Jacob and Martha Lungkwitz Bickler
The Jacob Bickler Window
This window with the inscription, “Sacred To The Memory of Jacob Bickler, One of the Trustees of This Church”, is on your right as you enter the sanctuary. The hand-painted and kiln-fired window depicts “Christ among the Doctors” or “The Disputation.” The twelve-year-old Jesus, missing from his family, is found in the temple teaching his elders, Luke 2: 41-52. The original painting on which this window is based was done by Heinrich Hofmann (1824–1911) in 1871. Purchased by John D. Rockerfeller Jr., it hangs in the Riverside Church in New York City.
Bickler Family
The following includes information excerpted from Texas State Historical Commission online publication.
BICKLER, JACOB (1849–1902). Jacob Bickler, teacher and school administrator, son of Peter and Katherine (Schöffling) Bickler, was born in Sobernheim, now in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on November 20, 1849. At the age of fourteen, he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live with his father and stepmother. His father was a saloon keeper. There, he attended public school and Markham's Milwaukee Academy. He studied philosophy and received a BA in pedagogics from the University of Wisconsin in 1870 and an MA in 1871. In 1871–72, he was principal of the La Crosse, Wisconsin, public schools.
Bickler moved to Austin in 1872 and was associated with his uncle, Philip Bickler (born 1840 in Prussia, immigrated 1865), as a teacher in Bickler German–English Academy until April 1, 1873, when he was appointed assistant draftsman and calculator in the General Land Office of Texas. There he met Martha Lungkwitz (1855–1937), eldest daughter of artist Hermann Lungkwitz. She is shown at right. They were married on January 24, 1874, in Austin, and eventually became the parents of nine children: Jennie Marie Bickler (Swenson) (January 1875–1949), Camilla Therese Bickler (von Briesen) (1876–1959), Harry Pitt Bickler (June 1879–1958), Max Hermann (June 1881–1971), Katharine Bickler (Pittenger) (November 1883–1963), Viola Babeta Bickler (1886–98), Jacob Franz Bickler (1888–1991), Ralph Adolph Bickler (August 15, 1891–July 3, 1974) and George Washington Bickler (October 1892–1989).
In 1877, in Austin, Bickler founded the Texas German and English Academy, a boys' school, which he successfully operated for ten years. They lived at 2631 Walnut or Lavaca Street. He accepted the superintendency of Galveston public schools in 1887, returned to Austin in 1892, and founded Bickler Academy, a coeducational school, which flourished until his death. The curricula of his schools included many languages as well as music and liberal arts courses.
Group portrait in front of the Texas German and English Academy, later Bickler School. The school was located at 208 West 14th Street. There is an inscription on the back of the photograph that reads "On June 12, 1881, I was born in the south west upstairs bedroom. This building is located at 208 W. 14th St. Max H. Bickler." Max was son of Jacob and Martha Bickler.
Below is picture of Martha and Jacob with L to R: Harry Pitt, Jennie Marie and Camilla Therese. (ID based on ages.) If this is correct identification, the year would be 1879. Another possibility would be Jacob Franz, Katharine and Viola Babeta. That ID would date picture as 1888.
Bickler was fluent in six languages, his lectures were erudite and animated, and he was known as an outstanding teacher in preparing students for college work. Many graduates of his schools became leaders in professions and business. A school in Austin was named for him. He was a member of the National Teachers Association and the Texas State Teachers Association, of which he was president in 1886–87. He wrote and presented a resolution at the 1891 association meeting calling upon the board of regents of the University of Texas in Austin to establish a chair of pedagogy (later the School of Education) at the university, and this was accomplished within a few months. Bickler was a member of the summer faculty at the University of Texas. He also conducted summer classes at Fredericksburg and Mason. He died in Austin on April 30, 1902, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. Eizabeth Ney, noted Austin sculptor, did a medallion of him on the occasion of his death in 1902.
In 1969, Recorded Historic Texas Landmark 6438 was placed at the site of the Goodman Building, noting the location on the second floor of Jacob Bickler's German and English academy.
At right, Jacob Bickler House, 502 West 14th Street. Built in 1880s by James Baird Smith. Home of Jacob Bickler in 1893. (Southwest corner of W. 15th and San Antonio.)
