Reinhold Henry Urban was born September 5, 1878 to Johann Traugott Hermann Urban and Hanna Melde-Urban. Hanna was born in Serbin, Texas in 1857 to original Wendish settlers of that town. Johann came to the U.S. at age 16 with his parents in 1872. Johann and Hanna Melde were married in 1877.

Reinhold was the oldest of seven children born to Johann and Hanna, but their youngest child, Anna Hulda, died as an infant.

Reinhold's mother passed away in 1890 when he was 11 years old. His father married Lena Krautschick and together they had 14 children, two of which died in infancy. So, Reinhold belonged to a very large family with an age gap of 31 years between him and his youngest sibling. He became a farmer just like his father and most other Wends living in Serbin.

On November 24, 1898 Reinhold married Maria Martha Wuensche ("Mary"). Mary had been adopted by the Wuensche family. In the 1880 census, when Mary was just 3 years old, she shows as the adopted daughter of Andrew and Mary Wuensche. Her original maiden name shows up as Nakonz on various birth and death certificates of their children. Her name was incorrectly listed as "Mary F" in the 1900 US Census leading people to believe he had two different wives for his eight children, but he was married to the same woman for 38 years.

Born to the Nakonz family in 1877, Mary had been given up for adoption and taken in by the Wuensche family in 1878 when she was 1 year old. Her father had passed away in February that year while Mary's mother was pregnant with child #4. Two years later, in the 1880 Census, 3-year-old Mary shows up as the adopted daughter of Andrew and Mary Wuensche (misspelled "Wincher"), both of whom were over the age of 30 and likely wouldn't have any additional children of their own. Andrew and Mary were married in 1866 and had a daughter, Louise, born in 1869, but she must have died at a young age. Being able to adopt little Mary was certainly a blessing for them.

Reinhold and Mary had eight children born to them: Anna Lena (Nov 1899), Martha Emilia (Oct 1901), Esther Theresia (Jul 1903), Herman (1907), Otto William (Oct 1908), Gustave Adolph (May 1912), Ruth (Jan 1915), and Marie Alma (Feb 1920). Their fourth child, Herman, died as an infant.

In 1918, during WW1, Reinhold was required to register for the draft even though he was 40 years old, but fortunately he didn't have to serve. His registration card says he had dark hair, blue eyes, and was of medium height with a medium build.

Reinhold Henry Urban died in 1936 in La Grange, Texas at the age of 57 and was buried at Mount Calvary Lutheran Cemetery as "Reinhard" Urban. The spelling of his name changed often between the various US census records and even his children's birth and death records. Most of the time we see it listed as Reinhold.

He was survived by 18 children, 83 grandchildren, and 27 great-grandchildren.

Biography written by Jonathan Willweber