Ernst Heinrich Barthel was born in 1876 in Nauendorf close to Freiburg, Germany.  His parents were Karl and Julianne Barthel.  Ernst married Maria Augusta Clementine Schierz in 1900 in Dresden.  The marriage license states that they were Lutheran.  Maria's parents were Johanes Gottlieb and Augusta Matthes Schierz of Dresden.  Maria Schierz Barthel was born in 1879 in Dresden and died 1947 in Bowie County.

Ernst's brother-in-law, Richard Schierz, came to Texas first and had even traveled down into Mexico and bought some land there.  When Ernst landed at Galveston, Richard was supposed to meet him.  There were two docks and Richard was at the other one.  Ernst could not speak English and could not ask for help.  He spent the cold night in the bed of a wagon.  Maria came to America six months later with two little girls.  Some members of the family believe that one of them died on the way over.

Ernst was a mason and one of his early jobs here was laying brick for the First Republic Bank Building in Dallas.  He made 50 cents a day.  One day a man came up and alarmed Ernst by trying to talk to him.  He couldn't understand what the man wanted.  One of the other workers asked Ernst why he didn't go with the man, as he was offering to hire Ernst for $5 a day.  Maria and Ernst lived several places before coming to Bowie County.  They saved up money and bought 220 acres here without seeing it in 1909.  It was supposed to be cleared land but was not.

The Bible gives the dates of each child's birth and baptism:
 1. Johanna Marie, born 1901 in Dresden, married Karl Weller
 2. Hildegard Magarethe Irma, born 1902, died 1903
 3. An Infant born 1903, Dallas, Texas
 4. Karl Ernest Gottlid born 1905 in Falls County, married Oren Flemings
 5. Oskar Albert, born 1907 in Falls County, married Mae Pruitt
 6. Herbert Erig, born 1909 in Wichita County, Texas
 7. Wilbert Felig, born 1911 in Bowie County, married Corilda Scott
 8. Kurt NOrbert, born 1915 in Bowie County, married Marie Brown

Ernst Barthel had the first dairy in Bowie County and introduced many modern methods of farming here.  He died in 1967 and is buried beside Maria at Read Hill Cemetery.  Richard Schierz is also buried there.