Bunte Family History

Return to the McDonald Family Genealogy Home Page

** This is a retyped copied of an original article about the Bunte Family written by LaVerne Harrell Clark in 1967.

The Bunte family for which the Bunte addition of Smithville, Texas, was named are descended from August Bunte, who was born in Germany on March 11 1859. He was the son of August Wilhelm Bunte and is said to have come from a place called Cosvic-Handalt (sp.?), which is believed to have been located in either the provinces of Holstein or Anhalt, Germany*. Around 1870 when he was eleven years old, August Bunte arrived in Galveston, Texas from Germany. He was accompanied to America by his father—August Wilhelm Bunte and his mother whose name is unknown. His mother had become ill with yellow fever on board the ship coming to America and upon the family’s arrival in Texas, she died. She was buried in Galveston.

* please note-- the naturalization papers of August Bunte show that it is Anhalt.

After their arrival in Galveston, the young August Bunte and his father August Wilhelm Bunte made their way to Austin County, Texas. For a time they lived around Industry, Texas, where they supported themselves with work on the railroad or by doing farm work. Throughout his life, the father—August Wilhelm Bunte—was recognized for his prowess as a swimmer and frequently engaged in the sport which was his favorite pastime. Around 1900 while on a fishing trip, he drowned in the Colorado River near Winchester, Texas. He is buried in an unmarked grace, near that of his son August Bunte on the cemetery in front of the residence of Mr. And Herman C. Bunte, which is two miles southeast of Smithville, Texas.

Around 1877, the son August Bunte married Mata Gallop(sp?) of Austin County, Texas. She was born April 2, 1858, and died in Smithville on August 3, 1907. August and Mata Bunte began their married life in Industry,, Texas, where the oldest of their five children—Henry Charles Christian Bunte—was born June 22, 1878. When their son Henry was still quite young, August Bunte and his wife moved from Industry and for a short period of time farmed land on the Ehlers place near Shipp’s Lake at Smithville and also near Flatonia, Texas. Then, they moved to the home they built two miles southeast of Smithville, where they were to live for the rest of their lives, and where their children grew up. The home was located on a large farm, some of the land which was later to become known as Bunte town, a community located just southeast of the Smithville City limits. As the years passed, August Bunte became a prominent farmer and property owner in Bastrop county. He had many friends and enjoyed visiting with them frequently. He loved to travel and in his later years enjoyed taking many trips across the country in his automobile. In 1937 he was seriously injured in an automobile accident when returning home from a trip and died on May 18 of that year in Smithville as a result of the injuries he received in the accident. He is buried in a marked grave in the cemetery in front of his old home, which is now the residence of his adopted son, Mr. Herman C. Bunte.

His first wife Mata(sp?) Gallop(sp?) had preceded him in death many years before. She died on August 3, 1907, and she is buried in a marked grave next to his. After his first wife's death, August Bunte had married Mrs. Mary Kloth, a widow from Nachanitz, a community near La Grange. Mrs. Kloth had seven children by her previous marriage, and some of the younger children came to live with her and Mr. Bunte after their marriage. No children were born to August Bunte and his second wife, who is buried alongside her first husband, Mr. Kloth, in Columbus, Texas.

Five children were born to August Bunte and his first wife—Mata(sp) Gallop(sp) Bunte, and they also raised one adopted child. The children and their dates of birth follow: Henry Charles Christian Bunte—June 22, 1878, Ricka Bunte—January 28, 1880, William f. Bunte—March 15, 1881, Lena Bunte—October 10, 1882, and August Frederick Bunte—July 10, 1894. In addition to these children, they adopted Mrs. Bunte’s nephew, Mr. Herman C. (Koch) Bunte, the son of Mrs. Bunte’s half-brother, Mr. Chris Koch. Mr. Herman Bunte had been born October 29, 1893 and had been left motherle4ss as an infant when his mother died. He was legally adopted by August Bunte and raised as his own sons were.

The sons of August Bunte—Henry C., William F., August F., and Herman C. all came to e prominent farmers and stock raisers, and spent their lives living on their farms around Smithville. In addition to being a farmer, Mr. Henry C. Bunte was also interested in many public and civic activities and affairs. He was connected with the city’s and the community’s school board of trustees, and active participant in all public elections—school, county, state and national. He and his brother William F. are now dead, and both are buried in Smithville’s Oak Hill Cemetery. Mr. Henry C. Bunte died on March 4, 1955, and Mr. William f. Bunte died on May 3, 1951. The two younger sons of August Bunte—Mr. August F. Bunte and Mr. Herman Bunte are still alive. Mr. Herman Bunte still lives on his father’s old home place two miles southeast of Smithville, and Mr. August F. Bunte lives on the adjoining farm and ranch, where he has spent the majority of his life raising and trading cattle.

