|
SCHWENDIMANN FAMILY  Mrs. W.C.
Schwendimann came to Denison as a bride in 1872. (The Denison Press,
Wednesday, June 2, 1937, pg. 1)
Jacob Schwendimann begins his business career in Denison, Texas by 1876 as the owner of a grocery, cigar and tobacco establishment on the northwest corner of Austin avenue and Crawford, which was also his place of residence. (1876 Denison City Directory) Jacob Schwendimann, family grocer, was one of the firms which advertised in the first issue of the News, December 28, 1878. The Denison News
Friday, December 27, 1872  Jacob Schwendimann was listed as a "capitalist" in the 1887 Denison City Directory who resided at 202 West Owings Avenue at the corner of N. Austin Avenue. In the same household was his son, Emile, who was a student. In the 1891 Denison City Directory, Jacob's occupation is that of a "real estate owner". Living at the same address as that of four years earlier with Jacob are his son, Emil, now a barber at the establishment of A. Knecht and Miss Dora Schwendimann, a stenographer. At the time of his death, Emil was working in the barber shop of Jerry Woodring on West Main street. The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, February 5, 1893 Placed Under a Peace Bond Tuesday evening people residing on S. Austin avenue near the north end of the viaduct were startled by a woman's cries for help. One of the first parties to arrive on the scene was Deputy United States Marshal Fore. He saw a lady run out of the Schwindeman residence at the corner of Owings street and Austin avenue. She was pursued by a man. The lady fell over a box on the gallery looking west, and the man followed up his assault with his fist. He then seized a pail of water, dashed it on the lady and again assaulted her with his fist. The screams and cries for help by the lady soon brought a crowd of excited people, and the man, Mr. Jake Schwindeman, ceased his pugilistic exercise and walked down from the gallery through the yard to the street. Mr. Fore hurried back up to the city for an officer, and on their return Schwindeman was not to be found. In a few minutes, however, he was located in a saloon not far away. He was placed under arrest and conveyed to the city jail. The lady was Mrs. Schwindeman, his wife, and he was chastising her because she refused to promise to obey him. He was given a hearing in Justice Hughes' court Wednesday morning. Aft first he plead guilty and asked to be allowed the privilege of paying his fine and cost, but when informed by the state's attorney that the case against him was one beyond the jurisdiction of the magistrate's court, he asked time to go out and consult with an attorney. On his return the trial proceeded. Marshal Fore was the first witness. His testimony was virtually that given above. Mrs. Schwindeman stated that her husband came into the room where she was and began quarreling. He insisted that she obey him in everything he said. At first she refused. He then caught hold of her and began striking her in the face. She screamed for help and then promised to obey him. He turned her loose and she ran out on the north gallery, where he renewed his assault. He was bound over to the county court in bond of $250. Mrs. Schwindeman then arose in open court and demanded that he be placed under a peace bond. The request of the lady was granted, and the bond placed at $500. Mr. and Mrs. Schwindeman have been married for 23 years and have 7 children. The children are all about grown and all are in sympathy with their mother. In
April 1894, Jacob and his son Emil, approximately 24 years of age, were
facing each other in court, Jacob had his son arrested,
and filed a law suit on a charge of disturbing the peace, which case Emil plead guilty to, paid the fine and costs of the suit.
Jacob was still living at his residence on South Austin avenue.
The newspaper listed the law suit as "The last chapter in this
domestic infelicity...", claiming that the father "...seems to live in
a perpetual row with his family." The affidavit sworn to by Jacob
stated that he had been assaulted and was in "grave fear" that the
assault would be repeated. Justice J.W. Hughes decreed that Emil
was placed under a $200 peace bond. The writer went on to say
that if the accusations of Mrs. Schwendiman and her son, Emil, were to
be believed, an corroborated by neighbors, Jacob Schwendiman should be
placed under a peace bond as well. (The Sunday Gazetteer, Sunday, April 22, 1895, pg.4) In 1895 at the time of the compilation of the 1896-1897 Denison City Directory all of the children were living with their mother at 202 W. Owings street. Jacob was a "property owner", rooming over 323 W. Main.  The 1903 Sherman - Denison City Directory lists Mrs. Schwendimann as Jacob's widow. The happy future of Emma and L.H. Wallace was also short lived. Emma died at her mother's home, No. 202 West Owings street, Sunday morning, May 22, 1904. Although she had been taken to California in the hopes of her health improving, Emma continued to grow worse and was brought home by her husband and mother Saturday night, May 21, 1904, just a few hours before her death. She was 29 years old; her daughter, Marie, was only 4 years old at the time of Emma's death. She was buried in Fairview Cemetery. (The Sunday Gazetteer, May 29, 1904, pg. 3) The 1905 Sherman - Denison City Directory lists shows Jacob and Mrs. Schwendimann back together at 210 N. Austin Avenue, along with their youngest daughter, Kate. Subsequent City Directories list them as living apart again. Mr. and Mrs. Schwendimann raised their granddaughter, Marie Wallace, from the age of 3 until her marriage to Vernon Bell as a result of her mother's, Emma C. Schwendimannn Wallace, death. Relatives of Mrs. W.C. Schwendimann were living in California by 1891, which the local Denison paper reported when Mrs. W.C. Schwendimann and her granddaughter, Marie Wallace, would travel to California to visit. (The Sunday Gazetteer, January 7, 1906, pg. 4) In 1906 Mrs. Schwendimann was living at 202 West Owings Avenue along with her son and daughter, Kate. (The Sunday Gazetteer, March 4, 1906, pg. 1) Jacob was still in Denison for the 1913 Caty Directory, living at 323-1/2 Main St.; the business below him at 323 Main St. was O.R. Walton, photographer. He moved to California from Denison when he was at least 80 years old and died December 15, 1916 in San Diego. (Find-A-Grave #25924820) He executed his Last Will & Testament on July 7, 1916, leaving more of his money to his friends than his family members, leaving his son, Louis Paul, only $10 because he had been neither "a good or a kind son". His Will listed no real estate. The bulk of his estate was given to Julius Hartman, a banker in Lucerne, Switzerland, for the purpose of educating boys who were without the means of obtaining an education. Mrs. Swendimann last appears in a Denison City Directory in 1915. From 1918 until 1925 she is listed as living in El Paso, Texas, as Jacob's widow. Mrs. Swendimann, 88 years old, kept up with her former hometown business by subscribing to the Denison Press; in the summer of 1937 she sent her $2 membership to the Denison Chamber of Commerce for membership in the Red River Valley Improvement association for the dam project. "She said she has property here which has had taxes paid on it since the first renditions was back in 1872." (The Denison Press, June 1, 1937, pg. 1) Mrs. W.C. Schwendimann and her daughter Katherine Hillburne were living in Oakland, California in the summer of 1937. However, she still owned property at 217 West Owings which was occupied by Katy machinist H.B. Macalor when a lamp exploded and set fire to the house, with damages amounting to $350. (The Denison Press, October 5, 1937, pg. 4) She died in 1943 in Oakland, California but her body was shipped back to Denison for burial in Fairview Cemetery with her children who preceded her in death.  German American Roots Biography Index Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |