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Gottlieb Baer was born in Herxheim, Bavaria, on February 23, 1834. He was the son of Seligman (1794-1869) and Sarah (1810-1838) Baer Gottlieb and his brother Herman, born in Bavaria in 1830, migrated to the United States in the late 1840's. Herman Baer settled in Charleston, South Carolina, where he studied medicine, married, and raised his family Dr. Herman Baer died in 1901 and is buried in Charleston. The whereabouts of Gottlieb Baer in the 1850's is unknown. He is listed in the 1860 census of Indianola, Texas, as being single, twenty-six, and a "merchant" living in a "private" dwelling which was unusual for a bachelor in that day It is known that he served as a Third Sergeant in Company B of the Indianola Guard, which was an infantry rifle company organized on June 29, 1861.Gottlieb moved to the town of Matagorda during the next decade , and was listed in the 1870 census as being single, thirty-six, and a "retired merchant." He became a United States citizen on October 14, 1874. In the 1880 Matagorda County census, he was listed as being forty-six years of age, single, and his occupation was "stock raiser" From recordings of various instruments in the Matagorda County Court House, Gottlieb Baer was most active as a land trader, financier, and stockman. He was instrumental in getting young people started in ranching and farming by financing their purchase of land, cattle, horses, mules, etc. He was obviously a well-educated individual, benevolent and civic minded. He was appointed to many governing bodies, and was quite frequently deputized by the Sheriff.Gottlieb Baer was associated with other early leaders of Matagorda County, such as the Rugeleys, Wadsworths, Bramans, and Kuykendalls in buying, selling, and trading livestock and other commodities of those times. He had a long-time partnership with Thomas C. Nye in which they purchased, sold, and financed land for others.On a visit to his brother Herman in Charleston, South Carolina, in the late 1870's, Gottlieb met Hattie Levine (b . February 13, 1862), daughter of Joseph Levine (June 2, I 829-December 8, 1891), who was born in Urouke, Prussia, and died in Galveston, and Sarah Levine (April 17, 1835-November 20, 1897), born in Posen, Prussia. She also died in Galveston. The Levines were from New York City and were visiting their son, Louis, in Charleston. Gottlieb and Hattie were married on October 27, 1880, and moved to his home in Matagorda, Texas. To this union was born seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. All of the children were born in Matagorda except Arthur, who was born in Galveston and was the only one to live out his life in Matagorda CountyThe children of Gottlieb and Hattie Baer were: Leon Asher Baer (July 15, 1881-February 26 , 1939), buried in San Antonio; Sadie Baer (January 22, 1883-October 19, 1961), buried in San Antonio; Arthur Baer (January 21, 1885-April 4, 1954), buried in San Antonio; Rachel Baer (January 25, 1887-May 31 , 1978), buried in San Antonio; Joseph Baer (September I, 1888-June 18, 1889), buried in Galveston; Adelaide Baer (June 13, 1840-July 25 , 1951), buried in San Antonio; and Herman Baer (April 1, 1892-ApriI 9, 1895), buried in Galveston. The family lived in Matagorda until Gottlieb's declining health necessitated a move to Galveston in early 1893, where he died in October of that same year.Hattie Louise Baer Hall, Dorothy Ann Baer Huebner, Ruth Baer Westmoreland
Historic Matagorda County,
Volume II, pages 14-15 |
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Leon and Arthur Baer were graduated from West Texas Military Academy in San Antonio, later known as Texas Military Institute, and then were graduated from the University of Texas in Austin. One of the upperclassmen during Arthur's freshman year at the military academy was General Douglas MacArthur. On graduating from the University, Leon became an attorney, practicing in San Antonio. Rachel was graduated from the University of Texas in 1908 and taught elementary math in San Antonio for several years.Arthur was graduated in 1906 as a civil engineer and spent a year building railroad lines in Idaho. After a year In the cold northwest country with the railroad, Arthur returned to Matagorda County to manage the family ranch, Baer Cattle Company, which