Gilbert Otto SPECKELS

Notes:

at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Gilbert married Ellen Mae KING on 15 Nov 1913 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA, and was divorced. Ellen (daughter of Arthur Joseph KING and Elizabeth EICHEN) was born on 16 Oct 1890 in Sayers, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 9 Jan 1978 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; was buried on 11 Jan 1978 in Mission Burial Park South, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
by Rev. August Wolff, St. John’s Lutheran Church

1. Evelyn Margaret SPECKELS was born on 4 May 1914 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 8 Jan 1997 in New Braunfels, Comal, Texas, USA; was buried on 11 Jan 1997 in Mission Burial Park South, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA.
2. Lillian Mae SPECKELS was born on 21 May 1915 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 25 Jul 1987 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; was buried on 28 Jul 1987 in Sunset Memorial Park, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA.
3. Gilbert Henry SPECKELS was born on 6 Nov 1916 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 18 Apr 1979 in Fresno, Fresno, California, USA; was buried on 21 Apr 1979 in Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura, Ventura, California, USA.
4. Jack Louis SPECKELS was born on 22 Jul 1922 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 11 Dec 1961 in San Fernando, Los Angeles, California, USA; was buried on 15 Dec 1961 in Glen Haven Memorial Park, Sylmar, Los Angeles, California, USA.
5. Bonnie Aileen SPECKELS was born on 29 Jan 1924 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; died on 14 Jun 2009 in Pleasanton, Alameda, California, USA; was buried on 22 Jun 2009 in Mission Burial Park South, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA.

Family/Spouse: Hazel CRESSWELL. Hazel (daughter of Ray Maurice CRESSWELL and Anna Louisa KELLMANN) was born on 29 Sep 1898 in Texas, USA; died on 24 Nov 1980 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Henry married Anna MEERSCHEIDT on 2 Jul 1890 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. Anna (daughter of Arthur Carl Wilhelm Gustav Anton Archibald VON MEERSCHEIDT-VON HUELLESSEM and Amanda Karoline VON ROSENBERG) was born on 2 Aug 1865 in Nassau, Fayette, Texas, USA; died on 29 Sep 1895 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA; was buried in Old La Grange City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Anna attended school in La Grange. She was known in the community for having a fine contralto voice. However, never being very strong, she contracted tuberculosis after her two children were born. She went to San Antonio to recuperate, but never really did. Being homesick for her Henry and her children, she returned to La Grange where she died.

Notes:

Married:
by William Hess, M. G.

John married Gesche Margarethe IMKEN on 3 Jun 1842 in Jade, Rastede, Neuenburg, Oldenburg. Gesche was born on 24 Dec 1822 in Delfshausen, Rastede, Oldenburg; died on 14 Oct 1907 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA; was buried in La Grange City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
at the home of Tönjes Kröger (by her sister)

Died:
at 9 a.m.

Notes:

Arthur Meerscheidt’s given name was Arthur Carl Wilhelm Gustav Anton Archibald von Meerscheidt-von Huellessem. He was educated in Braunschweig. At sixteen years of age he became a cadet in Prince Wasa’s Hungarian regiment and age nineteen became an officer in the Hungarian army. He was wounded while fighting as a revolutionary at Czegedin. After recovering from his wound, he traveled down the Danube en route to Constantinople when he was captured by Serbians. He was spared by a friendly Hungarian and was allowed to continue his journey. He then returned home to Germany where he attempted to join the army of Schleswig-Holstein, at his mother’s bidding. However, the war that army was in had ended. Shortly after he sailed for the United States.

He arrived at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana aboard the “Ohio” on 2 Jan 1850. From there he met an acquaintance, a man named Jenski, who was from near Nassau in northern Fayette County, Texas. Arthur settled in that area and became a farmer and family man. He later became a merchant in nearby Round Top before moving to La Grange in 1874. There he was appointed Postmaster, in which office he remained until his death. He took a trip west because of ill health, but saw little improvement. He died in Boerne, Texas due to a heart ailment.

