| Note* | | Anton Beck (1844-1933) was born in Pohl, Moravia, Austria on April 12, 1844. In Austria when Anton was a young man, he hauled fertilizer across the Austrian-Poland border. Once it began to rain and he didn't want the fertilizer to get wet, so he got under cover by a small inn. While in the tavern, he ate his supper and some of the town 'toughs' began to pick on him. It ended in a fight, and the law put all in jail. The next morning Anton was released while the 'toughs' paid the fines. Anton came from a large family, and was the only one of the brothers to come to America; however, his sister, nephew, niece, and other distant relatives made their home there. He had a desire to come in 1860 when several of the Catholic families from his area came to settle in High Hill. Being from a large family and only sixteen years old at the time, he was needed at home. When he again planned to come, the people of High Hill wrote for him to remain in Austria, because the Civil War was in progress.. When his sister came in 1867, he remained at home because of the death of his mother who had died of the black plague. It was in the fall of 1869 when he and his friend, Vincent Hollas embarked at the port of Bremen, Germany on November 7 that his dream to come to America came true. They arrived at the port of Galveston in December 1869. Prior to Anton's arrival in High Hill, Mass was said in private homes by priests from the Frelsburg and Mulberry (now Praha). The first Catholic Church in High Hill, a log building, was begun in 1869 and was made from lumber hauled by oxcart from Columbus and then sawed to proper dimensions by the Hillje saw mill. This church was dedicated on September 8,1870 with a gala celebration. In all probability, Anton, who had arrived in the last part of 1869 or the beginning of the new year, helped build the church and was present for the big celebration of the new Nativity of Mary, Blessed Virgin (now know as St. Mary's). For the next five years visiting priests from Frelsburg and Mulberry continued to have Mass in the new church. It was in this church that Anton Beck and Rosina Koenig were married June 15, 1874 by Reverend C. Rogasinsky, a priest from Mulberry. The young couple continue to live in High Hill among their friends. The town was a thriving community with two private schools, several merchandise store, a hotel, a brewery, an oil mill and three blacksmith shops. Entertainment was provided by local talent, the mennerchor that sang at feasts and Sunday gatherings, and bands that provided music for various occasions. In 1873 when the railroad was refused by the citizens of High Hill, many moved to the new town of Schulenburg tha was created by the railroad. Anton was a progressive man and even before his marriage he had possessed a horse and two cows. In 1877 he had 3 horses, six cattle, two hogs, and one carriage (or buggy or wagon). In the later part of 1878, Anton and Rosina and their family or three young girls, Mary, Emelie, and Anna, moved to the Sedan/Dubina area where his sister, Rosina, and her husband, John Kloesel had bough some land and now lived. In 1881, on March 18, Anton Beck and John Schenk bought 159 acres from John T. Holman, the 89 acres on the west side was Anton's and the 70 acres on the east side was John's. On August 9, 1893 Anton and Rosina Beck bought from John and Rosina Schenk the 70 acres. On October 10, 1893, the Anton Becks bough 38.4 acres from John T. Holman, and on November 24, 1902 they bought one hundred and twenty two acres from Marie Schubert Richter Schenk and her husband, Ferdinand Schenk. Each piece of property that was bought joined a previously purchased or owned property which made the full 319.4 acres all in one large portion. In later years he also bough 213.76 acres in Jackson County in the Washington Beaty League. He also bough 2 acres of land from Joseph Koenig in Colorado County on January 10, 1908. On September 17, 1911, when Anton was 67 years old and Rosina was 62, they bout 19 1/3 acres of land on the outskirts of the town of Weimar from H. L. Eck. This land was situated on the northwest side of the town on which a comfortable five room house was located. They moved there and rented their farm land. On December 6, 1918 they sold 84 acres of farm land to Frank Kuschar, which was 21.78 acres out of the John Schenk land. On October 29, 1919 they sold to Rudolph Gold their original home place of 89 acres. Then on July 11, 1923, they sold 89.79 acres to Rudolph Hollas, which 30 acres was a part of the John Schenk land, and 59.78 acres out of the 122 from the Mary Richter Schenk land. In 1926 Anton sold 56.62 acres to Frank Walzel. When Anton and Rosina were living int he Sedan/Dubina area they were members of the St. Cyril and Methodius Church in Dubina which was approximately three miles from the Beck home. In the latter part of 1888 a meeting was held at the home of Joseph Fietsam for the building of a church in Weimar. Reverend Jerome H. Lagleder was the firs resident priest at Dubina, and also became the founder of the St. Michael's parish in Weimar as a mission out of Dubina. The first trustees of the Weimar parish were Anton Beck, John Schneider, Karl Blaschke, Henry Heller, and Bernard Hoelscher. Some of the other leaders were Frank Huvar, Joseph Fietsam, Ferdinand Kainer, John Guenther, Steve Heller, Anton Seifert, Peter Jurasek, John Schenk, Matthias Kloesel, Joe Katzke, Vinc Rabel, Joe