The Frank L. and Clara Michna Emis Family

Back row (left to right): Frank, Frank L., James, Clara Michna Ermis. Front: Clara (on knee), Charles, Joseph, and Louis (on knee). Clara and Louis were twins born in 1880. This picture would have been taken sometime around 1885, perhaps. Photo and text courtesy of James Ermis.

A retired business man of Engel, Frank L. Ermis is one of the earliest Bohemian settlers of Fayette County, having lived in the State of Texas almost half a century. He has risen from the discouraging conditions which confronted most men of foreign birth and training who arrived in Texas at that time, to a position such as only comparatively few in a business and civic way.

He was born at Frankstad in the province of Moravia, Bohemia, April 11, 1848, and was eighteen years of age when eh came to America. This father, Frank Ermis. A farmer and quarry man by occupation, embarked his family upon board the sailing ship Irish at Bremen in 1866, and after a voyage of twelve weeks, during which a storm drove the vessel four hundred miles out its course, landed in Galveston. At that time, only a year after the close of the Civil War, the railroad mileage of Texas was very limited, and the family rode over the rails as far as the ten terminus of the Southern Pacific, to Alleyton, on the Colorado River and thence a wagon and nine oxen conveyed them to High Hill, where they had friends living. Thence they continued on to Osso in Fayette County, their first point of settlement. Frank Ermis in the second year of his residence in Texas bought land at Praha, and spent the rest of his active career there as a farmer. He died in February 1873, when a little past fifty-three years of age. He married Mary Hermis, who died in 1911, at Praha when eighty-four years of age. They were both active members of the Praha Church, which they helped to build and in which they reared their children in religious instruction. These children were: Johanna, widow of Frank Jureka, of Praha, Mary, who married in Bohemia Cyrill Matula and remained in that country; Frank L.; Joseph, an extensive farmer in Shiner, Texas; Bertha, who married John Bucek and lives in El Campo; Annie, who married Nick Brod, of Shiner, and Agnes, now deceased, who married Charles Gallia.

Frank L. Ermis received his early education in the village of Kozlovic in Moravia and after coming to Texas acquired considerable instruction from local teachers. The beginning of his career was one of hard manual labor. For some time he was employed in a stone quarry and as a mason at wages of “four bits” per day with board. During two winters he clerked in a store at old Flatonia for $12 to $15 a month and board. From these occupations he returned to the farm, married, spent the first year in operating the old homestead for his mother, then bought a place in Vellehrad on the Lavaca County line, which was his home for ten years. The land when it came into his ownership was absolutely unimproved, but he left it as a valuable farm, and was the owner of 300 acres when he sold out. His steady industry and good management gave him the foundation for his subsequent prosperity.

In 1880, having sold his farm, Mr. Ermis removed to Hallettsville and became a merchant. For five years he sold goods as a general merchant, and also was an extensive buyer of cotton. He had some business reverses and finally sold his interests in Hallettsville, and with three partners bought 9,000 acres of school and in Lavaca, Dewitt and Gonzales Counties.

He at once removed to this land and undertook its improvement. He put up several tenant houses, ,built a gin, established a post office under the name Hermis, of which he was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by his son. After a few years he sold all his land, and concentrated hi attention for seven years upon the management of the store and cotton gin. Eventually he sold this property, returned to Vellehrad, bought another farm and of the 425 acres he bought he still owns 208 acres. In 1912 Mr. Ermis removed to Engel and bought the various business interests of I. J. Gallia, consisting of houses, stock, land and other properties in the village. Here he again became identified with merchandising, but is only a silent partner in the firm of Engel Hardware & Furniture Company, handling a large stock of furniture, hardware, implements, wagons, and buggies. Mr. Ermis owns a small farm of 18 acres adjoining the village limits and his home is one of the best in that community. He has given extensive repairs to all his own business houses and has built several structures for the accommodation of his own and other enterprises.

