Joseph W. Hannig

Joseph W. Hannig

• Joseph W. Hannig was born on 14 June 1834 in Preußen.
• He married Susanna Wilkerson on 7 December 1857 in Caldwell County, Texas, with the Rev. J. H. Wells, Baptist minister, officiating.
• Joseph W. Hannig and Susanna Wilkerson appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. Also in the household was Carpenter S. Charles, age 40.
• He was a cabinet maker, according to the 1860 census.
• Joseph W. Hannig and Susanna Wilkerson appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. Other members of the household included Susanna Arabella Griffith, Joseph Griffith and Sarah Ann Holmes. Susanna's three grandchildren were identified with the surname "Hanning."
• He was a dealer in furniture, according to the 1870 census.
• Joseph W. Hannig and Susanna Wilkerson appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Travis County, Texas. Other members of the household included Susan Griffith and Sarah Ann Holmes. Granddaughter Sarah was identified as Sally Hannig. Also in the household were a cook and a farmhand.
  
• He was a merchant miller, according to the 1880 census.
• Joseph W. Hannig became a widower at the 7 October 1883 death of his wife Susanna Wilkerson.
• Joseph W. Hannig died on 6 January 1890 at age 55.
• He was interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, Travis County, Texas.
• The following appeared on 7 January 1890 in the San Antonio Daily Light: The remains of the late J. W. Hannig were guarded last night by a detail of his comrade Knights Templar, and a guard of honor of six knights escorted the remains to Austin this morning.
• The following appeared on 11 September 1947 in the Lockhart Post-Register: An interesting bit of data concerning the Makers and Making of Caldwell County is that Mrs. Dickinson of Alamo fame lived here for several years in the early days of the county. Considering the time it is probable that Angelina, "the babe of the Alamo" also resided here, however there are no records available to confirm this supposition.
       Along about the middle 1850s Frank and Joseph Hannig, brothers, came here from Germany. Frank was a gunsmith and Joseph was a cabinet maker. Joseph's shop was located under the huge liveoak tree near the present site of Charles Kelley's service station and Frank's shop a half block up the street.
       Joseph boarded in the home of Mrs. Dickinson. Her culinary arts evidently won young Joseph's heart for not long afterward they were united in marriage. Prior to this marriage Mrs. Dickinson had married a man named Bellis. Local marriage records reveal that Joseph W. Hannig and Susannah A. Bellis were united in marriage here on Dec. 7, 1857, by Rev. J. H. Wells, Baptist Minister.
       Subsequently they moved to Austin where she died in 1883.
       "I knew the mother of the 'Babe of the Alamo' who had been the wife of Lt. Dickinson who lost his life in the Alamo massacre, the last ten years of her life, from 1873 to 1883," states Mr. E. A. Masur.
       "She was a dignified old lady and all who knew her respected her, and she was always ready to talk about her past experiences but I was too young, to my regret in later life, to take much interest in what she had to say then. She died in October 1883 and carried a leg wound, received in the battle of the Alamo, almost 50 years before that, to her grave.
       "Also, I remember she was very fond of cabbage, bacon, cornbread and buttermilk.
       "And, too, I remember of dreading, on our visits, to being kissed by an old lady with hair on her upper lip."
       Mr. Masur further stated that Angelina, "the babe of the Alamo" was married twice. First to a Griffith and second to a Mr. Holmes. She is reported to have died in New Orleans, however the date and the place of her burial is not known, he said.

• Last Edited: 7 Oct 2013