Born Franz Theodor Meinold in Suttrop (Südrop), Soest District, east of Warstein, Westfalen, Germany 2 Nov 1819; baptised 4 Nov 1819. Our family tradition is that Theodore was born on the 3rd of November. The stated date and place above are from the Katholische Kirche St. Johannes Enthauptung (Catholic Church of St. John the Beheaded) as maintained in the Stadarchive of Suttrop, Westfalia, Germany.
Emigrated from Prussia arriving in Galveston, Texas 9 Jan 1846 (GEUE, A New Land Beckoned) on the ship Anthony from Hamburg, Prussia. Family tradition says he was a Prussian cavalry officer recruited to train cavalry troops for General Taylor in preparation for the war with Mexico. His official US Military records show him in the US Texas Ranger Regiment (Captain James S. Sutton's company, mounted regiment of Texas Volunteers commanded by Col Peter Hansbrough Bell) from 20 Oct 1847 to 15 Dec 1948. Family obituary says he headed west (tradition: with heavily armed friends) to California for gold; helped John Charles Fremont get to California--Fremont's 4th expedition stalled at Taos, NM. See Thomas Salathiel Martin, With Fremont to California and the Southwest 1845-1849. Married Johanna Grüenwald in San Antonio, TX 14 Feb 1851. Returned to California gold fields 1853; shipped out to Australia to their gold rush within a few months; returned to Red Bluff, CA 1858 with one son and three daughters; was a butcher in Red Bluff; after son, Andrew's death in Red Bluff family moved to Kansas by ship to Panama, crossing the isthmus, taking ship to New York, and train to Missouri. Bought adjacent land parcels in Paola Kansas over a period of years, accumulating 287.5 acres which he farmed until his death.
Obituary: "August 3d 1879, at his residence near Paola, Theodor Meinold, aged 60 years.
Theodor Meinold was born in Westphalia, Germany, and at the age of 26 came to the United States, settling in Texas. He entered the military service of the Government, and after serving in Mexico a short time, went with Fremont to California. In a year he returned to San Antonia, Texas, at which place he was married to Johana Greenwood, who survives him. Within a year they both went to California in quest of Gold, and after a stay of a few months, took passage for Australia in pursuit of the precious metal. They spent five years in the mining regions of that strange country to return to the gold fields of the Pacific slope, where they remained eight years and finally settled on the present homestead near Paola. The family consisted of six children, four of whom survive and were in attendance at their father's bedside during his illness, which lasted two years and two months. Mr. Meinold was by birth-right a Catholic, but was never an active member of any church, yet he had an abiding faith, in a living Redeemer. The remains were interred in the Paola cemetery. Thus ends the career of a useful citizen and a good neighbor. G.B.H."
-------------------------------------
Benjamin Franklin Highsmith also served in Captain James S. Sutton's company during the war with Mexico over the same period as Theodore. See Findagrave link for Highsmith born 1817 Troy, MS; died 1905 Uvalde, TX; buried Jones Cemetery, Bandera County, Texas. Theodore is listed as Theodore Maenold in the US military record and in Charles Spurlin, Texas Veterans in the Mexican War, 1984. Theodore's wife, Johanna, mentions Highsmith in her Mexican War Pension submittal as being Theodore's commander, but Highsmith was just a friend in the same company of Texas Rangers.
-------------------------------------
A family-owned photograph of Theodor was lost in Leucadia, California in 1989. It showed him in his cavalry uniform with his horse. The family only wishes it could have a copy emailed back to it for the family history.
-------------------------------------
Emigrated from Prussia arriving in Galveston, Texas 9 Jan 1846 (GEUE, A New Land Beckoned) on the ship Anthony from Hamburg, Prussia. Family tradition says he was a Prussian cavalry officer recruited to train cavalry troops for General Taylor in preparation for the war with Mexico. His official US Military records show him in the US Texas Ranger Regiment (Captain James S. Sutton's company, mounted regiment of Texas Volunteers commanded by Col Peter Hansbrough Bell) from 20 Oct 1847 to 15 Dec 1948. Family obituary says he headed west (tradition: with heavily armed friends) to California for gold; helped John Charles Fremont get to California--Fremont's 4th expedition stalled at Taos, NM. See Thomas Salathiel Martin, With Fremont to California and the Southwest 1845-1849. Married Johanna Grüenwald in San Antonio, TX 14 Feb 1851. Returned to California gold fields 1853; shipped out to Australia to their gold rush within a few months; returned to Red Bluff, CA 1858 with one son and three daughters; was a butcher in Red Bluff; after son, Andrew's death in Red Bluff family moved to Kansas by ship to Panama, crossing the isthmus, taking ship to New York, and train to Missouri. Bought adjacent land parcels in Paola Kansas over a period of years, accumulating 287.5 acres which he farmed until his death.
