Rev. Jindrich Juren and the Brethren Church of Texas Collection

Identity elements

Reference code

TxAM-CRS 987

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Collection

Title

Rev. Jindrich Juren and the Brethren Church of Texas Collection

Date(s)

  • 1995 (Creation)
  • 1900-2014; Undated (Creation)

Extent

1 box

Name of creator

(1850-1921)

Biographical history

Jindrich (Henry) Juren was born in Cermna, Bohemia on March 20, 1850. The son of Antonia (Kosut) and Reverend Cenek Juren, the minister at the local Evangelical Brethren Unity Church. After receiving his primary education through the public schools in and around the Cermna area, Jindrich served twelve months of compulsory military training in the Austrian army. From there, following in his father's ministerial footsteps, Jindrich became fluent in Czech, English, German, French, and Polish while he studied theology at several universities in Bonn, Germany, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Basel, Switzerland where he completed his seminary studies.

At the age of 26, while still residing in Europe as a theological student, Jindrich Juren was recommended by Rev. Ludwig Chlumsky to serve as the pastor for the Ross Praire Czech-Moravian Brethren Church in Texas. He accepted the call, arriving in Ross Prairie in early 1876, and shortly after in April of the same year, Jindrich was ordained in the new Brethern Church. In December 1876, Rev. Juren married Frantiska (Frances) Schiller of Industry, Texas.

Rev. Juren served not only the local congregation but was left to alone serve all members of the Unity of the Brethren in Texas when Rev. Chlumsky returned to Moravia around 1880. From 1881-1888, Rev. Juren traveled by horse and buggy, or train to surrounding congregations to provide services in or near Caldwell, Granger, Hallettsville, Industry, Shiner, Smithville, Taylor, Temple, Wallis, Wesley, West, and other Central Texas Communities. Alongside his ministerial duties, he was a public school teacher for 40 years while living between Fayetteville, Wesley, and Industry. However, Rev. Juren stayed in Fayetteville, Texas for a total of 32 years and provided a solid 45 years as resident pastor for his congregation in Ross Prairie.

Rev. Juren had a total of fourteen children, twelve living into adulthood, with his wife Frantiska before her passing on February 10, 1906. In 1911, Rev. Juren married widow Anna Jubin Mikeska with whom he had 3 children, two of which died in infancy.

Rev. Jindrich Juren died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston, Texas of esophageal cancer on May 2, 1921. He was buried in the Czech-Moravian Brethren Evangelical Cemetery at Ross Prairie, now known as the Fayetteville Brethren Cemetery. Also buried in the cemetery are Rev. Juren's first wife Frantiska and his second wife Anna who passed on April 5, 1965. The cemetery also contains the Rev. Jindrich Juren historical marker.

Reverend Jindirch Juren, A Dedicated Circuit MInister by Carolyn Heinsohn

Fayetteville Brethren Cemetery

D. A. Juren, “Juren, Jindrich,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed November 07, 2022, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/juren-jindrich

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This collection contains materials collected in relation to the dedication and celebration of the Historical Marker for Rev. Jindrich Juren, though the materials range in date from 1900 to 2014, the bulk of the materials are from 1995.

Materials include correspondence, historical and biographical data regarding both Fayetteville Brethren Church and Houston Brethren Church, publications in English and Czech, a copy of the Texas Historical Marker application to the Texas Historical Commission, and multiple news clippings about the dedication celebration that took place on October 1, 1995.

System of arrangement

This collection is arranged by date and thereunder chronologically where applicable.

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

The publications in folders 1 and 2 are very fragile with missing and loose pages. Handling of these items must be done by Cushing personnel.

Physical access

These materials are stored offsite and require additional time for retrieval.

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Languages of the material

  • Czech
  • English

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Finding aids

Acquisition and appraisal elements

Custodial history

Immediate source of acquisition

Donated by Larry Mitchell, March 27, 2014.

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