Carolina Schubert Kadura

by Marian H. Nelson

Carolina Kadura at her home in Rockne (circa 1916).

My great grandmother Carolina Schubert Kadura is an inspiration of love and courage and part of my strong family heritage of faith. She was born in Wegry, Silesia, Prussia on Jan. 1, 1838, but immigrated to Texas at the age of 33, arriving in Galveston on December 19, 1871. Carolina had not wanted to leave her home in the old country since she owned an acre of land with a nice garden and a cow and had a job. She said, “Ich hat handschue genaehet” (I sewed gloves). Nevertheless, her husband Joe persuaded her to come to the new world and she left it all behind.

The journey was difficult from the beginning. Joe and Carolina had six children under age ten and lost a two-year-old daughter on the ship. They later had two more children in Texas. In her mid-thirties, Carolina Kadura was very brave and with a strong faith was determined to do well in the new land. She even hired help and worked with the men to round up wild horses to sell.

On a visit to Wegry, Silesia, in present day Poland, I discovered the foundation of my great grandmother’s faith, her beloved church. Carolina had often talked about the home church she loved, the Mother of Perpetual Help Church. Looking up at the beautiful icon of Mother of Perpetual Help over the side altar, I recalled the beautiful story that my mother Clara had told me about Carolina Kadura’s faith. Carolina often hitched her horse to a buggy and took eggs to Austin to sell. Normally she had a hired hand with her but on this occasion she was alone and was robbed. Her family told her to carry a gun for protection, but Carolina held up a holy card of the Mother of Perpetual Help and said, “This is the only protection I need.”

In her later years, Carolina Kadura drove her horse and buggy to Mass during the week. Her son Joe Jr. was afraid she could not handle the horse anymore, so he moved her to a home adjacent to the church. Alfred Goertz spoke lovingly about her saying she was always very kind to the schoolchildren and offered him tomato wine when he helped with her cow. Carolina Kadura died Jan 18, 1927 in Rockne, Texas, and left a legacy of her faith in God, her family, and the church under the protection of Mother of Perpetual Help.