WILHELM HEINRICH KRUMREY

born:    ca. 1837 in Prussia; died in Austin County  ca. 1889

wife:     Bertha Frenkel.  Born 13 SEP 1838 in Prussia, died 17 AUG 1911

children:

            Henry   born 1862 in Prussia

            Anna   born 6 JUL 1868, married Gus Merten on April 3, 1884; children listed in the                    1900 census were John, Willie, Leon, Gussie, Jesse, Ellis, Bennie, Alma, Ida.                  Birth dates are John 3/1885; Rosa 5/1887, Alma 8/1889, Matilda 8/1889, William                         1/1891; Ida 9/1894; Leon 1/1897 and Gus 2/1899.

            Auguste  born 10 APR 1870 in Texas, married Ferdinand Koehn on 1 JAN 1889;                   Their twin sons Edward (Emil) and Carl (b. 2/8/1890) burned to death in a barn                       fire on 11/26/1894 and are buried in the Koehn family cemetery.  Ferdinand died                         2/22/1897.  Auguste then married Wm. Hildebrandt on 15 DEC 1897; their                  children listed in the 1910 census were Betty, Clara (b. 11 OCT 1989, married                         Edgar Woehst, d. 5 JAN 1995), Ardala (b. 1901 married Pless), Lydia (b. 1907                       married Orgeron), Sophia (b. 1907 married Janosky), Wm. Jr. (b. 1904),  Mabel             (married Troop) and Anita (4/25/1910 - 12/1/2000, m. Colbert Mewis).

            Mathilde   born 25 OCT 1872 in Texas, married Richard Frank on 4 DEC 1890.  He was             born March 8, 1868, son of Frederich and Maria Wendt Frank ; their children                        were Oskar (5/10/91 - 8/13/91), Walter (8/9/1893 - 10/12/1895), Celia, Edward,                         C.D. (5/14/1896 - 3/10/1953), Ellen (m. Lee Tadlock), Adeline (b. July 1899, m.                      Edwin H. Bartay, then Dock Rippetoe), Lilly (7/16/1892 - 12/30/1987, m. Herman                        Louis Rohde), Edmund (11/28/1894 - 2/6/1976, married Olga Ana Graf), Lena,                Richard (10/24/1902 - 11/14/1987, m. Elsie Hartman) , Pearl (b. 1905, m. Claude                         Evans), Chester (4/26/1906 - 5/2/1967, m. Hazel peters), Dennis (7/11/1907 -                11/25/1994, m. Hellean Kotzebue), Arthur (Nov. 1909 - 5/1/1938, m. Lee Esther                    Neuendorff), Wallace, Delmus (b. 1913, m. Ella), Harry Lee (2/28/1918 -                2/9/1981), Everett Earl (8/15/1919 - 10/5/1977).   Matilda died November 21,             1931 and Richard Sr. died May 5, 1950.  They were buried in Pilgrim�s Rest               cemetery. 

            Edward   born 13 APR 1876; later recorded Emanuel, then Emil (more details follow).

            John   born 1879; married Annie Struse on 24 JUN 1900; their children listed in the 1920                census were  J.C. (b. 6/24/1903, m. Callie Inez Draehn), Emil B. (b. 3/15/1906, m.             Della Dreahn), Lester (b. 2/18/1909, m. Hazel Brast),  Ida (b. 3/11/1912, m. Doyle               S. Miller)  ,Herbert M.(b. 7/16/1914, m. Norma Stamnitz), Pauline and 6 children                        deceased.

EMIL KRUMREY

born:       13 APR 1876 in Texas, died: 6 JAN 1945, buried Oak Knoll Cemetery, Bellville        

wife:     Wilhelmina Schroeder, born 28 OCT 1876, married  10 FEB 1897, died 17 JUN 1960,   buried Oak Knoll Cemetery.

children:

            Arthur   died at birth

            Walter, born 24 MAR 1899, married Margaret Minnie Mueller, who was born 28 MAY                      1904 in Phillipsburg, Texas and died 12 APR 1967.  They had no children.  Walter             died 26 MAY 1980, and both are buried in Oak Knoll Mausoleum, Bellville.

            Edward  born 5 JAN 1904, married Clara Louise Kaechele on 6 OCT 1929 in Kenney.                       They had no children.  Ed was Assistant Postmaster in Bellville when he died on                    17 JUL 1942.  He is buried in Oak Knoll Cemetery, Bellville.  

            Hildegard  born 17 MAR 1908, never married, died 10 FEB 1973.  

            Mozelle Lucille born 11 JUL 1912,  married Charles Ruggles on 14 DEC 1940 in                Bastrop, and died March 15, 2009.   Charles ("Zoo") was born 12 JUL 1916 in                         Bellville and died January 19, 2009.  They had no children.

            Gardner Macadoo  born 19 SEP 1917,  married Floy Ruth Kendrick in Bellville on 27               MAR 1938.  Ruth was born in Buckhorn on 4 MAY 1919.   Three sons .     Mac died in Bellville on December 15, 2003.

