Family history is that Mike Wall and a brother lived in a Belgium Catholic orphanage. Iva Wall Fuller (daughter of Theodore Benjamin Wall) contributed the following report for the Burnet County History by Darrell Debo published in 1979: "Mike Wall was serving in the Prussian Army when he boarded a ship as a stowaway and landed in New York City. He went to work for the railroad and worked between New York and Austin, Texas." Mrs. Fuller did not mention the impetus for the sudden trip, but several family members had heard that Mike struck an officer in the Army, which had a penalty of death. To escape the known penalty, he and his brother left Hamburg and stowed away on a ship to America. It is believed that they arrived about 1870. Minnie Wall Fasel (daughter of Chris Fritz Wall) remembers the area of the Port of Baltimore, Maryland being mentioned.

Mike changed the spelling of his name from Marx Wahl or Warll to Mike Wall. He and his brother parted in Pennsylvania and never got together again. Family members believe that while working for the railroad Mike came into Texas on the first passenger train that came to Austin. (Houston & Texas Central Railroad, later called the Texas & New Orleans Railroad first arrived in Austin 1871). He married Minnie Garlipp Koch in 1875. They moved from Nelsonville to Smithville by 1879 and to Spicewood in 1891.

LaVerne Harrell Clarke reported in her book "The Bunte Family History" that Mike came to America under similar circumstances but that the year was around 1861 and that the ship came to New York City. She believed naturalization papers for him will never be found because he was worried all his life about being caught up with for entering this country without papers. He didn't serve in the Civil War and Clarke theorized that he may have worked in the fields in skirts to avoid being spotted for conscription.

When Mike arrived in New York, his face broke out in welts.(recollections of Essie Mae Thompson Haisler, daughter of Lera Wall Thompson).

There is reason to believe that Mike was born in Belgium, rather than Germany (but nothing has been proven).

Mike Wall was Catholic according to his daughter Belle Wall Bunte.

Mike Wall and his family lived and worked on the Turner Farm, Travis County, Texas, from about 1883 to sometime before 1886 when they returned to Bastrop County, Texas.

3 Jul 1891 Austin, Travis County, Texas, land deed (bought property in Burnet County, Texas. 634 acres).

Mike's name was rendered Marx on some deed records and also on his second child's baptismal record. His name is rendered Michael Warll on the marriage license.

Marble Falls Messenger news article (8-17-1899) titled THE FIRST BALE, describes first bale of cotton brought in by Mike Wall and all the prizes awarded him from local businesses.

Mike made his own beer and wine, but did not approve of drunkenness. Beer pudding was a favorite food (Recollection of Essie Mae Thompson Haisler).

In the 1900 census, Mike claimed Germany as his country of birth and that of his parents. He indicated that 1870 was his immigration year and that he was a naturalized citizen. He was a farmer in Burnet County, Texas, and owned his farm free of any mortgage. (His place of birth and immigration year was also reported that way in his obit in the Marble Falls Messenger although it is unclear who provided the information.) Mike Wall spoke German.

On the 1910 census, Mike again gave Germany as his and his parents' country of birth, but gave the immigration year as 1875. He indicated that he could speak English. His farm in Burnet County, Texas, was listed as a general farm. Ann Crawford, a friend who was 72 years old and widowed, was listed with the family. She was born in North Carolina. She had her own income.

His children gave varying reports of their father's birthplace--giving Germany at one time and Belgium at another. Some told their offspring that he was brought up in a French orphanage.

Mike Wall apparently had a stroke (of paralysis) in 1909. His death notices reported that he had been in ill health, an invalid before his death.

Mike and Minnie Wall had a joint will which left the estate to each other until both were deceased then to their children including a child's portion divided among the children of Minnie's daughter Annie Koch Shoults. Filed 19 Oct 1911 Burnet County, Texas, Vol.59 Page 240 Proof of Will for Mike & Minnie Wall.