Obituary: "August 3d 1879, at his residence near Paola, Theodor Meinold, aged 60 years.
Theodor Meinold was born in Westphalia, Germany, and at the age of 26 came to the United States, settling in Texas. He entered the military service of the Government, and after serving in Mexico a short time, went with Fremont to California. In a year he returned to San Antonia, Texas, at which place he was married to Johana Greenwood, who survives him. Within a year they both went to California in quest of Gold, and after a stay of a few months, took passage for Australia in pursuit of the precious metal. They spent five years in the mining regions of that strange country to return to the gold fields of the Pacific slope, where they remained eight years and finally settled on the present homestead near Paola. The family consisted of six children, four of whom survive and were in attendance at their father's bedside during his illness, which lasted two years and two months. Mr. Meinold was by birth-right a Catholic, but was never an active member of any church, yet he had an abiding faith, in a living Redeemer. The remains were interred in the Paola cemetery. Thus ends the career of a useful citizen and a good neighbor. G.B.H."
-------------------------------------
Benjamin Franklin Highsmith also served in Captain James S. Sutton's company during the war with Mexico over the same period as Theodore. See Findagrave link for Highsmith born 1817 Troy, MS; died 1905 Uvalde, TX; buried Jones Cemetery, Bandera County, Texas. Theodore is listed as Theodore Maenold in the US military record and in Charles Spurlin, Texas Veterans in the Mexican War, 1984. Theodore's wife, Johanna, mentions Highsmith in her Mexican War Pension submittal as being Theodore's commander, but Highsmith was just a friend in the same company of Texas Rangers.
-------------------------------------
A family-owned photograph of Theodor was lost in Leucadia, California in 1989. It showed him in his cavalry uniform with his horse. The family only wishes it could have a copy emailed back to it for the family history.
-------------------------------------
Born Franz Theodor Meinold in Suttrop (Südrop), Soest District, east of Warstein, Westfalen, Germany 2 Nov 1819; baptised 4 Nov 1819. Our family tradition is that Theodore was born on the 3rd of November. The stated date and place above are from the Katholische Kirche St. Johannes Enthauptung (Catholic Church of St. John the Beheaded) as maintained in the Stadarchive of Suttrop, Westfalia, Germany.
Emigrated from Prussia arriving in Galveston, Texas 9 Jan 1846 (GEUE, A New Land Beckoned) on the ship Anthony from Hamburg, Prussia. Family tradition says he was a Prussian cavalry officer recruited to train cavalry troops for General Taylor in preparation for the war with Mexico. His official US Military records show him in the US Texas Ranger Regiment (Captain James S. Sutton's company, mounted regiment of Texas Volunteers commanded by Col Peter Hansbrough Bell) from 20 Oct 1847 to 15 Dec 1948. Family obituary says he headed west (tradition: with heavily armed friends) to California for gold; helped John Charles Fremont get to California--Fremont's 4th expedition stalled at Taos, NM. See Thomas Salathiel Martin, With Fremont to California and the Southwest 1845-1849. Married Johanna Grüenwald in San Antonio, TX 14 Feb 1851. Returned to California gold fields 1853; shipped out to Australia to their gold rush within a few months; returned to Red Bluff, CA 1858 with one son and three daughters; was a butcher in Red Bluff; after son, Andrew's death in Red Bluff family moved to Kansas by ship to Panama, crossing the isthmus, taking ship to New York, and train to Missouri. Bought adjacent land parcels in Paola Kansas over a period of years, accumulating 287.5 acres which he farmed until his death.
Obituary: "August 3d 1879, at his residence near Paola, Theodor Meinold, aged 60 years.