            Ora Nell  born 30 SEP 1920, married Victor Henry Woodrick on 22 JUN 1942 in St.                Matthews Lutheran Church, Houston (Rev. W.W. Stratman) .

            The family surname Krumrey is derived from a North German variant of Krumreihn, which in turn stems from the from Middle Low German �krum� meaning �bent� or �crooked�, + �rein� meaning �ridge� or �margin of a field�.  Thus, Krumrey is a topographic name for someone who lived by a bend in the bank or edge of a field or by a field with a crooked boundary.

            Wilhelm Heinrich Krumrey, wife Bertha and son Henry immigrated in 1867, departing Bremen on the bark �Texas� under the command of Master Meintzen on 6 October 1867 with 195 passengers and arrived in Galveston 14 December 1867.  The ship was 571 tons, 143.3 feet long, 31.8 feet wide, with a depth of 15.9 feet.  She was built in Vegesach in 1867 by J. Lange, and was owned by B. Bartling. ^[1]  They are listed as from �Prussia� on the passenger list, distinctly different from most of the other passengers who were listed as from �Germany� or �Austria�.

            Definitive records of the origins of this family have not been located.  It is believed that they came from the region of Poland from Kolberg on the Baltic down through former Pommerania east of the old border between Germany and Poland near Stettin.   A large number of Krumreys found in this area today.  Extensive research conducted on the Krumrey family by Heinz Krumrey of Windjoek, Namibia, South Africa in the 1990�s indicates that there were three regions of greater Germany containing the family name Krumrey.  One was in Bavaria, not a part of Prussia in 1867 so not likely the home of Wm. and Bertha Krumrey.  The second area was near Stolln in East Germany.  Heinz has performed extensive genealogy research on the family there (including checking all of the church books in the region) and never saw records of Wm. Krumrey, any surname Frenkel, or even any records of any Krumrey coming to America, thus he does not believe Wm. and Bertha are from this area.  The third area containing a significant number of Krumreys was in former Pomerania (today�s Poland east of Berlin to near the Gdansk area). Specific towns with historical Krumrey presence include Plietnitz, Jastrow, Wesel, Tarnowo Kries Obornik, Lussowsko/Posen, Podsolitz, Jankendorf, Studsin, Flatow, Korytkowo Kr. Magilno, Stieglitz, Strussow, and Weissenhohe Kr. Wirsitz.

            Frenkel is a surname of a large Jewish family today.  This family moved from their long-time home of Lodz, Poland, to Israel after World War II.   Presumably at some point in the past a man named Frenkel married a Jewish woman and converted to that faith, or one of Bertha�s ancestor Frenkels was born Jewish and converted.   The Krumrey�s were Protestant.  Many Germans from Pomerania immigrated to America in the late 1800s.  Many of the villages in this region including Strussow have disappeared, probably in the aftermath of WW II when ethnic Germans were forced to leave their homelands.  Many of the church records have disappeared or been relocated.  

            Wm. Krumrey�s occupation in the passenger lists was recorded as shoemaker, and he is shown as age 22 (a probably error as all other information indicates he was 28 or 29 at this time).  The surname was spelled Krumrig, but this is the only place found with this spelling.  Krumrey is the likely original spelling due to consistent later usage and the large and widespread number of Germans with this surname.  Listed with Wilhelm on the passenger list was wife Bertha (age 28) and son Henry (age 5 months). They are recorded in the 1870 Census as living in Austin County in the Hempstead precinct.  Waller County had not yet been created and Hempstead was part of Austin County in 1870.  This location indicates their residence was east of the Brazos River.   Ages in the 1870 census are William H. (31), Bertha (30), Henry (8) and Anna (2).  Anna was born in Texas and the rest of the family was born in Prussia.  They are shown as owning $150 in personal property and no real estate, indicating they were renting shelter, presumably in or near the town of Hempstead where he probably practiced his bootmaker trade.  He was granted his U.S. citizenship in Austin County on 24 JUL 1871. The eldest three daughters (Anna, Auguste and Mathilde) were baptized on 10 DEC 1872 in the St. Peter's German Lutheran Church in Spring Branch, Harris County, Texas.  Witnesses at their baptism were Doris and Wilhelm Keuneke and Sophie Krause.^[2]  This church was built in 1848 by a community of Germans who had settled on Spring Branch, a tributary of Buffalo Bayou, about 9 miles west of Houston.   It was probably the closest Lutheran (German speaking) church to the Krumrey residence at that time, and they may have known church members from their former home in Germany, or met during immigration.

            On 17 November 1879, W. H. Krumrey bought land in Bellville, presumably on which he lived and perhaps operated his cobbler shop.  He was listed as a shoemaker in Bellville in the 1880 census.  The deed records of Austin County,^[3]  indicate that Krumrey bought part of Outlot No. 23 in Bellville from S. Barzak for $120.00. ^[4]

            The 1880 Austin County census shows Wm. Krumrey, age 41, a shoemaker born in Prussia, wife Bertha age 40 born Prussia, son Henry age 18, a shoemaker born in Prussia, Daughters Anna age 11, Augusta age 10, Mathilda age 6, sons Edward age 4 and John age 1 all born in Texas.     Apparently son Henry had joined his father in the trade.  The September 15, 1883 issue of the Austin County Times contains this advertisement:  �W. H. Krumrey Boot and Shoe Maker�.

