2013-3 Remembrances Special Edition1
City of Schertz
Remembrances Special Edition 2013-3
Presented by: Schertz Historical Preservation Committee
The “Iron Lady” of Schertz’ Comal Settlement
Most of us recognize the term “The Iron Lady” as the title ascribed to the former Prime Minister of Great
Britain, Margaret Thatcher. The term was applied in her case due to her strong will and determined
approach to the handling of national and international crisis. Great women are not only found on the
international scene but in local communities as well. Schertz is no exception. One of our own
community’s earliest “Iron Ladies” was Anna Maria (Anna) Friesenhahn-Syring (nee: Rinkart).
Anna Friesenhahn-Syring is the ancestral matriarch of the Friesenhahn families that today represent
hundreds of persons spread across Comal, Bexar and Guadalupe Counties. Anna, like many other wives
of mid-nineteenth century immigrant families, gave up friends, family and possessions to make the
treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a new life in America and more specifically in
the yet untamed Republic of Texas. During the voyage, she experienced the same deprivations as did
other women of the same circumstance. However, her burden soon became far greater than that of her
contemporaries. The fact that she overcame those subsequent adversities and went on to help build a new
and prosperous community called Comal, Texas is what makes her so worthy of the title of “Iron Lady.”
Anna departed for America (Galveston, Texas) with her husband Antonius (Anton) Friesenhahn and five
children from their home in Dahlheim, Germany. They boarded the brig Stabo at Antwerp, Belgium on
September 11, 1845. Prior to leaving Dahlheim, Anna and Anton had already experienced the loss of two
young sons (Joseph and Nicholas I). Besides rough seas and the deplorable conditions of overcrowding,
disease, food shortages and short-tempered passengers aboard the Stabo, Anna was struck with the
ultimate hardship. Her husband Anton died during the voyage leaving her a widow with five children to
care and provide for. The loss of her husband was enough to cause a lesser woman to become weak of
spirit and lose all sense of composure. But Anna knew she had to remain strong for her children’s sake
and without knowing how she and they would survive, she pressed on. Anna’s character was again tested
by yet another tragic event. On or about November 20, 1845. Anna’s young son Anton Jr. died while
the family awaited transportation from the Texas coast inland.
Transportation was hard to arrange but eventually Anna secured oxen cart travel to Central Texas for
herself and the children. Again, hardships ensued as Anna struggled to keep the family together during
the arduous journey through the rugged Texas countryside. It was Anna’s expectation, based upon
contractual arrangements made before departing Germany, that a 640-acre piece of land amidst the Fisher
& Miller Grant northwest of San Antonio would be theirs upon arrival at the spot near present day San
Saba County. However, Anna was again beset by disappointment and despair when she discovered that
her promised property claim had already been deeded and was not to be hers. There being no alternative
but to push ahead, Anna relied on the help of fellow settlers to maintain her family until in 1850 she met
and married Christoph (Christopher) Syring. Anna’s circumstance began to change for the better
following her marriage to Christopher. On June 3, 1850, Christopher was granted New Braunfels town
lot #151 by the German Emigration Company. The Syrings had one child together named Heinrich
(Henry). Christopher died in 1854, again leaving Anna a widow with then four children living with her in
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the community of Comal, Texas (recently annexed into Schertz, Texas). Following Texas’s entry into the
Union the Texas Legislature made good on the promises of free land for the German immigrants and,
thus, in 1853 and 1859, deeded 640 acres to the Friesenhahn-Syring family. Three hundred and twenty
acres of that land was at the north fork of the Concho River and another 320 acres was in Kimble County
on the north fork of the Llano River. Subsequent to Christopher’s death Anna was able to purchase two
parcels of land in the Comal Settlement area (105.2 acres in 1857 and 603 acres in 1865) both parcels
abutting each other along the Dry Comal Creek in Comal Settlement (now a part of the Schertz ETJ). On
January 28, 1865, Anna deeded the 603 (resurveyed and found to be 537 acres) acre tract in nearly equal
thirds to each of her three sons, Andreas, Nicholas, and Heinrich. These land acquisitions allowed Anna
and her sons to establish productive farms which they cultivated and made into cash producing
enterprises. The boys (Andreas, Joseph and Nicholas) established the first cotton gin and corn shelling
operations in the area, both of which continued in operation until about 1940 and 1959, respectively.
Anna’s son Andreas rebuilt the cotton gin in the mid 1890 after a fire destroyed the original gin. The
remnants of the latter gin still stand on the Roman and Julia Friesenhahn farm at 2290 Old Nacogdoches
Road. The land that Anna and her sons developed in Comal Settlement has passed down through four
generations and has been cared for by each of the succeeding generation of Friesenhahns. Anna’s legacy
includes a devotion to family and love of the land. Her legacy is visible today as her descendants
continue caring for the farm and adding new elements to its worth such as the 105 pecan farm owned and
operated by Mark Friesenhahn.
Anna Friesenhahn-Syring died in 1894 and is buried beside her sons, her daughter and their families at the
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery (aka: Wenzel Cemetery) located at Wenzel Lane and FM 482 in the
Comal Settlement community. There is no monument specifically dedicated to her memory but the
cemetery where she now lies at rest has been declared historic by the Texas Historical Commission and
that designation is in part due to the her influence as a first settler pioneer with extra ordinary strength and
ability.
Grave site of Anna Maria Friesenhahn-Syring located at St. Joseph’s Cemetery