CHARLES BEIERLE, SR.
Source: Article by: Carmen Rittimann, 1976 and 1991
Charles Beierle, born 6 Aug 1855, near the Spring Branch Creek, Spring Branch, Texas and was the oldest child born to Sebastian and Christine (geb Gantner) Beierle. He was 21 years old when he moved with his parents to the land described as near Esser Crossing and the Guadalupe river, known today as the Beierle Place.
After the death of their parents, Charles and his brother, Valentin Beierle, were the only sons and were living on the place. The Beierle land was divided among them and they paid cash money to each of their sisters for their interests in the land.
Charles, like his father, raised cattle, horses, cotton, cane, oats and corn on his share of the land.
On the 2 Aug 1893, he became the Wesson Postmaster for this Wesson community, for which the post office was located in his home until 1907, then the office was discontinued and mails arrived to the Spring Branch Store Post Office less than four miles west of this site.
Charles also cleared more land for fields and built a new home and barn near the old home. This home was built by him around the year of 1890.
On the 4 Mar 1884, Charles Beierle took Miss Louise Wehe as his wife, born 22 Jan 1863, the daughter of Carl and Augusta Wehe of Anhalt, Texas. Carl Wehe, pioneer of Anhalt, was also a Wagoner-Freighter, like Sebastian Beierle, during the 1850's and early 1860's, but he took sick and died on 22 Oct 1864, somewhere en route between Indianola and New Braunfels, as the family had been told. He was buried off the wagon trail in an unmarked grave as to not alert the Indians. Augusta, on the other hand, remarried in 1867 to Mr. Gottlieb Elbel, and together, besides the four Wehe children, they had four Elbel children. There were four born to Charles and Louise (geb Wehe) Beierle and were: Charles, Jr. and Edwin Beierle, Mrs. (Lille) Startz, and Mrs. (Ella) Henkel.
In 1925, Charles Beierle deeded the place to Charles, Jr., for his wife, Louise, as well as his other unmarried son, Edwin, had previously died, and their daughters married and moved away. Charles, Sr. made his home with his son, Charles and his wife, Alma geb Bartels, the daughter of Heinrich and Marie geb Startz Bartels, a local family.
Charles, Jr. also paid off his sisters with cash for their share and interests in this place. At this time, sheep and goats were added to the ranch.
Charles, Sr. son of the founder, died in 1936 and his son, Charles, Jr., was to die only eighteen months later in April 1937, from TB, thus leaving the place to his widow, Alma Beierle and surviving heirs.
In 1976, the Family Land Heritage Program sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture granted the Beierle Place a certificate honoring over one hundred years of continuous ownership and operation as a family agricultural enterprise. To the dedication and perseverance of the founder Sebastian Beierle in 1876 and heirs of these lands, were owe the basic wealth of Texas.