Mary Evelyn VON ROSENBERG

Notes:

Mary Evelyn's birth mother is Mary Proctor (Bobbie's daughter from a previous marriage), who was not in a financial position to give her a good home life, so her grandmother Bobbie and Marcus took her home from the hospital. She was legally adopted by Marcus and Bobbie. She spent her childhood days growing up in Midland, Texas. Mary Evelyn took care of Marcus during the last five years of his life, as he suffered a great deal from emphysema. He required oxygen in order to breathe and became very weak, barely able to walk. She became his right hand in helping him. After high school graduation, Mary Evelyn married and had a daughter, Erica. Mary Evelyn was only 21 years old when she died from injuries received in a motorcycle accident.

Mary married Danny OLGIN on 15 Apr 1990 (Civil) in Midland, Midland, Texas, USA, and was divorced on 27 Oct 1992 in Midland County, Texas, USA. Danny was born on 16 May 1969 in Martin County, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living

Notes:

Marcus has a limited education since he began helping his father in their grocery store. He worked at the store off and on during different times. He was married only one year before he found himself out of work due to the Depression. He finally found a job at Martin-Glover Wholesale Grocery for $14 a week. In 1939 Marcus went into partnership with his wife's uncle, Red Gwinn, selling fresh vegetables and fruit. During this time he and LaGrace were divorced. A few years later he married Lucille, who helped him in the business. When Marcus was called to serve in the Navy, she ran the business. He was severely injured while in the Navy and was semi-disabled. He and Lucille were divorced some time after his return. He later married Bobbie.

Marcus married Bobbie Joe WASHBURN on 8 Jul 1968 in Midland County, Texas, USA. Bobbie was born on 17 Feb 1931 in Graham, Young, Texas, USA; died on 23 Nov 2015. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Edgar, born on a farm near Ellinger, moved with his family at the age of five to a farm in Milam County about ten miles west of Rockdale. While a child he enjoyed hunting and fishing on the San Gabriel River. He was a 1898 graduate of La Grange High School and of Toby Business College in Waco in 1899. He then was employed by William and Otto von Rosenberg at Hallettsville. After three years there he contracted typhoid fever which was complicated by a gastric ulcer, and his mother came to take care of him. His doctor advised him to go to West Texas to help him heal.

So, in 1905 Edgar and his brother Hugo bought a farm near San Angelo. In 1906, Hugo’s wife convinced Hugo to move back to Central Texas, and Edgar and his mother bought Hugo’s interest in the farm. He farmed the land and was able to become well again. However, he wanted to move back into town. He gained employment with the Walker-Smith Company in San Angelo where he worked as a shipping clerk. He worked for a time for Probandt & Company, but went back to Walker-Smith. In 1909 he opened a retail grocery with Max Pantel and built a successful business.

That same year he married Maggie. As the grocery business improved, he and Pantel opened another store, and after several years of managing that store, he bought Pantel’s interest. The business did well until the Great Depression hit. He had to sell his business in 1932, selling it for next to nothing. At that time the family moved to Austin where two of their children, Clark and Julia, were attending the University of Texas. After each earned their degrees in 1935, Edgar and Maggie moved back to San Angelo. He raised sheep for a few years, then worked at airfield contruction for World War II before going to work for Burton-Lingo Lumber Company in 1943.

Edgar was baptized at Park Heights Baptist Church. He was a member of Woodmen of the World.

Edgar married Maggie Mae CLARK on 22 Jun 1909 in Clark Farm, Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas, USA. Maggie (daughter of Henry CLARK and Julia A. TIMM) was born on 21 Feb 1887 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas, USA; died on 30 Jun 1978 in San Angelo, Tom Green, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Maggie was born on her parents’ farm near Hallettsville. She enjoyed country life and was adept at riding horses and herding cattle. She also studied music, learning to play the piano. She graduated from Halletsville High School at the age of sixteen. She received her teaching certificate and taught two years at the rural schools of Seclusion and Mossy Grove near Hallettsville.

She married Edgar at the home of her parents. They made their home at San Angelo. She spent much of her time caring for her family, but she found time to tend her flower gardens. Although christened in the Roman Catholic Church, she became a member of the Methodist Church and its Women’s Christian Society.

