My grandmother, Kathryn Becker Lehman, was born September 15, 1862. Her parents were Adam Becker and Mary Maddux Becker of Pin Oak, Texas.

In 1849, Adam Becker added one large (14x16) room on his log home to be used for church services. They ordered a church bell from Germany that arrived at the port of Indianola, Texas. Adam picked up the bell and carried it on a mule back to the church. He dropped it along the way and it was cracked but Adam repaired the bell. When the community decided to build a permanent church, just across Pin Oak Creek, they wanted to purchase a “good“ bell but Mary Becker rolled the bell across Pin Oak Creek from her home and made them put the old bell in the new church, where it remains today. Adam also made the wooden Stations of the Cross, the wooden candleholders for the altar, and the six standing candleholders used around the casket at funerals. All of these are still in use in 2007.

Kathryn, the daughter of Adam and Mary Becker married Julius Lehman in 1885. They built their home in Rockne, Texas where they raised a family of eleven children. “Grandma Katie”, as her grandchildren lovingly called her, was born of sturdy stock, worked in the fields and raised her children to be good Catholics and good citizens. Four of their daughters became Divine Providence Sisters, one son died in infancy, one daughter, Mary, remained single and took care of Grandma Lehman, and the remainder married and raised their children away from Rockne. Son Henry, my father, came back to Rockne in 1946 and lived in the old home place after Grandma Katie and Aunt Mary moved to a new home a little farther from the road. Some time before we moved to Rockne, a man tried to get into the house during the night. Aunt Mary was strong and held the door shut while Granny Lehman went across the field to Uncle Philip Goertz’s home. When Aunt Mary knew that Granny was far enough away she let go of the door and ran to the back door. She kept running and got away as well. After that, they were afraid to stay in the old home so her sons built a new home with Frank Goertz’s help. It had stronger doors, locks, and double screens, etc. and was back in the woods so it wasn’t too visible from the road. They felt safe in their new home.

Grandma Katie lived another 30 years after Grandpa Julius died in 1930 when he was 71 years of age. During those years, she walked from her home, about half a mile, to the church to attend daily Mass. I remember seeing Grandma when we were in Sacred Heart School and attended daily Mass as well. We saw Grandma walking to church, all bent over (I imagine from arthritis) and moving slowly but surely to her favorite place in the pews.

When it rained Grandma still walked to church. Some of the boys would watch on rainy days to see whether the rain would stop while Grandma walked to church. It did stop raining until she got to the church and then would start up again when she got inside. Rev. Claude Faust was pastor of Sacred Heart and knew Grandma Katie. In his sermon at her funeral, he mentioned the fact about the rain stopping so that Grandma could get to church without getting wet. He also commented about her being a devoted loving person.

She was bedridden for several years before she died and Members of St. Ann’s Society sat up at night so Aunt Mary could get some rest. I remember sitting up and watching Grandma’s fingers as they kept moving them as though she was praying the rosary, even though she was not holding the rosary. She was the most devout person I have ever known.