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My gg grandfather. Nicolas Bluntzer was honored 18 Nov 1990 with the dedication of a historical
marker by members of the Nueces County Historical Commission near the original
Bluntzer ranch now owned by the Sisters of Incarnate Word and Blessed
Sacrament. Nicolas was honored for his efforts in settling northeastern Nueces
County and his involvement in community affairs. He arrived in the US at age 9
and moved to Nueces County around 1861. He served in the Texas Militia and at
age 22 he served as a scout for the then Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee
during a punitive action against the Comanches. His military career also
included service with a Confederate cavalry unit during the Civil War. Nicolas
died while on a visit to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1901. At the time of his
death, he owned approximately 60,000 acres of land and was one of the largest
taxpayers in Nueces County. He was elected posthumously to the South Texas
Cowboy Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to ranching and the
cattle industry. In 1958 the original Bluntzer ranch house and 300 acres of
the original home place were bequeathed to the Sisters by Fannie Bluntzer Nason,
youngest daughter of Nicolas and Justina, who had inherited the house and land
from her parents. The house, built in 1875, has been maintained by the Sisters
ever since.
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