Harry Lee Bluhm

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Willie
• Occupation: Farmer
• Residence: Austwell, Texas
• Event 1: 1923, Moved To Austwell, Texas
• Event 2: 1926, Moved To Dewitt County, Texas

Notes:

William Rudolph and Augusta Boldt married December 1, 1909 in the Rabke Church in DeWitt County, Texas. They had six children; Lucille, the youngest, died of appendicitis at the age of 13. "Willie" Bluhm and his family moved to Austwell from Yorktown, DeWitt County, Texas in the fall of 1923. The children attended school in Austwell and were members of the First Methodist Church there. In the Fall of 1926, the family returned to DeWitt County. After one year, they decided to move back to Austwell. Farming was the family's life and livelihood. They particularly liked the heavy soil found in Refugio County. Willie was 82 when he passed away and Gusta was 95. They both are buried in the Tivoli Cemetery.

Wilhelm married Augusta M. Boldt on 1 Dec 1909 in Rabke Church In Dewitt County, Texas. Augusta was born on 6 Dec 1888; died on 4 Feb 1984 in Austwell, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1871, Came To America-Age 19, Indianola, TX.

Notes:

At age 19, he was faced with conscription in the German Army; so the family immigrated to America in 1871. They landed in Indianola, Texas where Wilhelm spent his early manhood. He was an accomplished tailor, but there were no demands for his skills in his new homeland. During his early years, he engaged in hauling freight overland by ox cart from Indianola to San Antonio and East Texas. On one of his trips, it is said, he found a shiny coin; checking further, he found a keg of gold coins. Being an honest man, he took them to the freight depot in San Antonio. We ofter wonder who claimed the coins. In the Rabke Community near Yorktown, Wilhelm's parents were neighbors of Adolph and Dorothea (Baker) Rabke. Among their eight children was a daughter, Dorothea. Wilhelm and Dorothea married and decided to remain in DeWitt County. Wilhelm started a business of making bricks; however, it was destroyed by a storm and never rebuilt. He also tinkered in buying and selling land while they lived in DeWitt County. In 1912, the family moved to Austwell, Texas. He worked at the Oil Mill until it burned, hauled water for residents until the city could provide a water works system. When the Railroad came in, he became the mail carrier. He met the train every afternoon in his wagon and hauled the mail to the U.S. Post Office on Main Street. Wilhelm and Dorothea remained in Austwell with their children until their deaths. They are both buried in the Rabke Cemetery in DeWitt County.

(Further info. indicates that the family migrated to America, not all at the same time, and landed in 3 different ports--New Orleans, Galveston, and Indianola.)

Karl married Dorothea (Etta) Rabke on 15 May 1884 in Dewitt County, Texas (Cuero Courthouse). Dorothea (daughter of Adolph Rabke, Sr. and Dorothea Baker) was born on 19 Jan 1866 in Five Mile, DeWitt Co., TX; died on 28 Apr 1954 in Austwell, Texas (Bur. Rabke Cem.). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Transient Laborer
• Residence: Ratcliff Community Near Rabke Meth.Church
• Emigration: 1871, Gurkow Friedeberg, Prussia, Germany
• Immigration: 28 Oct 1871, Galveston, Tx

Notes:

Wilhelm and second wife Rosina Kroschel Bluhm arrived Galveston Oct. 28, 1871 having immigrated from Bremen Germany on the vessel TEXAS. He is buried private cemetery Westpahl Farm each of Yorktown, DeWitt Co. Texas.

Karl married Catherine Machost about 1831. Catherine was born on Yes, date unknown; died in Prussia, Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Adolph married Dorothea Baker on 8 Jul 1856 in Lutheran Church, Meyersville, Texas. Dorothea was born on Yes, date unknown; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]