Adelheid Schumann Kloss

ADELHEID MACHEMEHL SCHUMANN KLOSS was born March 26, 1907, in Bellville, Texas, the eldest daughter of L.A. and Adelheid (Reichardt) Machemehl. She graduated from Bellville high school in 1925 and enrolled in Southwest Texas Teachers College. After one year of college, she began teaching in a one-room school house at the Ives Creek School. While at Ives Creek, she was the only teacher for the first to seventh grade and seventh grade English. Adelheid married Herbert Carl Schumann in 1931 and assumed the role of farm wife by helping her husband with all the farm chores. She was responsible for making butter and sausage and for selling this along with eggs to various people in the Bellville community. In 1955 her husband, Herbert, lost a lengthy battle with cancer. Adelheid returned again to school and enrolled in the University of Houston where she completed her education degree and obtained her teacher's certificate. She returned to Bellville and began teaching the fourth grade at Bellville Elementary for a total of 23 years. Adelheid married Richard Kloss of Millheim in 1959. The couple enjoyed attending dances, various community functions, church engagements, and many vacations until Richard's death in 1992. Adelheid attributed her physical well-being to God's blessing which enabled her to attend twice weekly water therapy sessions in Brenham, other active physical activities, and her passion, a 60' by 80' garden which she worked by hand to give produce to relatives and friends. "You have to get up early in the morning to beat the old grandma," Kloss jokingly remarked. "I enjoy being active and attending various community events- that's what keeps me going!" Adelheid loved her church and was a life-long member of St. John Lutheran Church of Bellville, where at the age of 15, she began playing the pump organ. She attended church every Sunday, regularly participated in the Mary Circle and taught Sunday School for a number of years. She was also active in the Bellville, Garden Club, the retired Teachers Association, Bellville Historical Society, Austin County Aggie Mom's, the Herman Sons, Extension Homemakers, the Bluebonnet Chapter of the German Society, and the Millheim Hall Auxiliary. She maintained an active interest in all school and community activities and was enthusiastic of the Bellville Brahma football team. In addition to her more than 100 ribbons and trophies awarded at the Austin County Fair, Adelheid won many awards in the Austin County Pecan show. At the State Extension Homemakers meeting in 2003, she was given the "Texas Treasures Award." She was selected in 2004 to serve as Grand Marshal of the Austin County Fair Parade. Adelheid was called to be with the Lord on April 22, 2011, at the age of 104. She is kept in loving memory by her SON and DAUGHTER-IN-LAW: Herbert and Laura Schumann; STEP-SON: J.C. Kloss and his wife, Glenda; GRANDCHILDREN: Brian Schumann and his wife, Kristi, Deanna Porter and her husband, Doug, Scott Schumann and his wife, Kelly, and Brenda Schumann; STEP-GRANDCHILDREN: Ricky Kloss and his wife, Debbie, Jeff Kloss and his wife, Jennifer and Tracy Carlson; GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: Hunter Schumann, James Schumann, Katie Schumann, Laura Porter, and Dylan Porter; STEP-GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: Richard Kloss, Michelle Kloss, Spencer Kloss, Emil Kloss, Kara Carlson and fiancée Steven Carpenter, and Corey Carlson; STEP GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: Ryan Dahl and Tyler Dahl. Also included in her family are numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Adelheid was preceded in death by her two husbands, Herbert Carl Schumann and Richard Kloss, her parents, L.A. Machemehl and Adelheid Reichardt Machemehl, and her four brothers, Louis Jr., Borel, Charles and Milton Machemehl.