| Name | Anna Caroline BRAUN  , GGGG Grandmother, F |
| Birth | 23 Nov 1800, Elberfeld515,516 |
| Birth | abt 1800, Germany517 |
| Immigration | 1849518 |
| Death | 27 Jun 1885, Austin, Travis Co., Texas515,516 Age: 84 |
| Burial | Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis Co., Texas516 |
| Father | Friedrich Wilhelm BRAUN, M (1768-) |
| Mother | Susanne UCKERMANN, F (1774-) |
| 1 | Johann Conrad TIPS , GGGG Grandfather, M |
| Birth | 12 Jan 1797, Solingen515 |
| Birth | 17 Jan 1797516 |
| Immigration | 1849518 |
| Death | 31 Jul 1850, Live Oak Hill Farm near Seguin, Guadalupe Co., Texas519,520,516 Age: 53 |
| Death Memo | yellow fever |
| Burial | Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis Co., Texas521 |
| Father | Jacob Daniel TIPS, M (1760-1845) |
| Mother | Anna Gertrud SCHAFFSBERG, F (1761-~1797) |
| Family ID | 6713 |
| Marriage | bef 1828, Elberfeld, Germany |
| Marriage Memo | probably married in Elberfield, date DLR from data obtained in publication: , 16-Jul-95, Contributed by Bob Lundy , at the request of Brigitte Lloyd., Converted to HTML by Fred Lloyd for wwwgenealogy.com., |
| Children | Elise Johanner, F (1830-1918) |
| Walter E., M (1841-1911) | |
| Frederick Julius Conrad, M (1828-1867) | |
| Eduard, M (1832-1872) | |
| Hermine, F (1833-1903) | |
| Klara, F (1835-1850) | |
| Rüdiger, M (~1837-) | |
| Gustav, M (1839-1917) | |
| Helene Celestia, F (1844-1930) |
In the Emile RUFFERT household
Carolina TIPS, Mother-In-Law, 80 years old, b. Ger, widowed, father and mother b. Ger
Johann Conrad, as an eighteen year old full of patriotic enthusiasm, volunteered in as a Jäger ins 2. Bergische Infanterie-Regiment (later the 29. Preuß. Inf. Reg. ), serving from 1816 until his release from military service in 1818 as Schreiber beim 2. Rhein-Schützenbataillon.
For over thirty years, from January 1, 1818 to August 27, 1849, Conrad Tips served the city of Elberfeld. As the right hand man to the Chief Burgomasters Brüning and von Carnap, he, the first Stadtsekretär (city secretary), had experienced all the many events, innovations, buildings, and revolutions which put their special stamp on that epoch, and which in those calm times appeared much more remarkable and occupied the individual man much more than today. An honorable and dedicated city official of Elberfeld, Johann Conrad was made a Ritter des Roten Adlerordens 4. Klasse, and on the occasion of his twenty-fifth anniversary as a city employee in 1843 the city gave a celebration and raised his yearly salary about 100 Thaler to approximately 900 Thaler.
During his term of office the Citizens Hospital was built on the Aue. and the municipal loan and savings banks were erected. This was followed by the opening of the Postoffice Building on Poststraße, as well as the building of the city scales in the Turmhof. Under his eyes and efficient hands the poor house on the Neuenteich was created, the slaughter house on the Brausenwerth (where the bathing establishment later stood) and the Town Hall in the Turmhof came into existence. The Elberfeld school system was reformed from the very bottom and the Chamber of Commerce was started. Further, Elberfeld received an assize, a gas company and the first municipal hospital on the Osterbaum. The Düsseldorf-Elberfeld and the Elberfeld-Dortmund Railway was completed. Near the end of his activity, Tips lived through the years of want, 1847-48, and the Barricade Battle in May, 1849.
The latter event was too much for the honorable Conrad Tips, who had been reared and had lived according to the old strict laws. Sickness and weak eyes had already attacked him, and therefore he decided, with a heavy heart, to hand in his resignation . . . And thus Father Tips directed a letter to his superior authorities, Chief Burgomaster von Carnap and the City Council on March 13, 1849, in which he requested his release and simultaneous receipt of a certain cash sum instead of a yearly pension, mentioning among other things the following in his letter:
I have never brought myself to the point of asking for increases in salary or supplements but have always accepted with a grateful heart whatever my superior authorities have freely granted me, in consideration of the amount of work and responsibility of my position In the meantime living expenses in our town and a numerous family have not made it possible, even with the most moderate requirements of life and an economical household, to save even a little from my salary . . .
