Boerne's Twin Legacy

“We had a great time growing up…we could outswim, outrun, and outride practically any boy. I will never regret one minute of my childhood, and a having a twin sister to share it with-to have had all these experiences, and to be able to sit back and talk with her today. She will remember things that I have forgotten, and I will remember things she has forgotten. Her heart is here, just like mine.”

Juanita Herff Chipman 1980

Juanita Herff Chipman and Carolyn Herff Kennon are identical twin sisters who were born in 1922. The sisters were raised by their grandparents as their young mother died shortly after they were born. They are part of a large clan of descendants of Dr. Ferdinand Herff, arguably the town of Boerne’s biggest supporters and promoters who acquired many acres of land in the Boerne area back in its beginning.

They agreed to meet with me for an interview about their childhood days spent in Boerne. The sisters’ love of the Hill Country became very evident as they reminisced with me about their summers along the Cibolo Creek. It is the same love and appreciation for the area that their great, great grandfather held five generations earlier. The Herff family continues to be strong supporters of the City of Boerne. The Herff family donated the land for the Kendall County Fairground in 1913, and the sisters donated the land where Boerne High School was built. Juanita’s daughter, Carolyn Chipman Evans (founder of the CNC), and her husband Brett Evans are activists for additional “green” spaces in Boerne.

Carolyn and Juanita spent the first four years of their life in Boerne. Their grandmother, who raised them, became sick with the flu and pneumonia (lung sickness). The air and climate was thought to be healthier here than in San Antonio where they lived with their grandmother. Once their grandmother recovered, they only returned to Boerne in the summers.

“The Cibolo Creek was our playground”, both sisters remembered, “We played outdoors all day long.” The sisters remember swinging on grapevines and dropping into the creek, building dams, catching insects, and lots of horseback riding. “Our grandparents gave us children a cart and a Shetland pony to pull it. We drove it everywhere. As we got older, we could ride horses anywhere on the ranch and we rode as far as 21 miles out. We camped and cooked out. Our grandmother never worried about us.” “We could tell what time it was because the train came by the Herff Ranch at 10 a.m. every morning and at 3 p.m. every afternoon. We could hear the Boerne noon whistle and we could tell time by the sun and when we got hungry”.

The sisters enjoyed making brooms out of broom weed. They used the brooms to sweep the earth smooth so that they could lay rocks down to make “houses” with many rooms. They spent one whole summer creating a miniature golf course when someone gave them some old golf clubs. “Live Oak trees are great for climbing” Carolyn said. “The Cibolo Creek had rapids on it back then, our Dad made us kayaks to play in the water.” Another favorite spot on the Herff Ranch was “the Canyon”, as their grandmother called it, or Herff Falls as it was known to the townsfolk. Near this spot, the cousins had a boys’ camp and a girls’ camp.

Indoors the sisters enjoyed making paper dolls and clothing for the dolls out of the dry goods store catalog.

Carolyn and Juanita spent more time in Boerne when they got older and had many friends there. They enjoyed going to the movies and to the confectionary store for cokes and ice cream.

“We had a lot of freedom and neither one of us was afraid of anything.” What is their advice to third grade students? “Get outdoors; appreciate nature, catch bugs, and use your imagination to make up games.”

Juanita Herff Chipman has just written a book, The Passing of Gifts. She has written the story of her family starting with the first generation of immigrants to this area and ending with the story of her own life. She writes, “I think of the times to come and I am reminded of how much things have changed. I write to tell future generations the tales told about my ancestors and of their times, and I write to tell of my own times for they are passing …”

Will you or one of your family members write the history of your family? Do you know about your great grandparents? How could you find out more about them?