| Notes |
- A biography, from http://www.rootsweb.com/~txfayett/:
FRED FRICKE. Of the men of Fayette County who have contributed to the material growth and development of this part of Texas, few are more widely or favorably known than Fred Fricke, of Round Top. During his long and active career his experiences have included operations as a merchant, traveling salesman, stock dealer and banker, and at the present time he is president of the State Bank of Round Top and one of the most influential and progressive men of the village.
Mr. Fricke was born in Washington County, Texas, June 28, 1856, and is a son of the pioneer founder of this German family, George H. Fricke. The father was born in the city of Hanover, province of Hanover, Germany, September 19, 1821, a son of Louise (Rehren) Fricke. The grandfather was an official in the service of the government. Among the children of the grandparents' family were: several daughters who remained in Europe; August, who remained in Hanover and served his government; George H., the father of Fred; and Dr. Fred, who came to the United States and located first at St. Louis, Missouri, but later went to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where he died in 1873 unmarried. A son of August Fricke, Fred Fricke, is a well-to-do druggist of Nebraska, and another son, Ernst, came to the United States, married in New Orleans, was a civil engineer and machinist, and died in Cuba while on a mission in connection with his profession.
George H. Fricke sailed from Bremen, Germany, in 1846, and after his arrival at Galveston, removed to Washington County, Texas. He was not there long before he entered the service of the United States as a soldier for duty during the Mexican war, but after six months of military life became ill and was recuperated in a Houston hospital, then receiving his honorable discharge. Upon his recovery he returned to Europe and married Miss Rehren, with whom he soon returned to his first permanent place of settlement in Washington County, Texas.
George H. Fricke was a well-educated man, and when he first began civic life in Texas it was as a teacher and farmer. He followed his educational career during almost all of his life, finishing his work in Fayette County, whence he had moved in 1864. He was several times justice of the peace in Washington County, and was busy with the duties of that office and his educational labors when the Civil war broke out. Mr. Fricke had early taken out his citizenship papers, and as he was a friend of the Union he espoused the cause of the republican party. He had come to Texas during the formative state of the commonwealth and at a time when many of her heroes of independence were still living, among whom he formed a wide acquaintance. He knew personally the great leader, Gen. Sam Houston, and it is probable that his warmth of feeling for the Union was inspired by the attitude of the general. Mr. Fricke was a man able of expressing himself on public occasions, and during gatherings in his community of any nature he was invariably called upon to preside or to speak. He was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, but never was connected with a fraternal order. His death occurred in October, 1893, Mrs. Fricke having preceded him to the grave, March 12, 1880. Their children were as follows : George, who is engaged in farming in the vicinity of Round Top; Paul, who resides at Brenham, Texas; Dora, who married first Otto Grumbka and second Charles Schreiber and died at Rutersville, Texas; Mary, who died in Austin County, Texas, as Mrs. Theo. Buehrina; Susan, who became the wife of Julius Holckamp and died in Kendall County, Texas; Fred, of this review; Regina, who, died as Mrs. Charles Huth; at Austin; Ida, who married Albert Real and lives near Kerrville, Texas; and Clara, who married Albert Giebel and resides on a farm near Industry.
Fred Fricke was a lad of eight years when he accompanied his parents to Fayette County, and his education was secured under the preceptorship of his father, with additional schooling at LaGrange. He had a teaching experience of one year in a country school before he entered business life, and in 1873 went to Brenham and became a merchant's clerk. Three years later he engaged in mercantile pursuits on his own account there, conducting a store until 1878, when he went on the road as a traveling salesman, a vocation in which he followed the "trail" until January 1, 1897. Mr. Fricke started on the road for W. D. Cleveland, of Houston, was later with Ullmenn, Lewis & Company, and subsequently spent thirteen years with Foche, Wilkins & Lang, covering Texas territory throughout this long period, and becoming widely and favorably known throughout the state. When he left the road Mr. Fricke turned his attention to the stock business and farming in Fayette County, and became rather extensively identified with these lines, which he followed until 1908. He introduced a good blood of cattle into the country, occasionally shipped his stock, and as a farm improver added homes to the farm for tenants and gave an impetus to an already wakeful spirit there. On December 19, 1912, Mr. Fricke became identified with financial matters when he became the founder of the State Bank of Round Top, an institution with a capital of $10,000, of which he has since been president and his son, George H. Fricke, cashier. In the direction of this enterprise Mr. Fricke has displayed the possession of marked business and financial ability, a natural courtesy and broad-mindedness, a knowledge of affairs and human nature gained in his long years of travel and experience, and good business and financial judgment, which, combined with his high reputation for stability and substantiality, have gained the confidence of the depositors of the .bank, as well as a high standing for the institution in financial circles. Mr. Fricke has not entered actively into political life, but has cast his presidential vote always with the republican party.
On February 20, 1880, Mr. Frieke was married to Miss Louisa Weyand, a daughter of George Weyand, a merchant of this community, a large real estate dealer, and a sterling citizen. Mr. Weyand married Christina Becker, and their living children are: Mrs. E. Nagel, Mrs. Alex von Rosenberg, Mrs. Louisa Fricke and Mrs. Lena Kaiser.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Fricke are as follows: Paul, a business man of El Campo, Texas, who married Adelia Hahn; Arthur, a business man of Carmine, Texas, who married Irene Vogelsang and has a daughter, Eveline; Fred, Jr., a stockman of this locality, who married Eugenie Vogelsang and has a son, Clinton; George H., who is cashier of the State Bank of Round Top, and married Louisa von Rosenberg, has two children, Helmer and Vernon; Lydia, the wife of Walter von Rosenberg, of Malone, Texas, a merchant, who has two daughters, Loraine and Loretta; Edgar, a student in the Blinn College, Brenham; and Estella, who is attending the public schools.
-- pp. 1572 -1574.
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1856 - 1940 (83 years)
- 1880
George H. Fricke
Children
