Matern Grandparents

Matern Grandparents with Lamar, Ruth, A. C. Andrew, and others

Bottom row:  Calvin Matern, Gertrude Thaxton, Louise Leifeste, David and Harold Matern (twins b. 1929, of Adolph and Mary) and Skinner Matern's son, Bill.

Middle Row:  Ruth Leifeste Farmer; Mary Ellen Thaxton, Adolph W. Matern and Mary W (think her maiden name was Williams) Matern; David Haskins and LAMAR LEIFESTE (who we think was about 17 - he was b. 1917).

Back row:  A. C. Leifeste, Jerry Matern, (brother of David and Harold), Andrew Leifeste, Emily Leifeste and Norman Birk.

Rev. Lamar Leifeste's mother was a Matern and apparently in this picture his grandparents, Adolph and Mary, were having their picture taken with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They are in front of the now restored (by Larry Leifeste), Charles Leifeste homeplace. We understand it was built by Charles and his father, August Leifeste, who came to Castell from Germany circa 1852 with Sophie and their 5 children.

 

August Leifest Home

This is the home of August Leifeste in Broistedt, Germany, where he lived prior to moving to Texas

The Texas Historic Commission Marker commemorates 'FIRST KNOWN RELIGIOUS SRVICES IN MASON COUNTY." They were held on August and Sophie's property.

This is the second home that August Leifeste and his son Charles built in Castell around 1883. A chimney stands in a field near-by from the first home probably built around the time of their arrival with their five children in 1852 in Texas with the Verein.  (They had four children born in Texas.) The barn is made from the wood of that house.

Across the road is the Llano River where Sophie, wife of August, gave her horse to a Comanche Indian to save her life, becuse if you didn't give them what they wanted, that's what happened to you.  They didn't hesitate to take children, as they tried to take two who were watching sheep for August one day; they only got one.  The ones taken would write books about their experiences years later.