Betty Holekamp
| Betty Holekamp | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Betty Wilhelmine Abbethern 1826 Hannover, Germany |
| Died | 1902 Comfort, Texas |
| Spouse(s) | Georg Friedrich "Fritz" Holekamp (1812–1662) (m. 1844–62) |
Betty Holekamp (1826–1902) was a German colonist and pioneer in Texas. She is recognized for several "firsts" as a Texas pioneer, such as being the first to sew an American flag upon Texas's acceptance into the Union, and thus is known as the Betsy Ross of Texas. She was also among the first residents in four Texas Hill Country communities: New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Sisterdale, and Comfort.
Betty Holekamp was born Betty Wilhelmine Abbethern in Hannover, Germany. She was the daughter of Henry Christian Abbethern who was the ministerial accountant to King Ernest Augustus of Hannover and she grew up in the household of the king. She was schooled with the king's daughter, and was being trained to be a governess.
While playing music together at court gatherings, she met Georg Friedrich "Fritz" Holekamp (1812–1862), the son of a wealthy Hannover builder and an educated royal architect and musician. Once engaged, the couple learned of opportunities in Texas from Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. They wed in March 1844. On September 16, 1844, Fritz Holekamp entered into a contract with the German Immigration Company, and soon thereafter the couple boarded the ship Johann Dethard, arriving at Galveston and then at Indianola in November 1844.
Led by Prince Solms, the 228 immigrants from the Johann Dethard proceeded overland from Indianola to the site chosen to be the first German settlement in Texas, New Braunfels. (It was later discovered that Prince Solms purposely chose the more remote and difficult route from Indianola, instead of from Galveston, to isolate the colonists from the local Texans.) Upon reaching the Guadalupe River, the pioneers found the river too high to cross due to the winter rains. Prince Solms, perhaps wishing to impress the others with his bravado, plunged into the raging waters and crossed the swollen river on horseback. Not to be outdone by anyone, Betty Holekamp immediately followed and successfully crossed the river to the astonishment of her fellow colonists and perhaps to the chagrin of the prince. Thus, Betty Holekamp is known as the first white woman to cross the Guadalupe on horseback.
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