Bickler Academy. In 1902, the school was renamed after Jacob Bickler, an Austin schoolteacher who died that year. In 1937, the school was converted into a facility for children with special learning needs. In 1947, it was later used as an administration building for the school district.
The building's cupola still exists today and can be visited at the Zilker Botanical Gardens at Zilker Park. Today it is a popular site for weddings in the grounds of the gardens.
With the construction of I-35, built on what was then East Avenue, the building became an unpopular place for a school and was later turned into school district offices; when the school district moved out of the building, it ultimately had become obsolete and was demolished in 1968. Today, the Bickler Building site is occupied by the Sheraton Austin Hotel.
Photograph below shows Hermann Lungkwitz and family at a picnic near Austin about 1887.
Adults (L to R: unknown; Ernest von Rosenberg; Justus Zahn; Hermann Lungkwitz; Elise Zahn; Jacob Bickler; unknown; unknown; Martha Bickler; and Helene von Rosenberg. Children in front row (lL to R): Elsie von Rosenberg; unknown; unknown; Harry Bickler; unknown; unknown; Max Bickler; Jeneria Bickler; Ida Zahn; and Katherine Bickler. Back row: Viola Bickler (on father's knee) and Camilla Bickler (standing by father). Carriage driver is unknown. This copy of photo kindly provided by Richard von Briesen, grandson of Camilla Bickler.
Obituary from Texas School Journal, Vol 20, May 1902.
JACOB BICKLER
While at a social gathering of friends on April 24th, Professor Jacob Bickler was stricken with apoplexy while standing in the act of giving a toast. After lingering for six days without regaining consciousness, he passed quietly away at 7:45 'o clock, Wednesday, April 30th.
The funeral was probably the largest ever seen in Austin. A great number of Professor Bickler’s former pupils preceded the hearse on foot. The pall bearers, who were also former pupils, were Roger Roberdeau, Judge R. L. Penn, Benjamin F. Wright, F. C. Von Rosenberg, Fred Petmeeky, Albert Scott, T. Beall, Fred Messina. The honorary pall bearers were Hon. Arthur Lefevre, Judge Yancy Lewis, B. K. Benson, Max Maas, Dr. F. Ilse, H. L. Piner, and P. Thompson. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. R. J. Briggs, pastor of the Methodist Church of Austin, of which Professor Bickler was a member and trustee. We quote a few words from this eloquent tribute which space forbids giving in full:
“He was one of the noblest-hearted men I have ever known. This is the testimony of all who knew him. He loved to see others happy, and loved to make them happy. He pitied the unfortunate, and threw himself with all his great soul on the side of the oppressed. He believed in the brotherhood of man, and said that as we were the heirs of the common mysteries of life and death, joy and sorrow, corruption and immortality, we should help, not hinder, one another.”
Professor Bickler was born November 20, 1849, at Sobernheim, near Bingen, Germany. He received his fundamental school training in his native town.
At the age of thirteen, he came with his parents to America. In Wisconsin, he attended the Milwaukee high school and Markham’s Milwaukee Academy. After finishing the course at the academy, he attended the University of Wisconsin, taking his M. A. degree in 1871. After teaching for a short time in Lacrosse and Milwaukce, he came to Texas in 1872.
In 1874, he was married to Miss Martha Lungkwitz. His wife and seven out of nine children survive him. His living children are Misses Jennie, Camilla, and Katie, and Messrs. Harry, Max, Ralph, and George. He also leaves a sister, Mrs. Jacob Winkler, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In 1877, Professor Bickler founded the Texas German and English Academy at Austin. His ability won him much success in his work, and in 1887, he was elected superintendent of schools at Galveston. During the same year, he was president of the State Teachers’ Association. During his administration, the Galveston public schools received one of the three gold medals awarded American schools for excellence of educational exhibits at the Paris Exposition Universelle, 1889. At the expiration of his service, in Galveston, he returned to Austin and reopened his school now known as Bickler Academy, which he continued until his death.
Professor Bickler has been prominent in the educational work of Texas for nearly thirty years. He was a familiar figure at the meetings of the State Teachers’ Association, which he never failed to attend. He had conducted numerous summer normals and was the author of the resolution to establish the Department of Pedagogy in the University of Texas.