The two daughters of August Bunte are both dead. Ricka, died on November 24, 1890, at the age of ten, and Lena died at the age of 30 in March 1912.

Information concerning the wives, husbands and children of the sons and daughters of August Bunte follows below. In such cases where information is available, other descendants are also listed.

Newspaper Article:
AUGUST BUNTE SR., FATALLY INJURED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
One Other Injured As Car Plunged Into Ditch Near Austin Late Monday Night While Returning from Spicewood.

Spicewood Man comes To funeral; Drops Dead
August Bunte Sr., 79 was fatally injured when the automobile in which he was riding plunged into a ditch four miles south of Austin Monday night about 2 o’clock and died at his home here at 4:00 o’clock Tuesday morning.

According to information received here. Mr. Bunte, accompanied by Mr. A. D. Myers who was driving Mr. Bunte’s automobile, were returning from Spicewood, when turning the corner off of the detour four miles south of Austin, onto the main highway 71, a truck appeared from off the main highway, the headlights blinding Mr. Myer and the automobile, a model T ford, plunged across the highway into a ditch. Mr. Bunte was cut by glass from the broken wind shield and critically injured internally. He was brought to Smithville by a passing motorist and on arrival here a physician was summoned. He was treated for his injures and taken to his home one mile south of Smithville where he died about 4 a.m. Mr. Myers was not seriously injured it is understood.

Mr. Bunte was born in Germany March 12, 1858, and at the age of 7 years came to the Untied States with his parents and a sister, settling at Galveston. He later moved to Bastrop county where he had been a resident for the past 57 years. He was a member of the Luthern(sp) church and a member of the O. D. H. S. fraternal order. Funeral services were held from the family residence. Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock with Rev. James Akin, Jr., preacher of the first Presbyterian church Hcatinc(sp) Interment was in the Nunn family burial (now called Bunte family cemetery) Smithville.

Surviving are his widow Mary by his second marriage and his sons Henry and August of Smithville and Willie of Austin, and adopted son, Herman, of Smithville, 17 grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Second Article:
C. F. Wall 61, of Spicewood, Burnet County, died suddenly from a heart attack at 6:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at the home of his brother-in-law, Henry Bunte. Mr. Wall came to Smithvile(sp) Tuesday afternoon to attend the funeral of August Bunte, sr., who was fatally injured in an automobie(sp) accident while returning from Spicewood late Monday night.

Funeral arrangements had not been made Wednesday morning pending arrival of realatives(sp) from Burnet County, although interment will be made in Rockvale Cemetery near Spicewood. Mr. Wall was a retired county Commissioner of Burnet county.

Surviving are his widow and six children: Robert, and Mack of Spicewood; Mrs. Walter Fasel, Johnson City; Edward, Oscar and Adolph of Spicewood.

A Few Remarks
As of now I do not know anything about Anna Margaretha Lammes's family. I have not been able to locate the name anywhere else.

For the Garlipp family--J. C. Garlipp married Barbara Kirchner on October 18, 1854. I assume that this was Anna’s first husband’s father. There was an entry in the deed records for this couple in 1876. Also their marriage license is on file in Austin county.

There was an entry in the deed records for H. Christian Kock and Anna Koch in 1891. But in 1896 only H. Christian’s name appeared on a document filed in the deed records. I assume that Anna had passed away by then. Also H. Christian Koch must have passed away around 1900.

An interesting entry was made in the deed records in August, 1913. When some property was sold by Emil Koch, the family cemetery was excluded plus the right of way to the cemetery from the sale. I hope that this cemetery can be located and maybe fine out when Anna and H. Christian Koch passed away.

Anna Garlipp married August Kraatz or Krautz. This is the information for this family from the 1870 census of Austin County.

Carl Kraatz age 51 from Prussia
Catherine Kraatz age 36 from Prussia
Augusta Kraatz age 15 from Texas
August Kraatz age 12 from Texas
Amalie Kraatz age 12 from Texas
William Kraatz age 5 from Texas
Anna Kraatz age 3 from Texas
Otto Kraatz age 1 from Texas

Since there is so little known about the sister – Anna who married August Kraatz – I have had to rely on census records. The 1900 census information for this family is elsewhere. I did not find them listed in the 1910 census for Milam County. However a son Emil was listed. His wife’s name was Emma and they had a son named August. I do know that Anna is buried at Rockdale, Texas.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page