Anna Katrina Elizabeth Franz
1828 - 1914 (86 years)Person ID: I500184 "Baxter" | Last Modified: 14 Mar 2026
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Name Anna Katrina Elizabeth Franz Nickname Catherine Gender Female Birth 17 May 1828 Nassau, Offenberg, Deggendorf, Niederbayern, Bayern, Germany 
Died 13 Aug 1914 Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA Buried Matagorda Cemetery, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA [1] -
Parents
Father Johan Conrad (ID:I500185)
b. 31 Jan 1802, Wissenbach, Dillkreis, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia, Germany
d. 1858, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 55 years) Mother Elizabeth Strackbein (ID:I500186)
b. 2 Jul 1804, Wissenbach, Dillkreis, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia, Germany
d. 1873, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 68 years) -
Family
Husband John Aaron Williams (ID:I500070)
b. 1810, Danmark
d. 1863, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 53 years)
Marriage 8 Jul 1847 Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA [2] Age at Marriage Anna : 19 years - John : ~ 37 years. (Were Married ~ 15 years). Children + 1. Ann Elizabeth Williams (ID:I500069)
b. 17 Dec 1847, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 19 Aug 1949, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 101 years)â–» William A Baxter m. 1868+ 2. 
James Frances Williams (ID:I16278)
b. 12 Jul 1849, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 30 Nov 1938, Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 89 years)â–» Caroline Louise Yeamans m. 1 Jan 18723. John A Williams (ID:I16279)
b. 4 Mar 1851, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 24 Jan 1920 (Age 68 years)+ 4. Wilhelmina Williams (ID:I16284)
b. 1853, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 1889, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 36 years)â–» Dr. John Randolph Allen m. 31 Mar 1870; Edward Kilbride m. 15 May 1877; Henry Eidelbach m. 25 Jun 18855. William Conrad Williams (ID:I16280)
b. 20 Feb 1854, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 24 Nov 1946 (Age 92 years)6. Lucy R. Williams (ID:I16285)
b. 1856, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 10 Feb 1872, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 16 years)7. Mary Ann Williams (ID:I16281)
b. 10 Dec 1858, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 14 Jun 1911 (Age 52 years)8. Laura Mettie Williams (ID:I16282)
b. 3 Feb 1859, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 9 Dec 1951 (Age 92 years)9. Sarah Williams (ID:I16286)
b. 1861, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 10 Feb 1872, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 11 years)10. Nancy Jane Williams (ID:I16283)
b. 4 Jan 1862, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 5 Jan 1947 (Age 85 years)+ 11. Henry Phillip Williams (ID:I16287)
b. 29 Oct 1864, Matagorda County, Texas, USA
d. 5 Aug 1905, Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas, USA (Age 40 years)â–» Lida Franz m. 4 Jun 1902 -
Other Personal Events
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Event Map
Birth - 17 May 1828 - Nassau, Offenberg, Deggendorf, Niederbayern, Bayern, Germany 
Marriage - 8 Jul 1847 - Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA 
Died - 13 Aug 1914 - Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA 
Buried - - Matagorda Cemetery, Matagorda, Matagorda County, Texas, USA = Link to Google Earth 
: Address
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John Aaron Williams immigrated from Denmark, and changed his name from Erasmusson to Williams because he had refused compulsory service, which he considered, slavery, in the Danish Navy. He did not want to be traced to the United States. The date of his entrance is unknown, but he was in Matagorda, Texas, by 1846; that being the year that he married Catherine Franz (1828-l914), daughter of Johan Conrad and Elizabeth Franz, who arrived in Galveston from Nassau, Germany via the ship Deluis in 1845. They lived in the German settlement on the Matagorda Peninsula.