Not only was Professor Bickler highly esteemed as an educator and as a man, but the sincerity of his character and his cheerful and kindly disposition peculiarly endeared him to his friends. His former pupils in Austin have held a mass-meeting and have effected an organization for the purpose of erecting a suitable monument to his memory in token of their appreciation of him as their teacher and friend. This loyal undertaking is meeting with hearty support from all over the state. We again quote from Dr. Briggs’ sermon:
“He believed that education meant the making the most of the entire man that can be made of him in body, mind, and spirit. And so from his gymnasium have gone forth some of the most accomplished athletes in the state; from his schoolroom, came some of the brightest minds now filling positions of distinction and of trust in church and state, and from his personal influences and example, some of the purest and noblest characters we have among us. Professor Bickler was of pure and noble character, himself, as well as a man of trained and richly-furnished mind, and he taught by example as well as by precept. Precept is the easy part of teaching; example is the difficult part. Precept is the measure of the teacher's ability; example is the measure of his sincerity. Professor Bickler taught by precept and by example. His pupils had before them continually the example of self-mastery, of a pure and lofty character, of a noble and benevolent life. Truth and honor were ingrained with the very fibre of his nature. I do not believe that for all the wealth of the world he would have welcomed a central degradation. He felt that the true man was within his only real estate and the only real potentate on earth was the monarch of his own mind and heart. Thus he taught his children and his pupils, and thus the blessed influence of his life and teaching shall abide."
History of Bickler Academy
The following article about Jacob Bickler and his school is taken from the Austin Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. XVI No. 1., 1975. (The article was available online, however, the OCR was very poorly done. I have corrected it, and it is included here in full for future historians. The photo at right was kindly provided by Richard von Briesen, great-grandson of Jacob Bickler -Mel Oakes)
PROFESSOR JACOB BICKLER
Published in this issue are the records of The Texas German and English Academy which was founded in Austin by Jacob Bickler in 1876, and directed by him until his death in 1902, with the exception of five years when he served as Superintendent of the Public Schools of Galveston.
A dedicated and able educator, he spent the summers conducting "normal schools" for teachers in Fredericksburg and Mason. Jacob Bickler was born on November 20, 1849, in Sobernheim, near Bingen, Province of the Rhine, Germany, and at the age of fourteen was brought to Milwaukee by his father. He graduated from Milwaukee Military Academy and, ambitious to teach, entered the University of Wisconsin at Madison; awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1870, he accepted a position as principal of the public schools in Lacrosse. He resigned that position in 1872 and came to Austin to teach in the school established by his uncle, Philip Bickler, located at Red River and Eleventh Streets, which school was later moved to Brenham and grew into Blinn College.
Mr. Bickler was employed as a calculator in the General Land Office of Texas, where he was associated with the early 'Texas landscape painter and map maker, Herman Lungkwitz, and his daughter Martha who assisted her father. On January 24, 1874, Jacob Bickler and Martha Lungkwitz were married, To them were born nine children, seven of whom lived to maturity.
Fortunate were the students to whom the learned Professor Bickler and his faculty of teachers taught a complete curriculum of the sciences, mathematics, literature, history, Greek, Latin, German, French, and Italian. Preparation was given for the entrance examinations to institutions of higher learning, and a school library containing hundreds of volumes of reference and classical works was maintained. Elocution, singing, and athletics were included in the school’s activities, and the academy's baseball team played other local, teams, such as that of St. Edward's College. For the younger students, there was basic instruction in reading, arithmetic, English, singing, and elocution.
Elaborate commencement exercises were held annually in Millett Opera House or Turner's Hall, and school picnics were events to be enjoyed in the open at Hyde Park or on Shoal Creek.
Tuition accounts were carefully kept, cash being paid for most of the students, but sometimes tuition was paid in kind, such as merchandise from a haberdashery; in groceries, farm produce, or furniture; and one student’s schooling and board were paid for with a deed to land in a distant Texas county. For the two sons of a prominent minister, the ledger records "For love, affection and gifts."
