Schumannsville And the Schumannsville Cemetery
by Walter F. Rudeloff
1985
    The small community of Schumannsville is located on Farm Road 725 in Guadalupe County, Texas about 3 miles south of New Braunfels.  It was established by German Immigrants in 1847, and was  named for  August Schumann,  who  bought  the original  tract of  land  on  which  the community  is located. 1       Schumannsville Cemetery  lies  about  1 1/2  miles  north  of  the community  on  Lakeside  Drive 358, a short county road that extends  from  Farm  Road 725  eastward   to  Lake Dunlap, a distance of about 1 1/2 miles.    The cemetery is about  0.7 mile from  Farm Road 725.   Both  the community of  Schumannsville and Schumannsville Cemetery  are  shown  on  the  accompanying map.                                                                                                                      
     Schumannsville  and  Schumannsville Cemetery  are  both located in the Ignatius S. Johnson Survey  which  Anson  Jones,  as  President  of  Texas  issued  the patent  for in 1846, and  which contains "18 labors" of land (3,188.5 acres).   It  is  described  in  the original land patent  as being located "  on the  Southwest side  of the  Guadalupe  River,  a distance  of  approximately  5  miles below  the  old  Nacogoches  [sic] Road."2     August Wilhelm  Schumann,   a  well to do  German   immigrant   from  Kothen, West  Prussia, arrived  on  the  Texas coast  aboard  the  SS Franziska  on January  11,  1846,   with  his  wife  and  8  children.3  When he arrived  in Guadalupe County, he purchased the entire Ignatius S. Johnson Survey of 3, 188.5 acres.4   A few months later, he  met  a  wagon  train  of  immigrants, all  from  the  same area  in the eastern part of West Prussia, who had arrived  on  the  Texas coast aboard  the  SS Johanna  and  other ships  in December 1846.        Mr. Schumann agreed  to  sell  each  family  a  strip  of land on the Guadalupe River on which to settle.  Thereupon he divided approximately  350 acres  in  the  northern  part  of  the  survey  into  15 long narrow strips, each approximately 1 mile  in  length  and  approximately  208  feet  wide,  which  he then sold to the immigrants,  apparently by  oral agreement because it was not until September, 1850 that the deeds to the 15 tracts of  land were  executed and filed  of  record  in  the Deed  Records of  Guadalupe County, Texas. 5  
The  deeds,  each  of  which  is dated in September,  1850, recite the following            information:                                                                                         

 
Grantee Size of Tract Reference
Johann Leissner 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 304
Carl Blumberg (*) 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 305
Carl Koepsel 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 307
Christoph Maurer (*) 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 309
Julius Behrendt 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 310
Friedrich Grimm  (*) 15 acres Vol. C,  p. 312
Wilhelm Knetsch 15 acres Vol. C,  p. 319
August Hoffmann  (*) 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 320
Daniel Koepsel 12 acres Vol. C,  p. 350
G. A. F. Laechlin 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 352
Jacob Adams 12 acres Vol. C,  p. 353
Johann Zipp  (*) 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 355
Johann Lindemann 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 356
Michael Buchholz 25 acres Vol. C,  p. 357
Hermine Schumann Rudeloff  (*) 50 acres Vol. E,  p. 800
(*) - buried in Schumannsville Cemetery                                                 
                                 
    Each immigrant family built a house on their tract near   the River.   Early  Schumannsville thus consisted of  15  houses  near  the  River,  about  200  feet apart.    Figures 1 and 2  in the  appendix are photographs of one of such houses, that of Friedrich Rudeloff.6  The river is to the rear of the house. Note that extra  rooms appear to have been added to the house as the family grew.   The construction is probably typical of the other houses.  Shortly  after  the  immigrants  built  their homes,  they entered into an oral agreement in 1847 to  construct  a communal  fence  to  surround  all  15  tracts of land in  order  to  protect their cultivated crops from damage by cattle.   This agreement was reduced to writing in 1852, and filed for record.7  It reads in part as follows:             
 
State of Texas                                                   
                                                                         
County of  Guadalupe County                                                    
Schumannsville, this
26th day of January, 1853
                                                           

