Helon Ruth Viertel Knudson

Robert Rachuig sent me this very kind tribute to his cousin Helon Ruth Viertel Knudson, great-granddaughter of Tobias & Wilhelmina Hunger Schulz and August & Henrietta Bernhardt Rachuig.

My special cousin, Helon will speak to me about about sharing this.  -:)

Helon is one of the most giving persons that Joyce and I know.   She is available to help anyone at anytime.  Besides being a wonderful, loving and caring wife, she spends time as a Hospice nurse volunteer, a lot of time serving at the Sunset Home in so many different ways.  She visits. leads in the ladies organizations and gives a great deal of time to fund raising for the home.  She has been a faithful worker at the Pot of Gold helping to sell products that provide help to meet the needs of folks in the Sunset home by helping resell donated products.  She spends more than one full day each week doing this.  They raise close to $100,000 each year.  She helps with a large quilt auction that raises another near $50,000 or more. 

She and Trent are very faithful and involved with their church work At Our Savior's Lutheran Church at Norse about 7 miles out in the country.  They travel all over the state and more to represent their church.  They have served in almost every position of leadership in the church, including (Helon) being on the call team for their  present pastor.  They are full time servants and always available.  They have given up many things for themselves to help others.

Joyce and I are so very proud to be family with them.  They have done many personal things for us and made our life in Clifton more wonderful.  They are one of the main reasons we love living here.
They are the busiest retired couple that I know!
We love them very much and want you to know some of the things about them that make them very special!  The story could go on and on about them!

Love,
Robert & Joyce
 

Wheatridge Lutheran Sanitarium in Wheatridge, Colorado

Selma Schulz Rachuig (1873-1935), daughter of Tobias & Wilhelmina Hunger Schulz, suffered from tuberculosis.  As her condition worsened in the 1930s, she spent time at a sanitarium in Olney, Texas.  In 1935 she moved to a larger institution in Wheatridge, Colorado.  Unfortunately, her condition never improved and she died suddenly.  

You see a picture of the sanitarium below.  It no longer operates as a sanitarium, as you can see in this short history.

 

Dorothy Krueger Mansur, 1921-2013

Many of you may know that Dorothy Krueger Mansur died earlier this year.  She was the daughter of Will & Hilda Krueger, grand-daughter of Julius & Selma Rachuig, and great-grand-daughter of Tobias & Wilhelmina Schulz.

Here is a picture of Dorothy with her mother and brother, Will Krueger, Jr. in the early 1920s.  They are standing in front of her grandparent's home on Hackberry Street in Clifton.

She is happy now, but we will certainly miss her.

Dorothy attended last year's reunion.  Here are some direct links to scenes of her in the reunion video.

Direct link to 1st scene.

Direct link to 2nd scene.

Direct link to 3rd scene.

 

A Photo of the Extended Schulz Family in 1906

This may be a repeater, but I'm not sure everyone has seen it.  The location is the Tobias & Wilhelmina Schulz home west of Clifton.  The Schulz brothers are standing on the ground to the left.  With them are nephew, Walter Rachuig, Sr., and niece, Hilda Rachuig Krueger.  The children are the son and daughter of their sister, Selma Schulz Rachuig.  

I'm not certain of the women and children in the middle of the porch, but Tobias and Wilhelmina stand on the left.  Selma and her husband Julius Rachuig are standing on the right of the porch.  Selma is holding their son Edgar, whom I've used to date this picture.

 

It's Reunion Time!

Our Savior's Luther Church in Norse, Texas

July is around the corner, so the Schulz-Rachuig-Rachui-Rachuy family reunion is near.  The date is Saturday, July 20th at Our Savior's Church in Norse.  I will be try to post items to this blog each week till the reunion, so look for more information and mark your calendars.

Tobias & Wilhelmina Hunger Schulz 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1923

I had forgotten that Wilhelmina Hunger and Tobias Schulz were married 140 years ago this month in Crottendorf, Saxony, Germany.

I have better pictures of their 50th anniversary celebration in Clifton.  I'll post them soon, but this is the best I can do on short notice.  This photo was taken at their oldest daughter's in-laws home on Hackberry Street in Clifton.  Their children, grandchildren, and a few of their great-grandchildren appear in this picture.

Here is a newspaper article (plus family history added later) from the Clifton paper.

Click here to view transcription.
 