Historic medallions mark many of the buildings where the Bickler school was conducted. One of the early buildings used was the Texas Military Academy building at 1111 West 11th Street; others were at 203 West 13th Street, 208 West 14th Street, and the church building at 13th and Colorado which was replaced by the new Supreme Court Building.
The Texas German and English Academy was discontinued after the death of Professor Bickler on April 30, 1902, but the thorough education and high ideals he had given to his students (many of whom became prominent citizens) had a profound influence in the state of Texas, particularly in the Austin community. As a leader in the field of education, Professor Bickler was appointed to the committee to establish the University of Texas School of Pedagogics. An elementary school at East Avenue and 11th Street was named for him by the Austin School Board, later being renamed The Bickler Administration Building,
His former students provided funds to mark his grave in Oakwood Cemetery with a tall obelisk of gray granite on which appears the inscription written by his former student, Tom Gregory: "He lifted us further from the dust and gave us a wider view."
—Mrs. Ralph A. Bickler, daughter-in-law
THE TEXAS GERMAN AND ENGLISH ACADEMY, 1876-1902
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Among the ten volumes of records of this school, which have been preserved by the Bickler family, are Ledgers (of accounts), Teacher's Daily Registers (of attendance), and Model Roll Books (of attendance and grades), Although the beautiful handwriting is usually quite legible, the fact that some lists of pupils have surnames first and some last made transcription alphabetical order difficult. Sometimes, toward the end of a list, the style changed so that, in the absence of a comma, it is hard to determine whether a boy’s name was, for example, Grizzard Brown or Brown Grizzard. No effort was made by the inscribers to keep letters together, or even students with the same surname.
Some ledger sheets seem to be headed by the name of the parent or guardian, some by the name of the pupil. I hope I have correctly classified pupils and parents by comparing lists of different years, but, if I show some pupils as the parents of their fathers, please excuse it! Any corrections submitted will be gladly printed later.
In some instances it was necessary to estimate a student's age when he first entered school because the age was not given until the third time he was shown on the rolls. In that case, I subtracted three, which might be too much depending on when his birthday was.
Often a pupil attended only part of a year. When one left the academy, his name was scratched out and another written above it, making it difficult to decide whose father and age were written to the right of the name. Some books have entries skipping from, say, 1883 to 1897, with the intervening years found in other volumes.
The spelling of names varied from list to list; I used the one appearing most often or obviously corrected by the marking out of a letter, etc. I have used the two vowels where only one was used with an umlaut (e.g., ue for u). This style prevailed as the years went along.
Many of the fathers and guardians, their occupations and residences can be found in the 1872-73 city directory of Austin, which appeared in Vol . XIV No. 4 (December 1973) of AGS Quarterly.
In some of the volumes, Professor Bickler wrote revealing comments. In 1876, his landlord apparently was George Stolley, a notation reads: "May 1-16. Mr. Stolley off in the mountains hunting for gold." Since Professor and Mrs. Bickler found room in their home (among their nine children) to accommodate students from out of town. It is readily understandable that "New mattress" and "Mattress repair" are often noted.
In the fall of 1895, the school attended the Barnum and Bailey Circus; in 1898, it was Ringling, Each spring, a picnic was held (pupils contributed 15-25¢ each), only one of which was marred by rain. The usual notation was "Annual Picnic at Hyde Park. Fine weather. Success," In May 1895, the pupils were treated to an ice cream party.
