Today is…Conrad and Adalbertha Bergmann Adam’s Wedding Anniversary

Conrad and Adalbertha Bergmann Adam Wedding

Conrad married the girl next door! When he first arrived in Boerne, Conrad lived and worked on the Dr. Ferdinand Herff farm. The Joseph Bergmann family was his closest neighbor. The houses were within easy walking distance from each other and so I think it is safe to say that Conrad saw the Bergmann family fairly regularly. In particular, Adalbertha. They were married on 16 February 1856 by Albert Moye, JP of the third precinct. Witnesses were R. G. ? and Anton Beyer. Their marriage license was recorded in the Bexar County Court House in San Antonio on 18 February 1856.

 

Bexar County, Texas, Marriage Licenses. No. 1370, Bergmann-Adam, 1856; County Clerk’s Office, San Antonio.

 

Tombstone Tuesday: Emma Adam Herms

Christian and Emma Adam Herms' Tombstone

Emma Adam Herms in the youngest daughter of Conrad and Adalbertha Bergmann Adam.

Emma Adam Herms

Born: 11 September 1867

Died: 1 September 1931

married 12 January 1890 in Kendall County, Texas

Christian Herms

Born: 1 June 1862

Died: 7 January 1929

Boerne Cemetery (Boerne, Kendall County, Texas). Christian and Emma Adam Herms marker; personally read, 2011.

 

Adalbertha Adam 1912

Adam Descendants at Julius Adam Home in 1912

Celebration? Relatives visiting on Sunday afternoon? I don’t know, but I love the picture! The family is posed in front of the Julius Adam home on a sunny day in 1912. Adalbertha Bergmann Adam is front row center. On her left is Bertha Adam Froebel Haby, her daughter, Erna Adam, her granddaughter, has her hand on her chair, on her right is Kathinka Adam Toepperwein, her oldest daughter.

Left to right:

Eugene Adam, grandson; Paul Toepperwein, son-in-law; Emma Herms, daughter; Wally Toepperwein, granddaughter; Gus Herms, grandson; Clara Toepperwein, niece; Ida Haufler Adam, daughter-in-law and my great-grandmother; Hilda Adam, granddaughter; Bertha ?; there is a man standing behind Bertha I can’t see his face clearly; Edna Herms, granddaughter; Julius Adam, son; Mousie Goerges, niece; Chris Herms, son-in-law; Willie Adam, grandson and my grandfather.

Adam, Adalbertha. Adam Descendants at the Julius Adam Home 1912. Photograph of the original. 2000. By Gunner Froebel. Digital copy privately held by Regina Adam and Kathryn Adam-Hurst. Boerne, Texas. 2011.

 

I Don’t Know Much About Joseph Bergmann my 3rd Great-Grandfather

Joseph Bergmann

I don’t know very much about  my 3rd great-grandparents, Joseph and Theresia Ohnesorge Bergmann. They arrived in Galveston on the ship Texas on 12 June 1853. Their destination was Bexar County. In New Homes in a New Land, Joseph Bergmann from Reichenberg, Bohemia arrived with 11 persons in his group. I have 7 accounted for and possibly one more named Gustav, that’s a total of 8. Who are the other 3???

Children are:

• Adalbertha, born 30 October 1836 married Conrad Adam
• Rosa born 10 August 1841 married Wilhelm Dietert
• Amalia Margaret born 27 August 1844 married Heinrich Dietert
• Anton born 2 April 1846 married Ernstine Beyer
• Johanna born 16 September 1849 married E. A. Ferdinand Toepperwein

Some facts about Joseph Bergmann:

• 30 September 1856 applied for citizenship
• 1859 signed petition for create Kendall County
• 14 March 1864 applied for a cattle brand BI and lived near Menger Creek near Boerne
• By 1870 is eligible to vote
• In June 1880, he is 80 years old. He and his wife are living with Henry and Amalia Bergmann Dietert
• He died 2 January 1882 and is buried in the Boerne Cemetery
• In September 1882, William Dietert was appointed temporary administration of the Estate of Joseph Bergmann. His main job was to “collect from Anna and Rosalia Schubert, of Reichenberg, Bohemia, the amount due by them to the heirs of Joseph Bergmann deceased.”

 

How do you spell Adalbertha?

Signature of Adalbertha Adam

 I am guilty. This is a personal issue for me. My name is Kathryn not  Katherine. My last name was Adam not Adams. I have a very basic name but it is always misspelled. As a result, I have always tried to spell other people’s name correctly.

My great-great grandmother was born in 1836 in Boehem (Czech Republic). Her parents named her Adalbertha. I had never before or since heard of anyone with this name so I decided to find out more about it. Adalbertha is the feminine form of Adalbert. Adalbert or Adelbert is an old Germanic name that has been around for over a 1000 years. In fact the first Adalbert of any importance was St. Adalbert of Prague. He is the patron saint of Bohemia, Poland and Prussia. Adalbert, which means noble and bright, was from a wealthy family but decided to become a priest. He was very zealous about converting heathens to Christianity. In 977, he went on a missionary trip to Prussia. It seems he was cutting down some sacred oaks. They asked him to stop. He didn’t, so they stopped him.

When I first started gathering information about the Adam Family I went to the cemetery and started copying down the information from the tombstones. I thought all the information would be correct. On Adalbertha’s stone her name is spelled Adelbertha Adams. (I should have clued in on the Adams.) I happily began spelling her name Adelbertha. I found other spellings, Adalberthe on her marriage certificate, Adebertha on the 1870 Kendall County Census, and Adallberthe on her death certificate and then in her own handwriting on her will in 1895 Adalbertha Adam. Adalbertha, Adelbertha, Kathryn, Katherine are all correct spellings, but how did she spell her name? Adalbertha Adam. I am sooo guilty…

“St. Adalbert.” Catholic Encyclopedia. Web. 29 August 2011. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01127c.htm.

 

A Blessed Union: Conrad and Adalbertha Bergmann Adam

Conrad Adam Family

Conrad and Adalbertha had seven children with six living to adulthood.

• Kathinka born 7 September 1857 married Paul. J. F. Toepperwein
• Therese born 20 August 1859 married Frederick Voges
• Emilie born 27 April 1862 married William Schoenert
• Julius Conrad born 15 March 1864 married Ida Haufler
• Bertha born 8 July 1865 married Hilmar G. Froebel (1) Haby (2)
• Emma born 11 September 1867 married Christian Herms
• Amalie born in 1869 lived for 7 days or a few years; the stories vary

I don’t think Amalie had a tombstone but there was a small cemetery within walking distance of the house. When my father was a young boy he was told there was a baby buried in the cemetery. They did not purchase the land until 1874, so I am not sure Amalie is buried there.

Don’t you just love this picture?  I wish it was clearer but you can still see Julius next to his sister Kathinka. He doesn’t look too happy. Conrad and Adalbertha are in the middle and Therese is holding Emilie. I am guessing Bertha and Emma were too small and would not hold still for the picture.