Today, I will tell the tale of Herman Heeszel (pronounced Hazel), whose life began in Jacob, Illinois but he did not live there for long. Most of his life was spent in the Northwest region of the United States.

Herman Johann Martin Heeszel was born on July 7, 1895, thus qualifying him to be called today’s birthday boy. He would be 130 years old if he was alive today. Herman was the son of John and Gesche (Guetersloh) Heeszel. He was baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois, but I am still unable to display church records until I return to Altenburg. Sadly, Herman’s mother died when he was just 1 year old, so he would have had no memories of his mother. Herman’s father then married Clara Miessner in 1897, and Herman would be blessed with several half-siblings from that marriage. The Heeszel’s were living in the Fountain Bluff Township when the 1900 census was taken. Herman was 5 years old, and his father was a farmer.

That would be the only census entry in which we find Herman living in Illinois. One of his half-siblings was born in Illinois in 1903, but then when the next child was born in 1906, that boy was born in Oregon. So, the Heeszel’s must have moved out west at some point between 1903 and 1906. Herman is found in the 1910 census at the age of 14. The Heeszel household is found living in Corvallis, Oregon where Herman’s father was called a house carpenter. Herman is called a temporary laborer.

In 1917, Herman had his World War I draft registration completed. He is given a Corvallis address and was called a machinist for the Miesner & Heeszel Company. I believe that company was run by Herman’s father and his uncle from his stepmother’s family.

Since Herman would get married prior to the next census, we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Marie Katharine Sturm, who was born on September 27, 1896 in Buffalo County, Nebraska. She was the daughter of Christian and Catharina (Joerger) Sturm. When we find her in her first census in 1900, Marie was just 3 years old and living in the Cedar Township in Buffalo County. Her father was a farmer.

The Sturm’s migrated to Oregon during the next decade. They are found living in the Tangent Township in Linn County, Oregon. Mary is listed as being 4 years old, but I think the census taker left off the 1 that should be in front of the 4 for her age in this entry. Her father was still farming. Tangent is located about 5 miles east of Corvallis.

Before I tell you about Herman’s marriage to Marie, let me say that Marie’s older sister, Elizabeth Sturm, married Paul Eggers in April of 1919 in Oregon. Paul was a native of Perry County and was likely familiar with the Miesner family, and thus the Heeszel family. The story of the Eggers/Sturm couple was told in the post, Eggers in Corvallis. It would be later that same year that Herman Heeszel married Marie Sturm on October 5, 1919. We can view a document called a Return of Marriage form for this pair. It says Herman was from Portland, and Marie was from Albany, another city near Corvallis.

In the 1920 census, we find Herman and Marie living in Portland, Oregon where Herman was a machinist for a casket company.

This Heeszel couple had at least 5 children. When the 1930 census was taken, we see 5 children in their household. Herman was once again called a machinist for a wholesale casket company in the Portland area.

The 1940 census once again shows the same 5 children in the Heeszel household. Herman had the same occupation.

Herman had his World War II draft card completed in 1942. It gives him a Portland address and says he was employed by the Great Northern Casket Company.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. None of their children were living with Herman and Marie, and this time, Herman was called a bottler at a brewery.

Marie Heeszel died in 1956 at the age of 59. We can take a look at her Oregon death certificate. It says she died while a patient at the Providence Hospital in Portland.

Herman got married again in 1957. His second wife was Clara Wolfgram, who, like Herman, was widowed. I did not look into Clara’s life for this post.

Herman Heeszel died in 1982 at the age of 87. He and his first wife, Marie, are buried together in the River View Cemetery in Portland.

Several posts have now appeared on this blog about people from our German Family Tree who made their way to the Corvallis and Portland cities in Oregon. When I did a search on this blog for Corvallis, I got 9 results. When I did a search for Portland, I got 16 results. Names in addition to Heeszel and Miesner who made it to these Oregon cities were Eggers, Oetjen, Schirmer, and even a Schmidt.