Welcome home to the family of....
Ernst August Franke
First the father of the five Franke sons - Ernst August Franke
immigrated to Galveston from St. Petersburg, Russia, in late 1850.
He came with his wife Maria Catharina Hoffman Franke and five sons in
order; Rudolph, Carl (sometimes called Charles), Johann (mostly
called John), Louis, and August. In 1851 they bought land and moved
to Industry, Texas. While they came from St. Petersburg, Russia, and
the five sons were born in St. Petersburg, they were Germans. Ernst
August Franke was born in Altenburg in Saxony near Leipzig.
Information contributed by Durwood Franke.
Ernst August Franke was born May 8, 1806 and died in Texas. He is
shown in census records in 1870 and 1880 but he wasn't in the 1900
census so I presumed he died between 1880 and 1900. His grave
is probably the one in the Industry Methodist cemetery with the
inscription for August Franke and a death date of 14 August 1880.
Of the five sons, Rudolph was the oldest and is my
great-grandfather. He had two sons, Rudolph Jr. and Ed or Eddie as
he was known. A descendant, Norma Franke lived in Industry. A
grandson was Monroe W. Franke who moved to Houston in the 1930s
Depression era. Rudolph was born in St. Petersburg 6 January 1834,
married twice (first wife died), his second wife was Louise Schwartz
Krueger and mother of his children. He died in Industry 6 July 1902
and is buried in Pilgrims Rest Cemetery. Rudolph served in the Civil
War in Waul's Texas Legion and was captured in the Siege of Vicksburg
on 4 July 1863. His wife, Louise, filed and was granted a war
pension in 1913.
Carl or Charles was the second son of Ernst August and Maria
Catharina (who went by Catherine, I believe) Franke and brother to
Rudolph. He was born in St. Petersburg 2 February 1835 and died 15
September 1922 and is also buried in Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery. He
also served in Waul's Texas Legion and was captured at Vicksburg on
the same date as Rudolph. His birth name is Carl August Franke and
he had a son, Carl Jr., but that son died in Industry at age 3 on 10
October 1870. Carl and his wife, Agnes Bittner (or Buettner) had 13
children and as adults, married and propagated all over Texas.
The next son in line was Johann or John as he was called. He was
born in St. Petersburg 5 July 1838 and, is probably buried in
Welcome, Texas. Death date is unknown. He served in Waul's Texas
Legion and was captured at the battle of Yazoo City, Mississippi, and
sent to Camp Morton, Indiana as a prisoner. He was released at the
end of the war and returned to Industry area. John married Louise
Rosenberg in Industry on 12 December 1865 and had about five
children.
The fourth and last son to serve in the Civil War was Louis Franke.
He was born in St. Petersburg in 1843 and died in Goliad County 9
April 1920. He too was captured at Yazoo City and was sent with his
brother John to Camp Morton, Indiana as a prisoner. He returned to
Texas at the end of the war but must have settled in Goliad County
for some reason. He married Emilie Zahn in Industry 22 October
1865.
The youngest of the five sons does not appear to have served in the
Civil War. Perhaps it was determined that he was too young (18 years
old) and was allowed to stay home to help his parents. This is
August Heinrich Franke born in St. Petersburg 19 May 1844. He
married Bertha Wienand in Industry 5 March 1870. He died 9 March
1903 and is buried in Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery.
