Tombstone Tuesday–Mary (Tester) Heffner

Mary (Tester) Heffner, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

Mary (Tester) Heffner, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Mary (Tester) Heffner, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Mary
Wife of
John
Haeffner
Born Aug. 20
1860
Died Mar. 21
1895
Aged
34 Y, 7 M, 1 D

Maria “Mary” Catharina Tester was born 20 August 1860 in Ohio, the daughter of John and Magdalene (Blosser) Tester. [1] [2] Her parents were married in Allen County, Ohio, and later lived in Hopewell and Dublin Townships. [3] Her father served as a private in Company B of the 29th OVI during the Civil War. [4]

John C. Heffner and Mary Tester were married 9 September 1880 by Rev. Feger. [5] Their marriage is not recorded at Zion Chatt but is recorded in Mercer County Probate. John was the son of Conrad and Margaret (Miller) Heffner and was born 22 October 1854.

John and Mary lived in Liberty Township and attended Zion Chatt, where their children were baptized and where they communed regularly until Mary’s death.

According to Zion Chatt’s records Mary died in childbirth on 21 March 1895, at the age of 34 years, 7 months, and 1 day. She was survived by her husband and five underage children. She was buried on the 23rd.

John and Mary (Tester) Heffner had the following children:
Charles W. (1881-1948), married Kate Agnes Felver
Almeda (1883-1981), married Edward Rudolph Kessler
Franklin Benjamin (1885-1888)
John Henry (1887-1922), married Celia R. Ovaitt [6]
Conrad Wilbert “Wilbur (1890-1963), married Olga Ashley
Della Hazel (c1893-1913), married Joseph W. Felver

At least two of their children, Franklin and John Henry, were baptized immediately after birth, with urgency, according to the church records.

Two of their children, Carl and Almeda, were confirmed at Zion Chatt in 1896. Their son Franklin died in 1888 and was buried in Zion Chatt’s cemetery.

John Heffner died 3 September 1923.

 

[1] 1880 U.S. Census, Dublin, Mercer, Ohio, ED 182, p.375B, dwelling 116, family 127, John Tester; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Jun 2015); from FHL microfilm 1255048, from NARA microfilm T9, roll 1048.

[2] “Ohio, County, Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 June 2015), John Tester and Magdaline Blauser, 27 Dec 1855; citing Allen, Ohio, Marriages, from FHL microfilm 901413.

[3] 1870 U. S. Census, Hopewell, Mercer, Ohio, p.116B, dwelling 115, family 102, John Lester; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 Jun 2015); from FHL microfilm 552742, from NARA microfilm M593, roll 1243.

[4] U.S. Civil war Pension Index, General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, John Tester, Madaline Tester, widow; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 Jun 2015); from NARA microfilm T288, roll 467.

[5] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,” database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 17 June 2015), John Hefner and Mary Tester, 9 Sep 1880; citing Mercer County, Ohio, Marriages, Vol. 5, p.19; from FHL microfilm 914956.

[6] John Henry Heffner may have had a twin brother who was born and died the same day. There is a tombstone in Zion’s cemetery for the infant son of J.C. & M.C., born and died 24 December 1887, although John Henry’s birth date is recorded as 29 December 1887.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.