the ben heer family
johan benjamin heer (1844-1925) & martha heer (1854-1912) & anna heer
The 1920 census cites his arrival in the U.S. as 1879, with naturalization in 1881. However, an ancestry faily tree leads to a travel record showing his first arrival on June 5, 1867 on the ship E. F. Gabain, coming from Bremen, Germany to New York from Bavaria; he was about 24.
Here is the log:
Here is the log:
The Chris Heer public family tree on Ancestry.com lists this information:
Johann Benjamin Heer. Born August 20, 1844 • Neuenburg am Rhein, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
That tree lists two additional arrivals in 1868 from Hamburg. As was not uncommon, he must have returned to Germany a couple of times before settling here permanently.
three marriages
The Chris Heer public family tree on Ancestry.com .
It identifies Mary Buck Heer as the mother of the first two children, John and Katherine.
It identifies Martha McNeal as Ben's second wife, the marriage taking place in Pawnee City on September 8, 1873. This is consistent with the obituary of Ben's son Alois which designates John and a sister Kate has half brother and sister to Alois and the others.
Another public family tree on Ancestry.com ("Attlesey-Vogel) identifies Ben's third wife as Anna Belle Hansen (1866-1932), to whom he was married on June 30, 1914. The 1920 census shows him living with wife Hanna and two step children, Melba and Victor Fellers.
With Martha, it appears that Ben had the following children:Marion, born 1878; Alois (1881-1941); Mary A., born 1883; Charles Thomas, born 1884; Frank, born 1886; Nancy, born 1888; Sarah born 1889; Ellen, born 1891; Cara or Carrie (1892-1965).
It identifies Mary Buck Heer as the mother of the first two children, John and Katherine.
It identifies Martha McNeal as Ben's second wife, the marriage taking place in Pawnee City on September 8, 1873. This is consistent with the obituary of Ben's son Alois which designates John and a sister Kate has half brother and sister to Alois and the others.
Another public family tree on Ancestry.com ("Attlesey-Vogel) identifies Ben's third wife as Anna Belle Hansen (1866-1932), to whom he was married on June 30, 1914. The 1920 census shows him living with wife Hanna and two step children, Melba and Victor Fellers.
With Martha, it appears that Ben had the following children:Marion, born 1878; Alois (1881-1941); Mary A., born 1883; Charles Thomas, born 1884; Frank, born 1886; Nancy, born 1888; Sarah born 1889; Ellen, born 1891; Cara or Carrie (1892-1965).
the heer farm
Photo 871 is labeled as "Mr. Heer at Table Rock, 1918." It is probably Ben Heer, based on age and the date of the picture.
October 12, 1894
October 20, 1`898
After the Ben and his wife moved to town, they lived in the brick house catty corner from the Christian Church. Here they are in Photo 870.
a third wife
According to descendant Brad Bowen, after Martha died Ben remarried. He is on the 1920 federal census, married to Anna, with adult step children Melba and Victor living with them. Here is an excerpt from the lines about his family. It notes that he came to the United States from Germany in 1879 and was naturalized in 1881. The 1910 census shows him still with Martha.
the family in 1902
Ben and Martha had 11 children, according to the obituary of their second son, Alois (Lou). There are 9 adults, 3 young people, and a toddler here besides Mr. and Mrs. heer.
The Heer family at the Heer farm northwest of Table Rock. At the bottom “Taken in the Fall of 1902.” Names are written above each person. Frank Heer, Grandmother Heer, Alice Heer Warner, Charles Heer, Grandpa Heer, Kate Heer Law, Marion Heer, (the little girls: (Annie?) Heer Johnson; Mae _surname here_____ Heer, baby Ernest Heer held by A_____ Heer, girl holding doll to the right is Ellen Heer (Hastings?) & to the right is uncertain. The young girl on the far right probably Nancy Heer Carl (the handwriting is somewhat unclear as to which person it is referring to; she would have been 14), Ma___(Maude or Martha?), (John?) Heer, and baby (Cecil?)Heer Bowen.” Photo 673.
Photo 6605, shared by Mike & Linda Warner
there were five heer brothers
Marion, Charlie, Lou (Alois), Frank, and John. Photo 1764. Thanks to Historical Society member Brad Bowen for this family picture.
the children of ben heer
the oldest, katherine, born in 1873
Nothing is known of Katherine, known as Katie other than that she and her brother John were the children of Ben Heer and his first wife Mary .
john heer, the oldest son of ben heer, born 1874
John was Ben's child with his first wife, Mary. After Mary died, Ben later married Martha McNeal and the remainder of the children were born.
1899, John Heer & Maude Hays. Photo 1746.
Maude was pregnant a number of times, but the babies were either still born or did not live long; four babies are listed on Findagrave.com but there may be others. The only child to survive was Cecile (known as "Cecil"), who lived to be 90 years old. Cecile married Stanley Bowen, and their grandchildren still live in the area today.
Photo 6610, John & Maud with little Cecil, shared by Mike & Linda Warner.
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A four-generation photo: Ben Heer, Ben's son John, John's son Cecil, and Cecil's baby Boyd. Decoration Day, May 30, 1923. Photo 3926a, shared by Brad Bowen & later by Mike & Linda Warner.
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John & Maude's daughter cecile
Cecil Heer and her dog Buster, Photo 872.
Cecile Bowen, probably her high school graduation picture. She graduated from Table Rock. Photo 1769. Thanks to Historical Society member Brad Bowen for this family picture.
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Johnny's Cafe about 1948, according to Brad Bowen, whose family this picture it is. That's his grandmother Cecile Heer Bowen at the far right. When posted on Facebook, it was suggested by some that the woman on the left is Irma Kalina Penkava, but I haven't tracked that down yet Photo 1748. Thanks to Brad for sharing this picture.
Cecile in an excerpt of Photo 1748.
Cecile & her husband Stanley Bowen, in 1957. Photo 1758, thanks to Brad Bowen for this family picture.
Maude Hays Bowen at home, age 77. Photo 1763. Thanks to Brad Bowen for this family picture.
John and Maude and their chilren, including daughter cecile, are buried at the table rock cemetery
ben & martha's son marion, born 1878
ben & martha's son alois (lou), born 1879
Lou's obituary in the March 13, 1941 McDonald (Kansas) Standard:
Alois Heer, second son of Benjamin and Martha McNeal Heer was born at Table Rock, Nebraska, January 8, 1879, and passed away at Atwood, Kansas, March 11, 1941, at the age of 62 years, 2 months and three days. He was one of a family of eleven children, two of whom, Ellen and David, preceded him in death. He grew to manhood at Table Rock and on March 12, 1901, he was united in marriage to Florence Mae Frank. To this union two children were born, one who died in infancy and Ernest E., who lives in Denver, Colorado. In April, 1910, the family moved to McDonald where he folllowed the business of farming for many years. Nine years ago they moved into McDonald where he resided at the time of his death. |
Lou Heer, excerpt from Photo 674.
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ben & martha's son charles, born in 1884
ben & martha's daughter nancy, born 1888
other children
Nothing is known of Ben's other children.
Ellen, born 1891
Carry, born 1893
Ellen, born 1891
Carry, born 1893