Blaine Arnim Singing National Anthem at Sugar Land Skeeters Baseball Game

Blaine Armin, son of Emily Petersen Armin, grandson of Becky Bass Galimore, great-grandson of Mayme Rachuig Hause, great-great-grandson of Herbert Rachuig, and great-great-great-grandson of Selma Shulz Rachuig, was part of a school group who sang the National Anthem before a Sugar Land Skeeters minor league baseball game in September.  Blaine is a member of the Westlake Prep School choir who performed that night.

Blaine is the little, blond-haired boy in front of the group.

 

Mayme Rachuig Hause's Memories of the 1940s

My aunt, Mayme Rachuig Hause, sent me the following note.  (Her father, Herbert Rachuig, was Selma Schulz Rachuig's youngest son.)

Pan for Cornbread Sticks

The picture is of my Mother’s iron corn bread stick pan. Today, it hangs above my stove in Nixon, Texas. My thoughts go back to my years at home with my parents and sister Sally as we grew up in Sugar Land, Texas.

When Sally and I were younger and in school, Mother cooked the family pinto beans and corn bread sticks made in that pan. When Mother went to work in the Post Office in Sugar Land, she would often leave a big pot of beans and corn bread sticks for the evening meal. However, when Sally and I came home from school, just like most of the children now, we were starved. The pot of beans on the stove was so inviting that we would always have a bowl and a corn bread stick. Some times if we were hungrier than usual, the pot would be almost empty when we were through with our snack. That was not always a good idea as Mother would be a little upset to say the least. But most of the time she cooked an ample amount for a snack and our meal. Even our German father loved this delicious Southern meal too!!!

On the lighter side about my Daddy’s special treats!

Daddy loved Limberger cheese, and if you are not familiar with this cheese, it has a particularly strong smell. Mother was not always pleased to have it in the fridge for more than a day or two. It came in small wedges wrapped in foil about 2 or 3 bites. Can’t imagine anyone going in and buying a pound of it. WHEW!!!! You don’t see this cheese too much any more, but perhaps in specialty cheese shops now. The Germans were especially fond of it. Maybe when the older generation of my father passed away, there was not much of a demand for it!!!

  

Old Photos from Our Savior's Church in Norse

Our Savior's has a page on Facebook, which I view often.  Several long-time members have posted old photos of the congregation.  Unfortunately, they have trouble identifying most of the people in the pictures.  So far, they've identified one family member, Hulen Hanson, Jr., whose mother was Mildred Rachuig, daughter of Huldina & Rudolph 'Rube' Rachuig.  

If anyone can identify other people in these photos, I'll be happy to pass the information along.

Early 20th century?

Early 20th century?

1950s?

March 1954

Hulen Hanson, Jr. back right.

 

Ernst Walter Viertel & Caroline Henrietta Rachuig

These two photos show Ernst Walter Viertel and Caroline Henrietta Rachuig.  The first photo captures them on their wedding day, October 20, 1931.  The next one shows them a few months later at Christmas.

Ernst's parents were Anna Kamilla Schulz & Hugo Torvell Viertel.  Their family tree (page 4) appears in the upper-right column of this blog.  Caroline's parents were Rudolph 'Rube' Rachuig & Huldina Ickert.  For those of you keeping score, this is another instance of intermarriage between the Rachuig & Schulz families.

I want to thank Dorothy Krueger Mansur for bringing these photos to the recent reunion, so we could scan them.
 

Alma Viertel Knudson

My thanks go to Dorothy Krueger Mansur for bringing this photo to the recent reunion.  It's undated, but it shows Alma Viertal as a young woman.  Her parents were Martha Alinda Schutz and Otto Gustav Viertel.  Their family tree (page 3) is in the upper-right column of this blog.  Her husband was Gustav Conrad Knudson.  My records show she had one son, Howard Hance Knudson, born in 1944.

Will & Hilda Krueger Visit Sugar Land in late '70s

This photo was taken on my parents' patio in Sugar Land, Texas.  Aunt Hilda & Uncle Will (Mr. & Mrs. Will Krueger, Sr.) were on a visit to Sugar Land in the late 1970s.  I remember the visit, but I don't recall the date exactly.  

From left to right: my aunt, Mayme Rachuig Hause, her uncle, Will Krueger, Sr., her aunt, Hilda Rachuig Krueger, and her sister (my mother), Sally Rachuig Kelly.  My thanks go to Dorothy Krueger Mansur for bringing this picture to the recent reunion.

 

Repeat of Schulz Reunion, 1964

I know I've posted this photo before, but this is a much better image than the previous one.  I can identify several people, but there are many I can't. I'd appreciate any help anyone can provide.

