Hildebrand, Mrs. Walter Junius (Edith Fly)

Edith Fly Hildebrand (1877-1952) of Gonzales, Texas, a civic leader and expert horticulturist, was the daughter of W. S. Fly, Judge of the Fourth Court of Civil Appeals, and the granddaughter of Thomas J. Pilgrim, Baptist teacher and founder of the first Sunday school in Texas. She married Walter Junius Hildebrand, a Gonzales medical doctor, who died from pneumonia in 1919. Hildebrand, an ardent club member, organized women’s clubs in Gonzales including the Women’s Study Club, the Sesame Club, and the Garden Club. A well-known authority on Texas flowers, Hildebrand also helped develop Palmetto State Park near Gonzales during the 1930s. Upon her death in 1952, Hildebrand deeded her estate to the University of Texas and bequeathed $45,000 to the University for a scholarship fund. The fund, named for her late husband, awarded scholarships to medical students from Texas.

From the guide to the Hildebrand, Mrs. Walter Junius Papers 1953., 1837, 1880-1930, 1952, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Edith Fly Hildebrand (1877-1952) of Gonzales, Texas, a civic leader and expert horticulturist, was the daughter of W. S. Fly, Judge of the Fourth Court of Civil Appeals, and the granddaughter of Thomas J. Pilgrim, Baptist teacher and founder of the first Sunday school in Texas.

She married Walter Junius Hildebrand, a Gonzales medical doctor, who died from pneumonia in 1919. Hildebrand, an ardent club member, organized women's clubs in Gonzales including the Women's Study Club, the Sesame Club, and the Garden Club. A well-known authority on Texas flowers, Hildebrand also helped develop Palmetto State Park near Gonzales during the 1930s. Upon her death in 1952, Hildebrand deeded her estate to the University of Texas and bequeathed $45,000 to the University for a scholarship fund. The fund, named for her late husband, awarded scholarships to medical students from Texas.

Sources: "Hildebrand, Mrs. W. J," Vertical Files, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

From the description of Hildebrand, Mrs. Walter Junius Papers, 1837, 1880-1930, 1952 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 741951952