Dawn and Jeff Schwarz
Jeff and Dawn’s love story seemed fated in this community long before they even met. Few residents embody its spirit as beautifully as Dawn and Jeff Schwarz, a family whose roots run deep in Kendall County and whose passion for their community shines through every aspect of their lives.
By:
Kimberly Suta
Photography By:
David Teran and Maddison Macale :: Personal photos courtesy of the Schwarz family
Jeff’s family heritage can be traced back six generations to the pioneering Schwarz family — a lineage that has helped shape the very fabric of the Texas Hill Country. His story begins in 1855, when Anna Margaretha and Michael Schwarz, along with their five children, left their home in western Germany “stealthily” to go an ocean away to Texas.
They settled on nearly 1,000 acres near and on what is now Cordillera Ranch, establishing a homestead that still stands today on the 392 acres recently acquired by Cordillera Ranch, west of the current driving range. In a charming twist of fate, Jeff and Dawn’s own home on Clubs Drive sits on land that was part of this original Schwarz grant, located only about 2,000 feet east of the historic homestead. Even the Georg family home — now found on hole number 9 of the Cordillera golf course — would have once been a close neighbor to the early Schwarz settlers.
The Schwarz family’s impact on the region extends far beyond land ownership. In 1859, Michael Schwarz — Jeff’s great-great-great grandfather — along with his two adult sons, Mathias and Frank, joined 104 other local residents in signing the petition that led to the formation of Kendall County. This was a bold move that set the stage for a thriving community in an area that would later become known for its unique blend of history and natural beauty.
Over the next few decades, Michael and three of his four sons expanded their landholdings to approximately 10,000 acres. Their vast properties stretched from Ammann Road to the Guadalupe River, right across the current Cordillera Ranch development. As the 20th century dawned, many of these lands were sold off when families began to settle in Boerne — a town beloved for its German heritage and rich historical tradition.
The Schwarz legacy is one of prolific growth and deep family ties. Michael and Margaretha had five children (four boys and one girl), and the family’s lineage continued to flourish: Frank (Jeff’s great-great-grandfather) had 14 children, Adolph (Jeff’s great-grandfather) had eight, and Edgar Sr. (Jeff’s grandfather) had three, leading to Edgar Jr. (Jeff’s father) who raised five sons. Family lore even includes a humorous note: one of Frank’s sons, Adolph, married Anna Pfieffer in 1899 — an event so memorable that his brothers, Charles and Richard, also married Anna’s sisters, Louise and Clara. Legend has it that a fourth son once asked Mr. Pfieffer for the hand of another daughter, only to be told, “No, three Schwarz’s in the family is enough!”
Jeff’s family history isn’t just a chronicle of dates and deeds — it’s indeed a living legacy. His mother, Martha Catharine (Stone) Schwarz, originally from Tennessee, moved to Texas with her family at the tender age of 14. With American roots reaching back to England in the late 1600s, “Cathy” has become an enduring matriarch, living in her Boerne home for the past 65 years — a home that she and Edgar Jr. purchased while expecting Jeff, the fourth of their five sons. Her contributions to education and community spirit have not gone unnoticed. This April, Jeff’s parents will be honored — Edgar as a Boerne High School Distinguished Alumni, and Cathy will be recognized as a Significant Benefactor for her long career in teaching and as a dedicated librarian at Boerne ISD.
For Jeff, being a sixth-generation Schwarz is a point of immense pride. “So, I feel a little more connected to the land and the people and want other people to also be proud of it and treasure the beauty of it,” he shared. “I feel a little bit of a duty, maybe a privilege, to be able to try and help people learn more about the area. Even my hobby as a Texas Master Naturalist has done that.”
Dawn, who happily embraced this rich heritage from the moment she met Jeff, added, “Jeff’s big, loving family became my family. Coming from Houston, I’d always loved the idea of deep, connected roots, and here at Cordillera Ranch, I feel that sense of belonging. I grew up during the summers in San Antonio with my grandparents, so I’ve always felt a real affinity for it.”
Dawn actually grew up in Houston from the age of 3. Her life growing up was focused almost entirely on classical ballet dancing. “I was in a ballet company in Houston, and I loved everything about it!” said Dawn. “I thought I was going to do it forever, until I couldn’t.” For nearly 15 years, her days were filled with the grace and discipline of ballet, until a series of injuries brought her lifelong dream of a career as a ballerina to an unfortunate end.
Instead, Dawn pirouetted down a new path as a proud third-generation Aggie. At Texas A&M University, Dawn’s innate curiosity and love for the biological sciences led her to earn a BS degree in Microbiology. With an ambitious goal of diving into tumor research back in Houston, she set her sights on making a meaningful impact in the field of medicine.
And then there was love! Jeff and Dawn’s journey together began as you might expect of two proud Texans. “A mutual friend set us up, and our first date was country-western dancing at Texas A&M,” recalled Jeff.
Dawn laughed, “Our friend told me he’s a great dancer and I thought, ‘no man out-dances me!’ I remember our first dance was a polka. I was glad he was twice my size. I could just put my feet on his feet to keep up. He really is a great country-western dancer.”
Since they first fell in love and moved to Alaska to begin their careers, their adventures have taken them from lively local dance halls and annual family vacations in Mexico to the golf course and pickleball courts at Cordillera Ranch. Sometimes they even dance in their living room. “We actually cleared out our living room furniture to teach our Bible Study group how to dance. Our favorite is the two-step or the polka,” said Jeff.
In fact, the Cordillera Couples Bible Study group that they lead is an important aspect of their lives, and more so their faith. Jeff and Dawn have become intertwined in their community. “We’re honored to help build a faith community here,” noted Jeff.
Dawn’s words echoed the sentiment: “Our Bible Study group isn’t just about faith — it’s about friendship, support and growing older gracefully together. It’s incredible to see people from different backgrounds come together, share their wisdom, grow spiritually and lift each other up.”
Today, the Schwarz family — comprising their sons, Hayden and Brent, and Brent’s wife, Alex — continues to honor their legacy of community service and heartfelt connection. The Schwarz children have certainly forged their own inspiring paths. All three — Hayden (30), Brent (28) and Brent’s wife, Alex (28) — graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado, setting the stage for remarkable futures.
Hayden earned a BA in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University and founded his own freelance website design company in Austin, Schwarz Web Consulting.
Brent, a Rice University alumnus who not only earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering while pitching on the baseball team but also excelled at Bain & Company before earning his MBA at Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar, is now working for an energy startup, Base Power Company, in Austin.
Meanwhile, Alex, who captured hearts during her time at Trinity University with a BA in Marketing and her spirited contributions to the volleyball team, has been making her mark at Charles Schwab in Austin for five years.
Clearly, the Schwarz family is one of resilience and a deep commitment to the values that make Cordillera Ranch so unique. As residents who cherish every mountain, valley and old dance hall, Jeff and Dawn remind us that true luxury lies in family, friends and shared faith — in a place where every story adds a vibrant chapter to the extraordinary tapestry of our community.
