The striking local limestone, ethnic German tombstones for two brothers, Alfred & Herrman Prinz stand side by side at St John Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery outside Pflugerville TX.
We looked at these stones for a long time. They a fascinating blend of German ethnic art carvings in local limestone, with German inscriptions, intricate carvings, letters rendered in high relief, and script letters sculpted out of a block of stone - obviously professionally and artistically done. But upon closer inspection, we noticed that the death dates had been left blank, and the dates scratched in by an untrained hand with a sharp tool.
This made no sense to us. Why would you have such finely-wrought sculptural tombstones obviously pre-made, only to scrawl in the death dates by hand later? Was this evidence of ghoulish pre-planning for the worst, or did the parents know that these two children likely would not live to adulthood, and so with German practicality, they prepared? (Aside: Can you imagine telling your children you had ordered their TOMBSTONES while they were still alive? YIKES)
We thought this would be one of those cemetery mysteries, always wondered about and never solved. But then we found a couple of entries in Find-A-Grave that makes us think that everyone knew these children were not likely candidates to live to adulthood:
Albert Prinz: (
visit link)
"Birth: Sep. 30, 1883
Death: Jan. 8, 1896
Inscription:
Hier ruht in Frieden,
Albert Prinz
September 30, 1883 - January 8, 1896,
Seine Seele gefiel dem Herrn wohl gab um eilete er mitthin aus diesem Leben.
[EN] Here rests in peace, Albert Prinz September 30, 1883 - January 8, 1896, his soul pleased the Lord, so he rushed out of this life to be with Him."
But the big clue came from Albert's brother Hermann's adjacent grave: (
visit link)
"Birth: Nov. 20, 1881
Death: Jan. 28, 1899
Hermann was the son of Albert and Henriette Lange Prinz. He was sickly from birth as was his brother who died three years earlier. Weakness was the cause of his death. Hermann's siblings were Ernst, Albert and Walter.
Inscription:
Die liebe hoert nimmer auf. Jer. 29 v 11 Ich weiss wohl was ich fur gedenken ueber euch habe spricht der Herr namlich gedanken des Friedens und nicht des Leidens.
[EN] Love never quits, Jer. 29 v 11: For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."