• Married: 12 Nov 1875 in , Austin County, Texas ^{11 12}
• Note: The marriage license was taken out on 9 Nov 1875. The marriage was performed by James H. Shelburne, J.P., Austin County, Texas, on 12 Nov 1875. (Certificate actually had 12 Nov 1876.) It was filed in the county on 6 Apr 1876.
• Change Date: 2 Dec 2010

1. Chris Fritz "C.F." Wall b: 13 Sep 1876 in Nelsonville, Austin County, Texas
2. Mattie Isabella "Belle" Wall b: 15 Feb 1878 in Nelsonville, Austin County, Texas c: 5 Dec 1879 in , Bastrop County, Texas
3. William Herman "Will" Wall b: 31 Oct 1879 in Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas
4. Theodore Benjamin "T.B." Wall b: 11 Jun 1881 in Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas
5. Emma Dana Wall b: 22 Mar 1883 in , Travis County, Texas
6. Lena Wall b: 4 Dec 1884 in Texas
7. Lera Sophia Wall b: 19 Feb 1886 in , Bastrop County, Texas
8. August Emiel Wall b: 27 Nov 1889 in Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas

1. Abbrev: Death Certificate
   Title: Death Certificate
   Publication: Official Document
   Page: Certificate Number: 15080
2. Abbrev: Texas Death Index, 1903-2000
   Title: Texas Death Index, 1903-2000
   Repository:
   Name: Ancestry.com
   
   Page: Certificate Number: 15080
3. Abbrev: FindAGrave.com
   Title: FindAGrave.com
   Page: Memorial# 14200430
4. Abbrev: 1900 United States Federal Census
   Title: 1900 United States Federal Census
   Repository:
   Name: Ancestry.com
   
   Page: Justice Precinct 5, Burnet, Texas; Roll T623_1616; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 51.
5. Abbrev: 1910 United States Federal Census
   Title: 1910 United States Federal Census
   Repository:
   Name: Ancestry.com
   
   Page: Justice Precinct 5, Burnet, Texas; Roll: T624_1536; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 115; Image: 59.
6. Abbrev: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
   Title: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
   Author: Dolores Fasel Bozeman, compiler
   Repository:
   Name: Herman Brown Free Library
   100 E Washington Street
   Burnet, Texas 78611
   
   Page: Document recording purchase of land in Burnet County is photocopied on pages 86-88.
7. Abbrev: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
   Title: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
   Author: Dolores Fasel Bozeman, compiler
   Repository:
   Name: Herman Brown Free Library
   100 E Washington Street
   Burnet, Texas 78611
   
   Page: The will and its probate are photocopied in the book on pages 177-180.
8. Abbrev: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
   Title: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
   Author: Dolores Fasel Bozeman, compiler
   Repository:
   Name: Herman Brown Free Library
   100 E Washington Street
   Burnet, Texas 78611
   
   Page: The Turner Farm is described on pages 195-196 of the book.
9. Abbrev: Cotten-Strickland-Wall-Gibson
   Title: Cotten-Strickland-Wall-Gibson
   Author: Debra Cotten
   Publication: cottentail2001@yahoo.com, RootsWeb.com Gedcom cottentail
10. Abbrev: Burnet County History, A Pioneer History 1847-1979
    Title: Burnet County History, A Pioneer History 1847-1979
    Author: Darrell Debo
    Publication: Burnet County Historical Commission, ©1979 by The Burnet County Commissioners Court
    Repository:
    Name: Marble Falls Library
    101 Main Street
    Marble Falls, Texas 78654
    
    Page: Volume II, page 324
11. Abbrev: Early Marriages of Austin County, 1824-1920
    Title: Early Marriages of Austin County, 1824-1920
    Publication: http://www.txgenweb2.org/txaustin/EarlyMarriages/Early.htm
12. Abbrev: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
    Title: The Wall Family, 1849-1996
    Author: Dolores Fasel Bozeman, compiler
    Repository:
    Name: Herman Brown Free Library
    100 E Washington Street
    Burnet, Texas 78611
    
    Page: The marriage license is photocopied in the book on page 85.