My great grandmother (Grossmutter as she was called by my mother) Magdalena (Lena) Teinert was born 7 August 1875 near Warda, Texas.
Her parents were John and Anna (Kurio) Teinert. John was 13 years old when he came over on the Ben Nevis to American in 1854. His mother died on the voyage and was buried at sea off the island of St. Domingo 27 November 1854. Ironically, Magdalena’s mother Anna’s mother, Magdalena Kurio, wife of Michael Kurio, also died of cholera on the Ben Nevis voyage, and is buried in Old Church Cemetery in Clonmel, near Cobh, in 1854 known as Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland.
Lena married Karl August Hempel 11 January 1898. After losing her young husband 11 February 1901, Lena moved to Copperas Cove, Texas to be with family who had moved there. They were able to provide help raising her young son, Reinhold Alvin, born 12 January 1899. Also her daughter Alwine who had been born after Karl died.
Magdalena (Lena) and her second husband John Kubitz married in 1908 at Immanuel- Copperas Cove and lived on land north of Copperas and the church. They had four daughters, Esther, Irene, Gertrude and Lillian. Later in life, she lived in Austin with her daughter, Esther Kubitz Kriegel.
I remember coming home from grade school at Redeemer Lutheran School in the 1950s and hearing mom talking with Grandma Kubitz on the phone for long periods of time, in German. Grandma Kubitz lived to be 94 years old and was a faithful, patient, kind, devout and very strong woman. These traits have been passed down to four more generations of women in our family. And for that I am very thankful.
Grandma Kubitz is buried at Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery north of Copperas Cove. Her parents, John and Anna Teinert are also buried there. Her son, Reinhold Alvin Hempel is buried there also, along with his wife, Frieda Mathias Hempel and their daughter Nadine. Thus, there are 4 generations of our family buried at Immanuel. The church has been there since 1894, bringing Christ to the people of Coryell County.