"Based upon an agreement made in year 1847 by the inhabitants of this 
settlement for the purposes to protect their cultivated lands against the breaking in of cattle by making a fence in common and in order to keep said agreement based upon a verbal understanding in force .....[it is agreed that]
     1.       No one of the partners  . . . .  is allowed to dissolved this  co-
               partnership .  .   .
     2.       Every partner is bound by these presents to make his part of
               the fence which he undertook . . . in the year 1847 . . .
     3.       It is . . . necessary that the fence . . . remain closed from the
               first of February up to the first of November.
     4.       For the maintenance . . ., ten competent men by chosen . . . by
               an annual election whose duty it shall be to inspect personally
               the common fence and to estimate what may be necessary to 
               keep the same in good repair and thereupon to notify the 
               Respective partners thereof . . . 
            /S/
Friedrich Rudeloff  (*) Adolph Laechlin
Michael Buchholz August Hoffman  (*)
Christoph Maurer  (*) Johann Leissner
Johann Lindemann Carl Zipp
Friedrich Grimm  (*) Johann Zipp  (*)
Jacob Adams Carl Blumberg  (*)
Julius Behrendt      
                                (*) interred in Schumannsville Cemetery
           
   The reason for the delay in filing the deed and agreement was the distance of  Schumannsville  from  Seguin,  and  the  necessity  of  crossing the  Guadalupe   River.      In  his  definitive  work on  Texas German history,  Dr.  Rudolph  Biesele stated that  " The proximity of the settlement to New Braunfels, the  racial  and lingual relationship  of  its  settlers  and those of  New Braunfels, and  the need of crossing the Guadalupe in order to attend the  official  business in  Seguin, the county  seat,  caused  the  settlers of  Schumannsville  on  October 29,  1849,  to  petition  the Legislature  for  a  change  in  the  boundaries  of  Guadalupe    and  Comal  counties  so  that Schumannsville would be located in Comal County.  The petition was signed by:                                 
 
A. Laechlin Michael Buchholz
Friedrich Blumberg Friedrich Rudeloff  (*)
Hermine Schumann  (*) A. W. Schumann  (*)
Carl Koepsel Johann Leissner
Katherine Ewald Theodore Buchholz
Carl Blumberg  (*) Gustav Elley
Jacob Adam Daniel Koepsel
Friedrich Koepsel Johann August Leissner
August Hoffman  (*) Johann Lindemann
Johann Zipp  (*) Julius Behrendt
(*) interred in Schumannsville Cemetery

   The request was not granted.8  Since the petition to locate Schumannsville in Comal was refused in 1849, and the deeds to the 15 tracts of land in Schumannsville were dated in  1850,  it is reasonable to assume that  the settlers waited until the Legislature acted on their petition before filing their respective deeds.                           
    No written account of life in Schumannsville has been found, but undoubtedly it was difficult. Carl Blumberg, one of the leading citizens of the community of Schumannsville, wrote about his life in Texas:                              
 

"Oh , you poor Germans!  my dear countrymen!    if  you  in  your  old  homeland  only knew what is awaiting you in Texas . . . you would desist with  a  sense  of  horror  and trembling from your decision to emigrate to Texas and you would  remain in your dear fatherland"9
                         
     Records  do not indicate who was  the first to die in Schumannsville, but the earliest recorded death  is that
of Carl  Blumberg,  who died in 1853 of  Yellow  Fever which he became infected with while hauling freight and passengers from Indianola in his wagon which he  had had to foresight of bringing with him from Prussia.10   His death was an even greater loss to the community because he was a school teacher by profession.                       
    No  written  account of Carl Blumberg's funeral has been found, but perhaps the following description by an early Texas writer, Ferdinand Roemer, of a funeral in New Braunfels may be similar:                                          
 