Theodor Meinold was born in Westphalia, Germany, and at the age of 26 came to the United States, settling in Texas. He entered the military service of the Government, and after serving in Mexico a short time, went with Fremont to California. In a year he returned to San Antonia, Texas, at which place he was married to Johana Greenwood, who survives him. Within a year they both went to California in quest of Gold, and after a stay of a few months, took passage for Australia in pursuit of the precious metal. They spent five years in the mining regions of that strange country to return to the gold fields of the Pacific slope, where they remained eight years and finally settled on the present homestead near Paola. The family consisted of six children, four of whom survive and were in attendance at their father's bedside during his illness, which lasted two years and two months. Mr. Meinold was by birth-right a Catholic, but was never an active member of any church, yet he had an abiding faith, in a living Redeemer. The remains were interred in the Paola cemetery. Thus ends the career of a useful citizen and a good neighbor. G.B.H."
-------------------------------------
Benjamin Franklin Highsmith also served in Captain James S. Sutton's company during the war with Mexico over the same period as Theodore. See Findagrave link for Highsmith born 1817 Troy, MS; died 1905 Uvalde, TX; buried Jones Cemetery, Bandera County, Texas. Theodore is listed as Theodore Maenold in the US military record and in Charles Spurlin, Texas Veterans in the Mexican War, 1984. Theodore's wife, Johanna, mentions Highsmith in her Mexican War Pension submittal as being Theodore's commander, but Highsmith was just a friend in the same company of Texas Rangers.
-------------------------------------
A family-owned photograph of Theodor was lost in Leucadia, California in 1989. It showed him in his cavalry uniform with his horse. The family only wishes it could have a copy emailed back to it for the family history.
-------------------------------------
Emigrated from Prussia arriving in Galveston, Texas 9 Jan 1846 (GEUE, A New Land Beckoned) on the ship Anthony from Hamburg, Prussia. Family tradition says he was a Prussian cavalry officer recruited to train cavalry troops for General Taylor in preparation for the war with Mexico. His official US Military records show him in the US Texas Ranger Regiment (Captain James S. Sutton's company, mounted regiment of Texas Volunteers commanded by Col Peter Hansbrough Bell) from 20 Oct 1847 to 15 Dec 1948. Family obituary says he headed west (tradition: with heavily armed friends) to California for gold; helped John Charles Fremont get to California--Fremont's 4th expedition stalled at Taos, NM. See Thomas Salathiel Martin, With Fremont to California and the Southwest 1845-1849. Married Johanna Grüenwald in San Antonio, TX 14 Feb 1851. Returned to California gold fields 1853; shipped out to Australia to their gold rush within a few months; returned to Red Bluff, CA 1858 with one son and three daughters; was a butcher in Red Bluff; after son, Andrew's death in Red Bluff family moved to Kansas by ship to Panama, crossing the isthmus, taking ship to New York, and train to Missouri. Bought adjacent land parcels in Paola Kansas over a period of years, accumulating 287.5 acres which he farmed until his death.
Obituary: "August 3d 1879, at his residence near Paola, Theodor Meinold, aged 60 years.
Theodor Meinold was born in Westphalia, Germany, and at the age of 26 came to the United States, settling in Texas. He entered the military service of the Government, and after serving in Mexico a short time, went with Fremont to California. In a year he returned to San Antonia, Texas, at which place he was married to Johana Greenwood, who survives him. Within a year they both went to California in quest of Gold, and after a stay of a few months, took passage for Australia in pursuit of the precious metal. They spent five years in the mining regions of that strange country to return to the gold fields of the Pacific slope, where they remained eight years and finally settled on the present homestead near Paola. The family consisted of six children, four of whom survive and were in attendance at their father's bedside during his illness, which lasted two years and two months. Mr. Meinold was by birth-right a Catholic, but was never an active member of any church, yet he had an abiding faith, in a living Redeemer. The remains were interred in the Paola cemetery. Thus ends the career of a useful citizen and a good neighbor. G.B.H."
-------------------------------------
Benjamin Franklin Highsmith also served in Captain James S. Sutton's company during the war with Mexico over the same period as Theodore. See Findagrave link for Highsmith born 1817 Troy, MS; died 1905 Uvalde, TX; buried Jones Cemetery, Bandera County, Texas. Theodore is listed as Theodore Maenold in the US military record and in Charles Spurlin, Texas Veterans in the Mexican War, 1984. Theodore's wife, Johanna, mentions Highsmith in her Mexican War Pension submittal as being Theodore's commander, but Highsmith was just a friend in the same company of Texas Rangers.
-------------------------------------
A family-owned photograph of Theodor was lost in Leucadia, California in 1989. It showed him in his cavalry uniform with his horse. The family only wishes it could have a copy emailed back to it for the family history.
-------------------------------------
Family Members
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