Birth:
1900 census: Jan 1888

Carl married Franziska Elisabeth SPENGLER on 7 Sep 1868 in Round Top, Fayette, Texas, USA. Franziska (daughter of Christian Ernst SOERGEL and Frédérique Auguste Eléonore FALLIER, daughter of Adolph SPENGLER and Justina (unknown)) was born on 27 Jun 1850 in Bastrop, Bastrop, Texas, USA; died on 9 Jan 1943 in San Angelo, Tom Green, Texas, USA; was buried on 11 Jan 1943 in La Grange City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Franciska Elisabeth was later anglicized to Frances Elizabeth.

Birth:
Elizabeth's Autobiography dated September 30, 1939;
Transcribed by Mary M. von Rosenberg (age 23) as her grandmother told the story of her life. Transcript typed by Jannie E. von Rosenberg (age 21).
Note: [Bracketed information for clarification]added by Elizabeth's great grandaughter, G. Miele.

I will try to make a sketch of my life. My parents [Adolph Spengler and Justina unknown-Spengler] came from Germany and settled in Bastrop, Texas-Father, Mother and four children, one sister [Eva/Eve] and two sons [Heinrich and Johann]. The oldest son [name unknown] died when they landed in this country [New Orleans-is not listed on ship manifest]. Father [Adolph] died in 1850 when I was born. So Mother [Justina unknown-Spengler] was left there alone, no friends, no relatives. She had no one to help her support the family so she married again[no record of this marriage has been found], a man by the name of [Stephen] Jones. He took the family and moved to a place by the name of Chisheu Grov [Chicken Grove at the eastern edge of James Winn League near Round Top, Fayette County, TX] where he had a little place of his own. The people there were all very nice to Mother, but Mother [Justina] also died a few years after father [Adolph] and left a two year old half sister [Eley/Ellie/Elise Jones]. So now we were five orphans that stepfather [Stephen Jones] didn’t care enough about to support us. So we were all divided between the neigh-bors. I was the only one who was adopted by an elderly german family, Mr. and Mrs. Earnst Soergel. Brother Henry and little sister [Eley/Ellie/Elise Jones] were taken by an old couple, by the name of Counsell Gait [Councilman Forrest Gaither (Sr.) & Lemira Lemish Caldwell-Gaither], sister Eve had a nice home with Dr. Rangkeus [Dr. Calvin & Mary Ran-kin] family. Only brother John did not like the people [Edward W. & Mary Marlow], he was staying with. So he went to Gonzales county where an old family [Elijah Randolph & Martha Runnels Hurt] took him in. These people were good to him. We all four [Eliza-beth, Eva, Henry and Eley/Ellie/Elise Jones] went to the same school, as we were all in the same neighborhood [Round Top].

My foster parents [Christian Ernst (Sörgel) Soergel and Frédérique Auguste Eléonore Fallier -Soergel] were very good to us. My own parents [Adolph Spengler and Justina inknown-Spengler-‘Jones’] could not have been better. When I was about 14 years old, Mother [Auguste F. Fallier-Soergel] took me to the Pastor G. Kilian. There I took bible lessons and was confirmed into the Evagu Luthern Church. That was in 1864. After that I went back home [Round Top] to school.

In 1868 I married a nephew of my foster mother, Mr. C. W. von Rosenberg [Carl August Walter vR], who had a farm joining ours [Soergel’s farm]. We were married [7 SEP 1868] at home [Soergel’s home] by a Squire Hinkle. We lived there [near Round Top] for 14 years. All of my older children [Alexander Ernst (1869), Eugen Carl (1871-1871), Louise Auguste (1873), Walter Albert (1875), Hugo Heinrich (1876)] were born there near Round Top, a small town where we did our trading.

Alex was the oldest one, who went to school there, as the others were still too small. We lived in a log house, two rooms with a large hall in between the rooms [known as a dog trot],. In 1875 my husband had a large two story house built so Grandpa and Grandma [Ernst and Auguste Soergel] could come to live with us. Grandpa was not with us more than 3 or 4 years. He was fond of children, as was Grandma, too, but she was more stern. She did not do everything like they wanted, like Grandpa did.

He [Ernst Soergel] went pecan hunting one day and they had to cross a little stream. He could not find a suitable place to cross so he had to walk thro the water back and foureth until he had all the pecans carried across. From this expoisoir he took penimonia, and soon after that he died in 1879.

In 1880 we moved to Ellenger [Ellinger, TX], where my husband became manager of a large farm for his nephue Mr. Elex Meecherditle [Alex Meerscheidt]. In 1881 Edgar [Ed-gar Reinhard] was born and son Frank [Frank Johannes] in 1884. Alex [Alexander Ernst] went to the high school in LaGrange, the other three older ones [Louise, Walter, and Hu-go] went to school in Ellenger. We only lived there 6 years. Then my husband had a bad fall from a horse and was sick for many months. He never regained his health. So he had to give up his post as manager. We sold out, and bought a farm in Milam County. That was in 1886.

