More good stories from our neighbors who add to our sense of place here . . .

WANDA AND EMORY MUEHLBRAD, whose grandparents were born in Germany, looked at each other and chuckled when we asked them to tell us their full names, during our interview with them in 2008:

Wanda: My name is Wandalie Wilhelmine Hohertz Muehlbrad.

Emory: I’m Emory Emil Wilhelm Muehlbrad. We come from German stock!

BEN PETMECKY probably led a more unconventional life than most of his Brentwood neighbors in the mid-1950s. For four years, he and his male partner lived in a small contemporary home, designed by a University of Texas architecture student and made of Transite panels. It was at 5512 (now 5514) Joe Sayers and surrounded by a high wall. One of Ben’s favorite memories of that time is of their pet puma, Thor (right), that they had for about a year.

Ben was a teacher, writer (Confessions of a Tobacco Addict), and free-spirited world traveler. He also was a World War II veteran and felt a strong connection to family. He was a fifth-generation Texan and fourth-generation Austinite. His second-great-grandfather Gottfried Joseph Petmecky, a teacher and composer who had been born in Austria in 1809, was among the first settlers of New Braunfels, Texas, in 1845. Ben’s great-grandfather Joseph Carl Petmecky was a well-known gunsmith and innovative spur designer. J. C. owned a large hardware store on Congress Avenue in Austin beginning in the late 1800s. (Read more about Ben on our website here and here.)

In May 2009, we interviewed Ben, then in his 80s, at his and his partner’s home outside Austin. What touched me most about meeting him was his generous spirit, the deep caring between him and his partner (together 50+ years), and the endless stream of kind friends who stopped by to visit and assist them. After Ben passed away in October 2011, his partner wrote to us:

We are happy to have the DVD of Ben talking about some of the good old days. Thank you for it.

A favorite story from our project is from May 2010, when we interviewed MICKEY PEASE BAUER and her husband, Jim. Mickey, who grew up on a modest farm in what is now Brentwood, wondered how she could find out about her emigrant ancestors, especially since she doesn’t use a computer. I told her it can be challenging, unless by chance someone already has published a book on them, which doesn’t happen very often. I went home and did a quick online search to see what I could find. To my surprise, I found a 1000-page book, The Pease Family of Great Baddow, England, and it included Mickey’s direct line and her family’s connection to prominent Austinite Elisha Pease. She was thrilled to find out about it. Read more about Mickey and her family here and here.

As with those neighbors’ stories, a more recent one also is a testament to the value of building bridges that connect past, present, and future.

In November 2010, we interviewed neighbors at the Friends of Brentwood Park’s historic tree planting. (You can view the film we made about it here.) Some neighbors planted trees in memory of someone special—some older, some very young—who had died. They could only imagine how large the trees would grow and how much people in the future would enjoy them. Still, no one doubted that the effort was worthwhile.

KELLI AND RICHARD MAY (above) planted a Mexican sycamore in memory of their daughter Madeleine and in honor of their daughter Alaina (above). Here’s what Richard shared with us that day:

There is something majestic about having trees that are 40- to 60-feet tall. It shows—no pun intended—the roots we have in this community. That’s what this event is all about. Symbolically and tangibly showing our roots in Austin. Being here for a hundred years, and being here for hundreds of years more.

(More stories about neighbors who plant and care for our trees here.)

We interviewed Wanda and Emory Muehlbrad in February 2008; Ben Petmecky in May 2009; Mickey and Jim Bauer in May 2010; and Kelli and Richard May in November 2010. DVDs of their videotaped interviews are at the Austin History Center.

Stop by again! Much more to come on Voices of the Violet Crown.