(UPDATE) I got notes from Mike Chandler and Elizabeth Egbert who pointed out that the young man in picture below is not their grandfather, Richard Henry Rachuig. (I'm going to leave it here until I get another picture of Uncle Rich as a young man.)
This is actually Frederick Julius Rachuig, Richard's older brother. He was born on September 13, 1876 and died on March 24, 1899. He died very young and never married. He has no direct descendants. I'm glad we have pictures of him. Mike and Elizabeth have sent me another which is posted above. I think it's great.
Click the following link to view Rich Rachuig's family history. I've formatted it in simple text to avoid retrieval problems. It may not look pretty, but virtually everyone can read it without any problems.
He begins with a brief discussion of his parent's lives in Posen and their emigration to Washington County. He talks about their life in Clifton, but he also recounts how he and his brother Gus (August William, Jr.) traveled through West Texas and New Mexico to find a place to farm.
It is fairly long, but well worth reading.
Rich Rachuig's Family History.
Here is a picture of Uncle Rich as a young man, taken when he was 17 years old.
This is wonderful history. I have never read this. Thanks for posting it. I intend to reread it several times.
ReplyDeleteI am just beginning to explore my Rachuig heritage. I was one of Leonard Dave Rachuig's 5 children, whom he abandoned when I was about 4 years old.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents: Ruben (was what I thought many referred to him as) Rachuig married Hildina Wilhemina ?. I know this as I was suppose to be named after her and my other grandmother. I was the 4th of 5 children my father had with my loving mother, Bobbie Kathleen Prince (deceased 1999.)
Leonard left when the oldest was about 13 and the youngest just turned 2. He married his boss's wife, Lurlene Radle, and relocated to Waco. He never saw his children. A few of the chilren made an effort to see him through the years and develop adult relationships with him, but all attempts were followed by failure and years of heartache.
I visited my grandparents in Clifton, Texas and moved to Clifton from the gulf coast for a summer. Ruby Rachuig Gloff (Leonard's sister) and Oscar Gloff were our godparents. We had a wonderful and unique relationship with them through the years until their death. They lived in Waco, Texas and later moved to Fort Worth, Texas for some time. I believe Uncle Oscar owned several barber shops. Aunt Ruby stayed at home and kept their beautiful home. Uncle E.B. and Winnie lived in Ft. Worth and I recall that my brother and I would see them every summer when we went to visit Aunt Ruby and Uncle Oscar. Aunt Ruby grew sunflowers in the backyard to feed the birds and loved to hang her linen in the sunshine. They are both buried in the Clifton Cemetery. They had no children of their own but I believe had 22 nieces and nephews between them.
Leonard Dave Rachuig, Sr. died approximately 4 years ago. His ashes were to be strewn over his parents grave and some over Hog Creek. As I understood it from the crematorium, the creek part was not possible ... however, he was cremated and I believe I have a copy of his death certificate, if needed.
The photo you have of Rube and Huldina were my grandparents. I have seen this photo. She later in life lost both legs to diabetes as I recall and rolled around in an old-fashioned wheelchair. I do not remember her (just cooking) as well as my grandfather. He use to place my younger brother and me on his shoulders and let us look in the pigeon holes of the birdhouses he had made in the backyard. He died when I was in the 2nd grade - about 1962 or so.
I do recall Aunt Mildred and visiting her farm near Clifton, Texas, when I was very young. She was another of my father's sisters.
Phyllis Rachuig