobiles and trucks have circled around the octagonal red-roofed little building. Just stand in it and you are a part of that history!

Near the Bandstand is the “Friendship Tree” (Freundschaft Baum) dedicated to YOU, the citizens of New Braunfels. If you circle the Plaza, you will find four polished pink granite markers for the 150th Anniversary. Take some large sheets of paper and some crayons and make rubbings of the crests. Can you figure out what the symbols mean?

At the east end of Main Plaza are two memorials to Comal Countians who fought for our rights and freedoms in the Civil War and WWI. Note that the Civil War monument honors all men who died, both North and South. I like what that says about our town.

If you still haven’t had your fill of history, you can read the marker on our century-old, restored Comal County Courthouse. Take time to go inside and explore the exhibits and spaces of this unique and stately structure; believe me when I say there will be some fun surprises.

Cross Seguin St and grab a cup of coffee at Crosswalk in the former lobby of the Schmitz Hotel where you will walk on floors that knew the footsteps of Texas Rangers, Civil War officers and men, cotton merchants and so many more. I suggest you park yourself in a chair on the front porch. Take a little time to watch present day history happen right before your eyes and be thankful for the all the people who have made New Braunfels so wonderful.

FYI: Saturday, May 19th is FREE Museum Day from 1-4pm. Take advantage of this once a year freebie.

150th Anniversary marker for the Adelsverein

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Famous in a small town

director — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 06:00:45 +0000

By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

In small town America, getting your name, or better yet your picture, in the paper is one way to ensure your fame. “Famous in a Small Town,” words by Miranda Lambert in a chart-topping country song, touts the little things that bring fame, including cheering for the home team on Friday nights and getting the first buck of the season. Even if you are just a kid, recognition by adults and the local paper elevates one’s stature to relevance in history.

This week’s relevance begins with the Comal County Junior Livestock Show Association. Agriculture has been around since nomadic tribes settled down. Since that time, livestock judging has been a critical skill used by butchers to judge how many cuts of meat they can get or breeders to judge what genetic traits are most desirable for for meat production.

In the 1950s, more scientific livestock judging became big business, with grand champion animals commanding top dollar for breeding. Livestock judging in Comal County happened in places like the county fair. Junior livestock judging came along when organizations like 4-H and FFA (chartered in Texas in 1908 and 1929, respectively) were created to provide agriculture education and leadership skills.

In 1968, in an effort to stimulate more auction bidders and increase participation by the youths, County Extension Agent Bill Schumann, the local ag teachers and others came up with a new idea, and the Comal County Junior Livestock Association was born. The group developed a point system where the kids get more money from showing, something that had never been done before. After taking care of the grand and reserve champion calves, lambs and hogs, money generated by the auction would be distributed based on points assigned to each ribbon and winner position. The guaranteed cash award for the grand champion calf that first year was $50. Grand champion lamb and hog guaranteed $35 each. (You could not even buy a bag of show feed for that price today.) There were 286 livestock entries: 77 sheep, 70 cattle (five of which were bulls), 60 swine, 29 rabbits, 23 Angora goats, 15 poultry and 12 horses. The grand champion calf was shown by Mike Jonas.

Today, 50 years later, CCJLSA is one of the healthiest junior livestock shows in the state with a point system that few others have adopted. Last year the auction earned just under a million dollars which was distributed in the form of exhibitor winnings and $15,000 in scholarships. Countless kids, ages 9 to 18, have passed through these programs designed to develop personal growth, leadership skills and career success. Carl Hoffmann, CCJLSA president, was in 4-H from 1975 to 1987 under County Extension Agent Bill Schumann and Mike Barber. The show has grown and changed over the past fifty years. They have doubled in size and the Grand champion steer brings nearly $10,000. This year the association expects approximately 523 livestock entries, including: 122 sheep, 98 cattle; and 317 swine, 100 rabbits, 160 goats, and 139 poultry.

The Comal County Youth Homemaking and Art Fair, while operating separately, has taken place at the same time as the livestock show. It includes science, industrial arts and homemaking projects and is open to students in 4-H, FFA, homemaking and art classes.

In 1968 the Homemaking Fair had 623 entries, 149 of which were clothing projects and 110 were cakes. Grand champion cake entry was Margie Laue. The Homemaking and Art Fair also adopted a point system in recent years to aid their auction and benefit the exhibitors.

Many of the volunteers involved in coordinating and judging the show have a long history with 4-H and the homemaking show. Debra Koepp, chairman, expects more than 500 entries in the homemaking division this year with approximately 125 kids participating.

The numbers have fallen since 1968 but are making a comeback. The sewing entries have really dropped off mostly due to homemaking classes not really being offered at the schools any more. Besides 4-H and FFA, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts and home-schooled students are welcome to participate.

Shirley Kivlin, one of the show superintendents, has been involved with 4-H for nearly 60 years, first showing, then mentoring, helping her own children or judging baked goods. Of her years of giving back, she says, “The 4-H motto is ‘To make the best better’ and that’s my goal. Through their projects, the kids get involved, learn life skills, and earn money for college.” A grand champion cake can bring $1,000.

Carolyn Fey Phelan, also a superintendent of homemaking and arts, says, “It makes such a difference”. She was in 4-H, helped all her children through 4-H and now is a range-grass coach. She earned ribbons for her canned tomatoes several times. “I got grand champion when I was 9 years old. In the auction at The Corral, I still remember the face of the lady from the bank that bought my entry. It was so awesome to be a little kid and know that it mattered to adults what I did and that they supported us”. Carolyn focused on the skills kids learn from 4-H. “Yes, the cooking and sewing, but also learning how to say goodbye to animals, being a good citizen and servant, and building confidence,”

Famous in a small town? You bet! New Braunfels exceeded the 50,000 population that typically defines “small town” some time back, but that means our youth can get that much more support for what they do.

This year’s Comal County Junior Livestock Show dates are February 28 through March 2 at the Comal County Fair Grounds. The sale starts at 8 a.m. on March 3 and usually runs all day. The Homemaking and Arts Fair is March 2. The live auction begins Friday at 6:30 p.m., but entries not making sale can be purchased between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Whether you are at the auction to buy or just to watch, you will make someone feel famous and relevant.

: March 28, 1968, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung: High Bidder on the medium weight champion steer was A&P Food Store, who paid a fat 33 cents a pound for Darrell Moeller’s steer. Shown with their buy are John Whitworth, local A&P manager, left, and Lewis Newell, A&P meat supervisor from Austin. Darrell holds the trophy his steer won.

Sources:

New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung http://herald-zeitung.com/
Comal County Junior Livestock Show Association http://www.ccjlsa.org/
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Comal County https://comal.agrilife.org/
Texas FFA Association https://www.texasffa.org/
4-H https://4-h.org/

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