Brunnert
Bernhard Friedrich Brunnert was born in Germany and family legend has it that he first came to the United States and Summit, MS accompanying his daughter, Dorethe, who was to marry Henry Habig, a wealthy Jewish merchant of Summit. He then returned to Germany and brought the rest of his family over. However, he and Dorethe arrived in New York on October 5, 1867 on the ship, Weser, from Bremen, Germany. His wife and 5 of their children didn't come over until May 14, 1870 when they arrived in New York on the ship Frankfort. The family settled in New Orleans.
Bernhard and his wife, Henrietta Sophie Louisa Rodemann, had 14 children tho several died very young and at least one son, Gustave Adolph Frederick William Brunnert (1843-1887), stayed in Germany. Bernhard and Henrietta are both buried in the oldest section of Hollywood cemetery, and both died in 1880.
Their oldest daughter, Johanna, married Alexander Heidenreich. He was born May 23, 1833 in Rign, Russia, died February 20, 1895 and is buried in Jewish Cemetery, Summit, MS. She is buried in Hollywood along with most of their children.
The Heidenreich children included sons Henry (1867-1951) and Ben (1870-1940) who owned B. A. Heidenreich Co., Hardware and Plumbers, 110 Main Street in McComb per the 1914 City Directory. It shows Henry as president but he's also listed as a machinist for the ICRR. Ben was the vice president, secretary-treasurer, and general manager. Ben married Effie Marrette and they had two sons, Marrette and Phillip.
The other children of Johanna and Alexander Heidenreich were Adolph, Julius, Sara Helena married Charles L. Carroll, Effie M., Louis, and Hattie.
Dorethe F. Brunnert and Henry Habig had 4 children: Bernhard, Henrietta, Paul and Henry Habig.
Elise Margarethe Henrietta Brunnert (1851-1904) married Gustave Pixburg and they had two children: Wilhelmina and Paul. Mr. Pixburg was the superintendent of the German Protestant Orphan Asylum in New Orleans.
This Asylum was founded by Lutheran ministers
and opened June 2, 1867 to care for children who lost their parents due to
epidemics and the Civil war.
Helena Louisa Christine Brunnert
(1858-1912) married Louis Hipkins Kell
(1844-1922). Kell
was the foreman of the ICRR machine shops in McComb beginning in 1874 and
continuing in that position for 24+ years.
He was born in Alexandria, Virginia.
His father was an expert coppersmith and affiliated with several
railroads as a skilled mechanic. Louis
started his railroad career in Jackson, TN at the age of 16.
Helena and Louis had 6 daughters: Marie, Julia, Lillie, Bella, Helen and Louise
Kell. The
family lived in a 'commodious' house on Railroad Avenue in McComb, and Mr. and
Mrs. Kell were 'members of the Knights and Ladies of
Honor of McComb City.'
The Brunnert's
other children were: Mathilde (1845-?), Auguste (1846-1846), August Bernhard
(1847-1848), Adolph (1848-1850), Maria (1858-?), Johan (1859-1887), Christian
(1860-?), Henricke (1862-1947), and Auguste C.
(1867-1918).