Death Comes to 100-Years-Old William Persky, Oldest Citizen of Milam County and Last of the County's Confederate Veterans; Funeral Sunday
William Persky, 100, oldest citizen of Milam county and the last Confederate veteran of the county, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E.J. Rinn, at Sharp on Friday night. . . .
Mr. Persky celebrated his 100th anniversary last November 21st. He was born in Germany in 1844 but at the age of six came with his family to America. They settled in Austin county, where he grew to manhood and followed the farming industry. His wife, who was Miss Theresa Rundge, also of Austin county, died fifty years ago.
Mr. Persky moved to Bell county in 1901 and remained there until nineteen years ago when he came to Sharp to make his home with his daughter. For the past few years Mr. Persky had been a semi-invalid due to his age and bad eyesight. . . . The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 15, 1945 Page: 1 of 8
According to Matchless Milam: History of Milam County Texas -- A Texas Sesquicentennial Edition -- compiled and edited by Milam County Heritage Preservation Society in 1984 - Milam County (Tex.) . . . On June 12, 1982, a Texas Historical Marker honoring William Carl Persky was unveiled at his gravesite in the Sharp Cemetery in Milam County. . . . the text on the marker reads as follows . . .
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| Texas Historical Marker |
A native of Germany, William Persky migrated to the United States with his family at the age of eight. He enlisted in the confederate army during the civil war and served time as a prisoner of war. A farmer, Persky lived in Austin and Bell counties before moving to this area in 1925. He lived to be 100, and at the time of his death in 1945 was the oldest resident and the last confederate veteran of Milam County. [see Historical Markers of Milam County, Texas]
Probably the oldest citizen in Milam county is Mr. William Persky, of Sharp, who on Tuesday, November 21, reached his 100th milestone.
Mr. Persky has lived in Sharp for the past twenty years and is the father of five sons and a daughter, Mrs. E.J. Rinn, with whom he makes his home.
Mr. Persky is a native of Germany but has lived in Texas since a lad of eight years, coming to America at that age with his parents and settling in Austin county. He is a Confederate Veteran, the last in Milam county. Mr. Persky followed the farming industry most of his life. For the past four years due to ill health he has not led an active life. He is the grandfather of E.H. Rinn of Rockdale. The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 23, 1944 Page: 20 of 20
. . . Theodore Crohn is remembered by local old timers as an outstanding citizen and merchant here when Rockdale was in its infancy. He was born in Germany and located in Rockdale in the late 70's or early 80's, being the junior member of the mercantile firm of Baum & Crohn. . . . lived in Rockdale at the old Mundine Hotel, which was burned about 1888, and in which fire Crohn's younger brother, Isaac Crohn, lost his life, together with ten other persons. . . . The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 62, No. 37, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 25, 1934 Page: 5 of 10
Paul Palmer, an aged and respected citizen of the Gay Hill community, died at his home last Thursday evening, aged 81 years, 9 months and 24 days. He was born in Ebersweir, Baden Baden, Germany, June 22, 1832 and came to American in 1840 with his parents and settled at St. Geneveive, Mo. There in 1856 he was married to Miss Carolina Bader, who survives him. To this union eight children were born, five of whom are living -- three sons and two daughters, as follows: Mrs. Mary Menn, of Rockdale; Mrs. Carolina Braun, of Gay Hill; Louis and Joe Palmer of Rockdale, and Paul Palmer of Runnels county. Besides there there survive him 28 out of 43 grand children, and 13 great grand children. He moved to Rockdale in 1875. The funeral was at the Catholic cemetery at Gay Hill on Friday afternoon. Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, April 23, 1914
Mr. and Mrs. A. Wolf leave today for Galveston where they will take passage for Europe, their native states of Germany and Austria being their destination. They will remain abroad for several months. All of Milam wishes them bon voyage. Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, April 04, 1912
Edmond Wolf is in receipt of a kodak picture made by his father. A. Wolf, from the deck of the steamship Frankfurt, and showing the iceberg which wrecked the Titanic on the 14th of April.
Mr. and Mrs. Wolf were passengers on the Frankfurt which was the first ship to catch the Titanic's wireless call for help, but on account of the distance arrived too late to be of any service. The photo is clear and gives a splendid picture of the berg.
Mr. and Mrs. Wolf have written several letters back home since their arrival in the old country, and report a most enjoyable trip in every respect. Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, May 16, 1912
Rockdale, Milam Co., Tex., July 2. -- Mr. Ludwick Menn, a prosperous German farmer, about 64 years old, living three miles west of Rockdale, committed suicide last night by shooting himself in the forehead. He leaves a wife and a large family of children. No cause is assigned for the rash act except that his mind was unbalanced. Dallas Morning News, July 3, 1898
New York Times. October 18, 1934. Retired Merchant and Stock Broker -- Once Owned Stores in Denver and Texas. Special to The New York Times. Cedarhurst, L.I., Oct. 17. -- Theodore Crohn, retired merchant and stock broker, died last evening at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Moses L. Roth, 28 Spruce Street, at the age of 86. Healthy and active, Mr. Crohn was stricken suddenly with a heart attack and died before a physician could be summoned.
Early last week he returned from a trip to Detroit, where he passed a month at a son's home, and last Thursday he observed his eighty-sixth birthday, playing contract bridge at night.
Arriving in New York when he was a boy from his birthplace in Germany, Mr. Crohn witnessed the Civil War draft soldiers training in what is now Central Park. Shortly after the war the oil boom that was starting in Oil City, Pa., attracted him to that place, and subsequently he went West, first settling in Denver and later in Rockdale, Texas. In both places he established stores. While in Texas he married the late Leah Baum of New York.
Soon after his marriage he again journeyed to New York and bought a seat on the Consolidated Stock and Petroleum Exchange, which later became the Consolidated Stock Exchange. He was a trader for forty-three years, relinquishing his membership during the World War, prior to the closing of the Exchange.
Mr. Crohn was one of the founders and president for several years of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, East Eighty-fifth Street. He is survived by six sons and five daughters.
The funeral will be held at 10:30 o'clock tomorrow morning at the residence. Burial will be in Union Field Cemetery.