"On November 11  [1846]  I was present  [in New Braunfels]  at  the  burial of a young girl, the daughter of an  acquaintance of  the Verein,  Mr. K.,  who had  recently  come  from  Germany where he had been a  burgomaster at  Anklam.    A  virulent  fever  had caused  her  death within 48 hours.   According  to  a  North  American  custom  in the rural  districts,   all  people  in  the  funeral  procession were mounted which appeared unusual as well as Picturesque to a European..."11
   The  people in Carl  Blumberg's funeral  procession  were  probably  mounted  as the cemetery is about 1  1/2 miles from the community of Schumannsville.                                                       
     Schumannsville Cemetery,  where  Carl Blumberg  was  buried,  lies  in  the northern part of the  land which August Wilhelm Schumann purchased.    The Deed Records do not reflect that  Mr. Schumann made  a  formal dedication of the land for cemetery purposes, but again the reason may be that the trip to Seguin was long  and crossing the Guadalupe difficult.  A formal dedication was simply postponed.                                                         
    The cemetery is now enclosed with a fence.  It is roughly rectangular in shape, approximately 522 feet deep,
and approximately 170 feet wide along the county road, widening to approximately 300 feet from the center to the back fence.  The entire cemetery contains about  2 3/4 acres,  but only the rear wider  portion  is  used  for
internment.                                                                                                                                                                 
    The  founder of  Schumannsville,  August  Wilhelm  Schumann,  was  the  second  citizen  of Schumannsville
to be  buried  in  the   cemetery,  dying on May 30 1858 at the age of 67 years.  He was buried a short distance from the grave of Carl Blumberg,  indicating that the early settlers must have intended the property to be used as a community cemetery.   Mr. Schumann's son in law,  Friedrich  Rudeloff, was appointed Administrator of his estate  since  the  eldest  son,  Gustav  Schumann,  had  died  in  San  Saba County where he lived, and the 2nd eldest, Wilhelm Schumann, lived in far away Gillespie County.   The only other son, Karl Schumann, was still a minor.12    Mr. Schumann was not only one of the oldest citizens of  the  community, having been  born in 1791, but was probably one of the wealthiest, as a partial list of the assets  of  his  estate  as  filed  by  the  Administrator, Friedrich Rudeloff, will show:                                                                                                                                     

 

1.    2,075.67 acres  of  land  about  5  miles  below  Nacodoches  Road in the I. Johnson Survey  #47 in Guadalupe County, Texas.

2.    5 horses, 83 head of cattle and the usual farm implements.

     
August Wilhelm Schumann  was  a  learned  and  cultured  man,  and  his  estate  included a flute, music and books.                                                                                                                                                                            
      Fate decreed that the next persons to be buried in Schumannsville Cemetery were  the  respective   widows
of  Carl Blumberg and  August Wilhelm Schumann.    Katherine Ruff  Blumberg and  Amalie Walbe Schumann both  died in 1869.  Mrs. Blumberg was buried to the left of her husband, in the American South tradition.  The
American South  tradition of  feet to  the east interment, however, was not adhered to, as Carl Blumberg's' grave (the first in the cemetery and therefore a precedent for those that followed)  was  aligned  perpendicular  to the road leading to the cemetery, thus giving the graves a Northwest Southeast  axis.                                                
     Amelia  Walbe  Schumann, wife of August Wilhelm Schumann, was interred in tandem with her  husband  in
a  feet  to  the  Northwest alignment whereas her husband was interred in a feet to the Southeast alignment.  A common tombstone is inscribed with August Wilhelm Schumann's date of birth and death on the  east side  with the traditional Texas German  individual  grave  curbing  marking  his  grave  east of the  tombstone.    Amalia Schumann's  date of  birth  and  death is inscribed on the west side of the tombstone.   The two graves together form a plot about 2 1/2 feet wide and 10-12 feet long, with the tombstone in the center.                                         
Thus by the year 1870, Schumannsville Cemetery contained only four marked graves, vis.,  that of Carl Blumberg and his wife, Katherine Ruff Blumberg, and that of August Wilhelm Schumann and his wife Amalie Schumann.  Inevitably, however, internment after internment followed and by the year 1984, 137 years after the founding of the community of Schumannsville, a total of 175 persons have been interred in Schumannsville Cemetery.                                                                                          
  Terry Jordan, in fascinating work, Texas Graveyards - A Cultural Legacy, describes various customs and 
traditions which are common in most Texas German cemeteries, some more unique than others.13    It is not only of interest, but more important,  it is necessary to note which of such customs and traditions have been adhered to in a cemetery being considered for a historical marker.                                                                         
  In Schumannsville Cemetery there seems to have been almost a complete absence of the orderliness and symmetry common to most German cemeteries.  Although all of the graves are more or less aligned perpendicular to the road leading to the cemetery and parallel to the longitudinal fences, many graves are not parallel with one another, but are slightly askew.  Many are not even in a straight line but lie in curved or jagged lines.  Some graves even extend into footpaths.
                                                                                     