Comments
–1893: 22 Sep--"J, B. unwell" 20 Oct – "Field Day at Hyde Park. Fine Day and Much Enjoyment." 9 Nov.–"Fire broke out at about 4:30 P.M. Thursday afternoon while the First Nine was playing a match game with the St. Edwards Nine in Horst's Grove. Roof of the church partly burned; some damage to school." 23 Nov—“Match Games by First and Second Nines with St. Edwards Boys on their grounds. Ours lost, St. Edwards furnished umpires!!!" 24 Nov—“'Miss Carter broke her hip." 6 Dec—“Alvah Thrasher died of typhoid fever. Aged 14. 11-15 Dec—"Sick with the Grippe" (presumably Professor Bickler )
–1894, 15 June—"Closing Exercises at Millett's Opera House" Oct—"Picnic at Hart’s Pasture"
–1895, 8 Feb--"No School on account of cold weather" 14-15 Feb--"Heavy Snows and very cold" 21 Apr—“San Jacinto Day Lake Excursion"
–1896: 22 Feb--"Celebrated Washington's Birthday at Musical Union Hall in temporary Capitol Building" Dec--Christmas entertainment at Turner Hall (date uncertain)
–1897s Last weekend in March--"Walk to the woods on upper Shoal Creek. Fine weather, Much fun'' 21 Apr--"Picnic at Barton’s Creek" 1 Oct--”Moved School to residence, 1904 San Antonio St,"
–1898s "Annual Picnic in Pease’s Park, Fine weather, Frank Brown and Dudley Smythe, cavalrymen, present “9 Dec–"Snow, Sleet & Ice"
–1899: 12-13 Feb--"3 degrees below zero" March—“Went to hear William J. Bryan speak in the University Auditorium...a fine speech" 3 May-"Confederate Reunion" 27 Oct--"School children’s Day at Travis County Fair (a rainy day)”
–1900: 22 Feb--"Washington’s Birthday and Mamma's" 7 Apr–"Bursting of Dam and Cave-in of Power House" 8 May--"23rd State Saengerfest held at Austin" 19 Oct--"Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show"
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There seems to have been a State fund in 1878 to supplement the education of children, which Professor credited to their accounts by the notation "apportionment from State School fund." That same year, so many pupils were charged 35¢ for broken window panes that the suggestion of a rock-throwing escapade arises.
Discipline
Professor Bickler did not indulge in the pussyfooting circumlocutions that modern "educationists" employ for fear of offending. Entered in his journals are the following terse comments:
"Disappeared (Took French leave),"" Dismissed on account of stealing books”,” Out chasing the almighty dollar!” (left school to go to work), "Expelled for disgraceful conduct", " Dismissed on account of general worthlessness—incapable of speaking the truth—played ‘hooky’ &c ‘, “Lacks staying qualities”, is neither obedient, truthful nor studious. He has grossly violated Rule 8, and hence will not be received into this school again"
(Rule 8: "Students who EVADE the rules, or whose deportment is such as to render it evident that their influence is pernicious, will not be allowed to remain in the school,")
"Expelled, entered the school house by stealth late in the evening, and stole my new mattress on Oct. 20. His own mother informed me of the fact, which he at first stoically denied, but afterwards admitted. Was received back on trial after expressing great sorrow and promising good behavior. Did not keep his word, played truant, lied about it and was expelled"
Teachers
Teachers at Professor Bickler’s academy were paid from $25 to $45 per month. Names noted in various places were, in 1876, Therese Adams and Laura Martin; in 1878s Frank Colby, Karl Guse, H. Lungkwitz, Thomas Pilgrim,* Morgan Springer, Edwin H. Kuehn,—Matter,—Gould, Therese Adams, W. Ziller, James R. Shepherd, Ralph J. Kuechler, Julia Palm (or perhaps an adult student ); in 1879: Kate Carothers, Annie Fisher, Gustav A. Heilig; in –1880: Gustav A. Heilig, John A. Green Jr. , L. B. Kuhn, C. H, Earnest; in 1881: Charles A. Burchard, Ernst L. Retsch, John A. Green Jr.; 1881–82: Burchard, Lewis, Lungkwitz, Besserer, Richard Helig; in 1882: m. Besserer, Yancey Lewis, Adolph Heinrich, James L. Shepherd; in 1883: Edwin B, Smith, R. N.
Reichelt (seems to have moved to Rochester NY), Yancey Lewis; in 1884: B. K. Benson, Edwin B. Smith, M. Menger; in 1885: Henry Oliver, M. Menger; in 1900: Jennie Bickler.
These names were gleaned from receipts and passing references. There were no lists of teachers regularly entered.
*This was the son of the noted Baptist missionary and teacher, Thomas J. Pilgrim, who started the first Sunday School in Texas in 1829, in conjunction with a boys' school which he set up at San Felipe de Austin, Thomas J. Pilgrim Jr., under the pen name of Arthur Morecamp, wrote a series of books for boys entitled Live Boys in the Black Hills , "Live Boys" in (various places) published by Lee & Shephard of New York. If any of our readers has any of these books for sale, please notify the editor at 2202 W., 10, Austin TX 78703.