Arthur married Amanda Karoline VON ROSENBERG on 9 Nov 1850 in Fayette County, Texas, USA. Amanda (daughter of Peter Carl Johann VON ROSENBERG and Amanda Henriette Louise FALLIER) was born on 15 Jun 1832 in Memel, Memel, Preußen, Prussia; died on 29 Aug 1911 in La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA; was buried in Old La Grange City Cemetery, La Grange, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

“Lina” von Rosenberg was born at Eckitten Estate, was baptized at St. Johannis Kirche in Memel, and was confirmed at the Landkirche in Crottingen. She spent much of her youth with her mother’s relatives in Königsburg where she attended school and enjoyed musical entertainment.

She came with her family to Texas in 1849 and married Arthur Meerscheidt a year later. They lived in a log house near Nassau, but later moved to La Grange. After the death of her husband, Lina moved to San Antonio where she kept house for three of her children, Max, Otto, and Martha. She and Martha also raised Max’s two sons after his wife passed away. In old age she returned to La Grange to live out her days in an invalid’s chair, cared for at the home of her daughter, Lieschen Scholz. She enjoyed reading and stayed abreast of politics.

Birth:
at Eckitten Estate

in the Landkirche

Notes:

Married:
by F. Ernst, J. P.

Notes:

Peter Carl Johann von Rosenberg was the third son of Otto von Rosenberg and his second wife, Maria Wilhelmine von Stempel-von Rosenberg, of Raddeilen and Eckitten Estates. He was nine years old when his parents were divorced and we know nothing of his early life and education. He enlisted in the Prussian Army at an early ago and at twenty-one he became a lieutenant in the cavalry. He was a member of the Uhlans and on the old scroll he is called a Jager, which was a title given to certain German cavalry regiments.

He later told his grandson Arthur von Rosenberg that in the Battle of Leipzig his horse's mouth was shot away, but he quickly mounted another horse whose rider had been killed.

He fought with the Prussian guards under Bluecher with Wellington. When Napoleon faced the English on Belgian soil at Waterloo, with the remnant of the once-defeated Prussians and the fresh Prussian forces under Bluecher, the tide of the battle turned on June 18, 1815. The histories tell us this Prussian Guard knew how to die but not how to surrender.

The Uhlans fought with lances. They were chiefly employed for reconnoitering, skirmishing, and outpost duty. Originally they were light cavalry. Peter Carl was a Lieutenant in this company at Waterloo, we learn from the old scroll and from letters.

In 1819 he inherited Eckitten Estate after the death of his widowed stepmother, and the same year he married Johanna Dorothea Froelich. They had four children before she died at the age of twenty-nine, six weeks after the birth of Johannes.

Peter Carl was a "Frei Denker" and in the disturbing days of 1848 was severely criticized for his political views. The consequent humiliation of the family was the direct cause of the immigration to Texas.



The family of Carl von Rosenberg departed from Bremen, Germany on 1 Oct 1849 and arrived at Galveston, Texas on 2 Dec 1849. They travelled on the ship Franziska.

Peter married Amanda Henriette Louise FALLIER on 11 Feb 1830 in Memel, Memel, Preußen, Prussia. Amanda (daughter of Jean Pierre FALLIER and Anne Caroline MARQUARDT) was born on 6 Sep 1806 in Königsberg, Ostpreußen, Prussia; died on 22 Apr 1864 in Round Top, Fayette, Texas, USA; was buried in Richters Cemetery, Round Top, Fayette, Texas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Amanda was baptized Amande Henriette Louise. Her godparents at the French Reformed Church in Königsberg were Mr. Jean Frédéric Marquart, Mr. Guillaume Schubert, Mrs. Marie Hagen, councillor and secretary, and Mrs. Marie Anne Matz.