  No tradition seems to have been strictly adhered to.  In many graves, the husband is buried to the right of the wife; in almost an equal number, the husband is buried to the left of the wife.  In one instance, that of the graves of August Wilhelm Schumann and wife noted above, the husband and wife lie in tandem.  There are no highly decorated graves and only a few unusual tombstones.  There are no hex signs and related symbols except for only one Teutonic Sonnenrad.  The cemetery does not appear to have been sanctified and there is no church in the vicinity.                                                                                                                                             
  An examination of the list of persons interred in the Schumannsville Cemetery reveals that this is indeed a German cemetery.  Of the 155 persons interred there, 149 or 96% have German surnames.  There are a large number of epitaphs in the cemetery, but very few are written in English, and even the English words, "Born" and "Died" appear very seldom;  instead, most tombstones are marked with the German equivalents, "Geb." (Geborn = Born) and "Ges." (Gestorben = Died).  Epitaphs written in the German language are abundant, most of which are given with the English translation on an accompanying list.                                                        
Many of the epitaphs are standard German epitaphs, straight out of the stone cutters verse book.
Even so, some contained flawed spelling or archaic wording.  There are some individualized epitaphs, many "speaking dead" epitaphs; some are directed at the passerby while others eulogize the deceased.  A few name the European village of birth or give the deceased's maiden name.                                                                        
Schumannsville Cemetery has historical significance.  It is the final resting place of at least 31 German immigrants, most of whom emigrated from the same area in Prussia, at about the same time and who lived together in the community of Schumannsville until their respective deaths.  They contributed significantly to building Texas the great State that it now is and their descendants, many of whom still live in Comal and Guadalupe Counties and who number in the thousands, are still contributing to building Texas an even greater State.
German Immigrants interred in Schumannsville Cemetery
 
August Wilhelm Schumann, born 1791, from Kothen, W. Prussia; on SS Franziska, arriving in 1846; with wife, Amalie nee Walbe and 8 children.

Carl Blumberg, born 1798, from Kokocko [sic], W. Prussia, on SS Neptune arriving in 1845; with wife, Katherine nee Ruff and 6 children.

Peter Zabel, born Oct. 2 1799; from Kokocko [sic], W. Prussia, on SS Neptune arriving in 1845; with wife, .Elisa and son.

Christoph Maurer, born 1802; from Zegartowitz, W. Prussia; on SS Neptune arriving in  1845; with wife, Eva nee Grimm and 3 children.

Amalie (Walbe) Schumann, born 1802, from Kothen, W. Prussia; on SS Franziska, arriving 1846; with husband August Wilhelm Schumann and 8 children.

Katherine (Ruff) Blumberg, born 1803; from Kokocko [sic], W. Prussia, on SS Neptune arriving 1845 with husband, Carl Blumberg and 6 children.

Johann J. Zipp, born 1804, from Klein-Creuste, W. Prussia; on SS Johanna arriving 1845; with wife, Christine nee Boettinger and 6 children.

Friedrich Rudeloff, born 1814, from Quedlinburg, W. Prussia; on SS Margaretha arriving in 1846; single

August Hoffmann, born 1814, from Dubielno, W. Prussia; on SS Johanna; arriving in 1846; with wife Caroline nee Leissner and children.

Caroline (Leissner) Hoffmann, from Dubielnno, W. Prussia on SS Johanna, arriving in 1846; with husband August Hoffmann and children.

Friedrich Grimm, born 1821, from Zegartowitz, W. Prussia; on SS Johanna arriving in 1846; single.

Hermine (Schumann) Rudeloff, born 1825, from Kothen, W. Prussia; on SS Franziska, arriving in 1845 with parents, August Wilhelm Schumann and wife, Amalia Walbe Schumann.

Eva (Grimm) Maurer born 1827, from Zegartowitz, W. Prussia, on SS Johanna arriving in 1846, with husband, Christoph Maurer and 3 children.

Christoph Borgfeld, born 1828, from ? on SS Neptune arriving in 1854 with wife ? and ? children.

Ludwig Buch, born 1831 (no information)

Johann M. Zipp, born 1833, from Klein Creuste, W. Prussia, on SS Johanna arriving in 1846, with parents Johann J. Zipp and wife, Christine Zipp.

Caroline Buch, born 1834, from ? , probably with parents, Not known if single or married.

M. Dorothea Grimm, born 1834 from ?; probably with parents. Not known if single or married.

Catherine Zipp, born 1836 from Klein-Creuste, W. Prussia, on SS Johanna, arriving in 1846, with parents, Johann J. Zipp and wife, Christine Zipp; never married.

