Katharine Riefkohl Mehner, my g-grandmother, was the 7th of 7 children born to Karl August Riefkohl (1826-1870) and Marie Schimmelpfenning (1830-1927);
Katharine married Gustav Hermann Mehner 2 February 1885 at the age of 18 years and had 7 children - 6 of whom survived:
(1) Carl Ferdinand Mehner (1889-1961);
(2) William Richard Mehner (1891-1972);
(3) Herbert Paul Mehner (1893-1949);
(4) Otto Edward Mehner (1896-1918),
(5) George Herman Mehner (1898-1948) and
(6) Anna Frances Mehner Cook (1900-1984) - my grandmother.
On November 24, 1900, a cyclone hit Flatonia, Texas, extensively damaging Katharine and Gustav's seltzer plant, stables and home. Kate's husband, Gustav Mehner, - my g-grandfather, died on December 5, 1900, just a few weeks later, at the age of 40. Kate was left a widow with 6 small children; she subsequently ran a boarding house in Flatonia, Texas and never remarried.
At the age of 51 on July 18, 1918, Kate lost her sister, Bertha Riefkohl, who was helping Kate with the Boarding house in Flatonia, Texas. Bertha fell down a well while she was getting water. Three months later, on October 19, 1918, Kate lost her son, Otto Riefkohl, to influenza while he was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas. Kate had boarded a train to be with her son before he died.
Katharine died at the age of 84 on 21 July 1951 in Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas; I know that my father - her grandson - spoke fondly of his grandmother and would visit her often when he was a boy.
Katharine married Gustav Hermann Mehner 2 February 1885 at the age of 18 years and had 7 children - 6 of whom survived:
(1) Carl Ferdinand Mehner (1889-1961);
(2) William Richard Mehner (1891-1972);
(3) Herbert Paul Mehner (1893-1949);
(4) Otto Edward Mehner (1896-1918),
(5) George Herman Mehner (1898-1948) and
(6) Anna Frances Mehner Cook (1900-1984) - my grandmother.
On November 24, 1900, a cyclone hit Flatonia, Texas, extensively damaging Katharine and Gustav's seltzer plant, stables and home. Kate's husband, Gustav Mehner, - my g-grandfather, died on December 5, 1900, just a few weeks later, at the age of 40. Kate was left a widow with 6 small children; she subsequently ran a boarding house in Flatonia, Texas and never remarried.
At the age of 51 on July 18, 1918, Kate lost her sister, Bertha Riefkohl, who was helping Kate with the Boarding house in Flatonia, Texas. Bertha fell down a well while she was getting water. Three months later, on October 19, 1918, Kate lost her son, Otto Riefkohl, to influenza while he was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas. Kate had boarded a train to be with her son before he died.
Katharine died at the age of 84 on 21 July 1951 in Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas; I know that my father - her grandson - spoke fondly of his grandmother and would visit her often when he was a boy.
Katharine Riefkohl Mehner, my g-grandmother, was the 7th of 7 children born to Karl August Riefkohl (1826-1870) and Marie Schimmelpfenning (1830-1927);
Katharine married Gustav Hermann Mehner 2 February 1885 at the age of 18 years and had 7 children - 6 of whom survived:
(1) Carl Ferdinand Mehner (1889-1961);
(2) William Richard Mehner (1891-1972);
(3) Herbert Paul Mehner (1893-1949);
(4) Otto Edward Mehner (1896-1918),
(5) George Herman Mehner (1898-1948) and
(6) Anna Frances Mehner Cook (1900-1984) - my grandmother.
On November 24, 1900, a cyclone hit Flatonia, Texas, extensively damaging Katharine and Gustav's seltzer plant, stables and home. Kate's husband, Gustav Mehner, - my g-grandfather, died on December 5, 1900, just a few weeks later, at the age of 40. Kate was left a widow with 6 small children; she subsequently ran a boarding house in Flatonia, Texas and never remarried.
At the age of 51 on July 18, 1918, Kate lost her sister, Bertha Riefkohl, who was helping Kate with the Boarding house in Flatonia, Texas. Bertha fell down a well while she was getting water. Three months later, on October 19, 1918, Kate lost her son, Otto Riefkohl, to influenza while he was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas. Kate had boarded a train to be with her son before he died.
Katharine died at the age of 84 on 21 July 1951 in Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas; I know that my father - her grandson - spoke fondly of his grandmother and would visit her often when he was a boy.
Katharine married Gustav Hermann Mehner 2 February 1885 at the age of 18 years and had 7 children - 6 of whom survived:
(1) Carl Ferdinand Mehner (1889-1961);
(2) William Richard Mehner (1891-1972);
(3) Herbert Paul Mehner (1893-1949);
(4) Otto Edward Mehner (1896-1918),
(5) George Herman Mehner (1898-1948) and
(6) Anna Frances Mehner Cook (1900-1984) - my grandmother.
On November 24, 1900, a cyclone hit Flatonia, Texas, extensively damaging Katharine and Gustav's seltzer plant, stables and home. Kate's husband, Gustav Mehner, - my g-grandfather, died on December 5, 1900, just a few weeks later, at the age of 40. Kate was left a widow with 6 small children; she subsequently ran a boarding house in Flatonia, Texas and never remarried.
At the age of 51 on July 18, 1918, Kate lost her sister, Bertha Riefkohl, who was helping Kate with the Boarding house in Flatonia, Texas. Bertha fell down a well while she was getting water. Three months later, on October 19, 1918, Kate lost her son, Otto Riefkohl, to influenza while he was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas. Kate had boarded a train to be with her son before he died.
Katharine died at the age of 84 on 21 July 1951 in Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas; I know that my father - her grandson - spoke fondly of his grandmother and would visit her often when he was a boy.
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KATE MEHNER
Nov. 1, 1866
July 21, 1951
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