German Settlers in Hill County

German Settlers in Hill County. . , Germans first came to Texas in 1821, immigrated by the hundreds in the 1840s, and in the 1880s began to move into Hill County. Here land was made available by such earlier settlers as G. W. McNeese, the Savage family, A. D. Walling, the Whites, the Worleys. First to arrive (1882) were Fritz Lentz and Alex Radke. Later came families named Degner, Dietz, Gehrels, Gehring, Geltmeier, Hodde, Huse, Kaddatz, Kelm, Klein, Klinkert, Krueger, Kunkel, Maas, Manske, Manthei, Meyer, Neumann, Piel, Reinke, Schronk, Schulz, Sonnenberg, Schmidt, Steffer, Strauch, and Zettler. , Pastor J. C. Rieger came from West (16 mi. SW) and held church services in settlers' homes. Salem Lutheran Congregation was organized with 15 charter members on June 6, 1886, and erected a church building three months later. St. Peters Lutheran Church was founded July 1, 1906, at Walling with nine charter members. Religious leaders (some of whom also taught in the parochial school) have included Pastors Bartel, Finke, Gaertner, Heinmeier, Hodde, Hopmann, Kramer, Liefer, Machina, Oertel, Seils, Walters, and Wunderlich. , By diligence and thrift, these people made garden spots of their farms; and with love of God, of family, and of music, they created a goodly heritage. (1974)