Godfried Vogt, born 1838, from Birholz, W. Prussia, on SS Johann Dethardt, no other information.

Caroline (Schultz) Borgfeld, born 1838, from ?, probably with parents 

Karl Schumann, born 1839, from Kothen W. Prussia on SS Franziska arriving in 1846, with parents, August Wilhelm Schumann and wife, Amalie Schumann.

Karoline (Zipp) Schumann, born 1841, from Klein-Creuste, W. Prussia on SS Johanna, arriving in 1846, with parents Johann J. Zipp and wife Christine Zipp; subsequently married Karl Schumann.

Pauline O. Zipp, born 1839 from ?; probably with parents; subsequently married Johann M. Zipp.

Carl Hoffmann, born 1843, from Marienwerder, Germany (stated on tombstone); arrived probably with parents.

Wilhelm Zipp, born 1844, from Klein-Creuste, W. Prussia, on SS. Johanna arriving in 1846, with parents Johann J. Zipp and wife, Christine Zipp.

Heinrich Buch, born 1844 from ?., arrived probably with parents.

Karoline Hoffmann, born 1845, from ?, probably with parents; subsequently married Carl Hoffmann.

Gottlieb Zipp, born 1845, from Klein-Creuste, W. Prussia,  on SS Johanna arriving in 1846, with parents, Johann J. Zipp and wife, Christine Zipp.

Fritz Buch, born 1846, from Gross Mahner, Prov. Hannover, Germany, probably with parents.

Louise Buch, born 1851, from Braunschwieg, Prov. Hannover, Germany, probably with parents.


 
 

FOOTNOTES:

1.  Webb, Walter Prescott and H. Baily Caroll, eds.  The Handbook of  Texas.                                                  
2 vols.  Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1952, Vol II, p.  58

2.  Guadalupe County Deed Records, Vol. A,  p.  14                                                                                            

3.  Family records kept by Walter F. Rudeloff, Great Great Grandson of A. W. Schumann; see also ships'     lists quoted in  Geue,  Chester William  and  Ethel Hander Geue.    
A New Land Beckoned: German  Immigration to Texas, 1844-1847.   
Enl. ed. Waco: Texian, 1972, 
pp. 76-164,   and Geue, Ethel Hander,  
New Homes in a New Land:  German Immigration to Texas:  1847-1861.  
Waco:  Texian, 1970,  pp. 45-151   

4.  Guadalupe County Deed Records.  Vol.  p.                                                                                                      

5.  The 15  Deeds  from   A. W.  Schumann  to  each  of  the  15  original  inhabitants of  the community  of    Schumannsville are recorded in the Guadalupe County Deed Records, Vol. C, pp. 304-357 and Vol. E, p. 800.

6.  Two of  four  photographs  in possession of Walter F. Rudeloff, Great Grandson of Friedrich Rudeloff,     taken by O. D. Rudeloff at family visit to Schumannsville on March 29, 1923.                             

7.  Guadalupe County Deed Records, Vol. D,  pp. 199-200                                                                                  

8.  Biesele,  Rudolph  L.    The History of the German Settlements in Texas, 1831-1861.            Austin:  Von Boeckmann-Jones,  1930,  pp. 166-167                                                                                               

9.   Letter  written by Carl Blumberg  in 1846,   quoted in Lich, Glen E.  The German Texans .  San Antonio:
The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio,  1981, p.55                       

10.  Blumberg, C. F.  The Carl F. and Catherine Ruff Blumberg Klan Book.  New Braunfels:                          New Braunfels Zeitung Print,  1938,  pp. 2-6

11.  Roemer, Ferdinand,               Texas, with Particular Reference to German Immigration and the Physical Appearance of the Country.  Tr.  Oswald Mueller.  San Antonio:  Standard, 1935; rpt.  Waco:
Texian,  1967,  p.  212

12.   Guadalupe County Court Probate Minutes.  Vol. B, pp 29 and 425;  Vol. E, pp 56, 181 and 188.             

13.  Jordan, Terry G.  Texas Graveyards: A Cultural Legacy.  Austin:  University of Texas Press.  1982,     
Chap. 5,  "The Texas German Graveyard"'  pp. 89-133
 

Return to Guadalupe County