Herman Louis Beimer
Surnames: BEIMER, KETTERMANN, SILKENBAUMER, BUXKEMPER, HOELSCHER, RABROKER, BOCKHOLT, FRANCICUSHerman Louis Beimer, b April 3, 1834 in Ascheberg, Germany, d February 27, 1910 and buried in St. Mary's Cemetery at Westphalia, Falls County, Texas - was a son of Henry Benard and Elizabeth (Kettermann) Silkenbaumer, who changed their last name to "Beimer" after they immigrated to Texas in 1835 when Herman Louis was only nine months of age. The family settled in Frelsburg, Colorado County, Texas, having acquired a land grant for a league of land (4,428 acres), which they farmed.
On August 20, 1861, Herman was married to Lucy Buxkemper, b July 16, 1845 in Sulsen Parish, Olfen, Westphalia, Germany, d May 5, 1930 and buried in St. Mary's Cemetery at Westphalia, Falls County, Texas - a daughter of John Theodore and Elizabeth (Hoelscher) Buxkemper.
Herman Louis Beimer enlisted in the Confederate States Army in Colorado County, Texas in 1862, and served as a Private in Company H 17th Division Texas Infantry, Waterhouse Brigade, Walker's Division, Trans-Mississippi Army. Walker's Division were in the Battle of Pleasant Hill, where they suffered losses of 600 men killed, wounded, or missing - exactly 10% of the Division. Herman's uncle by carriage, William Hoelscher, was a prisoner of war as a result of that battle. Among Herman's siblings, William, Benard, Louis and Elizabeth Beimer, Louis Beimer also served in the Civil War as a Private in Captain C. A. Sabath's Company H, 17th Regiment of Texas Volunteer Infantry, which was enlisted by Colonel R. T. P. Allen at Camp Terry in April 1862. Since Herman and Louis were in the same Regiment but different groups they were still able to maintain close contact during the war, and letters written by Herman while gone indicate that in 18.3, Herman was in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Alexandria, Louisiana, and in Mississippi.
During Herman's absence at war, his young wife, Lucy (Buxkemper) Beimer, managed the farm and the cattle. Herman had told her to kill some of the cattle, if food ran short.
When the Civil War ended, Herman Louis Beimer returned to Frelsburg, Texas, where their three children were born:
Mary Beimer was born in 1866; Herman Beimer was born in 1874; and Lucy Beimer was born in 1877.
In 1881, the Beimer family relocated in Westphalia, Falls County, Texas, where Herman bought 600 acres of land. They were among the first settlers, after the Rabroker and Bockholt families, to settle in the new community of Westphalia - along with Lucy's cousin, Casper Hoelscher, and her uncle, Joseph Hoelscher.
In Westphalia, Herman - often referred to as "Cowboy" - farmed and raised cattle; while Lucy acted as midwife to the family and Community in general. She had taken a course in nursing, and delivered many babies - including some who are still residing in the Westphalia community. She was very "good" with sick people, and saddle her pony, Sally, and go across the still-raw prairie to nurse the sick. She also had a reputation of being a fine horseback rider. Because Herman had been sick during the time he served in the Civil War, he knew the hardships of illness and need, and vowed he would never send people away from his door who were in need - and especially if they were also sick. One winter, the Beimers took in and cared for a man who was ill with pneumonia, and kept him in their care until he was well enough to go on his way.
The Beimers also offered overnight shelter to many travelers through the area. One such incident from the early days at Westphalia was recorded in the Parish's Golden Jubilee history, written from a journal kept by a member of the Westphalia community: "In 1885, Theodore Rabroker, one of the founders of Westphalia, had driven his carriage to Temple to meet the missionary priest, Father Francicus, who was to visit the parish. On the return trip, there was a thunderstorm and flash flooding that capsized the light carriage in which the two men were riding. North Elm Creek was swollen and the carriage was washed against trees as night fell. The two men climbed onto the tongue of the carriage, and then onto the mules and, having unhitched the animals from the carriage, they rode to the safety of the Herman Beimer home. The priest had lost his baggage and both men were thoroughly soaked and in need of dry clothing. Father Francicus, a short, extremely stout man, had some difficulty wearing the trousers of the tall and rangy pioneer, Herman Beimer; but the trousers were dry, and thus satisfied the portly padre."
Herman Louis Beimer was among the first trustees selected for the newly established parish at Westphalia. He was the first farmer in the community to purchase a hay baler which was run by horsepower, rather than "Horse Power".
The descendants of Herman Louis and Lucy (Buxkemper) Beimer now number in the hundreds.
Some biographies from "Families of Falls County", compiled and edited by the Falls County Historical Commission.
Permission granted to Theresa Carhart by the Falls County Historical Commission, for use on this page.