or: #181818;">In A Texas Cowboy Charles Siringo described the "Dutch" settlement on the peninsula as having a dozen houses. The John A. Williams family were kind neighbors to the widow Siringo and her two children; Charles being best friend to their son, Billy, until Billy married Charles' sweetheart, Martha Franz. line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;"> ze: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">The 1850 census shows John Williams as a ships carpenter; he was also a stockman, raising cattle and sheep. During the Civil War he acted as a scout for the Confederate camp stationed at the mouth of Caney Creek, upon occasion stealing horses for the rebels from the Yankee contingent stationed at Decrow's Point on the peninsula. He was captured twice, sentenced to hang the second time, but released with a stringent warning, after the rope was placed around his neck. He was a Confederate sympathizer, but not with the slavery issue, and he helped several slaves escape. John Williams was killed shortly after the Civil War in an accident involving a cannon shell. He died in the Colorado House in Matagorda, and was buried on the peninsula. His grave site was lost.n: 0px 0.15in;"> tify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Catherine Franz Williams was left to rear a large family alone. She bought property at Big Hill for fifty cents per acre and moved her family from the peninsula after the terrible storm of 1875. She was a good business woman and stockman, and was known in the">community for good works and Christian charity. She lived in her old age with her daughter, Jennie, and son-in-law, B. A. Ryman, in Matagorda. She died in the B. A. Ryman home at the age of eighty-six.style="color: #2c2c2c;"> yle="font-family: Arial;">John and Catherine Williams had eleven children, all born on the Matagorda Peninsula: Ann Elizabeth (1847-1949)
James F. (1849-1938)
John A. (1851-1920)ily: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Wilhelmina (1853-)or: #2c2c2c;">William (1855-)le="font-family: Arial;">Lucy (1856-)normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Mary Ann "Mollie"( 1858-1911)">Laura Mettie (1859-) 0px 0.15in;">Sarah "Sallie" (1861-)y: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Nancy Jane "Jennie" (1862-1947) style="color: #2c2c2c;">Henry P. (1864-1905)15in;">William was buried in Palacios, Laura Mettie and Henry P. were buried in Bay City, and the other children were buried in the Matagorda Cemetery.amily: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;"> class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Anne E. married William Baxter in 1868.oman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;"> style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">James F. married Caroline Yeamans (1852-1919), and their children were: Charles P. (1873-1950), a pharmacist, who married Daisy Phillips (1880-1941) and had Preston, James F. "Jimbo," and C. P.; William Elisa "Willie" (1875-1950), who married Margaretustify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">"Baby" Baxter (1880-1927) and had Dinsmore (1899-1977) and Louise; J. H. “Jimmy" (1877-1900), who was drowned in a shipwreck in Matagorda Bay in the hurricane of 1900; Laura, who married twice, her second husband, a Mr. Emill, adopted her daughter, Dorothy; Sadie, who married J. P. Pariss, and had J. P., Pat, and Irma; Annie (1886-1949) who married Gus Byers and had Margarite, and married second Mr. Maynard and had Ted;' John May (1891-1918), who died overseas in the influenza epidemic during World War I; and Darwin (1893-1945) who married Virginia Foster and had one daughter, Shirley, and married second Jo Reed. The deceased were buried in the Matagorda Cemetery. John A. "Johnny" was a cowboy who rode the ChisholmArial;">Trail. He married Rebecca Richmond and had Bryan and Henry.2c2c;"> Arial;">Wilhelmina married first a Dr. Allen and had one son, Willie, married second a Kilbride and had Harry, and married third Henry Eidelbach, and had Eugene and Henry.nt-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;"> nt-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">William "Billy" married Martha Franz. Their children were: George, Alvin, "Pete," Mabel, Lyda Gay, Lula, and Myrtle. They lived in Palacios.span style="font-family: Arial;"> : normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Family tradition claims that Lucy and her sister Sally were murdered by their brother-in-law, Dr. Allen, who was in love with Lucy while married to her sister Wilhelmina. When Lucy became engaged to Henry Eidelbach, Dr. Allen poisoned her out of jealousy, and then poisoned Sally to divert suspicion. He fled the town with the Williams boys in hot pursuit, but he escaped. Later the family got a letter from him from Africa in which he told that the Williams boys had been all around him, but he had buried himself in the sand.-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;"> -family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Laura Mettie married Jim Gillett and had Fred, Stanley, Walter, Catherine, Eloise, and Ann, who married W. T. Cox. pan style="font-family: Arial;">Sarah "Sally" and Lucy were buried on the Matagorda Peninsula. Their graves are lost.family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;"> p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Nancy Jane "Jennie" married Boltes Albert Ryman.: 0px 0.15in;"> ify; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0.15in;">Henry P. married Lyda Franz and had one child, Winnie, who married Stanley Rugeley.tyle="font-family: Arial;"> ize: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #2c2c2c;">The other descendants of John Aaron and Anna Katrina Elizabeth "Catherine" Franz Williams are too numerous to name. Those descendants living in Matagorda in 1984 were: Bess Moberley Brown, Vadyse Bedford Hood,James F . "Jimbo" Williams, Bessie Mae Baxter Owen, Oscar Rucks Moberley, Geraldyne Ryman Havard, Wilma Ruth Nini Miller, Addie Lee Nini Johnson, Violet Baxter Smith, Clancy Baxter and children, Clancy and Julie,Catherine Lawhon Anderson, Jaqueline Baxter Newton, Marianne Serrill Mathis, Richard R. Serrill and children, Richard R. III and Heather, Kenneth Baxter, Robert Baxter, and Barbara Baxter Stallings.
n;" align="left">Historic Matagorda County, Volume II, pages 563 - 565
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Source Citations
- [FIND-A-GRAVE] Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31718039/katherine-e-williams.
- [FAMILYSEARCH] Family Search.
"Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-2010", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV14-JJW8 : Fri Mar 08 03:55:28 UTC 2024), Entry for John Williams and Catharine French, 08 Jul 1847.
