ERNEST married HEITMEYER ANNA MARIA LUISE CHARLOTTE on 18 Apr 1870 in Zion Evangelical Church, Hoyleton, Illinois. ANNA (daughter of HEITMEYER HEINRICH LUDWIG and ROWEKAMP ANNA MARIA LOUISE CHARLOTTE) was born on 10 Nov 1851 in #19 Reineberg, Prussen; dob may be 11/9/52.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Died on Oct 14, 1867; only 14 days ago he with his family, his 75 yr. old father and his father-in-law arrived here from Germany. This would make his birth date May 10, 1821.

After the death of Henry and Anna Heitmeyer and the other two children the four remaining children grew up locally under the guardianship of Fred Kleeman. At the time of their parents death Anna was 15, Louisa 13, Henry 9, and Christian 8. Box 102 - "Heirs of Hy. Heitmeyer" gives us an insight into this. The court appointed Fred Kleeman as Guardian of Henry and Christian on December 16, 1867 apparently because they were under age fourteen.

the census of 1870 entitles the Inhabitants of Township #1 South Range Two West, Washington County, Illinois: Post Office; Minden, on page 6 lists living at house 120:
Frederick Kleeman, age 50, farmer
Louisa, age 40, wife
Martha, age 12
Louis, age 8
Henry, age 6
Lydia, age 2

Next door in House 121 are listed:
Hitemeyer, Henry, age 13, M. Bavaria
Christ, age 10, M.
Louisa, age 16, F.
Apparently the children under guardianship lived in a separate house next door to the Kleemans.

Apparently all did not go well with this arrangement for the boys as nine years later in March 1876 petition to the probate court was filed. this is quite interesting and reads as follows:

"State of Illinois, Washington County, In probate court to March term A.D. 1876.
Petition for Citation - In the matter of Fred Kleeman, guardian for Anna Heitmeyer, Louisa Heitmeyer, Henry Heitmeyer, Christian Heitmeyer - Children of Henry Heitmeyer, deceased.
To the Honorable M. M. Goodner, County Judge for the County of Washington and State of Illinois, humbly complaining come your petitioners: Louisa, now intermarried with William Brink; Anna, now intermarried with Henry Feiker, in their own proper persons, Henry and Christian Heitmeyer by their next friend,m William Brink, and represents and shows unto your Honor that they are the only children of and left surviving Henry Heitmeyer, deceased.
And your petitioners further show unto your Honor that one Fred Kleeman was appointed the guardian of your Petitioners by this Honorable court on December 16, 1867; and your petitioners further state that since his said appointment and the filing of his bond as such guardians of your petitioners that he, the said Fred Kleeman had never at any time since made any report to this court of his doings as such guardian - --------that the said Fred Kleeman at the time of his appointment or soon thereafter collected or should have collected the sum of Two Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety Nine Dollars and Sixty Cents, money belonging to your petitioners in equal proportions.
And your petitioners further represent unto your Honor that Ann Heitmeyer, now Anna Feiker of about the age of twenty-five years; and that Louisa Heitmeyer, now Louisa Brink is about the age of twenty two years; and although long since entitled to receive their proportionate share of said money from said guardian and also after repeated requests for the payment of the same, yet the said Fred Kleeman wholly refuses, fails, and neglects to pay or settle with any or either of your petitioners.
Therefore your petitioners pray that a citation may issue by order of this Honorable Court compelling said Fred Kleeman to appear on the third Monday in March A>D. 1876 and that he be compelled to make a full and true report of his acts and doings as such guardian and otherwise obey the orders of this Honorable Court; and for such other orders and proceedings as toYour Honor may give met and proper in the premisies.

And your petitioners will even pray to Louisa Brink; Anna Fieker and Henry and Christian Heitmeyer by their next friend Wm. Brink, Petitioners.

by Crews and Jones, Attorneys for Petitioners


We have no reply to this request so we do not know what happened. However, we do have a record of a request to the Honorable M. M. Goodener, Judge, by both Henry and Christian "that having now attained the age of fourteen years he elects to nominate his own guardian and respectfully prays that Jacob Leibsack may be appointed his guardian. Dated July 20, 1876. There are two such forms; The first signed by Henry Heitmeyer states that on the above date he had attained the age of 19 years on January 7, 1876. This would place his birth date on January 7, 1857. The second signed by Christian Heitmeyer states that he had attained the age of 17 on November 14, 1875. This would place his birth date on November 15, 1858. At least the two boys obtained new guardians a few months after their complaints about Fred Kleeman


The "Germans to America" lists of Passengers arriving in U.S. Ports, Volume 20, August 1867 to May 1888 by Ira A. Glazier and P. Wm. Filby, page 72 lists the Heitmeyer family as arriving on the S.S. Bremen from Germany in New York on September 23, 1867. The listing is as follows:

Heitmeyer Ludwig 60 M. Farmer, Prussia, Unknown village.
Heinrich 46 M. Farmer
Anna41 F.
Anna17 F.
Luise13 F.
Heinrich 9 M. Child
Christine 8 F. Child
Catharine 4 F. Child
Charlotte .06 F. Infant

On the same ship is listed Christian Rowekamp, age 54 Farmer.

The Hoyleton Zion Church records, page 115, state that Heinrich died the 14th of October 1867 at the age of 46 years, 6 months, and 4 days. The records also state that he was born in Reineberg, District of Lubbecke, on April 10, 1821.

HEINRICH married ROWEKAMP ANNA MARIA LOUISE CHARLOTTE on 25 Oct 1844 in Lubbecke, Prussen. He was 23, she was 18 (Dates may be wrong). ANNA (daughter of ROEWEKAMP JOHANN HEINRICH and ROEWEKAMP ANNE MARGARETHE ILSABEIN yub.) was born on 26 Sep 1826 in #6 Huellhorst,Prussia;Bapt.Oct.1,1826;IL records DOB as 4/3/1824;Prussia11/28/26; died on 6 Oct 1867 in age of 41 yrs. & 8 days; buried Oct. 7, 1867 (makes dob 9/28/1826). [Group Sheet]

HEINRICH married STALLMAN ANNA MARIE LOUISE ILSABEIN on 4 Apr 1819. ANNA was born on 20 Feb 1792 in Hullhorst; died on 1 Jan 1855 in #19 Reineberg, Prussia;son's home;died of consumption; b. 1/6/1855 in Lubbecke.. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

He may have had a second wife named Anne Margarethe Ilsabein from Wiebe who died on February 1, 1842 at teh age of 66 years, 6 mo., 26 days at #6 Huerllhorst. Her husband is listed as Johann Heinrich Roewekamp. This would make her birth date as August 5, 1775. This does not make much chronological sense as she would have been 6 years older than her husband. If this is the original wife she would have been 56 years old when Anne Marie Louise Charlotte was born.

JOHANN married ROEWEKAMP ANNE MARGARETHE ILSABEIN yub. on 25 Jan 1807. [Group Sheet]