There were two schools close to where we lived, for the two little ones and one about 8 miles away for the older ones. They had to go horseback. We lived there for a num-ber of years. I was so glad that Grandma [Auguste Soergel], my Mother, was still with us. She did all the [k]netting for the whole family. That was a great help to me.
The boys all grew up to be good men. When Alex [Alexander Ernst] was 18 years old, he went to Austin business college. Walter [Albert] and Hugo [Heinrich] only took post grated business course at home. Edgar [Reinhard] also went to business college in Wa-co. Frank [Johannes] still went to school at home.

As my husband’s health began to fail more and more The Dr. told him to quit work and move to town and take life easy. So he sold out in 1897 and we moved to La-Grange, Texas.

In 1900 the boys all left home, one after the other. Walter [Albert] and Hugo [Heinrich] liked farming best. Edgar [verb?] office work. He [Edgar Reinhard] got back from col-lege and took a position as clerk with the Rosenberg brothers in Hallstiville [Hal-letsville], Tex. After Alex [Alexander Ernst] came back home from Austin he went to work as a clerk in Rockdale for the Searbough and Hix Company [Scarbrough & Hicks Compa-ny, a merchantile]. He worked there for one year and 9 months. Took sick and had to quit. After he got well he worked in Sague [Seguin, TX] from there he went to LaGrange and got in with the Rosenberg company.

Edgar stayed with the Rosenberg brothers 2 years or more. Took typhoid fever and was sick for several months. After he got up He was so weak he could not gain his strength. So the Dr. advised him to go West which he did. He located in San Angelo in 1907. His brother Hugo came with him and bought a little farm near Wall. Hugo’s wife [Minna Pauline Urban] did not like it here. So he sold his farm out to his bro. Edgar and left. [Hugo] Stopped over in Temple. He liked it there so he bought a small farm of 40 acres. There he also worked out in a garage for some company. He had two sons, the oldest one Edgar [Edgar Hugo] worked in the garage with him for a number of years. The second son [Charles Walter] is with the air forces. [Lucille von Rosenberg, daughter, 1902-1902 not mentioned.]

My late son Walter [Albert] also had two sons [Alvin Walter and Arthur Julius].

They both live in around Sharp and Camron. Frank [Johannes] my youngest son was still with us when we moved to LaGrange in 1900. But he only stayed with us a short time after we moved to La Grange. He went to Bellville, Texas where he had a posi-tion as clerk for C. H. Hellmuth. Only a short time [? later he ] came home and bought some books and studied the carpenter trade. He worked with a carpenter to learn the trade for a year or so.

My only daughter Louise Auguste von Rosenberg married [7 Nov 1893, Lilac, TX] a man by the name of Adam George Becker (1857-1944) before we moved to LaGrange. They lived near Sharp [Lilac, TX] two years then moved to Wa-co[,] Texas [Hewitt, TX] where they lived for five years. After they moved to Waco the oldest child died [George John]. They had three more boys [Raymond John, Otto Hugo, Carl Walter] and one girl [Louise Elizabeth Margaret ‘Lizzie’] besides the one that died. And the other oldest [living] son [Raymond] died [Coblenz (now Koblenz)Germany]in the army of oceppation [occupation] on the 5 of June 1920.

Louise [Auguste] and her husband moved to west Texas in 1904. Located on a farm near San Angelo, at Wall, Texas. The youngest one [Charlie] owned a garage in Wall. The other one [Otto - after Raymond died] works on the farm. The daughter [Louise Eliza-beth Margaret ‘Lizzie’ (1896-1977] married [Eli Roberts (1896-1997)] and lives in Enid Oklahoma.

My husband passed away in 1903. I did not like town life, and after my husband left me it did not seem the same any more. Alex [Alexander Ernst] married Martha Kainer in Nov. 22. 1905 and lived with me until I left them. Louise and children stayed with me for weeks while her husband [George Adam Becker] and Frank were building their house on the farm he [Becker] bought at Wall. I felt so lonely after they [Louise and her chil-dren] left. So I planned to go out west to San Angelo to keep house for Frank and Ed-gar. I didn’t get to go as soon as I had planned. But when Edgar married Maggie Mae Clark on June.22, 1909 I went out there a week later. They had the house all fixed up, when I got there. So I was house keeper and they boarded with me.

