Beno Hoelscher
Surnames: HOELSCHER, DOLL, WILLBERG, SMETNA, GAUSEMEIER, DOLLE, DALDROP, BUXKEMPER, SOMMERBeno Hoelscher (called "Ben"), b. July 1885 in Westphalia, Falls County, Texas, d. February 22, 1920 and buried in St. Mary's Cemetery there-was the eighth of nine children of Anton J. Hoelscher, b. January 1, 1851 at Frelsburg, Fayette County, Texas, d. December 17, 1940 at Westphalia, who was married in 1872 in Ohio to Magdalena Doll, b. June 22, 1850 in Ohio, d. September 22, 1903 at Westphalia-and both buried in St. Mary's Cemetery there.
The Hoelscher family moved to Westphalia, Falls County, Texas in 1884, after having lived in Fayette County for twenty years, in Ohio for seven years, and in Colorado County, Texas for ten years. Westphalia was a new German settlement, and the family members were all involved in building their Catholic Church and School. It was here that Ben was educated, and where he worshipped. He was engaged in farming in the Westphalia Community all his life.
About 1907, Ben Hoelscher was married to Lizzie Willberg, b. February 18, 1889, d. October 4, 1952 at Westphalia, and buried there in St. Mary's Cemetery. They were the parents of five children:
Margaret Hoelscher, b. February 15, 1908 in Westphalia, who married Alfred Smetna, b. December 6, 1905.
Anton C. Hoelscher, b. July 15, 1909 in Westphalia, d. January 5, 1972, who married Helen P. Gausemeier, b. February 18, 1911.
Daniel Charles Hoelscher, b. December 13, 1913, who married Irene Frances Dolle, b. June 2, 1919, and lived in Temple, Texas.
Walter Hoelscher, b. July 29, 1915, who married Olivia Hoelscher, b. August 23, 1917, and lives in Lott, Texas.
Lester Michael Hoelscher, b. February 28, 1918, who married Louise Margaret Schneider, b. January 13, 1923, and lives in Temple, Texas.
Ben and Lizzie Hoelscher have left their descendants a heritage that began when Ben's great grandparents, Anton Hoelscher, Sr., b. May 7, 1791 in Olfen, Germany, d. 1849 in Fayette County, Texas, and his wife, Mary Katherine (Daldrop) Hoelscher, b. November 16, 1794 in Germany, d. 1856 in Fayette County, Texas, sailed from Germany for Texas in 1845 with five sons: Anton Hoelscher, Jr.; Christopher Joseph Hoelscher, F. Wilhelm Hoelscher, Franz Hoelscher, and Berns ("Ben") Hoelscher-leaving their eldest child, Elizabeth and her husband, Theodore Buxkemper, in Germany until four years later, when they also immigrated to Texas.
Christopher Joseph Hoelscher-third child of Anton Hoelscher, Sr., was b. 1826, d. September 17, 1914 in Lott, Falls County, Texas, and buried in Westphalia in St. Mary's Cemetery-married April 1, 1850 in Fayette County, Texas to Katherine Sommer, b. July 1, 1832, d. August 25, 1905 in Westphalia, and buried there in St. Mary's Cemetery-It was "Joseph" who took his family to Ohio, back to Texas, and finally to Westphalia, Falls County, Texas, where his nephew Caspar Hoelscher, had settled in 1881. Joseph and Katherine had twelve children-all living when he died, eighty-five grandchildren, and sixty-five great grandchildren in 1927.
Typed by: Jan Shelfer
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.