. . And if I may hope, in a changed mode of living, to live a number of years longer, still my pension would not make it possible to leave anything to my family, while in America I have the established hope, by more physical work--which according to my physician's declared opinion is the only thing that will save me from serious physical suffering and collapse and give me back tolerable health--as well as by faithfully working together with my children, to make for myself an existence which would someday permit me to die without torturing worries for my family ...
. . Instead of a legal pension, in the amount of at least 450 Thaler yearly, for the rest of my life... to grant me once and for all a sum, the decision of the amount of which I completely resign to the favorable judgment of the City Council.
In this way I hope to part with the city which has become dear and precious to me through a long, peaceful and friendly residence with the comforting thought that in renouncing a lifelong pension I have taken the pecuniary conditions of the same into due consideration, and may nevertheless harbor the firm hope to gain for myself by diligence and work an old age free of care, and (even though on the other side of the ocean) yet during my whole life to be able to remember the good town of Elberfeld the founder of my subsistence and my good fortune with a warm, lasting love and gratitude...
This farewell letter occupied the City Council in its meeting of July 3, 1849, and the decision was made to assign to Conrad a cash sum from municipal means, the amount of which was set at the sum of 1800 Thaler by majority vote.
With this compensation...and a small inheritance the Tips family of ten began the expensive trip to Texas on August 28, 1849.
How much the departing one appreciated the affection of his fellow citizens was shown on the day of his departure. From all sides the people came together and escorted the family to the railroad station in honor. Also, in a daily paper, the poet F. W. Langewiesche took leave of "Conrad Tips, honored by all and never to be forgotten," in a poem, the next to last verse of which is as follows:
And the people of Elberfeld will sadly miss
The man, so unusually faithful, so tirelessly faithful:
Who aided everyone in friendship, in love, without vexation--
Free of all prejudices or egoism.
You will shine at your Brüning's side,
When we wreath a memorial to you both.
Even the son, Julius, was given a farewell poem in the daily paper, which closes with the following words:
Be the support of your parents and brothers and sisters,
Keep always your heart so true, so pure:
May you faithfully serve the new home,
And be a good son, a noble citizen!
And if you rest after difficult days
In the circle of your loved ones and rich in happiness,
I know your feeling heart will beat audibly:
"Remember your friends, as they remember you!"
So on Tuesday, August 28, 1849, at 8 o'clock in the morning, Conrad Tips and his family began their journey. Through Dortmund. where on account of the completion of loading of numerous pieces of baggage they had to stop for a good while, the railway trip led to Bremen, which was reached the next afternoon at 2 o'clock.
In his report of the trip, Conrad Tips wrote:
In Bremen we found everywhere wealth, healthy and happy faces, and an ease in the life of the people which necessarily contrasted very sharply with that of the dear home town which we had just left. Beggars were nowhere to be seen; street loafers and pickpockets just as little as policemen and gendarmes, and yet nowhere excesses, everywhere decency and propriety, nowhere crudeness or licentiousness.
. . Let us now give the word to Conrad himself for a few opinions and allusions:
If the land of Texas should actually afford all the advantages of emigration for industrious and brave farmers, then it might perhaps be to the interests of the fathers of the town ofElberfeld and the administration of the poor to take part through shipbuilding in the
emigration of such fellow citizens, who in consequence of poor business in the factories can no longer earn a living, but are capable and inclined for work on the land.
The payment of salaries to captain, pilot and sailors would not come too high, because even herein there is competition. A few days ago the captain of a passing Lübeck merchant ship, who sought to earn his bread by taking over a load of wine from Bordeaux: to New Orleans, complained to our captain about poor business.
Our captain does not yet know whether he will obtain a suitable return load in Galveston or New Orleans or whether he may have to go on to New York. Then he will not be able to return to the Bremen harbor until February or March of next year. He is said to have been engaged for the trip over for 2,000 Thaler, out of which he has to pay the six sailors, according to their statement, 10 Thaler per month, and to pay the ship owner rent and advance payment. So the salary for him, the first and second mate and the two cabin-boys cannot be very large.
