One of Stefan Haelbig’s most esteemed students was Walter Faust, Jr. Walter was born January 15, 1905 into the prominent Faust family of New Braunfels. The Faust’s were the first bankers and large merchants in town with many financial connections and investments. Five Faust mansions were built in New Braunfels in the 1880’s – early 1900’s. Three are still standing downtown. The Faust hotel was built by his father and brothers in 1929 but was originally named the Travelers Inn. It is a landmark downtown and somewhat known for its supposed haunted history.

Walter followed in his father’s footsteps in the banking business when he was 21 years old. But his real love was music and he studied music in this building as a young schoolboy taking piano from by then an elderly Mr. Haelbig. His mother and father had taken lessons from Mr. Haelbig as well when they were young. After high school, Walter attended the University of Texas studying music. After 2-1/2 semesters the University decided Music was an unnecessary study and discontinued the program. He came home and began working in the bank for 16 years; starting as assistant cashier, then Vice-President but still continuing his love of music by playing for churches and events and even the Theatre pipe organ at the local Capital theatre during the Silent Movies (Unpaid! “Not even given a free movie pass” he said.)

With his mother’s encouragement, Walter took the train to Boston to the study at New England Academy of Music which he greatly loved and enjoyed. He came home following three years at Academy and happened to meet Ernst Hoffmann, the esteemed conductor of the Houston Symphony at a music camp at Landa Park. Afterwards, he asked Maestro Hoffmann if he would teach him private piano lessons to which he responded “yes, but don’t spread it around!” Walter moved to Houston and studied under him for two years traveling and preforming with the Symphony across Texas.

Pearl Harbor ended his Music study as he became draft eligible for the War. To prevent being drafted, he went to Foster Field in Victoria, Texas to join the Airforce at the age of 37! He remained there during the war serving as the organist for the base chapel, local churches and other duties including providing musical entertainment for the Officer’s wives’ parties when called upon. After the war he succeeded Haelbig as being the premier mentor and teacher of music in New Braunfels. His studio was the two-story carriage house behind the Pfeuffer mansion. He gave one of his grand pianos to New Braunfels Conservation Society and is located in the Freiheit school.

While stationed in Victoria during the war, he heard a bell tolling from the courthouse tower and thought “we need bells in our courthouse”. Keeping it in the back of his mind for many years, he answered a magazine ad about bells and ended up ordering four bronze bells, the largest weighing 583 pounds, that were cast in Belgium for the Comal County Courthouse and presented them in his mother’s honor on January 1, 1976.

He was easily recognized in his 1970’s big yellow Cadillac and chauffeur that ushered him to his local destinations. He loved cars and had saved many pages of old car ads he tore out of his mother’s magazines in the 1920s. His first car was a 1927 Ford Model T touring car he purchased new from Gerlich Motor Company for $500.

In 2005 Walter learned that the 1898 1st Protestant Church pipe organ was on its way to being hauled to the dump after making several moves from Church to Church around the state over the decades and finally left in storage. He immediately stopped its demise and partnered with New Braunfels Conservation Society to have it professionally restored and installed in the historic Freiheit School here at Old Town at Conservation Plaza. Occasional performances are performed here.

Upon his death in 1996, at the age of he very generously divided a large portion of his estate between New Braunfels Conservation Society, The Sophienburg museum and the then Dittlinger Library. New Braunfels Conservation Society is forever indebted to his generosity and his friendship through the years.