John George Woldert (July 18, 1814-April 3, 1887) was born at Adorf in Saxony. He became an expert engineer in the army of Germany. Because of military tyranny, he fled to America in 1838. He landed in New York and eventually came to Texas alone in 1839. San Augustine was his first permanent residence, where he lived for eleven years. In 1850, he returned to his homeland and married Miss Alma Edelina Richter (April 6, 1826-August 27, 1881). They came back to Texas in 1853 and settled in Tyler in 1859. Mr. Woldert became a prominent merchant of Tyler.
John and Alma Woldert had several children including the following: John George, Jr. (March 4, 1853-January 2, 1873), William Albert (May 1, 1855-February 26, 1937), Alma Louisa (1857-1883), Theodore Oscar (Sept. 29, 1859-April 21, 1942), Christopher (1861-?), Alexander (Jan. 30, 1865-March 12, 1939), Albert Edwin (1867-1959), Gustave Julius, and Clara Edelina. The 1870 Census includes all of these children except Gustave and Clara, and cites their birthplace as Texas. Several of these children became esteemed in social, political, and church circles.
Theodore Woldert became a prominent lawyer of Tyler and Alexander Woldert became the head of the Woldert Grocery Company in Tyler. Alma Woldert married Judge Webster Finley of Dallas, Texas and had two children. Most of these Wolderts were buried in Oakwood or Rose Hill Cemeteries in Smith County, Texas. William Albert Woldert, Sr. married Miss Loulia (Julia) Dent Pace (March, 1866 January, 1898) and they had three children: Alma Mary; William Albert, Jr.; and Christine Ellen. William Albert Woldert, Sr. traveled through Canada, Mexico, and the United States preserving much old valuable data. He claimed fifty years of active experience and observation, especially in East Texas, as a civil engineer. He wrote his version of such observations, and data gained from early and older inhabitants from personal interviews, in his manuscript, EAST TEXAS in 1932.
Albert (Edwin) Woldert received his early education in the schools of Tyler. He attended the East Texas University, formerly located in Tyler. He chose Medicine as a profession and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1893. Then he practiced medicine in Tyler for about three years. Subsequently, he practiced in Philadelphia until 1901. Again returning to Tyler, he resumed his practice of medicine there until the late 1940's at least. He contributed not only to medical literature during his career but also to historical publications. He wrote the article, "Last of the Cherokees in Texas," in the June, 1923 issue of CHRONICLES OF OKLAHOMA. He also contributed articles to the SOUTHWESTERN HISTORICAL QUARTERLY. He wrote and published the book, A HISTORY OF TYLER AND SMITH COUNTY TEXAS in 1948. His interest and research in early Texas history frequently led him to correspond with Rev. George L. Crocket of San Augustine.("WOLDERT, JOHN GEORGE." The Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/WW/fwo1.html [Accessed Mon Jun 28 11:30:50 US/Central 2004 ]; "WOLDERT, EDWIN ALBERT." The Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/WW/fwo46.html [Accessed Mon Jun 28 11:32:05 US/Central 2004 ]; Johnson, Sid S. Some Biographies of Old Settlers. Tyler, TX: Johnson Publishing, 1900. pp. 60-63; Cemetery Records Smith County Texas. Vol. 1. Tyler, TX: East Texas Genealogical Society, 1981. pp. 34, 72, 93).
