A tearful, hushed Seguin and Guadalupe County paid its last respects, Wednesday to the victims of a near unbelievable tragedy.
    The occasion was the double funeral for Seguin School Superintendent and Mrs. Alvin J. Briesemeister at `0 a.m. at Emanuel's Lutheran Church.
    It was a hushed occasion because of the deep shock created in this community by the couple's death Sunday in an auto wreck near Rosenberg.
    And it was tearful because of the deep love and respect Seguin and Guadalupe County felt for the Briesemeisters.
    Tearful also because of the incredible occasion for such a tragedy to occur.
    Briesemeister, lovingly referred to as "Breezy" by his friends and associates, was to have retired at the end of this month after serving in the teaching profession for 47 years.
    The last 39 of those years was spent in the Seguin Independent School District, 14 as superintendent.
    Sunday's accident occurred when the couple was returning from a visit with their daughter, Mrs. Albert Fisher of Houston.  Mrs. Briesemeister was driving in a rainstorm three miles west of Rosenberg shortly after 3 p.m. when they collided with an automobile occupied by a family from Nacogdoches.
    A 21-year-old mother was killed in the second car.  Her husband is still in critical condition, and their daughter suffered a broken arm.
    Services for the Briesemeisters were officiated by the rev. Daniel Schorlemer.  Interment was in the Guadalupe Valley Memorial Park under the auspices of the Seguin Masonic Lodge.  Arrangements were by the Goetz Funeral Home.
    Survivors include three sons, Henry Hayden, of San Antonio, Charles Edward of  Dallas and Alvin J., Jr. of Oklahoma City; one daughter, Mrs. Fisher of Houston; and seven grandchildren.
    He is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Benno Gold of Seguin.
    Mrs. Briesemeister is survived by two half sisters, Mrs. Howard Merrion of San Antonio and Mrs. A. J. Lehmann of New Orleans.
    Pallbearers were Don Merrion, O. W. Weigang, Harris Pybus, Benno Fisbeck, Milton Shaw, Chris Deschner, A. G. Gustafson and Eugene Naumann.
    Masonic bearers were Ralph Crockett, O. D. Buck, Bill Ray, Bruce Gregg, Malcom Tigett, L. C. Liston, Robt. Blumberg and Jack Gingrich.
    Briesemeister's term as superintendent during the past 14 years was easily the most active period of growth in the history of the Seguin Independent School District.
    Those particular years saw him as head of an organization that constructed almost $3 million in new  school buildings, had an annual budget increase of 500 percent, personnel by 300 percent and student enrollment by 400 per cent.
    Construction of the new school buildings, via successful bond issues, totaled an actual $2,818,000 to foster a dozen school building monuments to the sound leadership and aid of the deceased.
    Budget for the school district grew from $599,544, with almost half marked for construction purposes in 1949, to last year's $1.7 million of which only $60,000 was for construction.        
    Other measurements of the enormous growth of the district during Briesemeister's tenure are revealed by the personnel increases.
    Professional employees increased fro 89 in 1949 to a current 205, and the student enrollment grew from 1,128 to a current 4,278.  
    Those bond issues were for the various school construction projects as follows:
    Two additions and a gymnasium at Joe F. Saegert School, the new Seguin High School;  new Seguin High School and two additions; a field house and stadium; the Lizzie M. Burges Elementary School; and the Ball High School addition, shop and gymnasium.
     Also, the new Jefferson Avenue Elementary School and one addition, two additions at F. C. Weinert School and two additions at Juan Seguin School.
    Briesemeister received his original teaching certificate from Southwest Texas State in 1915, and his B. A. degree from the same school in 1925.  He then received his M. A. degree from Texas University in 1937.
    His teaching career started in Comal County's Mission Valley School District during 1915-1917.  The two years following he served with the U.S. Army during World War I.
    Following this period, he taught during 1919-1921 in the Ebert School District in Gonzales County.
    He first taught in Guadalupe County in 1925-1926 when he was employed by the Clemens School District.
    And then on May 27, 1926, he became principal of Seguin High School, a position that expanded also into his role as assistant superintendent April 18, 1943.
    He became superintendent during the fall of 1949.
    He has served as president of the local Chamber of Commerce, president of the Texas Lutheran College Board of Regents, district deputy grand master of the Masonic Lodge and president of the Seguin Lions Club.
    Crises during his tenure as superintendent occurred when the Ball High School gymnasium burned down and later when the tower at the new high school was destroyed by Hurricane Carla.
Seguin Gazette, June 9, 1965