Laging, H. W.
Nordheim, DeWitt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Germany. Came to U.S. in 1860; settled near Brenham. Married Marie Dahse in 1867; they had 6 children. Moved to Weimar 1875, to Nordheim 1913. He served the Confederacy in the Texas Volunteer Infantry, 23rd Brigade. After Civil war, he became a successful farmer and businessman. Esteemed by his neighbors and known as "Papa Laging," he was last surviving Confederate veteran of this community. Recorded, 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Germany, H. W. Laging joined the great mid-century wave of German immigrants who settled the Texas Hill Country and coastal plains, arriving in 1860 and marrying a fellow German settler. He took up arms for the Confederacy in a Texas infantry unit, then returned to build a successful life as a farmer and businessman. Beloved as "Papa Laging," he lived on as the last surviving Confederate veteran of his community, a bridge between the German immigrant experience and the Civil War generation.
Why it matters
His life braids together two defining threads of nineteenth-century Texas — German immigration and Confederate service — in one long-remembered local figure.
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Related people
- · H. W. Laging
- · Marie Dahse
Themes & tags
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