Wick, Ferdinand Keclik, Frank Berger, Frank Leidolf, and Anton Silva. The building of the church was begun in the spring of 1889 on once acres of land donated by Peter Jurasek, and much of the labor was donated by the parishioners. Just as it was almost completed it was destroyed by a storm. Determined to have a church, they gathered the material that could be salvaged and continued to build again. They completed the church on a smaller scale and it was dedicated by Bishop John C. Noraz on October 24, 1889. Was Weimar grew, the congregation outgrew the church built in 1889, and in 1914 the present church was built. In the St. Michaels Church six of the Beck sons and daughters were married as well as some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When Reverend Joseph Szymanski became pastor in 1906, Anton and the new priest became good friends and remained that way until Anton's death. Although Reverend Szymanski came from Poland, he also spoke German, and since Anton did not speak English, the two got along very well with their German conversations. Anton was a very firm but a friendly man and was a good neighbor and landlord to the renters of his land. He talked often of John Schenk. He made win in 5 gallon kegs and served it to guests and on special occasions. While the Becks lived on t he farm, they raised cotton, corn, and feed for their horses, cattle, hogs, and chickens. They owned a wagon and a surrey, and their cattle brand was A-5 (Anton and his five sons). Once while Anton was in the field, a shower of rain suddenly began, Anton ran for cover under a tree. After the shower let up some and Anton was already wet, he headed for home. When he was some distance from the tree, he heard a loud clap of thunder and a crash of lightening. When he looked back, he saw the tree under which he had stood was in splinters. In the 1920's Anton bought a Model T Ford. He could not drive, but his daughter Tina drove to town, to church and took him on Sunday drives. However, Anton who lived about eight blocks from the business section of Weimar usually walked to town to do his little shopping and visiting his friends in the stores. Once when Tina did the grocery shopping, Anton rode to town with her. After he finished his shopping and visiting, he walked home. When Tina finished her shopping, she looked for her father where he said he'd meet her, but he was nowhere to be found. After a general search along the streets, she headed for home and found him there. His answer to Tina's question was that he was so used to walking to and from town that when he was ready to go home, he had forgotten he had come to town with her. For many years Anton kept in contact with his family overseas. He often had Tina write to them and often sent clothes to them. Once when he sent an overcoat, he put a $10 bill in one of the pockets. In a separate letter he wrote that the bill was not there by mistake, but that it was given in good faith. A letter of thanks from his family arrived soon after. Rosina Koenig Beck (1849-1924) was born March 3, 1849 and came to America with her brothers and sisters in 1873. Rosina was short and stocky and a very friendly person. She parted her hair in the middle and brought it around her head and together over her forehead. She spoke German only. She had arthritis and in her last years was confined to her bed. Neighbors with whom Rosina and Anton were associated in their early years in the Sedan area were the Frank Ullrichs, John and Rosina Schenk, Franz and Theresia Beck, Joseph and Mary Richter, Matthias and Theresia Kloesel, John and Rosina Kloesel, Joseph and Magdalena Freis, Franz and Magdalena Polk, a Gold family, Franz and Anna Nahantza, and Anton and Barbara Hollas. Later at the turn of the century, their neighbors became the young couples who began their married lives on the neighboring farms and some that rented the Beck farms. These were Joseph and Mary Kloesel, Ferdinand and Anna Walzel, Ferdinand and Fredericke Kloesel, Stephan and Mary Richter, Joseph and Theresa Brosh, John and Anna Pavlik and Alois and Anna Pavlik. Their relationship continued with their old time neighbors who were John and Anna Schindler and family who had arrived in America in 1892. Frank and Karolina Kainer and Anton and Anna Berger (Karolina's parents), Frank and Theresa Kloesel, Matthias and Theresia Kloesel, John and Rosina Kloesel and their son Ludwig and family, John and Rosina Schenk, John and Kristine Banse, Ferdinand and Anna Kroman, and the Ferdinand Kloesel family and others who had moved from the area. Rosina and Anton did not get too far from their home. They visited friends and neighbors, attended church services and picnics, and shopped for their supplies in the town of Weimar. In 1919, after their married sons and daughters had purchased automobiles, they went with the Anton and Mary Kainer faily and the Frank and Millie Walzel family to visit their son and daughter, the Emil Beck and the John Schubert families. Rosina was 75 years, 9 months and 24 days old at the time of her death on December 27, 1924. Before she died, she repeated many times' Aren't they coming? Aren't they coming?' Her children surmised she was looking for her sister Caroline Bender who lived in Washington DC. Anton lived nine more years and died December 18, 1933. He was 89 years, 8 months, and 10 days old at the time of his death. Anton and Rosina are buried in St. Michael's Cemetery in Weimar. |