...Further, he reported about the porpoises and flying fish, which showed themselves near the ship. Two of them flew onto the deck in the twilight. The son, Eduard, caught the larger one, the meat of which, when fried, tasted good to the whole family. The skin of the fish was stuffed and preserved. "It certainly would," wrote Conrad, "adorn the natural history collection of the Elberfeld Gynasium."
From the realm of the air the travellers obtained various kinds of seagulls, several crows, herons, a kind of owl and one swan.
Tips was positively delighted with the incomparable natural pictures of sunrise and sunset. Nature seemed to him transformed ever since the ship left the North Sea and entered the Atlantic Ocean. He often saw falling stars, which seemed to him like the most gorgeous Roman candles and rockets. Lightning was seen for weeks between Cuba and Madeira in the form of serpents, letters, figures, etc.
. . . Tips also described in detail the mode of living of the passengers on board. After rising and dressing in the generally dark and narrow cabins, first of all a survey was made of the wind and weather, then followed washing and breakfast. Reading, games, conversation and deck promenades filled the time till dinner at 12 o'clock . . .
The afternoon was spent with games, reading, conversation and studying English. In the evening at 7 o'clock there was bread-soup or gritz-soup, in which was contained, however, neither sugar, raisins. currants nor prunes. But these soups were more gladly partaken of than the previously served tea with sea biscuit. After the evening meal a few more hours were spent in conversation and singing and at 10 o'clock in the evening the passengers retired.
Tips also gratefully remembered gifts which Elberfeld friends gave him to take along. A great quantity of wonderful plums were consumed by the time they reached Cuba, as well as the remainder of the Frickenhaus gingerbread.
. . On the morning of November 5, 1849, in rather cloudy weather, the sailer held its course toward Galveston. The captain was worried because of the dangerous sand banks. Suddenly, the sailor in the crow's nest called, "Land, land!" Everyone rejoiced; all worry and unpleasantness were forgotten. Ever nearer the ship approached the low shore. The pilot ship approached; the pilot came on board and took over the lead of the ship. At 6 o'clock in the evening the ship lowered anchor in the harbor. A "Vivat Hoch" was given for the land and for the captain.
The following day the ship docked and immediately the disembarkation began. It lasted, along with the examination of the baggage, many hours, but it was all carried through with great consideration. (Author's Note: Although not mentioned in this account, the Tips, Nohl and Steves families spent the next two nights at the Will Tell Hotel in Galveston.)
On November 8, 1849, at 4 o'clock in the aftemoon, the Tips family boarded the steamboat; Palmetto for the trip to Indianola, arriving at their destination two days later. Prior to leaving Galveston, Conrad had made the following purchases from the Oetting Steil & Co.: 12 Flaschen Medoc, 20 Pfund Reis, 1 Pfund Korinthen, 1 Hut Zucker, 4 Pfund Rosinen, 1 Pfund Pfeffer, 1 Schinken, 20 Pfund Chokolade, 10 Pfund Grütze and 1 Waschkufen.
The Tips family reached New Braunfels in December 1 and by January of the following year were situated on their farm in Guadalupe County. Recapping some of the expenses encountered by the family in connection with getting a homestead started, Conrad listed the following in his Notizbuch: Farm am Geronimo, $550; 100 acres Posteichenwald, $50; 1 Wagen von Miller, $90; 1 Pferd in Victoria, $20; 1 Pferd in Neu Braunfels, $24.25; 1 Pferd in San Antonio, $28; 1 Sattel in Victoria, $10.50; 2 Pferdegeschirre in Neu Braunfels, $12; 5 Mutterschwane & 3 D., $15 10 Faselschweine & 1 D., $10; 16 Hühner u. 2 Hahnen, $6.75 2 Enten, $.75; 1 Pflug, $7 2000 Dachschindel, $9; 1 Ofen mit Zubehör, $34.80 1 Dreifuss, $1; 3 Kühe mit Kälbern, $36; 1 Pflug, $6; 18 Hühner, $4.85; 3 Hühe mit Kälber, $30; und 4 Eimer, $2.
Johann Conrad Tips and his daughter Klara succumbed to yellow fever the summer following the family's arrival inTexas and were laid to rest on the family's farm in Guadalupe County. Anna Caroline survived her husband more than thirty-five years, dying in Austin in 1885. Although Julius Conrad's dreams for himself in the new land went unfulfilled, those he envisioned for his children were more than met, the Tips family becoming one of the most prosperous and influential German-Texan families in the state.
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