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Goerlitz Family |
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Submitter: Lou Pullman |
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The
Christian
Frank Goerlitz Family Christian
Frank Goerlitz Born
09-08-1821 Zieko, Germany Died
03-08-1902 McDade, Texas A hope of a better life enticed the Christin Goerlitz family to leave their home in Zieko, Germany for new land and new opportunities. In 1860 Christin and his wife Sophie Schmidt, Goerlitz with their four children boarded the ship, Juno in Bremen, Germany to begin their long journey to the coast of Texas. Upon their arrival the family made their way to Pflugerville, Texas a small German community in the heart of central Texas. Although there is little information
on the family while they lived in Pflugerville, Texas, the story is told
that Christian helped build the first Dessau Hall, which is a historical
landmark in the area. Because the family found it difficult to make a
living from the land in Pflugerville, in 1867 they bought 141 acres of
land in McDade, Texas. Since that date to the present time the Goerlitz
family still lives in this area of Bastrop County. Only one mailbox in
McDade still bears the Goerlitz name. Erhard and Louise Goerlitz have this
honor. This Goerlitz family is very active in their community. Their
family heritage is not only one of caring but of hard work to preserve the
memory of those that came before them. Christian
Goerlitz provided for his family by farming and hauling freight before the
Civil War to Houston and back to Austin. They built a three-room house of
logs with a sod sealer. One of the three rooms was used as the kitchen
with a fireplace in the living area. The cabin was still standing until
the 1930’s. Christian
and Sophie Goerlitz raised five children in their newly acquired country.
Their sixth child, Sophie Alvine Goerlitz was born in Travis County, Texas
in 1863. Friedricke
Goerlitz the first child was born 12-04-1846 in Zieko, Germany and died in
04-28-1925 in Paige, Texas. On 09-12-1863 in Austin, Texas Friedricke
married Fredrick Adreas Ihlo. To this union six children were born. The
Ihlo home built in 1878 is still standing in the Paint Creek area near
McDade, Texas. The front
porch walls are covered with a plaster and inscribed on the walls are the
names of the many visitors to the Ihlo home. During the 1920s and 1930s
many dances were held upstairs in the old house. The flooring had been put
down in such a way that the flooring bounced up and down as the dancers
moved to the motions of the music. The
second child, Christian Frank Goerlitz Jr. was born 08-18-1848 in Zieko,
Germany and died 02-14-1915 in Williamson Co., Texas. He married Elizabeth
Kellermier, and to this union ten children were born. Three of the
Goerlitz children did not marry. One of the unmarried children, Rosina
Goerlitz adopted three children from the New York Foundling Hospital. The
Christian Frank Goerlitz Jr. family moved from McDade and settled in
Taylor, Texas. Some of the family members are buried in the Catholic
Cemetery in Taylor. The
third child, Carolina Johanna Goerlitz, was born 05-05-1854 in Zieko,
Germany and died 06-25-1941 in Lavaca Co., Texas. Carolina married Frank
Rother Sr. To this union eleven children were born. The Rother family
still lives in the McDade area and is active members of the community. The
fourth child, Frank Christian Goerlitz, was born 08-10-1856 in Zieko,
Germany and died on 03-08-1933 in Bastrop Co., Texas. He married Lena
Minna Klemm and to this union fourteen children were born of which eleven
survived. There are fond stories told about Frank Goerlitz. He was always
ready to help those in need. Christian
Friedrich Goerlitz, the 5th child died in Zieko, Germany. He
was born 04-22-1859 in Zieko, Germany and died in 1860. The
sixth child Sophie Alvine Goerliz was born 12-23-1863 in Travis, Co.,
Texas and died 02-11-1905 in Milam Co., Texas. Sophie married Ephraim
Weise and from this union four children were born. Sophie
died at the young age of 42, and after her death Ephraim Weise moved to
Tom Green County, Texas where he remarried.
The
Christian Goerlitz heritage is deeply rooted into Texas culture. The
Goerlitz clan was a hard working family then and now that has laid a
foundation for each one of us to carry on with pride and gratitude. A
family tree book is available on the Goerlitz family for those that desire
additional information.
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