Since reaching his majority Mr. Ermis has acted and voted as an American citizen and has manifested an intelligent interest in affairs around him. From association with neighbors and friends he naturally inclined to the democratic party and has served many years as school trustee while living in Hallettsville, Vellehrad, and Shiner. His only other official service was postmaster at Hermis as already mentioned.

On September 2, 1870, Mr. Ermis married Ms. Clara Michni, daughter of Vancil Michni, who died in Victoria County, Texas, at the wonderful age of ninety-eight years. Vancil Michni was born in the same village where Mr. Ermis saw the first light of day. He married Mary Hollub. The Michni children were: Mary, who died as the wife of James Gahanak; Johanna, now deceased, who married Antone Gahanak; Mrs. Ermis, who was born June 5, 1852; Joseph, of Kennedy, Texas; Rudolph, of Wichita Falls, Texas; and James, of Refugio County.

The children of Mr. And Mrs. Ermis are mentioned briefly as follows: James, who died in Seymour, Texas, married Louisa Pacha; Frank, a farmer in Moulton; Joseph, who is a large farmer near Shiner, married Frances Malena; Charles, who married Annie Kosack and lives at Vallehrad; Louis, a farmer at Moulton, married Louisa Palica; Willie, a farmer from Engel; Emma, who married Hendre Orsak, an Engle merchant; Lucy, who is the wife of Joseph Farek. The son, Frank, mentioned among the above children married, Lillie Pecha.

Excerpted from: A History of Texas and Texans, By Frank W. Johnson, edited and Brought to Date by Eugene C. Barker, Ph. D., Professor of American History, The University of Texas, with the Assistance of Ernest William Winkler, M. A., Texas State Librarian, to which are added Historical, Statistical and Descriptive Matter pertaining to the important Local Divisions of the State, and biographical accounts of Leaders and Representative of the State in Commerce, Industry, and Modern activity. Volume III (pages 1383-84), The American Historical Society, Chicago and New York, 1916. (Reproduced from the holding of the Texas State Archives)

The copy of this article was provided by James Ermis and I am very grateful for his years of research, information preservation, and willingness to share.

