Schier-Gross Family Collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS-0065

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains photographs, stereographs, correspondence and other ephemera related to the Schier-Gross Family that date between the late 1800s and early 1930s. Many family members lived in towns across Williamson County, including Georgetown, Taylor, Thrall, Granger and Bartlett. Others lived in Belton and Houston.

The collection was donated by Ruth Teggeman, whose husband, Gregory A. Teggeman, is a descendant of Freidrich Wilhelm “Fred” Schier, Jr. (1886-1956) and Minna Ann Louise “Minnie” Gross (1890-1949). The collection was in the possession of Dorothy Mae Schier Teggeman (b. 1928), daughter of Fred and Minnie, mother of Gregory Teggeman.

The collection contains over two-hundred photographs of Fred and Minnie’s descendants and extended family members, yet very few have been identified. Those who have been identified include Fred and Minnie, Norma Esther Hedwig Kasper [Kasperick] Weber (1900-1977), Howard Neve Jungmichel (1915-1917), Anna Jungmichel (1842-1910), Carl Gustave Schier (1867-1948), Walter William Gross (1900-1979), Gladys Schier Ziegenbein (1916-1979), Lydia E. Schier Kelm (1913-1997), Anna Galler (1853-1908), Frieda Fuessel Galler (1888-1942) and Charles Galler (1884-1961).

The collection is arranged by subject matter, including women’s portraits, children’s portraits, men’s portraits, family and group portraits, wedding portraits, funeral photographs and ephemera, snapshots, stereographs, postcards, and ephemera. The portraits are further categorized by photographers or studios. A majority of the photographs were taken by local photographers in Williamson County, including R. J. Stone and N. M. Wilcox in Georgetown, and Alf Otto and W.C. Sproul in Taylor.

This collection is useful for researchers seeking information on the history of photography, as well as specific photographers in Williamson and Bell counties.

Dates

1880 - 1930

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Southwestern University Distinctive Collections and Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from SU Distinctive Collections and Archives before any publication use. Distinctive Collections does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.

Biographical / Historical

Friedrich Wilhelm “Fred” Schier was born on August 11, 1856 in Germany. He married Auguste Wilhelmine Dossman on September 3, 1878 in Magdeburg, Germany. In 1884, they had one daughter, Auguste Elise Schier. Unfortunately, she only lived to be 5 months old. Fred and Auguste emigrated to the United States and arrived at Ellis Island in New York City on September 19, 1885. They traveled to Washington County, Texas where they settled and had the following seven children together: Friedrich Wilhelm Schier, Jr. (1886-1956), Auguste Eliese Schier (1887-1888), Otto Carl Schier (1890-1964), Elsie Louise Schier (1892-1983), Karl Gustav Schier (1893-1954), Fredrich Ernst Julius “Fritz” Schier (1895-1953) and Augusta Schier (1897-1990).

Auguste Wilhelmine Dossman died November 28, 1900, leaving behind her husband and six of her children. The following year, Fred married Bertha Ebelt on December 9, 1901. The collection contains several photographs and postcards sent to “Uncle Fred and Aunt Bertha.” They had no children together and divorced in 1907. On June 24, 1909, Fred married Anna Wolbrueck. There is one photograph of a young woman labeled “Wolbrueck” but it is unclear if the young woman is Anna Wolbrueck or not.

Friedrich Wilhelm Schier, Jr. married Minna Ann Louise “Minnie” Gross on December 11, 1911. They had four children: Lydia E. Schier (1913-1994), Erhart Max William Schier (1915-1994), Ruth Mildred Schier (1920-1997) and Dorothy Mae Schier (b. 1928). There are several photographs that have been identified as Minnie

Dorothy Mae Schier married Erwin Henry Teggeman (1921-2015) in Williamson County on July 24, 1947.

Extent

0.834 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains materials related to the Schier-Gross Family. The majority of the collection is made up of photographs from the late 1800s to the early 1930s. Very few subjects in the photographs have been identified. The collection also contains a few documents, postcards, advertising ephemera, and stereographs.