Betty Wilhelmine Abbenthern (1826 - 1902)

Born 4 Mar 1826 in Hannover, Hannover, Hanover, Prussia, Germany

Ancestors

Wife of George Frederich Holekamp — married 17 Mar 1844 in Hannover, Hannover, Hannover, Hanover, Prussia, Germany

Descendants

Died 2 Nov 1902 at age 76 in Comfort, Kendall, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Amy Hamilton [send private message] and Rolinda Cathey [send private message]

Biography

Betty Abbenthern has German Roots.

Betty Abbenthern was born in Prussia

Betty Abbenthern was an immigrant pioneer who participated in the westward expansion of the United States. Join the Immigrant Pioneers Project.

Betty was born about 1826. She passed away about 1902. Betty is the daughter of Henry Christian Abberthern. Husband of Georg Friedrich "Fritz" Holekamp and their children were: George, Julius, Daniel, Dora, Johanna, Ernst,and Bettie.

From the book "A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas": Mr. and Mrs. Holekamp came to Texas on the Johann Dethard, arriving in Galveston on 24 November 1844, and proceeded overland in the company of Prince Solms to the site chosen for the first German settlement, New Braunfels. Arriving at the site, they found the Guadalupe River in one of its periodic rises; Prince Solms wishing to impress his companions with his daring and courage, plunged into the raging waters riding a magnificent white horse. Not to be outdone, Mrs. Holekamp rode into the swollen waters and successfully crossed over, to the astonishment of the colonists who had preceded this group and had already been established. When Texas was admitted into the Union, she gathered suitable colored bits of cloth and made them into a United States flag, probably the first such flag unfurled and flown at New Braunfels. The flag was six feet by three feet.

Fritz Holekamp served in the Confederate army as a member of Captain Kampmann's company. He was critically wounded in battle and died of wounds received in September 1862. His body was interred near the field of battle; however, the exact spot never became known.

Led by Prince Solms, the 228 immigrants from the Johann Dethard proceeded overland from Indianola to the site chosen to be the first German settlement in Texas, New Braunfels. (It was later discovered that Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels purposely chose the more remote and difficult route from Indianola, instead of from Galveston, to isolate the colonists from the local Texans.) Upon reaching the Guadalupe River, the pioneers found the river too high to cross due to the winter rains. Prince Solms, perhaps wishing to impress the others with his bravado, plunged into the raging waters and crossed the swollen river on horseback. Not to be outdone by anyone, Betty Holekamp immediately followed and successfully crossed the river to the astonishment of her fellow colonists and perhaps to the chagrin of the prince.[1] Thus, Betty Holekamp is known as the first white woman to cross the Guadalupe on horseback.

Betty Holekamp was born Betty Wilhelmine Abbenthern in Hannover, Germany. She was the daughter of Henry Christian Abbethern who was the ministerial accountant to King Ernest Augustus of Hannover and she grew up in the household of the king. She was schooled with the king's daughter, and was being trained to be a governess.[2]

• Fact: Immigration (1844)
• Fact: Residence (1860) Comfort, Kerr, Texas, United States
• Fact: Residence (1870) Texas, United States
• Fact: Residence (1880) Comfort, Kendall, Texas, United States
• Fact: Residence (1900) Justice Precincts 2-4, Kendall, Texas, United States
• Fact: Burial (1902) Comfort Cemetery, Comfort, Kendall, Texas, United States

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 30 July 2021, 00:48), entry for Betsy Ross Of Texas Betty Wilhelmine Abbenthern Holekamp (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:KFDQ-C8J ); contributed by various users.
• Holekamp family book, hand written family bible tree.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 August 2020), memorial page for Betty Wilhelmine Appenthern Holekamp (4 Mar 1826–2 Nov 1902), Find a Grave Memorial no. 83132065, citing Comfort Cemetery, Comfort, Kendall County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by JW (contributor 47579751) .

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Holekamp

• http://ghf.destinationnext.com/immigration/SearchDetails.aspx?ID=8452

• http://wkcurrent.com/holekamps-dream-of-a-better-life-eventually-realized-p1607-71.htm

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Holekamp

• "Betty Wilhelmine Abbenthern in the Elbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945." Betty Wilhelmine Abbenthern in the Elbe-Weser Triangle, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1574-1945. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jul. 2018. <https://search.ancestry.com/collections/61007/records/1813130/printer-friendly?indiv=try&h&db>.

Pg.279

• https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth795373/m1/279/

• ^ a b c d Ransleben, Guido E. A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas. Press of The Naylor Company, 1954, p. 191.

^ a b c d Van Winkle, Irene. West Kerr Current, "Holekamps’ Dream of a Better Life Eventually Realized", September 25, 2008. ^ "Geo Holekamp-German Immigration Company". Texas General Land Office. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011. ^ "Holekamp-ship record". Immigration Database. Galveston Historical Foundation. Retrieved 26 May 2011. ^ a b Brown, John Henry. Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas L.E. Brown, 1880, p. 520-521. ^ "Fisher Miller Colony Transfers". Texas General Land Office. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.

• ^ "Petitioners to create Gillespie County". Gillespie County Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 26 May 2011.

^ Morgenthaler, Jefferson. The German Settlement of the Texas Hill Country. Mockingbird Books, 2011. ^ Stewart, Anne and Mike. Ernst Hermann Altgelt: Founder of Comfort, Texas. University of North Texas Library, 2010, p. 1. ^ Stewart, Anne and Mike. Ernst Hermann Altgelt: Founder of Comfort, Texas. University of North Texas Library, 2010, p. 2-3. ^ Stewart, Anne and Mike. Ernst Hermann Altgelt: Founder of Comfort, Texas. University of North Texas Library, 2010, p. 7.

• Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas Pg.520-521.

• https://sophienburg.com/what-a-woman/

• https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Comfort,_Texas

• Amy Hamilton - Texas State Genealogical Society Certified

• https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth795373/m1/278/?q=Mary%20Hamilton

• http://www.roggenbuck.de/tilsit.html