was located northeast of the town of Matagorda. The disastrous freeze in 1924 almost decimated the herd belonging to Baer Cattle Company One of the stories of this freeze was that a person could walk from Palacios to Sargent without stepping on the ground--it was covered solid with animal carcasses. The only salvage from this freeze was the hide of the animals, which were sold to skinners who salted them down to preserve them, loaded the skins in their wagons, and hauled them off to market. Most of the Baer cattle to survive the freeze were steers which Mr. Baer promptly sold to get money to re-stock the ranch with breeding cattle. From that time on Mr. Baer made sure he had a number of steers on the ranch, calling them his "insurance policy."One of Arthur's duties in the management of the ranch was shipping cattle by rail to the State of Kansas to market. On one of his return trips from Kansas he met two young ladies from Texhoma, Oklahoma, who were going to Bay City to visit an older sister and her family living in Matagorda County One of the young ladies Arthur met was Pearle Yates, the daughter of Celia Allen and Joseph Henry Yates. Joseph Yates was born in Waelder, Texas, on July 12, 1896. Arthur and Pearle were married on June 5, 1919, and set up housekeeping in the town of Matagorda. Born to this union were: Hattie Louise (August 17, 1920); Ruth (November 13, 1921); and Dorothy Ann.Arthur Baer was active In the Masonic Lodge. He was one of the leaders in reorganizing Matagorda Lodge#7, one of the oldest in the State of Texas, whose charter had lain dormant since the Civil War, and he was the first Worshipful Master in 1916. He was also a member of El Mina Shrine Temple In Galveston.The family moved to Bay City during late summer of 1939 where Dorothy Ann was graduated from Bay City High School in 1946. Hattie Louise and Ruth were graduated in the last class from Gulf, Texas, in 1938. They rode the school bus the six miles each way daily from Matagorda. The sulphur operation had closed the town of Gulf several years prior to that time, and moved all the employees to Newgulf.Arthur Baer died in a Houston hospital on April 4, 1954, and was buried in Temple Beth-EI Cemetery in San Antonio. His daughter and son-In-law Dorothy Ann and Bert Huebner took over the management of the ranch for the family after Mr Baer's death. On September 10, 1961 , Mother Nature again dealt a disastrous blow to the Texas coast dwellers, including Baer Cattle Company. When Hurricane Carla came in from the Gulf of Mexico with winds up to 140 MPH, Baer Ranch was almost completely inundated, fences were torn down, sheds were wiped out; tons of debris and rattlesnakes covered the pastures; and well over one-half of the herd was destroyed. Once again Baer Cattle Company was faced with the problem of restocking and rebuilding.The following month Sadie and Rachel Baer of San Antonio, the surviving sisters of Arthur Baer, came to Bay City to survey the damage done by the storm to the family property Sadie fell ill and died at her sister-in-law's home. Four days later on October 23,1961 , Pearle Baer, Arthur's widow, died suddenly leaving only Rachel Baer, the last survivor of the original Baer family. Rachel Baer died in San Antonio on May 31, 1978.The three daughters of Arthur and Pearle Baer continued to live in Bay City Hattie Louise married Chalmer L. Hall of Clifton Forge, Virginia, on February 20,1943; Ruth married James P Westmoreland of Houston, Texas, on December 27, 1941, and Dorothy Ann married Bert L. Huebner of Lane City, Texas, on May 3,1953.Hattie Louise Baer Hall, Ruth Baer Westmoreland, Dorothy Ann Baer Huebner
Historic Matagorda County,
Volume II, pages 15-16 |
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Funeral services were held here Monday afternoon for Arthur G. Baer, 69, a lifelong resident of Bay City. Dr. Hyman Judah Schachtel was officiant at the services, which were conducted at Taylor Brothers Funeral Home chapel. Burial Tuesday was in Beth El Cemetery at San Antonio. Dr. David Jacobson was officiant. Mr. Baer died in a Houston hospital at 1:40 o'clock Sunday morning. He is survived by the widow, Mrs. Pearle Alys Baer of Bay City; three daughters, Mrs. Chalmer L. Hall and Mrs. J. P. Westmoreland Jr. both of Bay City, and Mrs. Bert L. Huebner of Pocassett, Massachusetts.
