"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture
and, if possible, speak a few reasonable words." ~Goethe

~ also, if possible, to dwell in "a house where all's accustomed, ceremonious." ~Yeats

Sunday, June 28, 2026

Family History #4: Catherine Shank

NOW IS THE TIME
~ ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS ~

Until two weeks ago, my Great-great-grandmother
Catherine Elizabeth Shank Heideman
(January 20, 1836 - February 19, 1914)
had not appeared on any of my blogs before,
so to get you caught up on her life, here is
her obituary from the Emporia Gazette
February 24, 1914:

"Mrs. Heidemann's maiden name was Catherine Shank. She was born in Germany in 1830, and came to America when she was 13 years old, and settled in Wisconsin, where she was married to William Heidemann in 1853. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Heidemann, nine of whom survive. They are William Heidemann, of Elk City; Mrs. Jonny Diestelhorst, of Missouri; Mrs. Minnie Tippens and Mrs. Sadie Miller, of California; Mrs. Emma Solsby, Council Grove; Charles Heidemann, Wisconsin; George Heidemann, Washington, Iowa; Mrs. Kate Hammond, Burlington; Mrs. Dora Young, Iowa.

"From Wisconsin, with her family, Mrs. Heidemann went to Iowa, where several years of her life were spent. From there she came to Kansas and Emporia, where she lived for about twenty years, moving from Emporia to Burlington with her daughter, Mrs. Hammond, about fourteen years ago.

"Mrs. Heidemann had known much sorrow. One son, Louie Heidemann, was drowned when 16 years old; in 1887, her husband was accidentally killed at his post of duty; four years ago, a daughter, Mrs. Augusta Golder, died suddenly, and three weeks later, another son, Henry Heidemann, an engineer, of Emporia, was killed."


And in the words of her daughter Minnie:

"Father and Mother were born in Germany -- Father in Berlin, Mother in Hamburg.

"Father was 24 when he came over and Mother was 13. With her mother they went to Wisconsin, a small town called Two River. They met there and got married when Mother was 17. The four oldest children were born there. Father cleared off timber and built a log house I think about 13 miles out of Two Rivers; lived there until the War broke out when he hired a man to take his place, sold out and went to Iowa. Bought a 40 acre farm; lived there. All the rest of us children were born there except Kate, was born in Kansas.

"We sold out in Iowa and bought 160 acres in Kansas. El Dorado, Kansas, is built on that land. He had bad luck, worked so hard on the land. Everything burned up, didn't rain, so he started to work on the railroad there. And from there we went to Emporia, was there until he got killed on the RR. I was only 12 years old then. All us children are two years apart, until there were 12. Mother lived and saw all of them get married. Jennie and Dora were married in Iowa, the rest in Kansas as far as I know; only not Brother Charley, who returned to Wisconsin. All the girls were married at 17 and 18 except Kate, she was 20 and I at 16."
*********************

TO BE CONTINUED

in the meantime . . .

Lots of Family Pictures: Calendar 2024
Calendar 2025: #1 ~ #2 ~ #3
Photo Ablums: Gravestones & Grandparents

There's no vocabulary for love within a family,
love that's lived in but not looked at,
love within the light of which all else is seen,
the love within which all other love finds speech.
This love is silent
." ~ T. S. Eliot


ENTIRE SERIES:
Family History #1
Family History #2
Family History #3
Family History #4

Next Fortnightly Post: Family History #5
Tuesday, July 14th

Between now and then, read
THE QUOTIDIAN KIT
my shorter, almost daily blogs
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com


Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogsppot.com

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Family History #3:
Shank & Heideman
Birkinbine & Miller

GRANDMA ROVILLA'S GRANDPARENTS
~ ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS ~

MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER
CATHERINE ELIZABETH SHANK HEIDEMAN
(January 20, 1836 - February 19, 1914)
Catherine was the daughter of

Elizabeth Riefe Shank
(September 11, 1811 - 1880)
~ no photo available ~
Elizabeth & Catherine were both born in Germany
and both came to Two Rivers, Wisconsin in 1849

Catherine was married in 1853
to William Henry Heideman
(April 24, 1822 - July 15, 1887)
~ no photo availale ~
they were the . . .