A list of students that attended the academy can be found here: http://austintxgensoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/1975.1.pdf
Here is a photo of a class at the Bickler School 1886: Jacob is in the middle of the middle row with dark moustache.
Jacob Bickler’s son, Ralph A. Bickler, and his wife Mazie were faithful members of the Congregational Church of Austin and active members of the cultural life of Austin. Ralph would have been fifteen when Jacob’s window was dedicated.
The following is also from the Austin Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. XVI No. 1., 1975.
DEDICATION: RALPH ADOLPH BICKLER
The Vol. XVI issue of the quarterly is dedicated to the memory of Mr Ralph Adolph Bickler, 1891–1974, who was a member of Austin Genealogical Society from the date of its organization until his death. He was the eighth child of Professor Jacob and Martha (Lungkwitz) Bickler, who were living in Galveston, Texas, at the time of his birth. They returned to Austin to live on Ralph's first birthday, and for the remainder of his life he lived within a few blocks of the Capitol and the University. Of German parentage, he spoke and read the German language, his early education being in his father’s home and the preparatory school of Miss Jennie Bickler for the Texas German and English Academy which was under the direction of Jacob Bickler, After his father’s death in 1902, young Ralph attended Wooldridge Elementary School, Austin High School, and the Austin College of Business.
Mr, Bickler was married on June 24, 1946, to Miss Mazie Beatrice Mayes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs, James Coke Mayes of Austin. She is a member of AGS and lives at 1404 West Avenue in Austin. The fine influence of Mr. Bickler on our community cannot be measured, for his work was quietly accomplished in organizations and committees, while he held positions with the Austin National Bank, the Internal Revenue Service, and the State’s Attorney General for 33 years. Before his retirement in 1966, he was a clerical employee of the Supreme Court of Texas. He published The Texas Syllabi 1954-1974.
A grandson of early Texas landscape painter, Adolph Lungkwitz, Mr. Bickler had a deep interest in preserving and exhibiting early Texas art. His research included Texas history, and his conversation sparkled with true stories he recalled from the many years he had lived in Austin and associated with those who helped to make its history. Elisabeth Ney was "Tante" Ney to him; Governor James Stephen Hogg and his family were neighbors and friends; and there was a close association with the professors on the faculty of The University of Texas.
A veteran of World War I, Mr. Bickler was a member of the American Legion, Travis Post No, 76, and was honored by them by being elected their first Buddy First Class. As scoutmaster of the Boy Scout Troop sponsored by Post 76, he was privileged to teach Boy Scout principles to many boys who are today's teachers, businessmen and officials.
Ever alert to preserving Austin’s history, Mr. Bickler arranged for a flag pole (given by the next-door property owner) to be moved by volunteers to The Old Bakery site. He also brought about the installation of the "Athol Stone" in the O’ Henry House. It was in the window of the Smith home, when the famous writer carved the name of his sweetheart, Athol Estes, in it with his penknife.
Many years earlier, he had arranged for a stone from the Alamo to be placed in the facade of the Chicago Tribune Tower. Having noticed that many notable buildings were represented by stones there, he asked the building manager if he would like one from the Alamo. Upon receiving enthusiastic acceptance, Mr, Bickler obtained permission from Miss Emma Burleson to send them half of a stone which she had transported from the grounds of the Shrine of Texas to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Museum in Austin. Texas was represented at the dedication by a descendant of a hero of the Alamo.
In the field of natural history, Mr. Bickler served the Travis Audubon Society as president and editor of its Signal Smoke. He was chairman of the Audubon Wildlife Films for a number of years, amassing funds to buy a wildlife sanctuary which he helped to select.
He had an intense love of trees, as evidenced by his growing a ten foot wild pistachio tree from a Burbank seedling. When the Ralph Bickler home and grounds at 809 West 16th Street were converted to use by the City of Austin, many of his beloved trees and native shrubs were bulldozed, but the pistachio was accepted by The University of Texas and transplanted to the campus opposite the entrance to Hogg Auditorium.
