Anton Pieper
Betty's ancestor connected with early New Braunfels and Comal County history.
Texas Pride · Family History · Historic Homes
Betty Saenz's
History in Texas
Betty's connection to Texas reaches back to the years before Texas became a republic. Her family history crosses early settlement, New Braunfels, Hochheim, Central Texas and the Swedish communities of Travis County.
The Museum of Handmade Furniture which was the home where my grandmother grew up as an orphan after her parents died of Typhoid fever.
Deep Texas Roots
My family's Texas story began before Texas was a republic.
I am a Native Texan with deep roots in my state. My family's history here reaches back to the period when the region was still part of Mexico and known as Coahuila y Tejas.
Among my earliest Texas ancestors were Anton Menke Pieper and his mother, Elizabeth Dedich. Their family's story became connected with early settlement, land grants, military service, New Braunfels, the Runaway Scrape and communities that continue to preserve Texas history today.
That family connection is part of why historic homes, museum houses, old communities and Texas architecture have always meant so much to me.
A Family Timeline
Generations connected to Texas history.
Betty's family story touches several important periods and communities in early and nineteenth-century Texas.
1833
Peter Pieper Comes to Texas
Betty's family history states that Peter Pieper, a brick mason born around 1793, immigrated to Texas in 1833 with his family.
1836
Land and Military Service
Peter Pieper received land in Stephen F. Austin's colony and additional acreage connected with military service following the Battle of San Jacinto.
Republic Era
Valentine Hoch
Another branch of Betty's family history includes Valentine Hoch, whose home near the Guadalupe River later became known as the Stagecoach Inn at Hochheim.
Circa 1871
Swedish Ancestors in Travis County
Betty's Swedish ancestors settled in Travis County around 1871 and became connected with New Sweden Lutheran Church and the growing Austin area.
Peter Pieper · Early Texas
A cabin that connects family history with early Texas settlement.
Anton's adopted father, Peter Pieper, was an early Texas land promoter and co-founder of Frelsburg in Colorado County. He married Elizabeth Dedich Menke in 1826 before the family immigrated to Texas.
Betty's family history records Peter as receiving a league and a labor of land in Stephen F. Austin's colony in 1836, along with additional acreage associated with military service after the Battle of San Jacinto.
The family was also connected with the Runaway Scrape.
In April 2018, Betty attended the grand opening of the
San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site Museum, where
Peter Pieper's cabin was displayed.
From early settlement to New Braunfels.
Betty's family history holds that Anton Pieper later became one of Prince Solms' Twenty Men who helped establish New Braunfels.
Anton later served as sheriff of Comal County in 1850. He is buried in the Comal Cemetery in New Braunfels.
The Sophienburg
New Braunfels history and archives remain an important resource for understanding the community's early families.
Museum House
Betty's grandmother's grandparents' house is associated with the Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture in Heritage Village.
Family Heritage
These places connect Betty's family genealogy with buildings and sites that can still be experienced today.
Valentine Hoch · DeWitt County
Valentine Hoch's Stagecoach Inn in Hochheim, Texas.
Betty's family history also includes Valentine Hoch, who entered Texas through Indianola and established a home in the community that became Hochheim, not far from the Guadalupe River.
A later generation put down roots in Travis County.
Betty's Swedish ancestors settled in Travis County around 1871. Her family history connects them with New Sweden, the Lutheran community northeast of Austin, and generations of Central Texas life.
01
Corporal Ax
Betty identifies Corporal Ax as one of the early signers of the New Sweden Lutheran Church book.
02
New Sweden Lutheran Church
The church at New Sweden became an important spiritual and community center for Swedish families in Travis County.
03
Edna Axell Sandstrom
Betty's mother and grandparents were connected with the Swedish Lutheran community in Central Texas.
04
O. W. Sandstrom
Betty's grandfather was an attorney and practiced with David C. Gracy in Austin.
History and Real Estate
Historic homes are personal to me.
My interest in historic homes is not simply professional. My own Texas history is tied to cabins, museum houses, churches, early communities and places where generations of my family lived.
That history gives me a particular appreciation for the stories behind older homes and for the people who choose to preserve them.
Whether your family has been in Texas for generations, you recently arrived, or you are planning a move here, every family begins creating its own history somewhere.
Texas Pride · Expert Guide
What will your family's Texas story be?
If you are buying or selling a Texas historic home, contact Betty Saenz to discuss your real estate needs and the kind of property you hope to make part of your own history.
Contact Betty