            The 1900 census lists Bertha Krumrey as a widow who can read, write, and speak English, with a profession of nurse (probably midwife).  She lived with daughter Anna Merten and their family.  In 1910, she registered for the census with the Wm. Hilldebrandt family.  Bertha Krumrey died 17 AUG 1911, and is buried in the Koehn Cemetery on the east side of HWY 159 north of Bellville, southwest of Piney Creek.

            The 24 AUG 1911 issue of the Bellville Times contains Bertha Krumrey's obituary:  "Mrs. Bertha Krumrey, nee Frenkel, died at the home of her son-in-law Wm. Hilldebrandt on Thursday, August 11, in the 73rd year of her age.  Deceased came to Texas with her husband about 44 years ago and the pair came to Bellville some thirty-five years since.  Mr. Krumrey passed away some twenty-five years ago.  Surviving her, the deceased leaves five children, two sons and three daughters, namely Messrs. Emil and John Krumrey and Mesdames Gus Merten, William Hildebrandt and W. Frank.  The funeral took place on Friday afternoon last with internment at the Koehn burying ground east of town.  A large gathering of friends and neighbors were present at the last rites.  Rev. J. G. Mueller conducted the services."

            The details of Wm. H. Krumrey�s death are unknown, as is his burial site.  The August 15, 1885, Bellville  newspaper dos not contain his business advertisement.  The 1900  census listed his wife Bertha as a widow.  Her obituary indicates he died around 1885, however there is no death notice in Austin or Waller County records, and no known cemetery plot has his tombstone.  Death records were not kept in Waller or Austin County prior to 1902.  In 1893 a lawsuit ^[5] brought against Bertha Krumrey resulted in the foreclosure of the lot Krumrey bought in Bellville in 1879 due to failure to repay the loan.  The foreclosure proceedings state that W. H. Krumrey had died intestate, after he signed a renewal of the loan on February 13, 1889.  Presumably he died in Austin County in 1889 or early1890 and was buried in a rural cemetery (eg: the Koehn cemetery) without a tombstone being erected.  Several graves without tombstones are present in the Koehn cemetery.   No records beyond 1880 have been found for son Henry; family oral history suggests that when Henry became an adult he simply �disappeared�, either died, moved away or perhaps even went back to Germany. 

            Emil Krumrey married Wilhemmina Schroeder of the Clear Creek / Ives Creek area north of Bellville on 10 FEB 1897.  They purchased 80 acres of land for $750 from Emil's brother-in-law Richard Frank on Clear Creek between the Buckhorn and Hempstead roads on 14 OCT 1897, near the Schroeder farm on Ivys Creek.  Later they added two adjacent tracts; 24 acres for $188 from Wm. Dudley on 10 OCT 1907 ^[6] and 31 acres from Richard Frank for $600 on 5 NOV 1912 .^[7]   Living with them in 1900 was Wilhemmina's sister Lena and brother August.   By 1910 Emil had built a second house nearby his, where Wilhemmina's mother, then 62 years old, lived with her children Otto (age 20) and Alvina (age 19).  On 30 NOV 1911, they purchased 28 acres for $416 on Piney Creek near Bellville^[8] to give them a supply of wood for home heating and cooking. Emil and Wilhelmina Schroeder Krumrey�s eldest daughter Hildegard contracted spinal meningitis as a youth.  She survived but the excessively high fever associated with the meningitis arrested her mental development and later resulted in epileptic-like seizures.  Unable to care for her due to her health condition, the family was forced to commit her to the state institute in Austin.  Later, Hildegard was transferred to the state institute at Mexia, where she died in 1973.

            The Emil Krumrey family purchased and moved to a 49 acre farm on the Buckhorn Road just outside Bellville on 18 APR 1922 ^[9], making this move so their younger children could attend school in Bellville.  Minna Krumrey later sold this land to her daughter and son-in-law Mozelle and Charles Ruggles.    Emil raised corn and watermelons and worked for Austin County as a road grader as well as at the Schauerhammer and Roensch mercantile store in Bellville.  He participated in the building of the old iron bridge over Mill Creek on the Sandy Creek road between Bellville and Cat Spring.  He did some farming, primarily on the Clear Creek homestead, and won a $500 prize for the best acre of cotton in Austin County.  He farmed with two mules named John and Helen.  On 25 Sept 1937 Emil and Minna Krumrey sold all 135 acres of their land holdings on Clear Creek to R. B. Woodley for $2,693^[10].  On 17 April 1941 they sold their 28 acres on Piney Creek to their son Walter Krumrey.    Emil died on 6 JAN 1945 and is buried in Oak Knoll Cemetery, Bellville.  Wilhelmina (�Minna�) Krumrey lived in her later years with daughter Ora Nell and Victor Woodrick in Michigan and on their Burleigh Road farm outside Bellville.  She died on 17 JUN 1960 and is buried in Oak Knoll Cemetery, Bellville.