Two sisters, Miss Rachael Baer and Miss Saide
Baer, both of San Antonio. Also surviving are six grandchildren. |
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Hattie Louise Baer Hall, 76, of Bay City died Saturday, April 26, 1997 at the VENCOR Hospital in Houston after a long illness. She was born August 17, 1920 in Matagorda, Texas to Arthur G. and Pearle Yates Baer. She was a member of a pioneer Matagorda family whose grandfather, Gottlieb Baer, settled in the area in the 1860s. She was a member of the last graduating class of Old Gulf High School in 1938 and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is survived by her husband of 54 years Chalmer L. Hall of Bay City; daughters, Ruth Ann Taylor of Rosenberg; Virginia Louise Hall of Bay City and Carolyn Sue Bustos of Bay City; a son Arthur Baer Hall of Arlington; a sister and brother-in-law Dorothy and Bert L. Huebner of Bay City; grandchildren Vicki Lyne and Jim Norris, Keith Walters and Reagan and Christopher Hall. She was preceded in death by a son Marc Baer Hall and a sister Ruth B. Westmoreland. Funeral services were held Monday, April 28 at 2 p. m. in the chapel of Bay City Funeral Home with Rev. Michael Toland officiaing. Burial will follow at Cedarvale Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jan Norris, Greg Westmoreland, Kip Westmoreland, Reid Westmoreland, Glenn Huebner and Gary O'Quinn. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Diabetes Association, P. O. Box 97136, Washington, D. C. 20090-7136 Services are under the direction of Dick R. Elkins Bay City FUneral Home. Daily Tribune, April 29, 1997
Chalmer L. Hall, 86, of Bay City passed
away Friday, April 20, 2007 at the Methodist Hospital in Houston,
Texas. |
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Funeral services for Ruth Alys Baer Westmoreland, 72, of Bay City, are scheduled for 2 p. m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Bay Cit with the Rev. Allan C. Anderson officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Memorial Park in Van Vleck. Mrs. Westmoreland was born Nov. 13, 1921 in Matagorda to Arthur G. and Pearle Yates Baer and died Dec. 18, 1993 at Straub Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. A member of First Presbyterian Church in Bay City, she was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Legal Secretary's Association, the Book Review Club and a charter member of the Pink Ladies Auxiliary of Matagorda General Hospital. Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Kalyn and David Green of The Woodlands and Jami Ruth and Daniel Adams of Clear Lake; two sons and daughters-in-law, Greg Baer and Dianne Westmoreland of Bay City and Reid and Kathy Westmoreland; a stepdaughter and son-in-law, Mary Joan and Herman Sansing of Lago Vista; a stepson and daughter-in-law, Jim H. and Mary Sue Westmoreland of Houston; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Dorothy Ann and Bert Huebner and Hattie Louise and Chalmer Hall of Bay City and by nine grandchildren; five step-grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, J. P. "Jim" Westmoreland, Jay Westmoreland and Gary Sansing. Honorary pallbearers are Hugh Strickland, Dr. James Cowart, Bert Huebner, David Green, Chalmer Hall, Melvin Blum, Dr. Andrew Sher, E. M. Huitt, Roy Traylor and Bert Steves. Arrangements are with Taylor Brothers Funeral Home of Bay City. Daily Tribune, December 22, 1993 James Paschal "Jim" Westmoreland Funeral services for J. P. "Jim" Westmoreland, 75, of Bay City, will be 2 p. m. Monday at Taylor Brothers Funeral Chapel, Bay City, with the Rev. David C. Duncan officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Park, Van Vleck. Mr. Westmoreland was born Sept. 21, 1913, in Thorps Spring, Texas, to Dr. James P. and Grace Clapp Westmoreland Sr. and died Dec. 24, 1988, at Matagorda General Hospital. A resident of Bay City since 1941, Mr. Westmoreland and was a member of the Presbyterian church, Masonic Lodge No. 865, the Houston Scottish Rite, the Arabian Temple and an ex-president of the Gulf Coast Shrine Club. He was a veteran of World War II, having served in the merchant marines. He came to Bay City as an inspector for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1941 working on the Intercoastal Canal. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Baer Westmoreland of Bay City; three daughters, Mary Joan Sansing of Lago Vista, Texas, Kalyn Green of The Woodlands and Jami Ruth Holliday of Houston; three sons, Jim H. Westmoreland of Houston and Greg Baer Westmoreland and Reid Baer Westmoreland, both of Bay Cty; a sister, Eloise Bowlds of Liguna Miguel, Calif.; and 13 grandchildren. Pallbearers are Ted Westmoreland, Gary Sansing, Glenn Huebner, Ted Hall, Mike Burnside, John Laughlin, Lindsey Thompson and Camp Mehrens. Honorary pallbearers are Melvin Blum, Bert Huebner, Hugh Strickland, Richard Dawdy, Bert Steves, Dr. James Cowart, Glen White, E. M. Huitt, Jr. Dr. Russell Matthes and Harry Norris. Also Joe Entzminger, Steve Parsutt, Chalmer Hall, Dave Green, Randy Holliday, Herman Sansing, Cam Tally, Blair Smith and Bill Phillips. In lieu of flowes, donations may be made to the Kidney Association, the Dialysis Unit at Matagorda General Hospital or the American Diabetes Foundation. Arrangements are with Taylor Brothers Funeral Home, Bay City.
Daily Tribune, December 25, 1988 |
The parents of
Arthur G. Baer were Gottlieb and Hattie Baer On December 30