Responses about picture
Hi Linda,
All of my ancestors were German immigrants, so I have heard of and knew about
the Hermann Sons all my life. My grandfather, for example, was a member
as were many other relatives. If you look closely at the flag you will
see the letters ODHS, which is the acronym for the name Ordens der Hermannssohne
which translates as Order of the Sons of Hermann, usually just called Hermann
Sons nowadays. It was a fraternal organization whose philosophical
purpose was the preservation of the German heritage, but in a more practical
sense, it was an organization for social activities and for providing insurance
coverage and benefits to members. My grandmother, for example, received
a death benefit through Hermann Sons when my grandfather died. Some
lodges or chapters had their own cemeteries for members. I believe
the Hermann Sons still provide mutual group insurance for its members and
also they promote activities such as gymnastics and dance for the children
of members. There were chapters or “lodges” (the German word is “loge”)
everywhere in Texas that had a significant enough German population, so it
wouldn't be surprising if there was a lodge at Clear Springs. I can't
really tell from the banner. Another possibility is that the lodge
was in the Austin Hill community. Austin Hill was a settlement near
New Braunfels which no longer exists. There were, I believe, some Luersens
and Schroeders who lived at Austin Hill, but I don't know anything about
the Kruse family, except that a few of the names sound familiar. But
it looks to me like the word “Austin” and possibly the word “Hill” is on
the banner. Also, I've been trying to figure out the significance of
the name at the top of the flag. The only thing I can figure out is
that each lodge may have given their own chapter a name. There was
a German knight/philosopher named Ulrich von Hutten (I checked this out on
the web), and maybe they named their lodge after him. Someone better
versed in Hermann Sons history might be able to provide you with more and
better information.
Nancy