This photo was taken at Tobias & Wilhelmine Schulz's homestead near Cranfils Gap.  I think most of the early Schulz family reunions met out there.  I had the good fortune to attend one of those reunions; I think it was in 1962.

My thanks go to Charlie Rachuig for bringing this photo to the recent reunion.

Bosquerama, Bosque County's Centennial Celebration, 1954

 

Charlie Rachuig brought the following photos to the recent reunion.  Even though they are a little 'odd,' I knew exactly what they were.

In May 1954, Bosque County celebrated its 100th birthday.  The exact dates were May 1st to May 8th.  (I've done some research and provided links below.)  I made a trip with my grandmother, Mamie Adams Rachuig, sometime in April 1954, I think.  If we were there during the celebration, I don't remember the parade or any organized events.  Anyway, I remember all the men in our extended family had grown beards, which spooked me a little.  I was just 4-years old, so it all made a big impression on me.

Here are a few pictures of the event, which was called Bosquerama.  Click here for 1st photo.  Click here for 2nd photo.  Click here for 3rd photo.

The idea was to dress like people did in 1854; thus the old-fashioned clothes.  Men let their beards grow, and women could not wear make up.  They had a system of fines, or permits for those citizens who needed/wanted to break the rules.  Click here to read an explanation.  Here is a better look at the permit badges and other memorabilia.

Here are some photos of our extended family in their costumes.

Charles A. Rachuig, Julius Rachuig, Charlie Rachuig, & Betty Rachuig at Will & Hilda Krueger's home in Clifton.

Will Krueger, Sr. standing in his front yard in Clifton.

Will Krueger, Jr., Will Krueger, Sr., & Julius Rachuig in Will, Sr.'s front yard.

Same trio as above 'cutting up.'

 
I can identify all but two people in the next photo. Standing left-to-right: Charles A. Rachuig, Edgar Rachuig, Jerry Belcher, Hilda Rachuig Krueger, Evelyn Rachuig Belcher, Jack Belcher, Walter Rachuig, Sr., Hans Mansur, Dorothy Rachuig Mansur, unknown man, unknown woman, & Julius Rachuig.  Sitting left-to-right: Betty Rachuig with Charlie, Will Krueger, Sr., Alvina Beyerstadt Rachuig, & Will Krueger, Jr.
 

 

The Old Rock Church, Cranfils Gap, Texas

St. Olaf Kirke, better known as The Old Rock Church, is located near Cranfils Gap, Texas.  The church is roughly 6 miles from Our Savior's Church in Norse where we've had the last two family reunions.

I found a short Wikipedia article on the Church.  Click here to view it.  I need to research the Church's connections to our extended family.  

Several reunion attendees visited the church. My aunt, Mayme Rachuig Hause, sent me these pictures.

 

A Photo from July 1995

Charlie Rachuig brought the following picture to the 2012 reunion.  It shows Sally Rachuig Kelly, her son Bruce Kelly, Evelyn Rachuig Belcher, and Dorothy Krueger Mansur.  The date is July 15, 1995, and the location is Clifton.

Evelyn was the last surviving child of Selma Schulz & Julius Rachuig.

 

Camilla Olson & Hugo Schulz Family

My brother Bruce scanned this photo at the 2012 reunion.  Charlie Rachuig had it in his collection of photos.  It shows Camilla Olson & Hugo Schulz with their children.  The photo is undated, but it must have been taken in the '50s.  I think the location is the Schulz homestead near Cranfils Gap, so the occasion may have been a Schulz family reunion.

Wilma Schulz Dean, Elmo Clinton Schulz, Camilla Olson Schulz, Hugo Victor Schulz, Carol Marvin Schulz, & H. V. Schulz.

Group Photo from Recent Family Reunion

Here's a picture of family members who gathered at the recent reunion in Norse, Texas.  We're standing at the entrance of the meeting hall at Our Savior's Church.

 

A Short History of Clifton

I found this short history of Clifton, Texas.  Click here.  I thought it was a good summary, so I've posted the link.

A Ten-Minute Video of Our Recent Family Reunion

Here is a link to a ten-minute video I made of our family reunion at Our Savior's Church in Norse, Texas on Saturday, July 21, 2012.  My brother Bruce scanned pictures which I will post in a few days.  I also have very good pictures of the Old Rock Church near Cranfils Gap.  It has connections to our extended family.

 I identified people as best I could.  I didn't leave anyone out intentionally.