One of the aspects of today’s story is that some members of the Heise family continued to gravitate back to the town of Frohna. Let me begin by telling you a little about the father of today’s birthday girl and his two wives. Andrew Heise came to America in 1861, and there is evidence that he first spent some time in Baltimore. Andrew found his first wife in Baltimore. Her name was Anna Dorothea Keyl. Anna was the daughter of Rev. E.G.W. Keyl, who was the first pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. In the late 1840’s, Rev. Keyl and his family moved away from Frohna, and by the 1860’s, they were living in Baltimore. After Andrew and Anna got married, they had one child in Baltimore before moving back to Anna (Keyl) Heise’s birthplace, Frohna. It was there that several more Heise children were born before Anna died in 1878. Andrew then married Louise Schamburg in 1880. Today’s birthday girl is the daughter of Andrew and his second wife.

Anna Emily Heise was born on September 30, 1884, thus making today her 140th birthday. Anna was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can take a look at her baptism record below.

Anna Heise was born at a time when Perry County was keeping birth records. Anna’s Perry County birth record is shown here in 2 images.

Because we cannot view the 1890 census, the first census entry for Anna is found in the 1900 census. She was 15 years old, and her father was a cooper in the Brazeau Township. Based on the neighbors that are seen on this census page, I think it is almost certain that Andrew Heise was a cooper at the Weinhold Brothers’ Flour Mill in Frohna.

When the 1910 census was taken, we find that Anna was no longer living with her parents and no longer living in Frohna. She was one of many young ladies from Perry County that found work in St. Louis. She was a servant in the Charles Brodsky household. This entry says Anna’s father was born in Maryland, which was not the case, but it does give more evidence that Andrew Heise had spent some time in Baltimore.

Now, we need to take a look at the man who would become Anna’s husband. His name was Harry Wheeler, who was born on August 4, 1884. That means he was just about 2 months older than Anna. I think Harry’s parents were named Christopher and Sarah (Yeager) Wheeler. I also believe he was born in St. Louis. In the 1900 census, Harry’s mother was called a widow, so his father must have died prior to 1900. Harry was called 17 years old and was a day laborer.

In the 1910 census, Harry was 26 years old, and he was a helper at a boiler works in St. Louis.

Harry Wheeler married Anna Heise on October 13, 1915 in St. Louis. The St. Louis marriage record below says that they were married by a justice of the peace.

There is no evidence that Harry and Anna had any children. In 1918, Harry had his World War I draft registration completed. He was a boilermaker, and I think it says that his employer was Rumely and Dawley.

In the 1920 census, the Wheeler couple was still living in St. Louis. Harry continued his work as a boilermaker.

Sometime during the next decade, the Wheeler’s moved across the Mississippi River to Illinois. The 1930 census finds this couple living in Granite City. Harry was still employed as a boilermaker.

The last census entry in which we find Harry was the one taken in 1940. It looks as if Harry was a boilermaker for most of his working years.

Harry Wheeler died in 1943 at the age of 59. A transcription of his Illinois death record is pictured here.

Harry was buried in the St. John’s Cemetery in Granite City.

After her husband’s death, Anna moved back to Perry County. In the 1950 census, she was living in Frohna by herself. At that time, she was 65 years old.

Anna died in 1961 at the age of 77. Her death certificate below says that she died at the Pine Lawn Nursing Home in Perryville.

Anna Heise is buried in the Concordia Lutheran Cemetery in Frohna.

Anna’s father, because he married a wife who was born in Frohna, made his way from Baltimore to this little village in Perry County. Today’s birthday girl was born in Frohna, spent most of her life elsewhere, but eventually made it back to her place of birth, and it became her place of burial. If you came to East Perry County today, you would find quite a few people who were born and raised here but spent much of their lives elsewhere. Later in their lives, usually after retirement, those folks made it back to the place where they were born and raised. I was not born and raised here, but when I was young, my family visited relatives here, and I fell in love with this place. When I retired and had the opportunity to acquire my uncle’s place, I, too, made my way to Altenburg. It is a place that I continue to love.