Tombstone Tuesday–Conrad & Margaret (Miller) Heffner

Conrad & Margaret (Miller) Heffner, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

Conrad & Margaret (Miller) Heffner, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Conrad and Margaret (Miller) Heffner, located in row 3 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Conrad
1822-1878
Margaret
His Wife
1829-1908
HEFFNER

Zion Chatt’s records indicate that Conrad Heffner was born 18 March 1822 in Thuisbrunn, District Oberfranken, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, where he was also baptized and confirmed by Pastor Papst. He was the older of two surviving sons born to Dietrich and Margaretha (Schmidt) Heffner. His younger brother George Heffner married Sophia Martin.

Their father Dietrich Heffner died in Bavaria in 1828, leaving two young sons and a widow. Their mother Margaretha married Friederich Becher in about 1830 and they had one son together, Johann Becher. About ten years later the family immigrated to America and resided in Butler County, Ohio, for nearly a year before settling in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.

The church record indicates Conrad stayed in Butler County for three years before moving to Mercer County. After coming to Mercer County he married Anna Margaretha “Margaret” Carolina Miller on 15 January 1846. [1]

According to Zion Chatt’s records Margaret was the daughter of Andreas and Margaretha Mueller/Miller, born 8 October 1830 in Eichfeld, District Mittlefranken, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Conrad and Margaret Heffner set up housekeeping in Blackcreek Township where Conrad farmed. In 1850 they had three young children, Margaret, 3; Charity, 2; and Matilda, 1 month. [2]

In 1860 the Conrad Heffner family resided in Blackcreek Township with their seven children: Margaret, 13; Charity, 11; Matilda, 10; Sophia, 8; John, 6; George, 3; and Mary, 11 months. Also enumerated in the household was George Byer, 18, a farmer who likely helped on the farm. He may have been the same George Byer that married Conrad’s daughter Gertrude Charity in 1866. [3]

In 1870 Conrad and Margaret Heffner remained in Blackcreek Township and Conrad continued to farm. There were seven children in the household by this time: John, 15; George H., 13; Mary A., 11; Jacob, 9; Samuel, 6; Lewis, 4;, and Augustus, 1. Three of their children, Margaret, Gertrude, and Matilda had married within the previous four years and were not living in the household. Daughter Sophia would marry Jacob Germann the very next day after the census was taken. [4]

On 24 August 1878 Conrad Heffner’s left foot was severed by a threshing machine and he died 24 hours later, on Sunday 25 August. His probate death record gives the cause of death as “mashed in machine.” [5] He was buried on the 27th and Zion Schumm’s pastor gave the burial sermon, based on Psalm 90:12. Rev. Hugo Willert was Zion Chatt’s pastor at the time.

Something interesting is that the following was written in Zion Chatt’s church records: Conrad Heffner was excluded from the parish. But the exclusion was unjustified. Whatever the circumstances, the church evidently took him back since he and his wife are both buried in Zion Chatt’s Cemetery and his death and burial are recorded in Zion Chatt’s records. His death and burial are not recorded in Zion Schumm’s records. However, there still must have been some problem since Zion Schumm’s pastor was in charge of the burial service.

Margaret Heffner died 29 August 1908 in Blackcreek Township, at the age of 78 years. Her death record indicates that she died of old age. [6]

According to the church records Conrad and Margaret Heffner had at least 12 children:
Margaretha (1846-1889), married Lewis J. Brandt
Gertrude Charity (1849-1914), married George “Leonard” Byer
Matilda (1850-1930), married John Philip Sielschott
Sophia (1851-1935), married Philip Jacob Germann
Johannes “John” C. (1854-1923), married Marie/Mary Tester; married Harriet (Hillery) Faught Harris
George Heinrich (1857-1928), married Lucinda Karch
Anna Maria (1859-1926), married William Schmidt
Jacob Joseph (1861-1898), married Elisabeth Merkle
Samuel (1864-1935), married Katie Gribler
Ludwig “Lewis” C. (1866-1952), married Adele Eich
Wilhelm “August” (1869-1947), married [7]
Carl Wilhelm (1871-1920), married Elizabeth Wendel

 

[1] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” index and images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 May 2015), Conrad Hafner and Margaret Miller, 15 Jan 1846; citing Mercer, Ohio, Vol. ABC p.187 ; FHL microfilm 914955.

[2] 1850 U.S. Census, Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, p.290B, dwelling 72, family 77, Coonrod Herfner; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 17 May 2015); from NARA microfilm M432, roll 710.

[3] 1860 U.S. Census, Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, p.333, line 13, Conrad Heffner; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 May 2015); from FHL microfilm 805009, from NARA microfilm M653, roll 1009.

[4] 1870 U.S. Census, Blace Creek, Mercer, Ohio, p.29B, dwelling/family 155, Conrad Hafner; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www:ancestry.com : accessed 17 May 2015); from FHL microfilm 552742, from NARA microfilm M593, roll 1243.

[5] “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001,” index and images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 May 2015), Conrad Haffner, 25 Aug 1878; citing Death, Blackcreek Township, Mercer, Ohio, Vol. 1-2, p.113; from FHL microfilm 914957.

[6] “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001,” index and images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 May 2015), Margaret Heffner, 29 Aug 1908; citing Death, Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, Vol. 1-2, p.315; from FHL microfilm 914954.

[7] According to his death certificate he was widowed.

 

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