	Frank L. Ermis--A Texan

	Back row (left to right): Frank, Frank L., James, Clara Michna Ermis. Front: Clara (on knee), Charles, Joseph, and Louis (on knee). Clara and Louis were twins born in 1880. This picture would have been taken sometime around 1885, perhaps. Photo and text courtesy of James Ermis. A retired business man of Engel, Frank L. Ermis is one of the earliest Bohemian settlers of Fayette County, having lived in the State of Texas almost half a century. He has risen from the discouraging conditions which confronted most men of foreign birth and training who arrived in Texas at that time, to a position such as only comparatively few in a business and civic way. He was born at Frankstad in the province of Moravia, Bohemia, April 11, 1848, and was eighteen years of age when eh came to America. This father, Frank Ermis. A farmer and quarry man by occupation, embarked his family upon board the sailing ship Irish at Bremen in 1866, and after a voyage of twelve weeks, during which a storm drove the vessel four hundred miles out its course, landed in Galveston. At that time, only a year after the close of the Civil War, the railroad mileage of Texas was very limited, and the family rode over the rails as far as the ten terminus of the Southern Pacific, to Alleyton, on the Colorado River and thence a wagon and nine oxen conveyed them to High Hill, where they had friends living. Thence they continued on to Osso in Fayette County, their first point of settlement. Frank Ermis in the second year of his residence in Texas bought land at Praha, and spent the rest of his active career there as a farmer. He died in February 1873, when a little past fifty-three years of age. He married Mary Hermis, who died in 1911, at Praha when eighty-four years of age. They were both active members of the Praha Church, which they helped to build and in which they reared their children in religious instruction. These children were: Johanna, widow of Frank Jureka, of Praha, Mary, who married in Bohemia Cyrill Matula and remained in that country; Frank L.; Joseph, an extensive farmer in Shiner, Texas; Bertha, who married John Bucek and lives in El Campo; Annie, who married Nick Brod, of Shiner, and Agnes, now deceased, who married Charles Gallia. Frank L. Ermis received his early education in the village of Kozlovic in Moravia and after coming to Texas acquired considerable instruction from local teachers. The beginning of his career was one of hard manual labor. For some time he was employed in a stone quarry and as a mason at wages of “four bits” per day with board. During two winters he clerked in a store at old Flatonia for $12 to $15 a month and board. From these occupations he returned to the farm, married, spent the first year in operating the old homestead for his mother, then bought a place in Vellehrad on the Lavaca County line, which was his home for ten years. The land when it came into his ownership was absolutely unimproved, but he left it as a valuable farm, and was the owner of 300 acres when he sold out. His steady industry and good management gave him the foundation for his subsequent prosperity. In 1880, having sold his farm, Mr. Ermis removed to Hallettsville and became a merchant. For five years he sold goods as a general merchant, and also was an extensive buyer of cotton. He had some business reverses and finally sold his interests in Hallettsville, and with three partners bought 9,000 acres of school and in Lavaca, Dewitt and Gonzales Counties. He at once removed to this land and undertook its improvement. He put up several tenant houses, ,built a gin, established a post office under the name Hermis, of which he was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by his son. After a few years he sold all his land, and concentrated hi attention for seven years upon the management of the store and cotton gin. Eventually he sold this property, returned to Vellehrad, bought another farm and of the 425 acres he bought he still owns 208 acres. In 1912 Mr. Ermis removed to Engel and bought the various business interests of I. J. Gallia, consisting of houses, stock, land and other properties in the village. Here he again became identified with merchandising, but is only a silent partner in the firm of Engel Hardware & Furniture Company, handling a large stock of furniture, hardware, implements, wagons, and buggies. Mr. Ermis owns a small farm of 18 acres adjoining the village limits and his home is one of the best in that community. He has given extensive repairs to all his own business houses and has built several structures for the accommodation of his own and other enterprises. Since reaching his majority Mr. Ermis has acted and voted as an American citizen and has manifested an intelligent interest in affairs around him. From association with neighbors and friends he naturally inclined to the democratic party and has served many years as school trustee while living in Hallettsville, Vellehrad, and Shiner. His only other official service was postmaster at Hermis as already mentioned. On September 2, 1870, Mr. Ermis married Ms. Clara Michni, daughter of Vancil Michni, who died in Victoria County, Texas, at the wonderful age of ninety-eight years. Vancil Michni was born in the same village where Mr. Ermis saw the first light of day. He married Mary Hollub. The Michni children were: Mary, who died as the wife of James Gahanak; Johanna, now deceased, who married Antone Gahanak; Mrs. Ermis, who was born June 5, 1852; Joseph, of Kennedy, Texas; Rudolph, of Wichita Falls, Texas; and James, of Refugio County. The children of Mr. And Mrs. Ermis are mentioned briefly as follows: James, who died in Seymour, Texas, married Louisa Pacha; Frank, a farmer in Moulton; Joseph, who is a large farmer near Shiner, married Frances Malena; Charles, who married Annie Kosack and lives at Vallehrad; Louis, a farmer at Moulton, married Louisa Palica; Willie, a farmer from Engel; Emma, who married Hendre Orsak, an Engle merchant; Lucy, who is the wife of Joseph Farek. The son, Frank, mentioned among the above children married, Lillie Pecha. Excerpted from: A History of Texas and Texans, By Frank W. Johnson, edited and Brought to Date by Eugene C. Barker, Ph. D., Professor of American History, The University of Texas, with the Assistance of Ernest William Winkler, M. A., Texas State Librarian, to which are added Historical, Statistical and Descriptive Matter pertaining to the important Local Divisions of the State, and biographical accounts of Leaders and Representative of the State in Commerce, Industry, and Modern activity. Volume III (pages 1383-84), The American Historical Society, Chicago and New York, 1916. (Reproduced from the holding of the Texas State Archives) The copy of this article was provided by James Ermis and I am very grateful for his years of research, information preservation, and willingness to share. Home