Frank worked at Bellenger [Ballinger, TX] for a while. Edgar worked for a grocery man by the name of Proband[t], and later for Max Pantel. He went into pardering slipt [partnership] with Max Pantel in the grocery business. Maggie did the book work for them. Frank came back home and made his home with me. Later the boys bought the two lots and built a house here in parkhights on South Austin St., and I have lived here on this place ever since 1911.

I was housekeeper until the summer of 1915 when I took typhoid fever and was never very strong after that. So I had to turn my housework over to my daughter-in-law Maggie. Edgar and Maggie have 5 children two boys [Henry Clark, Marcus Alexander] and three girls [Julia Elizabeth, Mary Margaret, Jannie Eloise]. They were all born here in San Angelo.

After Max Pantel died Edgar bought the grocery business, finally had a store built on my lot. They did quite well until the depresation started. The business got so bad he [Edgar] sold out what he had [the grocery inventory, not the building or farm] and they [Edgar, Maggie Mae, Clark, Julia] moved to Austin [TX] and took in boarders [in order for Clark and Julia to attend UTA]. But ever thing was so high, they coulden hardly make expenses. My son Frank and a granddaughter May Margaret [Mary Margaret] with a girl to help was my standby while they [Edgar, Maggie Mae, Clark, Julia] lived in Austin. They [Edgar and Maggie Mae] came back in 1935. All have been very nice to me. Altho, I have been sick so much lately. My daughter-in-law Maggie had so much to do, but waited on me like my own daughter would. Edgar still had his farm to fall back on. He stayed out there by his self lots while Maggie had to stay here with me. My oldest son [Alexan-der Ernst] passed away in August 1937. It would have been much better if it had been me. But we has to sumit to the Lord will.






Name:
Franziska Elisabeth is the name on her 14 APR 1865 baptismal/confirmation record, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Serbin, Texas.

Also Known As:
Elizabeth's Spengler brother, Henry, and sister, Eva, Anglicized or Americanized their last name to Spangler during the mid-1860s. Elizabeth's brother John continued using Spengler the latter 1800s. Elizabeth continued to spell the name Spengler until the early 1900s.

All of the Spengler children, except Elizabeth and her younger step-sister, Elley, were born in Germany. It is doubtful any of the children were in possession of the Spengler family's immigration papers after their father died in 1850 and then their mother 'remarried*' and died soon after in c1853. Subsequently, all of the Spengler children, except Elizabeth, were then 'placed' in the homes of non-German families. And later, all, except Elizabeth, married into families of non-German heritage . . .
Eva Spengler aka Eve Spangler, spouses McGuire and Cox;
Heinrich Spengler aka Henry Spangler, spouse Dawson;
Johann Spengler aka John Spangler, spouses Hurt and Reese;
and Elley Jones, the stepsister, if married, unknown.

Baptism:
1850 First Adoption Law in Texas allowed one to “adopt” a legal heir by filing a written affidavit with the county clerk’s office. This is known as the civil laws in Texas that provided for adoption by deed (Cole, 1983; McCauliff, 1986). Individuals wanting formal recognition of an adoption obtained it by having the state legislature pass a private bill (Cole, 1983). It was possible district courts to decree adoptions.

No legal record of Sorgels' adoption of Elisabeth have been found by
--court decree of adoption in Fayette,
--adoption by written affidavit filed with county clerk in Bastrop, Fayette or Washington counties.
--adoption by deed Bastrop, Fayette or Washington counties, or by
--state legislature bill by search of state congressional records for 1852-1868.
confirmation
The *notations in Elisabeth's baptism record may have been Ernst Sorgels' way of documenting their foster relationship with Elisabeth rather than via any legal process. It is believed Ernst would have avoided any court involvement in his life after his previous experience with the court system.

Elisabeth was Anglicized to Elizabeth prior to her marriage with Walter in 1868. She continued to use the last name Spengler and/or Spengler Sorgel until she married Walter vR. Spengler Anglicized to Spangler is only recorded in 20th C documents/papers referencing Elizabeth.

Died:
at 11:55 p.m. at her residence, 1231 Austin St.

Henry married Julia A. TIMM about 1885. Julia was born on 9 Oct 1860 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas, USA; died on 13 Nov 1945 in Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas, USA; was buried on 15 Nov 1945 in Clark Cemetery, Hallettsville, Lavaca, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
at 2:30 p.m.