Parents of William Michael Heideman
(June 3, 1855 - December 18, 1931)
married on March 9, 1886
to Anna Mary Miller
(December 29, 1862 - January 3, 1923)

Grandparents of Mary Rovilla Heideman
(October 8, 1891 - June 14, 1966)
married on March 20, 1927
to Paul Jones Lindsey
(November 4, 1895 - June 11, 1983)

Great-grandparents of my mother
Mary Elisabeth Lindsey Carriker
(January 21, 1931 - June 15, 2020)

Great-great-grandparents of Kitti (b May 24, 1957)
Great-great-great grandparents of Ben (b June 2, 1990)
& Sam (b September 7, 1993)
Great-great-great-great grandparents of Ellie (b August 16, 2020),
Aidan (b May 18, 2022) & Dean (b May 31, 2024)

*********************

MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER
ELIZABETH BIRKINBINE MILLER
(February 28, 1838 ~ March 28, 1925)
&

MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHER
HENRY WISE MILLER
(May 27, 1834 ~ October 29, 1915)
Henry & Elizabeth
were married on September 16, 1856
and were the . . .

Parents of Anna Mary Miller
(December 29, 1862 - January 3, 1923)
married on March 20, 1927
to William Michael Heideman
(June 3, 1855 - December 18, 1931)

Grandparents of Mary Rovilla Heideman
(October 8, 1891 - June 14, 1966)
married on March 20, 1927
to Paul Jones Lindsey
(November 4, 1895 - June 11, 1983)

Great-grandparents of my mother
Mary Elisabeth Lindsey Carriker
(January 21, 1931 - June 15, 2020)

Great-great-grandparents of Kitti (b May 24, 1957)
Great-great-great grandparents of Ben (b June 2, 1990)
& Sam (b September 7 1993)
Great-great-great-great grandparents of Ellie (b August 16, 2020),
Aidan (b May 18, 2022) & Dean (b May 31, 2024)


Above, you see three of my Grandmother Rovilla Heideman Lindsey's four grandparents. That would be three of my sixteen great - great grandparents. The Heidemans and the Millers were assiduous record keepers who have bequeathed to me many comprehensive lists of aunts, uncles, cousins, names, dates; photographs, obituaries, and even souvenirs of human hair (popular in the day).

Previous Posts Featuring the Miller Family

The Birkinbine Millers of Oak Street
Henry & Elizabeth (both above)

Grandmothers in the Stars
Elizabeth (above), Anna Mary, Rovilla

Uncle William Birkinbine Miller
gone too soon

Two Fine Families
Heidemans & Lindseys

Valentines of Yore
& More Vintage Valentines
Going back to 1885

Little Day - Starn
Christening Gown from 1887

Additional Holiday Stories
80 Year Old Christmas Presents
Five Kings
Straw to Gold
Mildred's First Christmas Tree
Harvest Home
Autumnal Auth
Christmas Ideals
Christmas Eve on the Train
Songs Our Grandmothers Sang
Missing, Presumed Dead

*********************

TO BE CONTINUED

in the meantime . . .

Lots of Family Pictures: Calendar 2024
Calendar 2025: #1 ~ #2 ~ #3
Photo Ablums: Gravestones & Grandparents

There's no vocabulary for love within a family,
love that's lived in but not looked at,
love within the light of which all else is seen,
the love within which all other love finds speech.
This love is silent
." ~ T. S. Eliot


ENTIRE SERIES:
Family History #1
Family History #2
Family History #3
Family History #4

Next Fortnightly Post: Family History #4
Sunday, June 28th


Between now and then, read
THE QUOTIDIAN KIT
my shorter, almost daily blogs
www.dailykitticarriker.blogspot.com


Looking for a good book? Try
KITTI'S LIST
my running list of recent reading
www.kittislist.blogsppot.com