In addition to the organizations already mentioned, Mr, Bickler was an active member of the Congregational Church of Austin, the LufigkWitz-Klappenbach Family Association, Texas Ornithological Society, Men's Garden Club of Austin and of America, Scottish Society of Texas, Scots of Austin, and Texas State Genealogical Society,
The Bickler family visiting Formosa, the home of artist, Elizabeth Ney. (Since I have determined that this is same date as picture below, date is April 23, 1898.)
Left to Right: Elizabeth Ney, Jacob Bickler, Martha Lungkwitz Bickler, unknown, maybe Camilia Bickler, unknown man with hat, Jennie Marie Bickler, unknown woman in hat and black skirt, woman in hat, Viola Babeta, Katherine in pinafore, Max Herman, Harry Pitt with rifle.
Front: Jacob Ralph holding hat, woman kneeling, Ralph Adolph, George Washington, woman with bow tie, boy sitting on ground.
Two girls standing at back in wall nitches.
Bickler family by Lake Ney, April 23, 1898. Photo from Austin Parks and Recreation Department. This is same outing as in picture above this one. The Hyde Park, Ney studio grounds were bisected by Waller Creek and included a dam that once impounded the private "Lake Ney."
L to R: Man with stick, Man in black, woman with high collar, boy in front of tree, Martha Bickler, woman with tie, Jacob Bickler, woman sitting, woman standing with large hat, woman sitting, Max Hermann Bickler with gun. Group of children: boy at back on right is Harry Pitt Bickler, girl standing at right in pinafore is Katherine Bickler, boy in hat behind gun barrel is Jacob Ralph Bickler, boy under gun barrel is Ralph Adolph Bickler.
Bickler Family 1915
1915
Photograph of the Bickler family with four men and four women. The older lady in the front row, right side is Martha Bickler.1915 Photo: Austin History Center My guess comparing photo to the labeled photo from 1948. Rear row L to R: Max, Camilla, Ralph, Katherine, George Front Row L to R: Harry, Jennie, Martha. This would be all of the 7 living children of Martha in 1915. Ralph and George served in the Army during the war. Ralph was stationed at the School of Military Aeronautics at UT. George went to France with the 36th Division of the Texas/Oklahoma National Guard which fought at the Battle of St. Etienne in October, 1918. They both survivied the war.
Bickler Family Group Potrait Spring 1948
1948
DESCRIPTION:Photograph of a group of Bickler Family members standing in front of a house. Left to right: back: Harry, Mary, Katherine (Pittenger), Mazie, Camilla; front: Ida, Max, Ralph, George, Ben. DATE: Spring 1948 From Austin History Center
Jacob Bickler monument. The medallion was created by sculptress Elizabeth Ney.
Formal studio portrait of seven children in the Bickler Family. Handwritten note on the back reads, "To Mr.s [illegible] Cherry and Children with love from the BIckler, Family, Austin Texas, Dec. 22 92."
Suggested ID: Left to right, Max, Jacob, Camilla, Viola, Harry, Jennie, , Katherine
There were nine children: Jennie Marie Bickler (Swenson) (January 1875–1949), Camilla Therese Bickler (von Briesen) (1876–1959), Harry Pitt Bickler (June 1879–1958), Max Hermann (June 1881–1971), Katharine Bickler (Pittenger) (November 1883–1963), Viola Babeta Bickler (1886–1898), Jacob Franz Bickler (1888–1991), Ralph Adolph Bickler (August 15, 1891–July 3, 1974) and George Washington Bickler (October 1892–1989).
Their ages in December of 1892: Jennie 18 , Camilla 16, Harry 13, Max 11, Katherine 9, Viola 5 or 6, Jacob 3 or 4, Ralph 1, George 3 months.
Photograph of Ralph A. and George W. Bickler, who are posing for a portrait. George is wearing a dress and Ralph is wearing a dress suit.
Martha Lungkwitz Bickler, ca. 1887, Photographer Justus Zahn, Galveston, Texas
Photograph of Linus Long and Ralph Bickler looking at two paintings, a view of the Texas Military Institute by Hermann Lungkwitz and a portrait of Lungwitz by Richard Petri. They are both wearing suits. The portrait in color is seen previously on this page.