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Submitted: 6/22/24 • Approved: 7/19/24 • Last Updated: 7/22/24 • R596655-G596654-S3
Fritz
Aug 22, 1860 - Dec 11, 1941
Lena
Dec 13, 1867 - Dec 6, 1962
*She married Frederick 'Fritz' Durst on 04/01/1888 in Castell, Llano County, Texas
Caroline Lena Bonnet. Daughter of Johann (John) Carl "Charles" Bonnett, Sr. born July 10, 1826 Charlottenburg, Prussia (Berlin, BE DE).Died January 22, 1892. Buried Boerne Cemetery, Kendall County, Texas and Anna Elise Klemm born August 06, 1827 Prussia, Germany. Died March 25, 1878 in Boerne, Kendall County, Texas. Buried Boerne Cemetery, Kendall County, Texas.
Caroline Lena Bonnet joined the Wilhelm Houy family at around the age of 2; Lena believed that she had been orphaned, thus adopted by the Houy family. Family members later attempted to discover the fate of Lena's natural parents, however they were unable to do so. Only the advent of Internet research determined the reality of Lena's parentage. Nontheless, Lena was reared in a loving home where she was nurtured and she thrived; she entered adulthood a happy, energetic young woman. Lena was a skilled dancer, thus it was at a dance that she met the man that she would ultimately marry, Fritz Durst.
Immediately after marrying Fritz, Lena established a home in Fly Gap where the couple raised livestock and turkeys and farmed. She frequently rode several miles horseback to the Diedrich Kothmann ranch to wash and iron for 50 cents per day. During World War II when farm help was scarce, Lena was one of the few women her age who went to the fields to harvest peanuts. Lena and Fritz celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1938. (Mason County News)
Despite advancing age, Lena insisted on remaining in her Fly Gap home. The lack of modern amenities bothered her not at all. Unfortunately, Lena fractured her hip on November 18, 1963 and died on December 6 at the age of 94 in a San Angelo hospital. She never did learn the truth about her birth parents.
Photo courtesy of Annette Shaw
Contributed on 6/22/24 by hawkinsdonna48
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Record #: 596655
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