Otto & Johanna Rachuig Lang Family

I've added another diagram to the extended family tree. This one covers the initial layer ofJohanna Rachuig Lang's branch of the family. She was the oldest daughter & second child of August & Henrietta Rachuig. She married Otto Lang. Her youngest sister Lydia married Otto's younger brother Richard Lange. (Yes, they spelled their surnames differently.)

Otto & Johanna moved to New Mexico. I understand they were infrequent visitors to Clifton. I've posted pictures of their family in earlier entries on this blog.

Link to Otto & Johanna Rachuig Lang family diagram

Will Krueger, Sr. - Member of the Bernardt Band

Here is a photo of Will Krueger, Sr. when he was a member of the Bernhardt band. He appears to have been an euphonium player. I'll have to dig through Uncle Will's ancestry to see if he was a Bernhardt descendent. His wife, Hilda Rachuig was the granddaughter of Henrietta Bernhardt, so maybe he was admitted to the fold as an in-law, or maybe anyone could join.



Here's another picture of the Bernhardt Band. I presume it predates Uncle Will's picture. I know the Clifton Museum has pictures and memorabilia of the band - they must have been popular.

Family Tree Diagrams

I've modified & added to the collection of family tree diagrams at the top of the right-hand column of this blog.

You'll see that I've added a Bernhardt branch to the top-level diagram. (It's continued on Page 6.) Susan Read has provided good info on the Bernhardts, so I'll be able to expand this line in the future.

Link to top-level family tree diagram.

Link to Michael & Anna Bernhardt & children diagram.

Here's a photo of Caroline Bernhardt, oldest child of Michael & Anna Bernhardt. Her daughter, Otillie Mathilde Harmel, married August W. Rachuig, Jr. Notice the touching note her great-niece, Frieda Rachuig Flair, wrote on the back of the picture. Frieda was the daughter of Richard Rachuig & Anna Kunkel.



I've also added the August William Rachuig, Jr. & Otillie Mathilde Harmel line to the tree. There's an entry about their family further down this blog.

Link to August & Henrietta Rachuig & children diagram.

Link to August & Otillie Rachuig & children diagram.

I've added a diagram for the Theodore & Marie Rachui branch. I hope to get more info on this line, so I can expand it.

Link to Theodore & Marie Rachui & children diagram.

I'll add more branches & details in the future.

Jedidiah David McNeil

We have a new addition to Rudolph 'Rube' & Huldina Rachuig branch of the family. He is Jedidiah David McNeil, born on July 9th. He weighed 9 lbs. 6 ozs. He was 21 inches long.

Little Jed's parents are Jessica (Hein) & John McNeil.

Jessica is the daughter of Layton & Sheri Hein (grandparents).

Sheri is the daughter of Robert & Joyce Rachuig (great-grandparents).

Robert is the son of A. W. & Lurlyne Rachuig (great-great-grandparents).

A. W. was the son of Rudolph & Huldina Rachuig (great-great-great-grandparents).

Rudolph was the son of August & Henrietta Rachuig (g-g-g-g-grandparents).

Here's a picture of the new addition with his first counsins (I think). (Update) Sheri Rachuig Hein has told me her new grandson is posing with his brother and sister. I didn't realize John & Jessica already had children.

August William Rachuig, Jr. & Family

I've started fleshing out the family tree with branches of August & Henrietta Rachuig's children. The first branch I've added is their 4th child and 2nd son, August William, Jr. He died in 1945, so I never knew him -- or knew much about him. What I've learned is interesting.

He married Otillie Mathilde 'Tillie' Harmel in 1896. I've learned that Aunt Tillie was a Bernhardt, so according to my records she and August were 1st cousins. Richard Rachuig's history of the Rachuig family says he and August, Jr. ('Gus') worked in Olney, Texas, where Uncle Gus met Aunt Tillie. Gus, Tillie and Richard moved around West Texas quite a bit, looking for land and work. In fact, they went as far as New Mexico, which was withering in a drought, so they moved back to West Texas.

Richard says Gus suffered from poor heath, particularly a bad stomach. He always looks very thin in the pictures of him I've seen. He and Tillie lost their 3 children at very early ages. I don't think any of them lived past age 2.

I did some searching on the Find A Grave Web site, and learned that Gus and Tillie are both buried in Matagorda County, Texas. The site says August enlisted in the US Army at Matagorda during WWI, so they must have lived there for a considerable amount of time.

Link to diagram of August & Henrietta Rachuig & their children.

Link to diagram of August William Rachuig, Jr. & Otillie Mathilde Harmel & their children.

Link to Find A Grave info on August Rachuig, Jr.

Link to Find A Grave info on Otillie Mathilde Harmel.

Here's a photo of theirs son's graves in the Pioneer Cemetery in Olney. Their daughter Ella is buried in Clifton.

Photos of Clifton, Texas

When we attended the reunion in Clifton a few weeks ago, we were impressed with the beauty of the country side. Even those who live far from Texas have probably heard of the drought and wild fires scorching large areas of the state. We didn't see any evidence of those disasters. The area around Norse was really picturesque.

Those of you who live far from the Clifton area will get an idea of the area's natural beauty, courtesy of these photos from Robert Rachuig.

2011 Rachui-Rachuy-Rachuig & Schulz Family Reunion

Our extended family held its annual reunion at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Norse, Texas on Saturday, July 16th. I think I speak for everyone when I say we had a very, very enjoyable time.

I didn't take notes, but I think this was the 56th Schulz reunion & the 35th Rachuig reunion. Some of you may not know, but we combined the two reunions a few years ago since they always occurred on the same day, & several of us are members of both families.

I don't want to leave anyone out, but Susan Read & her husband were first-time attendees, as was David Rachui, who traveled from North Carolina. [While I'm at it, Trent Knudson, was the oldest attendee, and Steve & Kim Weaver's grandson was the youngest. Sorry, but I don't recall his name, but I'll bet he's about 2-years old.]

A few points from the reunion:

• Next year's reunion will be at Our Savior's in Norse. We couldn't ask for a better site. Many thanks to Helon Ruth for setting us up with the church. I look forward to next year's reunion.
• If you have any memorabilia you want to post to this blog, feel free to send me scans or the originals, & I'll be certain to get them back to you.
  
• Our Savior's has a Smorgasbord Dinner in November. There's a link below in case you're interested. It looks like a fun evening. Note the registration process.
  
• David Rachui provided me with good info on connecting the various branches of the Rachuig/Rachui/Rachuy family. There's a link below, so you can view it. Feel free to correct or add information. (You'll need to email me, or post to this blog.) These charts aren't meant to be a full family tree -- just a way of connecting the various, far-flung branches.
  
• I'd like to receive any genealogical data you have. Several of us use Family Tree Maker. I'll try to enter everything I receive & pass it on to others who are interested.
  
• A family member in Germany (Dieter Rachuy) is pursuing research at the German Genealogical Archive in Leipzig, Germany. We may learn a great deal about our origins in Posen, possibly prior to settling there.

I'll try to post items to this blog more frequently this year. Send me news about births, marriages, deaths, or other significant events, & I'll announce them.

Try to make next year's reunion -- I think you'll have a good time.

A link to Our Savior's Luthern Church in Norse

A link to Our Savior's info about the Church's Smorgasbord Dinner in November

A link to Page 1 of our Extended Family Tree

A link to Page 2 covering the August & Henrietta Rachuig Branch

A link to Page 3 covering the Otto & Augusta Branch