SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Joshua D. Brown Chapter of Kerrville held a medallion ceremony November 4, honoring Joseph Vincent Phillip and Barbara Schweizer Phillip. The ceremony was held at the Kreutzberg Cemetery in Boerne, Texas.
Joseph Vincent Phillip was born in Pilsen, Bohmen (Bohemia) on July 10, 1810, and became a carpenter. He served in the military for some time. Joseph then settled in Alsace Lorraine, France, where he met Barbara Schweizer and married her in 1839. Barbara was born September 17, 1817, in Alsace Lorraine.
While living in Alsace Lorraine, on January 16, 1840, Joseph Phillip was born to Joseph and Barbara Phillip. On June 1, 1841, a second son was born, Wilhelm; but he died as an infant in 1841 or 1842.
In early 1843, Joseph and Barbara decided to immigrate to America with other families. While onboard the ship, son Julius Paul Phillip was born on December 2, 1843.
The Phillip family of four finally arrived at Indianola, Texas, and then traveled to New Braunfels where they stayed for a short time. Joseph and Barbara moved to San Antonio, where Joseph built a small home for his family and paid taxes in Bexar County in 1845.
During 1847, Joseph and Barbara sold their home in San Antonio and moved west to what is now Kendall County. They lived in a cavern for some time before Joseph could build a rock home for the growing family.
He built a Wooden Cross on a hilltop so that he could easily identify his home place from the other cedar/oak tree covered hills. The area thus became known as Kreutzberg (Cross Hill).
The couple had five more children: Anton Vincent, born October 27, 1849; Katherine Phillip Pfeiffer, born January 1,1851; Regina Phillip Stendenbach, born April 3, 1854; Louise Phillip Scheele, born July 26, 1856; and Adam Vincent, born September 22, 1858. All the children received their education at the Kreutzberg one-room schoolhouse and Boerne schools. All the children married residents of the area. Some of the couples moved to other area communities, but most stayed close to Boerne and Kendall County.
The Phillip family would have family reunions at the Kreutzberg schoolhouse/Schtizen Verien (Shooting Club) where all the descendants would return for a huge potluck lunch and visitation time, with the younger children playing games around the Cross on the Hill and the cedar and oak trees.
Joseph Vincent Phillip died August 11, 1905, at his home and was laid to rest in the Kreutzberg Cemetery. Six months later Barbara died on February 21, 1906, and was laid to rest beside her husband. Their tombstone was placed at the head of their graves in 1906 by members of their family.
Sometimes the Kreutzberg Cemetery is known as the Phillip Cemetery. Other family members and community members are buried in this small rural cemetery.
The inscription on the tomb
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