The descendants of German settlers Franz and Catherina Wacker Trietsch have deep roots in Denton County, and family members will gather Saturday to help keep their history alive.

“A lot of them will bring pictures, and a lot them will get together and talk about old times,” said Rachel Trietsch Bartel.

The 53rd annual Trietsch Family Reunion will begin at 11 a.m. at Blue Mound United Methodist Church, 8421 N. Interstate 35, Bartel said.

“I am the great-great-great-granddaughter of Franz and Catherina Wacker Trietsch,” Bartel said. “I’m kind of the reunion chairperson.”

Bartel’s ancestors came to Denton County in the late 1800s from a small village in Germany. The couple chose to settle in the northern part of the county, between Sanger and Denton, where other German settlers had made homes. The community was known as Blue Mound.

Franz and Catherina had nine children who lived, and they joined other German families in establishing a church for the German-speaking settlers, which later became Blue Mound United Methodist, Bartel said.

The Trietsch home was originally on Milam Road, Bartel said, and another road in the area bears the family name.

“In the old days, they were farmers,” she said, adding that many family members still live in Denton County. Others are scattered across the United States and Germany.

The reunion is held on the second Saturday in June each year, Bartel said. Family members begin with a short business meeting to get updates on marriages, births, deaths and other recent developments.

All family members are encouraged to attend, Bartel said, and guests are welcome.

A covered-dish lunch will be served at noon, and the gathering typically breaks up a couple of hours later, Bartel said, adding that attendance is usually in the range of 100 to 150 people.

“We’re starting to lose a lot of our older [family members],” she said. “In the last few years, we’ve lost several.”

Bartel said the original family home is gone.

“A lot of the area has been bought by developers,” she said.

Blue Mound United Methodist is located on I-35 at exit 473, across from Love’s Travel Stop.

LES COCKRELL can be reached at 940-566-6887. His e-mail address is lcockrell@dentonrc.com .